I have had a few requests for some technical blog posts, gear reviews and the like for the gear head geeks out there.
I’mm not an expert on kit at all. Most of my equipment choices are based on
a) what’s cheap
b) what’s already in my cupboard at home.
But I am well aware that posts on gear for expeditions, bike journeys or adventure races could be really useful. So I have decided to begin a series of guest kit reviews, in a similar vein to my featured guest blogs.
They will not be overly technical articles, just good starting points to help people with their research. So if you know what you are talking about and you would like to write a review of the Top 3 (ish) of whatever it is that floats your boat then please do get in touch. (I’mm thinking tents, stoves, kayaks, cameras, gadgets, backpacks, ultramarathon stuff etc…)
Starting us off then are Steve Lord’s Top 3 touring bikes. Steve is the author of the Adventure Cycle Touring Handbook so he knows his stuff. The second edition of this really useful book comes out at the end of the year. Get your copy here.
Steve has chosen an entry-price bike, a middle-of-the-ranger, and an all-the-gear-and-no-idea wunderbike:
Marin’s entry-level Muirwoods is an old favourite with adventure tourers for its mountain bike construction and useful features like a rigid fork and bolt-holes for front and rear racks. Until this year, the Marin was one of the few mass-produced chromoly bikes but now has a Taiwanese-made 6061 aluminium frame. If you’re in the UK, CycleSurgery still has some chromoly 2008 Muirwoods for just £299 – the biggest adventure-touring bargain around at the moment! Otherwise look at the chromoly 29er Muirwoods, which also has Hayes mechanical disc brakes. You only need to add racks, though if you’re headed for mountains you ought to get smaller chainrings.
Mid-range touring bikes often have a lot of components that are not strong enough for adventure touring.
So buy just the frame and build it up: Surly’s Long Haul Trucker takes mountain bike gears and straight bars but it’s got the long wheelbase and clearance you need for a stable ride and can take tyres wider than most tourers: all the pros of touring bikes with none of the cons.
My dream bike is Thorn’s Sherpa, their entry-level adventure tourer but available fully kitted out in ‘expedition’ spec for £1799 and basically the same frame as their Rohloff-equipped Ravens and Nomads. Thorns are the best thought-out adventure tourers and though you can get a lighter bike, you can’t get a tougher one. Extremely solid braze-ons, oversized chromoly, the world’s best touring fork. Well, yes you can get a stronger bike – but it’s another Thorn, the custom-built eXp. The Sherpa saves money as the frame is made in Taiwan and if you want only the frame, it’s available in a wide variety of sizes and lengths.
Marin’s entry-level Muirwoods is an old favourite with adventure tourers for its mountain bike construction and useful features like a rigid fork and bolt-holes for front and rear racks. Until this year, the Marin was one of the few mass-produced chromoly bikes but now has a Taiwanese-made 6061 aluminium frame. If you’re in the UK, 
Mid-range touring bikes often have a lot of components that are not strong enough for adventure touring.
My dream bike is The Bike List is a site where you can buy all these bikes.
What do you think of Steve’s choices? Have your say in the comments section. Ask questions, suggest other bikes, show off your own blog… whatever you feel like! (No Viagra salesmen though, please).
If you would like to review some kit on this site please get in touch.
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I treated myself to a Thorn Sherpa in Oct 2008 and I have never regretted it for a moment. The Sherpa is a wonderful bike and very reliable and add to that a very professional and helpful staff at St John Street Cycles and you have a winning combination! (No I don’t work for them, before you ask :-).
Great choice… I have Marin and did with it over 20.000 kms. Frame is old school, classic cro-molly, but great. Zero problems on long ride so far….
Hope and wish one day I will have a chance to try out the other two as well. One day… Till then keep riding (and smilling..)
I’m not familiar with the Muirwoods, but it looks like a nice, inexpensive bicycle that you could get a long life (and many miles/kilometers) out of.
The Surley Long Haulr Trucker is a popular bike (although I’m not exactly sure why it is SO popular), but there are a number of other bikes in the same price range that are just as good (or better). I think the Fuji, Opus, Kona, Windsor and Raleigh bikes are all good as well and cost just about the same amount.
And yes, the Thorn bike is nice. It is probably best for someone who is serious about touring and knows that they will be traveling with their bike for a very long time.
Good bike suggestions here! If you want to see more touring bikes, I put together this list of all the major touring bicycle makers: http://bicycletouringpro.com/blog/touring-bikes-bicycles-made-specifically-for-long-distance-touring/
Even though it isn’t made specifically for heavy duty touring, I like my Salsa Fargo for long-distance off-road stuff. The most comfortable bike I ever owned for riding on gravel and forest service roads. I wouldn’t mind to take it anywhere in the world with me, despite its big wheels (29er)…
From the above list, I’d go for Surly… Heavy duty, fairly cheap. Thorn’s just damn too expensive in the States.
yep, the marin muirwoods has done the trick for me. It carried me 10,000kms through South America on gravel roads and its still going strong 3 years later. You beauty.
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in 2008 only 1000km into a tour the dropouts “dropped” out of my wifes Thorn Raven forks – SJSC did send a new fork out to Chile though. On my Raven it took 7000km until my fork failed, but again SJSC did send another one free…but for an expensive bike it was a shame andhopefully they’ve made some improvements to their build quality.
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Well can’t argue with any of that really. All I’d add is the HP Velotechnic Street Machine is THE ultimate touring bent and their Scorpion trike is so cool. The recumbent as an all out touring machine should really be considered by saddle tramps with some cash-lots of cash if you choose the Rohloff geared option.
The Thorn definitely deserves its accolade.
My trusty old Dawes Super Galaxy has served me well but Lord my bones ache after a hard tour!
I think, as Alastair’s brilliant world tour shows, you can ride any old piece of shit (no offence)!! It’s the heart of the rider that matters more than the bike.
;-)
Deciding upon a Spesh bike is stressing me out more than I could have imagined! So thanks a bunch for your input.
I realise this is quite an old article but, in case anyone is still responding, I’m wondering why the muirwoods in particular, wouldn’t any of Marin’s older steel specs be very similar, if not better ?