Two-week tour on a 2004 Trek Navigator 100.

[CaptainRyan]

I've been training for the Wild Coast tour (Eugene, OR to San Francisco) that will be happening in September and as of now, I'm using a stock 2004 Trek Navigator 100. I've been biking the local trails near my house (about 40 miles a day) and the bike seems to be fine on that. The thing is, I've never really rode anything else aside from my DK Four-Pack (BMX bike...I'm 18) so I wouldn't consider myself the best source as to say what exactly a good touring bike should feel / ride like. So I was hoping some of the more experienced riders out there would be able to tell me if they think this bike would suffice for such a trip or would I be doing myself a huge favor and upgrade to an actual touring bike...or at least maybe swapping out some parts on the Navigator.

Any help and advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[whittierider]

I'm not sure I've ever seen one, and definitely have not ridden one; but it appears:
1. very inefficient for the road, having front suspension
2. rather unstable, not having the hand grips any farther forward than the steering axis
3. uncomfortable for the hands for long rides, offering only one hand position
4. like it would be quite a pain in the toosh, having you sit up so straight and putting all your weight on your rear.

[CastAStone]

It can certainly be done, but as whittierider noted it is a poor choice for the job. Tt would be better if you replaced the bike for your tour. Upgrading the components will not help because the general setup of the bike is wrong. If you want flat bars, consider a Trek 7.3FX, if you want drops, a Jamis Aurora is probably the most cost effective choice.

If you choose to make your current bike work, make sure you lock out the front shock by twisting the lever on the top until you can not move the suspension at all. It does have rear rack mounts, so that's a plus, you'll want to carry some stuff on your bike even if your tour has a bus or van carrying your stuff. So its possible, but not an ideal option. People have certainly successfully done tours on far weirder bikes, but why make your life difficult?

[alfonso]

Like Whittierider, I'm unfamiliar with this particular bike.

As has often been said here, you can tour on any bike. Hybrid/comfort bikes such as this one are often criticised on this site on the grounds that they do nothing really well - but the converse of this is that they do many things moderately well. You've already found that the bike handles trails satisfactorily. It will certainly get you up almost any hill with that bail-out gear.

The answer to your question depends in part on how far you'll be riding each day - I don't know the event you're planning to participate in. If you're managing 40 miles a day now, and think you could cope with another 10 or 15 per day, then it seems that you and the bike will cope if that's what the event involves. If there are some 100-mile days, and the event is for serious riders, then the bike's limitations will become more serious.

I started (well, re-started) my interest in cycling with a bike not unlike yours. It took me on some long multi-day supported rides, with days of between 50 and 70 miles, and I enjoyed them. (By a supported ride, I mean one in which the organisers carry your luggage for you, and you don't have to carry your own food and cooking equipment.) At the end of 18 months, I had a clear idea of the kind of bike I wanted to upgrade to. One problem I did encounter was soreness in the wrists from constantly keeping my hands horizontal. You may not experience this - it seems that you're already spending longish days on the bike.

To sum up: This is not the ideal machine, but you're at the start of your biking career and you should plan to enjoy the experience - not try to be first into camp each day. You won't be.

To see a good dedicated touring bike, look at the Trek 520 or the Surly Long Haul Trucker.