Comments on: How to Build A Round-The-World Budget Touring Bike https://www.cyclingabout.com/build-a-round-the-world-touring-bike-on-a-budget/ Bikepacking, Bicycle Touring, Equipment, Testing, Videos Wed, 27 Dec 2023 16:30:20 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.2 By: Paul V. https://www.cyclingabout.com/build-a-round-the-world-touring-bike-on-a-budget/#comment-3512 Tue, 30 May 2017 00:32:00 +0000 https://www.cyclingabout.com/?p=3759#comment-3512 In reply to Alee | CyclingAbout.com.

Thanks Alee for the quick reply! I don’t want to purchase a touring specific bike until I see that I stick with it. Cheers!

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By: Alee | CyclingAbout.com https://www.cyclingabout.com/build-a-round-the-world-touring-bike-on-a-budget/#comment-3511 Mon, 29 May 2017 23:36:00 +0000 https://www.cyclingabout.com/?p=3759#comment-3511 In reply to Paul V..

You can bike tour on any bike! Your Trek 7.2FX is probably fine for the type of touring you’re planning on doing. You can always just replace parts if they break along the way seeing as though you won’t be a million miles from home.

Regarding the handlebars, just keep in mind that a drop handlebar has a longer ‘reach’ than a flat handlebar. This means that in the ‘hood’ position you’ll be further forward by 5-6cm. The only way to make sure your position stays the same is by shortening your stem significantly. My article on the Crazy Bars explains this in more detail: https://www.cyclingabout.com/velo-orange-crazy-bar-review/

That said, given that you’re thinking about swapping the handlebars, it could be beneficial to get a touring specific bike (like the Fuji) which is optimised for a drop handlebar and already has strong wheels and a really wide set of gear ratios. There’s nothing to swap out, so it will undoubtedly work out cheaper in the long-term.

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By: Paul V. https://www.cyclingabout.com/build-a-round-the-world-touring-bike-on-a-budget/#comment-3510 Mon, 29 May 2017 17:41:00 +0000 https://www.cyclingabout.com/?p=3759#comment-3510 Alee….could use your guidance man!
I purchased a 2015 Trek 7.2 Hybrid for all-around use. It has an alloy frame & steel fork. Now, I want to get into doing a few short distance (in-state) tours. I am having a hard time deciding on if I need to get a bike designed specifically for touring (budget one like the Fuji touring) or adapt this bike for it.
I have a really nice Bontrager rear rack w/Bontrager paniers for the back, Ergon grips & Planet Bike fenders. I was thinking of of putting the Jandd Extreme front rack on because it looks most like Trek’s 920 front rack. I’ve tried butterfly bars but my brake/shifter combo was pretty tight. I know wheels are important, however I only weigh about 158 lbs.
If I keep it, i was thinking about installing a drop bar, Tektro brake levers & installing bar-end micro shifters.
I’ve heard many stories of people doing some awesome tours on the Trek FX. Any thoughts? Anything you’d swap out or add?

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By: desrovum https://www.cyclingabout.com/build-a-round-the-world-touring-bike-on-a-budget/#comment-3290 Mon, 24 Apr 2017 01:01:00 +0000 https://www.cyclingabout.com/?p=3759#comment-3290 In reply to Alee | CyclingAbout.com.

As a resident of Amsterdam, I am well aware of how to lock bikes, and also well aware of the fact that it will get stolen anyway. That said, I’ve found something of a solution: insurance. Though they won’t ship me back my bike when I am in the middle of Mexico… Still, the risk is just part of the trip.

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By: Alee | CyclingAbout.com https://www.cyclingabout.com/build-a-round-the-world-touring-bike-on-a-budget/#comment-3274 Mon, 24 Apr 2017 00:24:00 +0000 https://www.cyclingabout.com/?p=3759#comment-3274 In reply to desrovum.

Stolen bikes suck! I have some locking tips here: https://www.cyclingabout.com/keep-your-bike-safe-strong-bike-locks-and-tips/

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By: desrovum https://www.cyclingabout.com/build-a-round-the-world-touring-bike-on-a-budget/#comment-3233 Sun, 16 Apr 2017 08:03:00 +0000 https://www.cyclingabout.com/?p=3759#comment-3233 I wouldn’t mind traveling on a more expensive durable bike, if I didn’t have to be afraid of having it stolen. I don’t want to have to worry about that all the time. Sometimes I just want to leave it somewhere locked for a few days while I go hiking, or while I explore a city.

