![]() ![]() I wish I didn’t have to talk about gear ratios so much, but all too often I find that touring bikes are under-geared. Everything I’ve picked is stable, upright and has the appropriate steering speed for the handlebar type. I have carefully assessed the frame geometries for each of these bikes to see whether they are suitable for the intended use. If you want a cheaper bike, I recommending getting an older version of these bikes second-hand… Some people will argue that the bikes I’ve selected are not cheap enough, but it’s my experience that you get great performance and reliability through investing a bit more in your touring bike, especially if you’re planning on using it long-term. Even if you don’t like my bike choices, you will be able to apply this information to any touring bike you’re looking to buy. Today, we’ll be going through all of my picks, and I’ll be using as many data points as possible to justify why I picked them. You can get a copy of my book which teaches you all the ins-and-outs of touring bikes, comparing over 160 bikes, right HERE. I have gone through my 2020 Touring Bicycle Buyer’s Guide and picked out all of the bikes that stand out to me. But with Summer soon arriving for many of you, I think you will really appreciate the best touring bikes for 2020! It’s a bit late in the season for picking the best touring bikes for 2020. A fairly-knowledgeable home wrench can put a set of CR-18's on for well under $100 and then you have a serious IGH roadster that will outlast anything you can buy at bikesdirect.I know, I know. A vintage Nottingham-built Raleigh is going to to be cheaper than even the bikesdirect bikes and be superior after being worked up with workmanship and build quality with the exception of the steel rims which isn't that hard to replace either. One other thing to think about with the roadsters from bikesdirect is the fact that if you really want to save money and get a real quality bike at the same time there are MANY options for buying quality used roadsters from the 70's and 80's or even before that. I've got nothing against buying something online and bypassing the LBS's if that is what one does -it'll only make the LBS stronger in the end because they are going to need to compete with something and since they can't compete on prices they will have to compete in service. You also don't get the opportunity usually to really get to sample the product with an in-person inspection when you buy something sight-unseen out of a webpage catalog -much less a test ride. If you are knowledgable enough to know what you want and comfortable setting up your bike and doing the break-in and routine maintenance then the bikesdirect bikes are a deal. Also subtract what those services cost and you get bikesdirect. Subtract the advice, fitting, assembly, and warranty service from the equation. The one thing you are not getting from bikesdirect is the services that an LBS adds to the bike-buying experience. Reply by millenial removing Bernie tattoo on Apat 7:18pm The advantage of much of the BikesDirect inventory is in their affordability, of course, and I think the bicycles you can buy through BikesDirect don't differ appreciably in quality from other tig-welded aluminum frames with Sora or Tiagra components that may cost twice as much. Masi, Bianchi and other once-noble names are today also mostly Masis and Bianchis in name only, as both also moved much of their production to Taiwan in the last decade or so. Still, they may be fine, dependable bikes, especially when one takes into account that higher-end road bikes are mostly made in the same Taiwanese factories. Most of the BikesDirect bikes are simple, entry-level road bikes with aluminum frames and entry-level components (Sora, Tiagra), that were produced in Taiwan or China. It seems most bikes offered through BikesDirect involve trusted names that no longer actually produce bicycles-Motobecane, Dawes, Mercier-but whose names have been licensed in much the way Raleigh was licensed in the US in the late 80's/early 90's, or as Schwinn was licensed shortly after that. ![]()
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