Newbie Needs Advice

[fedinspector]

Hello Adventure Cyclists!

I am new to adventure cycling although not new to cycling. I have mountain biked since the days of running down the Santa Cruz mountains on a modified Schwinn cruiser! So now I just spilled the beans on my age bracket, (60s). I’ve also done a fair amount of road cycling for charities, etc. That being said, riding long daily distances 100+ miles a day is not foreign to me. So, the natural progression is touring. I am pretty excited about learning this sport but know nothing about it. This is where you all come in. I joined Adventure Cycling and have been reading article after article. I have found that some of the nicest people I have met have been while riding my bike. So, I have a dilemma and am looking to your expertise as a result of your experience in this sport to save me from making some common mistakes.

I recently purchased a 2016 REI Novara Safari. It was last years close out for $713. For a basic set up I thought the price was fair. I do not have the typical roadie physique, slender and light weight. I am a pretty stout dude. Just the way God made me I guess. Not fat, heavy bone density, muscular and not the kind of guy you would typically see on a road bike. But I love the sport. The maximum this bike is rated to carry is 250 pounds. I come in at 225 pounds although I could probably drop to 200 after training. Because I want to use this bike for road touring and bike hiking, I am concerned that I will be running very close to the bikes weight capacity. The last thing I want when taking this bike across the country is a failure. I suspect the frame will hold up better than the wheels/spokes.
I would like to upgrade this bike but not sure what to focus on and what to stay away from and not waste my money. This is where you all come in. Obviously, you have much more experience than I and I would greatly benefit from your experience on what to possibly upgrade. Dropping 25 pounds and an intense training regimen is underway. I will list the specifications of the bike below for reference. Your input would be greatly appreciated and who knows? I might see you on the highways and byways! Thanks in advance.

SPECS
   
Frame                Double-butted chromoly steel Fork   Chromoly
Bike Suspension        No Suspension
Crankset                Shimano, 48/36/26
Bottom Bracket        Shimano Octalink
Shifters                Microshift SL-A09 thumb
Front Derailleur        Shimano Deore
Rear Derailleur        Shimano Deore, Shadow
Rear Cogs                Shimano HG4009, 11-34, 9-speed
Number of Gears     27 gear(s)
Brake Type        Mechanical Disc Brake
Brakes                TRP Spyke mechanical disc
Brake Levers        Shimano Deore
Rims   Alex               ATD 470
Front Hub                Shimano Deore, 36h
Rear Hub                Shimano Deore, 36h
Wheel Size           700c
Tires                        Vittoria Randonneur, 700 x 48
Tire Width                48 millimeters
Handlebar Shape     Trekking Bar (Butterfly)
Saddle                 Brooks B17 Standard Mens
Pedals                 SPD
Headset                 FSA with turn limiter
Chain                 Shimano Deore
Weight                 30.7 pounds


   

[RonK]

Upgrade? Upgrade what? It is already at a very good spec for touring.

The only change I would consider is a fitting smaller 24t inner chainring.

[John Nelson]

Upgrading a brand-new bike is throwing money away. It's much more cost-efficient to buy the bike you want in the first place. For now, just wear out what you already have and then replace things as they break or are worn out. If you want better replacement parts, you can get them then.

[Pat Lamb]

First, you'll never see me writing that the weight limit thing on REI bicycles is bogus.  No, siree!  That would open me up to too much liability.  But since I bought my Randonee before they put a weight limit on it, and I regularly ride that old bike with up to 50 pounds more than the weight limit on the new bikes, I do wonder what changed that made REI add a weight limit.  It doesn't look like anything changed on the bike except when they went to more gears.  It may be that the Safari is similar in having a weight limit added almost artificially, but I don't know nothing about that.

Second, the biggest worry for clydesdales like us is the wheels.  Your bike came with some stout parts in the wheels that should be able to carry your weight.  (If only they were well-built!)  At the Safari price point, the wheels are machine built.  They're probably not tensioned adequately and may start breaking spokes within 500-1,000 miles.  If you know a good wheel builder (not just someone who knows how to true a wheel, but someone who knows how to tension and stress-relieve the spokes), get him to work over your wheels.  If you don't know that wheel builder, ask for recommendations among your local groups, or study and apply the methods in "The Bicycle Wheel" by Brandt.  With the wheels set up to carry a load, you should be ready to hit the road for thousands of miles with only flat tires for problems!

[RussSeaton]

I have never heard of weight restrictions on a bike except for ultra light racing bikes.  A touring bike with a weight limit?  Wow.  The website said this:

"Please note: gear load recommended not to exceed 250 lbs."

