Author Topic: Adventure bike - idle question  (Read 3274 times)

Adventure bike - idle question
« on: 18 July, 2018, 11:40:19 am »
I have one bike at the moment, a lovely Hewitt steel framed tourer. However it has butterfly bars (which I like) and somehow I feel it does not fit me properly.
I would like to do some evening or early morning rides in London. I'm not fit enough by any stretch to go the full on MAMIL with skinny road bike, road shoes and a chain gang of an evening.
But I would like a bike which can go on longer rides. I like the idea of disc brakes too, though I have never had them.

My brother has a Croix de Fer, which looks a lovely bike. Any thoughts from the choir on adventure bikes? That is a bit of a new term to me though.

Re: Adventure bike - idle question
« Reply #1 on: 18 July, 2018, 11:59:31 am »
I have one bike at the moment, a lovely Hewitt steel framed tourer. However it has butterfly bars (which I like) and somehow I feel it does not fit me properly.

Save yourself some time and money - first try and get the Hewitt to fit you well, if you can't you should still get an understanding of why that is.  My Hewitt tourer has had both flat and drop bars and although I have no preference between the bars I prefer the bike with the drops. That's not to discourage a new bike, just take the opportunity to  make it a better informed choice.
This has been posted before, a good introduction to bike fit
 http://wheel-easy.org.uk/uploads/documents/Bike%20Set%20Up%202017a.pdf

Re: Adventure bike - idle question
« Reply #2 on: 18 July, 2018, 12:13:48 pm »
I have one bike at the moment, a lovely Hewitt steel framed tourer. However it has butterfly bars (which I like) and somehow I feel it does not fit me properly.

Possibly because you have butterfly bars on it. The geometry for a bike with drops has to be subtly different for one with flat (or butterfly) bars, and as the Hewitt will have been designed for use with drops, this could be the reason.

I once converted a drop-bar tourer to butterfly bars and found exactly this problem. The solution (though not a perfect one) was to put the bars on a 130mm stem. It made the bike look a bit odd and the steering became a bit tiller-like, but it certainly improved the fit and comfort. In fact it was comfortable enough for me to complete a PBP on it. So before you think about a new bike, try changing the stem length on the Hewitt.

Re: Adventure bike - idle question
« Reply #3 on: 18 July, 2018, 12:31:08 pm »
Thanks Paul and Rod. I do think I need a longer stem on the Hewitt - if I put my arms out in the natural position my palms are about an inch further out than the bars.

Anyway, same question to others - what are the opinions on an adventure bike?


Re: Adventure bike - idle question
« Reply #4 on: 18 July, 2018, 01:04:29 pm »
'Adventure bike' is currently nothing more than a buzz word. You can have an adventure on any bike as long as you enjoy riding it and an adventure doesn't have to be very far away and the bike doesn't have to be very exotic.

I have a Croix de Fer. I've toured through the Alps with it fully loaded and currently it is fitted with CX tyres for fun in the local woods and bridleways so for a jack of all trades adventure bikes, gravel bikes call them what you want will do most things asked of them and provide quite a lot of fun too.

On the road it's a little dead and not very quick, but a lot of that is down to my legs and lungs rather than the bike, I'd have no concerns doing a longish Audax on it but I have a road bike for such things.

With the latest trend for carbon gravel bikes the best of both worlds is probably something like the Genesis Datum, other brands are available, I just have a thing for Genesis! It is lighter and faster than the CDF, it doesn't have rack mounts but the modern trend is bikepacking luggage anyway. Such bikes would comfortably keep up with a chain gang on slick tyres (if my legs and lungs were up to it) and go anywhere you pointed it on knobblies. If I were starting again I'd go down that route and have just the one bike - in fact I bought my wife a Datum for her birthday last year and we ride the same size frame.....

Duct tape is magic and should be worshipped

Re: Adventure bike - idle question
« Reply #5 on: 18 July, 2018, 01:07:29 pm »
I have 2. This one and this one. It's just a descriptor.
I wouldn't put too much weight on what manufacturers describe their bikes as. Like the gravel thread elsewhere, it's merely the nom de jour.



