Road Training/Touring Bike--Tricross Sport?

[whittierider]

Strange.  One of ours is indeed a 105 road (130mm) hub with a SRAM 11-34 cassette.  Went right on, with no problem.  Another one has an Ultegra road (130mm) hub.  Same thing.  No problem.

[paddleboy17]

All of Shimano's 9 speed cassettes should be interchangeable.  Similar for 10 speed cassettes.  What one may run into, is that the rear derailleur does not have the range to accommodate a bigger cassette.

[paddleboy17]

Since you have no budget, see if you can find someone to loan you a trailer for a test ride.  Maybe your local REI can accommodate you.  Get some milk jugs for weight (with milk or water in them), and go for a test ride.  My own experiences with a BOB trailer on a short wheel base critereum bike were not stellar, but you need to determine what can put up with.

If you go the trailer route, I would second the recommendation to get an aluminum seat post.

[MTNGator]

All of Shimano's 9 speed cassettes should be interchangeable.  Similar for 10 speed cassettes.  What one may run into, is that the rear derailleur does not have the range to accommodate a bigger cassette.

Well I just don't know why it didn't work - I have been "wrenching" my own bikes for 35 of my 60 years, including one complete "frame-up" build and one total restoration of a complete junk, - I may just have gotten a spacer misaligned. I did have a Deore LX rear derailleur on hand to replace the wide range road unit but I didn't get that far. Oh well, a moot point since I no longer have that bike.

Anyway, back to the subject at hand - I think as we gain additional facts about mattbakerwhite, the road bike with a B.O.B. trailer may be the best option for him. Unless he wants wider tires, the ability to mount fenders and a more relaxed geometry, the pure touring bike might not be necessary.

[lbs1@twcny.rr.com]

Last summer I rode my specialized tri cross bike, fully loaded, from NY to Anacortes, WA.  It was perfect. Very stable, even going down hill to 40mph or crawling up in busy traffic. No flat tires all the way across. I changed the chain in Fargo, ND. The panniers fit well on front and back. I had a great ride and would recommend it.
Louise

[waynemyer]

When I tried to replace the Ultegra 9-speed with the Sram 11-34 on my 2000 Cannondale R700 (with 130mm rear spacing and 130mm hub) it didn't fit. The cassette didn't "lock" on the hub - the cassette seemed too wide. I tried many times to make it work because I really wanted that gearing on that bike. I no longer have that bike so I can't go back and re-measure anything but, at least for that Cannondale (using Shimano 105 hubs) the 11-34 and 130mm spacing was not doable.

Sounds like a case of PEBCAK.  The SRAM and Shimano 9-speed cassettes are completely interchangeable.  Now, whether your derailleur would have handled the increased range is another topic entirely.

[ducnut]

Before one comments about how bad the Tricross could be, one should take a look at the geometry. The Tricross is not a true 'cross bike; it's more of an all-arounder. In a 56cm, it has similar numbers to the Surly LHT, with the exception of the chainstay length and BB drop, 20mm shorter and 10mm higher, respectively, and that's not a deal breaker. The shorter CS length will make the bike more nimble, for everything else when not loaded. And, for the average person, the BB drop will not be noticeable. It actually has a lower standover height, longer headtube length, and more fork rake than the LHT. There are more than a few people who've successfully used the Tricross for touring. Using all the "what if?" scenarios for selecting a bike and packing will result in a whole lot of unnecessary excess.

[MTNGator]

Sounds like a case of PEBCAK. 
[/quote]

WHAT???

[johnsondasw]

You could buy a BOB trailer and pull it with the bike that you have.  You'd be out the door for less than $500 going that route and you could keep your existing bike.

Now this makes the most sense to me.  I use a Burley 2-wheeled trailer and pull it with a CF Trek Madone.  You still get to ride the bike you love, and can detach the trailer if you want to take any side trips.  I think one bike can do it all.  You may want to switch out the wheels for ones with more spokes, or, my plan is to carry a few spare spokes. 

[waynemyer]

Sounds like a case of PEBCAK. 
WHAT???

Problem Exists Between Chair And Keyboard.