I'm not sure how to interpret that statement.  Does it mean all of the luggage and equipment must not exceed 250 pounds?  Gear load means the gear on the bike, right?  Or is the rider weight included in the 250 pound limit?  Is the rider part of the gear?  Never thought of a rider as being part of the gear.  As already stated, I would not worry too much about this weight limitation.  Don't go crazy and pile 100 pounds of cement blocks onto the bike.  But anything less than that plus the rider is fine.  The bike is not going to break or fall apart unless you deliberately smash it with a sledge hammer.

Maybe touring bikes need a weight rating like trucks have.  GCVWR.  Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating.  Or something like that.  It includes the whole vehicle.  Every option.  Full tank of gas.  Full tank of windshield wiper fluid.  Driver.  Passenger.  Their clothes, shoes, and luggage too.  The 99 ounce big gulp they got at Quik Trip.  And the 32oz bag of chips.  And the spare tire and jack and 3 quarts of oil under the seat.

[Nyimbo]

Upgrade? Upgrade what? It is already at a very good spec for touring.

The only change I would consider is a fitting smaller 24t inner chainring.

If you  are going to go to the trouble of swapping out the inner chainring why not go ahead and do 22t?

Also  nothing wrong with getting your wheels tensioned as was suggested but I seriously doubt you're going to have spokes start breaking within the first 500 to 1500 miles - that's probably more of the worst case scenario.

[Pat Lamb]

Also  nothing wrong with getting your wheels tensioned as was suggested but I seriously doubt you're going to have spokes start breaking within the first 500 to 1500 miles - that's probably more of the worst case scenario.

I guess I'm worst case then, because my stock Randonee started breaking spokes within 1,000 miles.  Another cheap wheel set on a different bike only went 470 miles before it started breaking spokes.  OTOH I've got about 18,000 miles on a wheelset that was checked out thoroughly before the bike left the store.

[RussSeaton]

The only change I would consider is a fitting smaller 24t inner chainring.

If you  are going to go to the trouble of swapping out the inner chainring why not go ahead and do 22t?

http://bike.shimano.com/content/sac-bike/en/home/mtb1/drivetrain/crankset/fc-m391-8.html
http://bike.shimano.com/media/techdocs/content/cycle/SI/FC/SI_1ME0A/SI-1ME0A-001-00-Eng_v1_m56577569830745522.pdf

Above links show the crankset from Shimano on this bike.  It has 64mm bcd for the inner ring.  So a 22 tooth will fit.

[fedinspector]

Thank you all for your input. There was some very interesting stuff for me to think about. I believe you are right, get on it and ride and deal with things as they come. The wheels were my concern because of the weight limitation. In the question and answer portion of the web site on this bike, the question was asked if the 250 pound rating was rider and gear and the answer came back from REI as rider and gear. Inside I kind of knew what you all are saying is true about the weight limit? I have put untold thousands of miles on my old Giant TCX Limited Carbon Fiber road bike and it didn't come apart under the weight. The difference is I plan on doing off road riding as well as on pavement riding. Its the off road riding that I was concerned about as far as stresses on the bike are concerned. Again, thank you all for your input, I really appreciate it. It is nice to have folks to reach out to with questions. Time to talk with a wheel builder.

[fedinspector]

UPDATE ON YOUR ADVICE! Once again thank you. Turns out I have a better bike than I originally thought. My bike is the same, I just learned more. I took my wheels to a local wheel builder, that's all he does. He spent an hour with me educating me on what each component on the wheel does and why its important. He checked everything and basically found it to be fine for touring and my weight. He did however find a great variance on the spoke tension and he explained the possible ramifications. Great call on your advice to check that. I am having him rebuild the wheels. The price was awesome for the work being done. I feel much better not and feel I will get more mileage out of this wheel set. Plus I struck up a working relationship with a custom wheel builder. On the 22T inner chainring, I am looking into that and will switch that out if feasible cost wise. Thanks for all your experience/advice. So glad I joined.

[RussSeaton]

On the 22T inner chainring, I am looking into that and will switch that out if feasible cost wise.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=22+tooth+chainring

Above is an Amazon page for 22 tooth 64mm bolt circle diameter inner chainrings.  $6-13.  Plus a tool to get the crankset off the Octalink bottom bracket.  $10-15.  Or ask the wheel builder or a biking friend to change the ring for $5.  Its real easy.

[indyfabz]

In the question and answer portion of the web site on this bike, the question was asked if the 250 pound rating was rider and gear and the answer came back from REI as rider and gear.

I have $5 to a donut that the limit is a "lawyer limit" because the bike is marketed as an off road bike. Reminds me of the time I spoke with a Conti rep at Interbike years ago. He confessed that the max. PSI rating on their tires were much lower than what they could safely handle as a result of concerns from their lawyers.