Touring Bikes?

[Paul H]

I've never had a bike with disc brakes, so this may be a dumb question: how easy is it to pack up a bike in a soft bag for flying so that the discs don't get bent in transit?

Plenty of bike bagging vids on Youtube, some different options, but the obvious thing is to pack the wheels with the rotors facing into the bag. 
If that's not possible, or you're still not convinced they're well enough protected, it's a quick job to remove them and transport them somewhere else.  I've done this a couple of times when taking an Airnimal on coach holidays without a decent bag, rotors came off and packed in a pannier.   

[Kim]

And ultimately, truing a disc rotor isn't particularly difficult given somewhere quiet and an adjustable spanner.

[quixoticgeek]

And ultimately, truing a disc rotor isn't particularly difficult given somewhere quiet and an adjustable spanner.

Or a bottle opener...

https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/collections/tools/products/bottle-opener-with-rotor-truing-tool

J

[Karla]

If I were setting up a bike for extended touring, I'd probably plump for either down tube or bar end shifters (that can be operated in friction mode). Easier to get replacement gear bits on the road if something like a cassette or derailleur breaks.

Why would parts be easier to get if you're using down tube or bar end shifters? And what relevance is that to broken cassettes* or mechs?

*Has anyone ever actually "broken" a cassette?!

I have to agree.

I went round the world with bar-ends rather than STIs but it wasn't for reliability, it was so I could run 8 speed gears.  The supply of decent 8 speed stuff is drying up though, so it probably didn't buy me much of an advantage.  If I did it again I'd probably run 10 speed and STIs, and know I could get high quality spares anywhere across Asia.  Loads of intercontinental tourists do this and they don't seem to come to any harm.

The other thing to note about STIs breaking (which they won't, because they don't) is that non-functioning gears are a lot less of a problem than non-functioning brakes, so you don't need to worry about them quite so much.  One could kill you, the other will just mean you have to push up a few hills until you get to the next bike shop.

[Oscar's dad]

When I built Fred I went for friction shifting from the outset as I didn't want the hassle of tuning index shifting to cope with a huge gear range.  On the road I find friction shifting just as easy to use as index shifting which I have on another bike (Dakota).

On Fred I swapped to downtube friction shifters when Fred was going to spend a lot of time being transported on car roof racks.  DT shifters were fine but I've swapped back to bar ends as its nice to be able shift without taking your hands off the bars.

[Carlosfandango]

My 9 speed downtube shifters are indexed. Very easy to set up, I eyed up the rear sprockets and jockey wheels and adjusted the limit stops and cable tension before I put the chain on and it turned out accurate.

[mrcharly-YHT]

If I were setting up a bike for extended touring, I'd probably plump for either down tube or bar end shifters (that can be operated in friction mode). Easier to get replacement gear bits on the road if something like a cassette or derailleur breaks.

Why would parts be easier to get if you're using down tube or bar end shifters? And what relevance is that to broken cassettes* or mechs?

*Has anyone ever actually "broken" a cassette?!

I have to agree.

I went round the world with bar-ends rather than STIs but it wasn't for reliability, it was so I could run 8 speed gears.  The supply of decent 8 speed stuff is drying up though, so it probably didn't buy me much of an advantage.  If I did it again I'd probably run 10 speed and STIs, and know I could get high quality spares anywhere across Asia.  Loads of intercontinental tourists do this and they don't seem to come to any harm.

The other thing to note about STIs breaking (which they won't, because they don't) is that non-functioning gears are a lot less of a problem than non-functioning brakes, so you don't need to worry about them quite so much.  One could kill you, the other will just mean you have to push up a few hills until you get to the next bike shop.

I said 'break' but that was the wrong phrase. More likely is the chain and cassette wearing out. Having shifters that can be operated in friction mode means you could fit a cassette of a different type; e.g. 8 or 9 speed.

Say your wheel gets buckled. You can get a replacement in a local shop, but it is 10spd shimano and you have 11spd campag shifters. No problem if you can run in friction mode.

