Messages

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General Discussion / Re: Looking for good suggestions for mountain bikes and parts for my irish adventure

« on: July 17, 2016, 04:35:13 pm »

For a first time mountain bike I would look to spend a minimum of £500 and go for one of the big brand names like Trek, Giant, or Scott.

Look for a minimum of Shimano Deore components.

Many bikes have 29 or 27.5 wheels which can help for a smoother ride.

Avoid the cheapest forks as they generally don't work that well.

You can find many second hand bikes on eBay - just check that they don't look too harshly treated.

Good luck.

2

General Discussion / Re: Rain Gear for Touring

« on: July 17, 2016, 04:28:52 pm »

In my experience cycling across Europe one very wet summer, I found that waterproofs made me wet via sweating.

If it was really torrential, I either just put up with it for as long as possible before bailing out and drying everything at once, or trying to find places to shelter but then you aren't making progress.

I did try taking a poncho with me which is better for breathability, doubles up as a bivvy tarp, but looks silly.

I took Shimano Transalp boots, which I was happy with the performance of in general.

3

General Discussion / Re: Buying used touring bikes from travelers finished with their trips

« on: July 17, 2016, 04:24:41 pm »

Hi, have you met many people who would be willing to sell their bike? Have you tried posting on the Thorn Tree Forum at the Lonely Planet? Have you tried posting on a Couchsurfing forum?

If I was going to buy a bike off another cycle touring going long distance it would be interesting to know how many km it had done. Racking up the km may end up with part more likely to fail (obviously). Good luck.