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By: jackkessler https://www.cyclingabout.com/build-a-round-the-world-touring-bike-on-a-budget/#comment-2974 Sat, 11 Feb 2017 20:33:00 +0000 https://www.cyclingabout.com/?p=3759#comment-2974 Strongly disagree about Ortlieb panniers. They are watertight both in and out. If you open them during a downpour all the rain that gets in stays in. They are each all one big sack so you will spend your tour rummaging around in them. The more you rummage the more disorganized and harder to find your stuff becomes. Plus they are heavy. And expensive.

A vastly better solution is to get decent nylon (not polyester) panniers with plenty of exterior convenience pockets. Make sure you are happy with their mounting system. You do not want them rattling while you ride. They will be both cheaper and lighter than Ortliebs.

Then hie thee to a supermarket for clear plastic ziplock freezer bags. They are completely watertight, come in sandwich, quart, gallon, and even two- and five- gallon sizes. They weigh nothing, cost little, are clear so you can see what’s inside, and are available everywhere. Socks in one, headlamp in another, cellphone in a third, gorp in a fourth, and so on. You can even nest them. They keep your stuff organized and thus minimize rummaging which is frustrating and time-consuming.

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By: Keaton Andrew https://www.cyclingabout.com/build-a-round-the-world-touring-bike-on-a-budget/#comment-2389 Mon, 01 Aug 2016 09:15:00 +0000 https://www.cyclingabout.com/?p=3759#comment-2389 Older post here, but I came across it on google just now and had a few small things to add. I agree with everything else you wrote, though!

Surely you mean brass nipples, not steel, correct? I’m not even aware of current steel nipples, only aluminum and brass for the most part. Brass nipples are known for building more durable wheels, though.

If that rim manufacturer is a sponsor, hey, cool, it’s likely a wonderful wheelset. If not, there are ways to do cheaper but still solid wheelsets.

I just put together a 36 spoke 700c wheelset that would have cost me $140 after shipping if I would have bought a front hub rather than using the extra dynamo I already had. Double butted sapim spokes, brass nipples, sun cr18 rims, tiagra hub (126 rear spacing on my frame, no mtb rear hubs). Even after giving someone $100 to hand build them for you, that’s still a solid wheelset at a cheaper price. Partial to velocity rims myself, but that puts the wheelset into the price of the other one you mentioned.

And lastly, schwalbe Mondial tires are wonderful. I had some on the disc trucker I used to have and put them through 4,000+ (3,000 loaded) miles with a single flat: a 2″ screw acquired during a 30mph descent.

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By: Alee Denham https://www.cyclingabout.com/build-a-round-the-world-touring-bike-on-a-budget/#comment-970 Tue, 14 Oct 2014 00:40:00 +0000 https://www.cyclingabout.com/?p=3759#comment-970 In reply to Joe.

Good tips there, Joe. Thanks.

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By: Joe https://www.cyclingabout.com/build-a-round-the-world-touring-bike-on-a-budget/#comment-968 Mon, 13 Oct 2014 13:04:00 +0000 https://www.cyclingabout.com/?p=3759#comment-968 I prefer affordable bikes for touring for many reasons: more spare cash for travelling, less worry when leaving the bike locked while doing other stuff, less worry when the bikes are usually mistreated when loading into planes, trucks, trains, etc. In trips of less than a month, I like to buy a used bike just for that trip, and donate it at the end of the trip to a person in need. Usually the bike might have cost the same as the airline will charge me to bring the bike back. In other occasions, I sell it to another backpacker I might meet in a hostel interested in changing from walking to cycling on their own trip.
For 500 EUR you can have:
-a decent used steel mtb from the early 90s on the middle/top range (150 EUR). In that price you can have a Trek/Specialized/Marin with Deore LX/XT components in decent condition and with quality steel tubing, with most of the holes to include all the touring extras.
-a 350 EUR spare budget to fix/improve those parts on that used bike that need replacement or upgrade, like the ones mentioned in the article (racks, saddle, grips, wheels, etc.) or mechanicals (new chain or cassette, new bottom bracket, etc.).

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