[bobb]

Say your wheel gets buckled.

You ain't half pessimistic! I haven't buckled a wheel since some time back in the 20th century. And I've slammed into some pretty deep unseen/unavoidbale potholes whilst fully loaded....

Edit: Of course, someone will be along in a minute to talk about all their buckled wheels

Edit 2: Modern bike shops are far more likely to stock modern components. Finding spares for your obselete 7 or 8 speed drive train is going to be harder than finding current stuff...

[TimC]

Bobb, people love to be reactionary and antediluvian and live as much as possible in the past - ‘cos it was better then, natch.

Like you, I’m pretty sure that the LBS’s round me would reply ‘dunno, I’ll have to get back to you after I’ve spoken to the distributor’ if I asked for 7/8 speed components, but 11/12 speed will be on the shelf (given that anything at all is on their shelves just now!).

My oldest bikes are getting on for 20 years old and wear 10-speed Shimano Ultegra, which is very hard to get bits for now. It works perfectly, but won’t forever. When it doesn’t, I’ll replace it with something more up to date.

[Carlosfandango]

I have to agree, it's tempting to think all the world still rides your favourite 40 year old bike, but in reality bike and component brands sell their current products in every country.

I've never had a spoke break or a wheel buckle even when I've been riding overloaded bikes on rough stuff. I think rims are stronger now and wheels better made than they ever have been.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Edit 2: Modern bike shops are far more likely to stock modern components. Finding spares for your obselete 7 or 8 speed drive train is going to be harder than finding current stuff...

Not so. You certainly won't be able to find any high quality 8 speed stuff but there is a lot of cheap Altus, etc. 7/8 speed kit in just about every mom & pop bike shop (even toy store in remote areas) because that is what the majority of their bikes are already fitted with. You won't find that expensive 11sp kit in there. In the middle of a tour, slapping on a cheap new chain, derailleur or cassette could save your holiday, compared to sitting around for 2-3 days waiting for something to be shipped to you.

[Carlosfandango]

Judging by what the Asian riders were riding on the last LEL, it's no problem at all finding 11 speed kit, electric gears, power meters, the latest Garmin etc where they live.

[Cudzoziemiec]

My experience from India would be that you can get modern, high-end stuff and old fashioned, cheap stuff. So nowadays that would 10 or 11 speed, including I'm sure electronic shifting, and poorly made screw-on freewheels. The difference is that to get the former, you have to find the right shop in a big city, whereas the latter you can find in small towns. Finding decent 8 or 9sp parts (say Sora?) would be harder.

[Oscar's dad]

Judging by what the Asian riders were riding on the last LEL, it's no problem at all finding 11 speed kit, electric gears, power meters, the latest Garmin etc where they live.

I think you're being far too flippant, sourcing equipment to get you out of trouble is a very real problem as well you know    For example, if you're riding home from a pub in Duton Hill after closing time and a crank falls off what would you do?   

[BFC]

Judging by what the Asian riders were riding on the last LEL, it's no problem at all finding 11 speed kit, electric gears, power meters, the latest Garmin etc where they live.

I think you're being far too flippant, sourcing equipment to get you out of trouble is a very real problem as well you know    For example, if you're riding home from a pub in Duton Hill after closing time and a crank falls off what would you do?   

Or riding home on a chilly night and the grease in the freehub glues the pawls in freewheel mode.

[psyclist]

Judging by what the Asian riders were riding on the last LEL, it's no problem at all finding 11 speed kit, electric gears, power meters, the latest Garmin etc where they live.

I think you're being far too flippant, sourcing equipment to get you out of trouble is a very real problem as well you know    For example, if you're riding home from a pub in Duton Hill after closing time and a crank falls off what would you do?   

Or riding home on a chilly night and the grease in the freehub glues the pawls in freewheel mode.

Or traversing the Devil's Staircase when your gear cable snaps.

[BFC]

Say your wheel gets buckled.

