Touring bike: musings about possibilities

[redshift]

I've put this in the Freewheeling, rather than the Knowledge, as we don't seem to have a board for 'random musings about shiny bits of kit you may want, but are not sure about.'  Yet.  If it needs moving, then please do so.

A couple of years ago I built up commuter/tourer based around an Orbit Ventura frame I bought from ebay:



I'm getting along with this bike very well, far better than I thought I would.  My back was a mess (but seems not to be getting any worse), and up to building the tourer I'd been riding the trike almost exclusively since 2001.  Now I've done over 4,000 miles on this bike, and we get along to the point where it's been my commuting bike for much of the last year.  In 6 weeks time I'm doing a coast to coast with a friend, riding Whitby-Whitehaven, and I'm planning to do it on this bike, not the trike.

Here's the point:  I'm small (1.60m or about 5'3½ in old money, and the frame is 48cm centre-to-top Reynolds 520.  When I look around at tourers, there seem to be very few of comparable size in steel.  If I come to the point where I need to replace the bike, what are my options?

I notice that the Gearshift site is still up, and showing a couple of Orbit Harrier frames with the same geometry in 46cm (I presume centre-to-centre).  I'm wondering whether I should grab one of these if/while they're still available, perhaps to keep in storage.  They also seem to be still advertising a few complete bikes for considerably less than they would have cost when current.  Should I be looking at a whole new bike, just to take advantage of the deal?  I haven't phoned them, and since they and Orbit went squiffy last year, I don't even know if these things are genuinely available or not.

Note: I don't need or even want a new bike, really.  If I get a whole bike, something else will have to go.  It's just that if these are still available, would I be daft to pass up the chance?  or should I simply carry on riding, save my pennies, and when I eventually do want a new bike, go to someone like Paul Hewitt and pay for a posh bike?

Opinions, anyone?

[Sergeant Pluck]

What about a small short Cotic roadrat? Can be bought frame only and built up as a tourer. I mention it as it has a very sloping geometry that might work for you.

Edit: On the custom front, Roberts are apparently good with small frames.

[Polar Bear]

I had one of those.  I fell out with it on day 1 as the first time I applied the front brake in 'anger', i.e. to stop me at a traffic light, the cantis just ripped straight off and I was left sailing into the path on an oncoming black cab.

TBH once fixed it was great but i never loved it.  I did a C2C on it and a Kendal to Edinburgh via Berwick. 

If you're happy wit the geometry and really think that it's worth hanging a frame in the shed for ten or more years 'just in case' then go for one.  Personally I'd not bother as a bit of digging turns up all kind of frames.  My lbs has a Saracen Skyline in 23 inch waiting for me to buy it.   It is slowly reducing in value yet sitting nice and dry in their store room.         

[Becky]

L, you ought to speak to Ariadne, once she's back from conquering Europe on her posh bike.  She had Roberts build her a pretty small frame.

[border-rider]

The existing frame looks pretty good, and unless you tail-end a taxi or something it'll last many decades.  There's no real point in buying something similar "just in case".  Components wear out, sure, but get the frame repainted and put new wheels & gears on every few years and it's as good as new.

If you want something a bit more fancy at some point in the future, then you'd likely be looking at custom anyway. 

OTOH if you want a new bike now then buy the orbit frame and build it up...

[LEE]

SJSC/Thorn may do something similar in that size but why get something similar when there's nothing wrong with what you have? 

Seems like a perfectly nice bike made out of stuff that's unlikely to break.

As MV says, go custom in the unlikely event that you ever need to replace the frame.

[bikenerd]

Surly Longhaul Trucker come in tiny sizes (42, 46 and 50cm centre to top) but use 26 inch (MTB, 559mm rim size) wheels in the smaller sizes.  They're a 4130 cro-mo frame.
Giant SCR WSD come in tiny sizes as well, but they're an aluminium alloy frame.

I think that there are small bikes out there.  We've not had a problem buying bikes for Mrs Nerd and she's a similar size to you.

[redshift]

I'm just hedging, really.  There's a bit of me that likes the idea of a 'hot spare' (I blame work for this approach).  I don't intend to do anything daft to the bike, but sometimes it happens whether you want it to or not!  On the whole, I'll probably just keep saving the pennies until I really really can't live without another bike.   






That'll be next Thusday, then. 

[Torslanda]

That'll be next Thusday, then. 

So, I'll see you in Aldi?

J

[Tourist Tony]

L, you ought to speak to Ariadne, once she's back from conquering Europe on her posh bike.  She had Roberts build her a pretty small frame.

Or Mrs Pingu. who did the same thing. I believe Clare is very happy with it. And it gave me a chance to have a pint with them.

[Tom B]

How did you find the Ventura on your C2C, Redshift?

When I toured on a drop-bar Dawes Horizon there were times when the position just didn't feel quite right. It wasn't that I was getting pain or discomfort, just felt something more upright and, er, 'grippable' would do me better. Since I got a tourer with butterfly bars I've never had this feeling. And I get numb fingers less often, too

Just wondering... 

BTW, as one who almost daily has the joy of seeing Redshift's bike in the shed at work I can assure other forum members that it looks even nicer in the flesh steel than it does in the pic above 

[donpedro]

Having a backup bike ready to go is always a good idea. If you like the frame and can get it at a good price even more so...

[redshift]

Actually Tom, it was pretty good.  I have a fairly upright position anyway, and the new short stem (50mm) made quite a difference.  If anything, I might nudge the saddle forwards, but that's being picky!  I'm stupidly pleased with the bike - the frame cost very little; the bits and pieces to build it up, even with upgrades, haven't cost anything like what the bike would have cost new;  I learned a lot (and John's a good teacher) doing the build, and above all, I can ride it all day and it doesn't hurt.  Considering that in 1998 I had to be practically carried into the physio's for treatment, that's saying something.

I had no hand numbness or discomfort at all, although I did develop a numb toe after the ride, which is gradually easing off now.  The shoes are the likely cause, but they're old, and I've had good mileage out of them, so they can be retired with honours.

Anyway, my bike's not nearly as nice as that one I keep seeing, with the Brooks, and the Carradice, and the picked out lugs.  I wonder who that belongs to...?   

[rogerzilla]

I've never really been happy with my Thorn Nomad, mainly because of the 26" wheels.  Tyre choice is challenging, although slightly improved these days, and it's a pig-ugly machine.  It also weighs a ton from stock, although by replacing most of the components it's now down to a reasonable heft.

I suppose I could replace the frame with a Club Tour and rebuild the hubs onto 700c rims, but it would cost me about £600, it might not handle much better and I don't like sloping top tubes, especially on tourers where they create problems with 4-point racks.