RE: your worst touring bike

Well, it wasn't heavy & clunky but my mid 80s aluminum Trek wasn't too
suitable.  Narrow tires, double crankset & too narrow gear range, coupled
with a cheap rear rack fastened on with P-clamps.  Smallish panniers & a
rack bag made the back end waggle all over.  Brakes totally inadequate.  

OTH, it "worked" for lodging tours, got me hooked & I quickly figured out
why there were touring oriented bikes with wider tires & gearing, proper
rack mounts and real brakes.  Of course, it took a while for these
revelations to be put into action. 

Worst touring set-up I've ever witnessed was a young man on a current
technology carbon racing bike, carrying all his luggage in a giant messenger
bag slung over his shoulder.  He claimed 15 kilos & I had not reason to
doubt him.  He was having a wonderful time & of course his set-up attracted
plenty of comment.   

dougP

-----Original Message-----
From: touring-bounces+dougpnirv=cox.net-Wizm5X4GRk5g9hUCZPvPmw@public.gmane.org
[mailto:touring-bounces+dougpnirv=cox.net-Wizm5X4GRk5g9hUCZPvPmw@public.gmane.org] On Behalf Of Scott
Loveless
Sent: Saturday, February 19, 2011 7:48 AM
To: Touring
Subject: your worst touring bike

Hi Phreds!

Just for the sake of conversation, what's the most ill-suited bike
you've ever taken on a tour?

Every once in a while I'll gaze upon my old Schwinn Continental (now
my fixed gear machine) and think that I could easily turn it into a
racked and bagged touring bike with just the parts I have laying
around.  It's all just a mental exercise, since it hangs on a hook
next to the LHT.  There are, of course, stories about folks riding the
bikecentennial on a stock Varsity with a Pletscher rack, or men riding
around the world on pennyfarthings or Raleigh DL-1 roadsters, etc.  So
I was simply curious - what's the heaviest, clunkiest, non-touringest
bike you've taken touring?

-- 
Scott Loveless
http://www.twosixteen.com/fivetoedsloth/
    __o
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