You ain't half pessimistic! I haven't buckled a wheel since some time back in the 20th century. And I've slammed into some pretty deep unseen/unavoidbale potholes whilst fully loaded....

Edit: Of course, someone will be along in a minute to talk about all their buckled wheels

Edit 2: Modern bike shops are far more likely to stock modern components. Finding spares for your obselete 7 or 8 speed drive train is going to be harder than finding current stuff...

Most bike shops around this planet will support screw on freewheel technology - there are so many budget bikes (including E-Bikes) still being built with this technology.
Likewise mid range new stuff will be available in better bike shops that deal with them.

The problems occur when trying to source high end latest model components, or superceded models (like campag 8/9 speed). Single speed/fixed bits are rarely supported intentionally by bike shops but are much less prone to failure/damage - it takes a lot to kill a maintained 1/8" chain (and 3/32" works with 6/7 speed chanins).

At least with rim brakes we would wear a set of rims out and have a "reason" to chuck the wheels and "upgrade" to the currently available technology.

[Carlosfandango]

Judging by what the Asian riders were riding on the last LEL, it's no problem at all finding 11 speed kit, electric gears, power meters, the latest Garmin etc where they live.

I think you're being far too flippant, sourcing equipment to get you out of trouble is a very real problem as well you know    For example, if you're riding home from a pub in Duton Hill after closing time and a crank falls off what would you do?   

Or riding home on a chilly night and the grease in the freehub glues the pawls in freewheel mode.

Or traversing the Devil's Staircase when your gear cable snaps.

I feel like I'm being trolled!

I put the crank back on, no problem, by the side of the road. My torque wrench was inaccurate, hence the crank bolt loosened.

The freehub, a longish walk. A non serviceable part, expertly repaired by the engineering genius bfc. Probably the most difficult to replace or repair. Shimano 9 speed.

Gear cable, that was only 4 months old! Bloody 11 speed Shimano brifter! Expensive taxi. Of course, I could take a spare or find one in any Country.

It was all fixable and would have been wherever in the world I had been.

[Kim]

Given the amount of effort I had to go to to source a freehub body for an XT 9-speed hub recently, that's not something I'd want to find a replacement for in a hurry.  But I suppose it's the sort of thing you could take with you.  Or at least have a known-good one at home that someone could FedEx to Elbonia if necessary.

Gear cables are an easy road-side fix, as long as you don't need to dismantle a shifter with the intricacy of a fine Swiss watch to get the remains of the broken one out.

[Carlosfandango]

Given the amount of effort I had to go to to source a freehub body for an XT 9-speed hub recently, that's not something I'd want to find a replacement for in a hurry.  But I suppose it's the sort of thing you could take with you.  Or at least have a known-good one at home that someone could FedEx to Elbonia if necessary.

Gear cables are an easy road-side fix, as long as you don't need to dismantle a shifter with the intricacy of a fine Swiss watch to get the remains of the broken one out.

Yeah, the cable breaks close to the end, it was a pig to get the remains out. I dismantled the shifter, not that difficult, but fiddly and easy to lose parts at the roadside.

The 9 speed freehub I have is unobtainium. BFC swapped it out and then managed to dismantle and clean mine to replace the one he'd given me. Shimano say it's not serviceable though.

[Oscar's dad]

Judging by what the Asian riders were riding on the last LEL, it's no problem at all finding 11 speed kit, electric gears, power meters, the latest Garmin etc where they live.

I think you're being far too flippant, sourcing equipment to get you out of trouble is a very real problem as well you know    For example, if you're riding home from a pub in Duton Hill after closing time and a crank falls off what would you do?   

Or riding home on a chilly night and the grease in the freehub glues the pawls in freewheel mode.

Or traversing the Devil's Staircase when your gear cable snaps.

I feel like I'm being trolled!

You are being trolled    Take it as a compliment 

[quixoticgeek]

I think the guidance about running 8 speed cos it'll be easier to find when on the road, etc... is probably a bit out dated. 10 speed tiagra, or 11 speed is likely to be easier to find, just cos it's more common now.

