Advice for new member

[DarkAce]

Hello, I just joined this group and wanted to ask for some opinions on my plans on converting my current bike (Cannondale Bad Boy Ultra) to a touring bike. It is currently setup with a flat handlebar, 700 x 28 wheel and tires and a Brooks B17 special saddle. This bike can take 26inch mountain bike wheels as well as 650B wheel and tires. Any advice on either or is the current wheel and tire I have sufficient for touring? It also comes with a triple crankset with moutain bike gearing (SRAM x7 group) and Avid Juicy 5 hydraulic brakes. The frame does have eyelets for racks and fenders. Any advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[tonythomson]

Hi,  if your plans are to keep to mainly roads then would recommend have your wheels built, I cross the spokes over 4 times to take the weight.  and ride a 32C kevlar tyre. Drop handle bars give you a chance to change your riding position and keep some movement in your back etc plus great if hitting head winds or steep slope.  Hang onto your gears - oh and for me definately keep your fenders - keeps you clean and dry so important especially if camping.
Have fun.

[RussSeaton]

Your bike will most likely work just fine setup as it is with 700C wheels.  700C is common enough in the US that finding a replacement tire is not difficult.  28mm tires are none too wide.  32mm or 35mm might be nicer if the bike can handle them.  But 28mm will work.  If you can comfortably ride 60-80 miles now with the flat handlebar, then stick with it.  Its prohibitively expensive to change to a drop bar due to replacing the shifters.  Hydraulic brakes aren't my first choice.  But if they work reliably riding around home, they'll likely work fine on a tour too.  Racks are required for panniers.  I prefer low riders in front and the normal rear rack.  You should be able to clamp low riders onto your fork if it does not have a hole in it for the low rider bolt.  Fenders are very nice but not required.  Get your bike setup, load it up, and go ride around home to see how it works.  Should be OK.

[DarkAce]

Thanks for the great advice. I will be changing the flat handlebar to a trekking/touring handlebar made by Trek. It will give me more hand positions during a ride and also reduce some weight at the front. As far as the wheel and tire, I am almost certain I am moving to a 650B wheel and tire combo. It will allow me to mount a wider tire on the bike plus using Stan's No Tube sealant also drop some weight and pressure for a more comfortable ride. I will definitely plan on carrying a spare as well as a tube in case of emergency. For racks and fenders there are so many choices out there. I guess it really depends on how much load I intend to carry. The fenders are a must in my opinion just for the sake of keeping everything cleaner during the ride. Any suggestion on racks or fenders? Thanks again. Keep on trekking !!

[biker_james]

I think that its not a bad bike for touring. The first thing I would do would be to put bar ends on so you have another hand position. Otherwise I think your wrists will bother you before you get too far. I'm not sure about the wheels, if they're up to the job or not from what I can see online. If you fell they're not, you could either get a stronger set built, or a set of strong 26" so you have an alternate wheelset since either will work on the bike. 28mm tires seem a little small to me, but I know people who tour on tires that size. I prefer a 35-37mm tire for loaded touring.

[RussSeaton]

As far as the wheel and tire, I am almost certain I am moving to a 650B wheel and tire combo.

Why not just see if your bike will handle 700x32 or 700x35 tires?  I suspect it will.  Your bike is a hybrid bike, they almost always can handle tires wider than 28mm.  650B tires are an extreme niche tire.  You may be lucky to find them in big bike stores in very large cities.  You will not find them in most bike stores.  I would never tour on a tire I had no hope of finding anywhere.  Replacing tires on a long tour is fairly common.

[TCS]

650B tires are an extreme niche tire.

650Bs are promoted because they are rare.  If they can sell you on the idea, they can sell you tires forever.

Nobody promotes 650A (just a few mm larger) because the tires are so common!

tcs

[RussSeaton]

650B tires are an extreme niche tire.

650Bs are promoted because they are rare.  If they can sell you on the idea, they can sell you tires forever.

The BIG problem with using 650B tires on a tour is there are very, very, very few "they"s out there in the world.  A few internet sites and a few bike shops in the country sell them.  Thats it.  Using a tire you can't find doesn't seem like a good idea to me.