Fixed Wheel touring frame advice

There's two type of touring, one is light touring (otherwise known as credit card touring), and the other is your bog standard garden touring.

The light touring is when you stay at hostel/B&B or even hotel, with just a change of clothes, some snack, some spare part, tools, etc.

The other is pretty much what you know, camping, carrying everything you need (stove, sleeping bag, first aids, food, torch, etc.).

Ed, do you really need to carry all that stuff if you're just "garden touring"?

Ed, do you really need to carry all that stuff if you're just "garden touring"?

depends if you enjoy camping with no sleeping bag, no food and no light. And you're not going to get any cuts.

Think ill be staying at friends houses and b+bs. is it not really hard on the body to be riding 100 miles everyday having slept on the ground?

100 miles might be pushing it, it's doable but you'd end up being more stressed out trying to achieved 100 miles everyday.

75 or so miles would be a good idea, help you relaxed and still meet your goal.

Good plan, I am hoping to take the time to enjoy the different towns ill be visiting. My first warm up and taste of touring will be from miles end to home (southend on sea). I hear the hills are somewhat brutal along the southwest coast.

I hear the hills are somewhat brutal along the southwest coast.

Who told you that? You'll be fine with your fixed gear and panniers and 53x20...

Read it on another thread, just had a look but cant find which one..
Thanks for the encouragement, there is a lot of talk about maximising you available gear options but im really hoping on using just the one like i have been doing for the last year!

I now realise it is a prank thread to test out yet another alias for DJ

Nice one

A new frame with dubious looking design with a closer resemblance to an Create than the Charge Plug, where the other eyelit on the rear? I only see one, there's no cable routing for a rear brake, is there's actually enough room for a mudguard with 28c tyres? at the back? etc.

I think it's safe to says that the alternative (on-one pompino for eg.) would be a better bet than an unheard of frame from an unheard of 'company' with 'fixie' as their name.

Actually, I'd be dubious of a company who insist on calling themselves a derogatory name for a fixed wheel bicycles.

OP: You may be interested in this Surly. Bargainous!

i wouldnt expect to do any great distances if your loaded on a fixed gear. anyone with any sense would choose a nice low gear to make it up all the hills and preserve the legs for the distance. obviously this is massively subjective and people have done it (myself included). but with a low gear, weight on the bike, as well as adverse weather it gonna be a hard slog unless you go very light, or pussy out and avoid the big hills.

i reckon if you insist on doing it fixed, just use your normal bike with a saddlebag (carradice) and some bigger tyres and brakes front and back if you can fit them. i dont think the "you only need a front brake on fixed gear" people have ever spent 5+ hours riding in the country.

that sherpa thing is actually pretty sweet, for MTB. but i think with a road bike your better off getting the weight as low as you can for best handling. as such a simple pannier rack that attaches by p-clips is probably the best option

Think ill be staying at friends houses and b+bs. is it not really hard on the body to be riding 100 miles everyday having slept on the ground?

Believe me you'll sleep anywhere if your tired enough. I cycled 100 miles into Paris whilst touring last summer, couldn't find anywhere to sleep so we spend the night trying to sleep on a bench under the Eiffel tower - not fun. There were so many drunk Americans around.

Apart from 2 nights at a camp site the rest of the time we camped in forests - as long as your clever you really shouldn't get caught.

Yeah I dont think id buy a frame with the word fixie anywhere near it, not for me. Im sure it wouldn't cause me any trouble either as a few people ride unipack frames but someone gave me one last year, and its 3kg+ (56cm). It has only been used as a makeshift wheel truing station clamped in a vice. So thanks but no thanks.

I am training on the Fuji right now, if i can afford another frame , it will be an One-One or a Surly.

Howard if i had 400 id take that right now ! unfortunately i dont! Thanks though, thats a bargain!

I got 70 miles training in last night, Ill be doing as much as i can before i do anything big. Of course this was unloaded . I fully intend to run Front and rear brakes, no worries there, as for luggage, ill have to experiment i think. The sherpa does fit the bill, but i guess ill have to see what feels right.

The reason I'm doing it fixed is the challenge, and it should yield more charity money.

I have always seen challenges that way, kind like playing a video game on hard first time, otherwise you complete it on easy and don't really feel you've done it.

By the way, I think ill be doing it for the local cat shelters.

Believe me you'll sleep anywhere if your tired enough. I cycled 100 miles into Paris whilst touring last summer, couldn't find anywhere to sleep so we spend the night trying to sleep on a bench under the Eiffel tower - not fun. There were so many drunk Americans around.

Apart from 2 nights at a camp site the rest of the time we camped in forests - as long as your clever you really shouldn't get caught.

Maybe you're right, ill be training hard and experimenting with what works before I do anything too big. Ill be updating with how I'm getting on, i may try sleeping light. Cheers.

What about a paedo frame as you seem to know how to spot them?

find a way to make your current bike more doable for touring

I think this is a good way forward - certainly the cheapest option, unless you are hell bent on getting a new bike.
Just stick a Carradice Camper Longflap saddlebag (£60) on the back of your current fixed ride, and you have a touring bike! That'll give you 24 litres of space, plus side pockets, plus you can strap things to the top of it. You might want the Bagman support (Expediation version with quick release is £40), too, for, er, support and to prevent sway and leg rub. This attaches to your saddle with one nut, so it is super easy to install. No eyelets needed. I've seen so many saddlebags used without the bagman, with the bag attached direct to the saddle that this may not be a problem for many.
The Fuji on tour could make sense, especially, as you say, riding it long distances is comfortable for you.

2 Attachments

Another very nice solution! I wonder what the weight capacity is of one nut and bolt?
The way things are looking i may just keep my frame and buy something like this.
Thanks Shannon, ill definitely consider it.

Max load is 10kg

Max load is 10kg

Thanks again, Shannon.

Don't think you really need to worry about the weight, just try and fill it up as much as possible.

The downside is that if you ride a small bicycle, the csmper may be a bit big and can rub on the wheel, so check if you have a lots of distance between the saddle and rear wheel.

e.g.;

also, the side pocket double up as a water bottle holder - really useful and so easy to reach.

That is a good point, The bike is a 58cm, and has bottle mounts.
I'm looking at Pannier bags, is there anything I should know about them?
They should keep the weight low on the bike but maybe catch the wind a bit more?

On the fuji track bike, you may end up getting your heel caught on them while cycling due to the short chainstay, so choose a rack where you can set the bag further away (as well having adjustable hook).

The pannier I'd choose are Ortlieb and Carradice, the Ortlieb are waterproof and very tough, but not breathable which mean your content may not get dry if they're damp, and hard to repair if torn, the Carradice are cotton, and while not entirely waterproof, it's breathable and only required a bin liner to keep some of your content dry, they're also easy to repair if you torn it.

A light touring bike would be something like this (also a randonneur) is having a saddlebag and a handlebar bag, the latter is useful for map reading, listening to music and grabbing a bite to each without stopping;

Very nice set up there. Do you happen to know the model of those front and rear bags? Thanks.