How we chose our touring bikes
Choosing touring bikes for our first ever cycling tour to New Zealand was a tad daunting. It took a bit of time and lots and lots of research!
It didn’t take much to work out that our current battered and shattered old mountain bikes, and our road racing triathlon bikes, wouldn’t do the trick for this trip. And a tandem is definitely out of the question. Our first, and only day on a tandem on Rottnest Island, Western Australia in 2001, almost ended in divorce before a foot had even hit the pedal! We know it’s touring or adventure bikes we’re after.
There is of course no such thing as the perfect touring bike, but our first two priorities for this trip are comfort, and having the ability to pack the bikes in boxes to transport them. We need the bikes to be able to carry us and our luggage in some level of “comfort”. We need to be able to pack the bikes (including racks and panniers) for airline travel.
What to consider before choosing a touring bike
Before choosing the right touring bikes for us we had to consider the following:
- The distances we intend cycling each day
- The amount of luggage we needed to carry
- And what terrain we would be riding on
We wanted strong enough bikes that could take us anywhere, on road and off-road, but light enough to keep us within the airline weight restrictions. And if we’re serious about bike touring we want the bikes to last us a lifetime!
Frames
As much as we’d love to choose a titanium frame for its lightness, we cannot justify the expense. Carbon frames are also really light, but knowing how easily they can crack, they’re just not sturdy enough for our needs. Steel is the obvious choice for us – although it is heavier than carbon or titanium, it is strong, affordable, and can be welded easily should the need arise.
Genesis Croix De Fer
After a bit of our own desktop research, and very helpful advice from some serious cycling friends, we called in with the experts at Velo Culture, our local North Coast bike shop in Portrush.
To keep things as simple and straight forward as possible we thought it best to each pick the same bike brand/model. This should mean that the specifications and mechanics are much the same on each bike. Plus it will keep tools and spares to a minimum. Gotta travel as light as possible!
Not being fussy on having to have the latest model, we’re content with last year’s models so have gone with a pair of 2016 Croix De Fer, hybrid touring bikes made by Genesis Bikes UK. Dave’s is a Croix De Fer 30 M, and Shaz has the Croix De Fer 20 XS.
The colours may not be our first choice, but we’ll live with that! Having enough gears is more of a worry at this stage as there’s likely to be a few hills to climb in New Zealand!
Test Ride
A 36km ride out to Whitepark Bay and back got the wheels in motion and was more than enough time in the saddle for the first day! The thought of consecutive days in the saddle is not the most appealing at the moment, but surely we will toughen up as the tour goes on??
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