Things to consider when selecting a bike
The following considerations for choosing a mountain bike were submitted by Andy Janz, whose touring experiences include the Northeastern United States, Eastern Canada (Maritimes, Quebec and Ontario), California, Arizona, Montana and the Canadian Rockies. In 1983 he spent two months touring New Zealand.
Quebec is one area that he really enjoys touring with all its bike paths, quaint towns and great back roads
Bike Frame Considerations The photo below shows Andy's bike which he built in 2002 using a mountain bike frame. Typically two important features to look for in a touring frame are;
Both of these features contribute to a stable ride. Unfortunately, both of these features are hard to find on most mountain bike frames. Andy adds "It was my experience that when researching frames for this bike that most mountain bikes tended towards higher bottom brackets and shorter wheel bases. Eyelets on the frame and fork for mounting racks are pretty much essential although there are a few products now available that allow you to mount racks on bikes without eyelets. |
This scenic photo was taken in September 2004 in Rensselaer County, NY. In the background are the Taconic Hills which border Massachuetts and Vermont |
This is the bike that Andy referred to above as his 02 bike. He currently uses this bike to tour extensively. |
Gearing One school of thought is that the gearing range for a touring bike should provide ratios with a high of 95 inches to a low gear that is 20 inches or even lower (i.e. in the high teens). Some may argue that gear ratios above 95 are also advantageous One way of achieving useable gearing for loaded touring is to use a micro drive for a crankset (44, 32, 22 or 20) (also known as mountain bike gearing) and a 12 to 32 or 34 rear cassette. For people who enjoy STI shifting, this may not be the ideal setup, because it is difficult to get STI to work on a micro drive. |
Andy likes to ride paved and gravel roads when he tours. |
This is one of Andy's old touring bikes. It was used in 1983 although it has now been retired from service. |
