One of the positives of this difficult time – Spring/Summer 2020 – is that a lot of people are rediscovering the pleasures and practicality of cycling, helped by the amazing weather.
If you are thinking of taking up cycling again, my simple advice is: go for it. There has never been a better time.
But deciding where to start is confusing with so many different brands and types of bike available. Quite a few friends have asked me for advice on what kind of bike to get and usually my answer has been “Get a touring bike”. Some of this has been because I would like them to take up touring and come with me to share the wonderful experiences.
But even if you think that you will never ever want to go on a bike tour, I think that there are still a number of reasons why many of you should seriously consider a touring bike. What is puzzling is that many sites overlook the existence of touring bikes.
Versatility. If you are only interested in one type of riding – off-road, or road racing – or have only one use for the bike– getting across town – or one type of terrain – flat city streets – then yes, you should look at the appropriate bike for that: mountain/gravel bike, road bike, and hybrid respectively. But if you would like a bike that will allow you to commute during the week but get out of town on long rides at the weekend, or will deal happily with both roads, bike paths and the odd bit of gravel or dirt, then a touring bike is your best bet. It is the all-rounder, the jack of all trades of cycling: it will do pretty much ANYTHING apart from ride happily over rocks.
Day trips. Linked to the above, touring bikes are great for day trips into the countryside, packing a picnic – when rules now allow – but also handling the whole range of road surfaces: smooth tarmac, cobbles, gravel, dirt track.
Comfort. Touring bikes are designed to be ridden for long distances day after day and are thus much more comfortable than a road bike thanks to the wider tyres. They are more efficient and take less energy than a hybrid or mountain bike because of the thinner tyres and lighter weight. The ride is secure but not onerous. A touring bike will have a range of riding positions: upright on high handlebars to admire the scenery when you cruise along, and down in the drops for hills, descents, wind and rain. Honestly having a range of positions is better for your back and better for your wrists and hands.
Gears. If you are starting riding again or uncertain of your ability, this is a MAJOR advantage. Touring bikes are fitted with gears so low that you can get up a mountainside with the bike laden with five or six heavy bags and so are ideal for beginners. Even the toughest hill can be ridden up without straining your legs. Granted, you will not be going very fast, but hey, you’ll get up them. The wider range of gears means that you can afford to spin in a lower gear rather than straining your muscles by riding in a tough gear. To use a gym analogy: better to do 50 reps of a 2kg weight than 10 reps of 10kg.
Weight. Touring bikes are admittedly not as light as road bikes (see below for why) but they tend to be much lighter than any other type of bike. Again this is because they are designed for efficiency and long distances. My touring bike weighs about a third less than the hybrid that I used to have.
Durability and reparability. Touring bikes are designed to get bashed about a bit and not complain. They are designed to last and get their riders round the world. Hence the heavier but still relatively light frame. My current tourer has been maltreated by baggage handlers at ten airports despite my zealous packing and is still going relatively strong after what I reckon is the best part of 50,000 km
Carrying as much stuff as you want. Food. Drink. Spare clothes. Spare tires. A tourer is designed to carry stuff efficiently. That isn’t just great for touring: it is great for commuting and day trips (particularly in spring and autumn when the weather changes quite a bit)
You never know: you might want to take up touring! Why be limited to having to get back to base every evening when you could spend a few days or a few weeks on the road, riding from nice hotel to nice hotel?
Here are some good sites with further advice:
On deciding which type of bike to buy (if I haven’t persuaded you):
https://road.cc/content/buyers-guide/beginners-guide-bike-types-170749
https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/buyers-guides/best-bike/
On why your next bike should be a touring bike:
https://road.cc/content/buyers-guide/why-your-next-bike-should-be-touring-bike-194300
This is a very good post and I freely admit that it helped frame my thinking when preparing this post (though I hope that my post is a bit less techy and more accessible).
On brands of bike:
For the UK/Europe:
Tom Allen is one of the gurus of bike touring, having ridden colossal amounts, including a tour immortalised in the film and book Janapar, so he really knows his stuff. This is a really good guide and gives good advice on how much you should pay.
https://road.cc/content/buyers-guide/15-best-touring-bikes-205991
https://www.cyclingnews.com/features/best-touring-bikes/
For the US:
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