But I think this also ignores to an extent the fact that these days you can get a bike part shipped to almost anywhere in the world in a day or 3. If you can bodge enough to get you to a place that can receive post, you can get the parts you need, tho it may not be cheap. Tho if I was going that far off the beaten track, carrying a spare freehub body, and even the axle kit for a hub isn't gonna slow you down that much.

I know when working in a bike shop in the European capital of cycling, that anything other than the current line of what ever shimano are making, can be pretty hard to get. We certainly didn't have a box of 8 speed cassette just waiting for someone with an old bike came in.

I do like the idea upthread about carrying a friction shifter as a backup, has excellent bodge me to a bike shop potential. But cos I'm on Di2, I can just remap the buttons about to get the shifting I need. I also carry a enough spare wire to recable most of the bike in the event of damage. They weigh very little, so are easy to carry.

J

[bobb]

I would agree with using stuff that is going to be common wherever you're touring, so if I was going to say India or China, I would kit up accordingly..... But most people here tour in Europe (yes, yes, I know some go further afield) and all this talk of little local bike shops in some little town in the sticks, where the wisened owner carries stock of all manner of parts and will rummage around out back to get you just what you need, is a bit optimistic to say the least. Those places are closing down for good at an alarming rate and have been for years.

So I guess carrying spares and having cunning solutions to get by on whatever set up you have is the way to go. If you can get to civilization, you should be good to go. If you're miles from civilization and something breaks, you probably need to question your choice of bike, not to mention your competence in setting it up in the first place (Carl)

[mrcharly-YHT]

Bits that have broken when out cycling, in no particular order:
Spokes
seatpost
saddle nosebolt
BB (complete bearing failure, crank was just waving around)
wheel rim
chain (8spd, snapped)
BB shell distorted
derailleur hanger
wheel axle (many  years ago on a cheapish bike)
rear rack

[Karla]

If I were setting up a bike for extended touring, I'd probably plump for either down tube or bar end shifters (that can be operated in friction mode). Easier to get replacement gear bits on the road if something like a cassette or derailleur breaks.

Why would parts be easier to get if you're using down tube or bar end shifters? And what relevance is that to broken cassettes* or mechs?

*Has anyone ever actually "broken" a cassette?!

I have to agree.

I went round the world with bar-ends rather than STIs but it wasn't for reliability, it was so I could run 8 speed gears.  The supply of decent 8 speed stuff is drying up though, so it probably didn't buy me much of an advantage.  If I did it again I'd probably run 10 speed and STIs, and know I could get high quality spares anywhere across Asia.  Loads of intercontinental tourists do this and they don't seem to come to any harm.

The other thing to note about STIs breaking (which they won't, because they don't) is that non-functioning gears are a lot less of a problem than non-functioning brakes, so you don't need to worry about them quite so much.  One could kill you, the other will just mean you have to push up a few hills until you get to the next bike shop.

I said 'break' but that was the wrong phrase. More likely is the chain and cassette wearing out. Having shifters that can be operated in friction mode means you could fit a cassette of a different type; e.g. 8 or 9 speed.

Say your wheel gets buckled. You can get a replacement in a local shop, but it is 10spd shimano and you have 11spd campag shifters. No problem if you can run in friction mode.

For that to apply, the following conditions need to pile up:

1) You have an unfixable error
2) You find a shop
3) The shop doesn't have what you need
4) The shop has something else, that would work
5) The distance to the next shop is intolerably large
6) Time pressure is such that you can't wait a few days for FexEx

We're getting into some very, very improbable scenarios here.  It seems rather analogous to the EDC folk who 'need' a 76 function Leatherman to walk to the shops **just in case** they need to dig a stone out of a horse's hoof on the way.  How likely is it to happen, what's the consequence of you having the less fixable solution, and what's the cost of the mitigation you want to impose?