Re: Adventure bike - idle question
« Reply #6 on: 18 July, 2018, 01:18:29 pm »
After two days cycling round Fife on the frankenbike last week I've become a huge fan of proper large volume tyres. So comfortable and not as slow and ponderous as I thought it would be. I think my next bike purchase will be an adventure bike for that reason. I like the look of the Pinnacle Pyrolite in 650b especially.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Adventure bike - idle question
« Reply #7 on: 18 July, 2018, 02:00:58 pm »
'Adventure bike' is currently nothing more than a buzz word. You can have an adventure on any bike as long as you enjoy riding it and an adventure doesn't have to be very far away and the bike doesn't have to be very exotic.
This, to the nth degree. In fact that's one of the reasons (maybe the only reason) I prefer the term adventure bike to gravel bike, all-road bike or whatever else people are calling them. But I agree with the advice above – first get the Hewitt to fit you, or if you can't, understand why it won't. And try it on longer rides first, then if you still feel you need something else (and I don't think anyone here's going to object to n+1) you'll have a better idea of what sort of something else you want.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: Adventure bike - idle question
« Reply #8 on: 18 July, 2018, 02:19:06 pm »
On a related note, and forgive me for shoehorning this in here, the Hewitt has not had a service in four or five years.
I really do need the wheels trued up again and the drivechain looked at,  probably need a new chain and cogs, and I need new pedals and shoes.
I would take the opportunity to try a longer stem when it is in for a service.

So - can anyoen recommend a good bike shop for this service. South and East London is the area.
I cannot think of any decent bike shop in Rotherhithe, and going over to Canary Wharf it has a very upmarket road bike place in the new Crossrail station.



zigzag

  • unfuckwithable
Re: Adventure bike - idle question
« Reply #9 on: 18 July, 2018, 03:17:17 pm »
i finished a 700+km off-road adventure yesterday, and the most suitable bike for it was a full-sus lightweight 29er mtb. i did it on "gravel/adventure" bike and suffered massively. what a ridiculous bike choice (as was pointed out by several participants).

jiberjaber

  • ... Fancy Pants \o/ ...
  • ACME S&M^2
Re: Adventure bike - idle question
« Reply #10 on: 18 July, 2018, 04:08:58 pm »
On a related note, and forgive me for shoehorning this in here, the Hewitt has not had a service in four or five years.
I really do need the wheels trued up again and the drivechain looked at,  probably need a new chain and cogs, and I need new pedals and shoes.
I would take the opportunity to try a longer stem when it is in for a service.

So - can anyoen recommend a good bike shop for this service. South and East London is the area.
I cannot think of any decent bike shop in Rotherhithe, and going over to Canary Wharf it has a very upmarket road bike place in the new Crossrail station.

I'm not familiar with or used them myself but Darren Franks (OTP) seems to like the chaps in this post https://www.instagram.com/p/Bkup2pWBeeG/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Are these near you? https://ratracecycles.com/
Regards,

Joergen

Re: Adventure bike - idle question
« Reply #11 on: 18 July, 2018, 04:25:21 pm »
thanks for that. Google maps says Ratrace Cycles is near the Beer Shop. I sense a sweet synergy there...

Nick H.

Re: Adventure bike - idle question
« Reply #12 on: 18 July, 2018, 05:18:41 pm »
i finished a 700+km off-road adventure yesterday, and the most suitable bike for it was a full-sus lightweight 29er mtb. i did it on "gravel/adventure" bike and suffered massively. what a ridiculous bike choice (as was pointed out by several participants).
;D Who stitched you up?

Re: Adventure bike - idle question
« Reply #13 on: 19 July, 2018, 12:14:40 am »
So - can anyoen recommend a good bike shop for this service. South and East London is the area.

Greenwich Cycle Workshop are nice people.

Or bring it a mile or so further, buy me beer, and I'll do it.

(Actually, you'd get to Cycles UK in Greenwich before either of those options. They've been pretty helpful to me in the past too.)


Re: Adventure bike - idle question
« Reply #14 on: 19 July, 2018, 03:28:35 pm »
I have one bike at the moment, a lovely Hewitt steel framed tourer. However it has butterfly bars (which I like) and somehow I feel it does not fit me properly.

Possibly because you have butterfly bars on it. The geometry for a bike with drops has to be subtly different for one with flat (or butterfly) bars, and as the Hewitt will have been designed for use with drops, this could be the reason.

If SotR still has my old Hewitt it was designed for butterfly bars. :)
Never knowingly under caffeinated

Re: Adventure bike - idle question
« Reply #15 on: 19 July, 2018, 04:06:08 pm »
'Adventure bike' is currently nothing more than a buzz word.....I have a Croix de Fer. I've toured through the Alps with it fully loaded and currently it is fitted with CX tyres for fun in the local woods and bridleways so for a jack of all trades adventure bikes, gravel bikes call them what you want will do most things asked of them and provide quite a lot of fun too.


Arguably, the CdF is the original "adventure bike" before the term was a term.

Just for the record, I run 28s on my titanium version and 35s on the Stainless. The 35s are like a magic carpet, with go anywhere capability.