# What bike to take on Pac. Coast Tour



## JasonLew (May 6, 2012)

Hey Guys!

I am planning on biking from Seattle down to San Diego in a few months and cannot decide on what bike to take.
I have a 2011 Fuji SL 2.0 carbon fiber - the more I think about it, the less I think it would be ideal since it has a race geometry and no eyelets for panniers.

I also own a 2010 Gary Fisher Marlin Disc MTB :
I could put some slicks on it and would be easier to put on panniers. Most likely add drop bar ends.. change the shifters...

Or.... Look into buying an entry touring bike like the nashbar one for $600

Any suggestions, I'm curious how much I'd save to take and put some new parts on the MTB.
Definitely appreciate it,
Thanks!


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

Take the Fuji with a BOB trailer.

OTOH there are some nasty climbs around Big Sur, take the Fisher with slicks and a BOB trailer.


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## JasonLew (May 6, 2012)

Ugh... I was reading that panniers are the way to go and try not to have to get a trailer... if I took my Fisher you'd still suggest a trailer?
I'm also not too worried about weight of the MTB since it prob. weighs the same as a surly metal frame.

Def. appreciate the help!!


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

We have done most of that ride pulling a BOB. I have also toured quite a bit with panniers and much prefer the lower center of gravity you get with the BOB. 

A lot less stress on your bike too with all the weight in a trailer with its own wheel. If you don't already own a full set of panniers I believe a BOB is by far the best way to tour.

No matter what you are going to need the same low gearing no matter how you carry the load.


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## JasonLew (May 6, 2012)

Thanks MB1 !!!

Time to research the BOB, and then try and figure out the Fuji or Fisher..... Fisher has higher gearing so I see your point about climbs...

Thanks again man!


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## Steve B. (Jun 26, 2004)

JasonLew said:


> Hey Guys!
> 
> I am planning on biking from Seattle down to San Diego in a few months and cannot decide on what bike to take.
> I have a 2011 Fuji SL 2.0 carbon fiber - the more I think about it, the less I think it would be ideal since it has a race geometry and no eyelets for panniers.
> ...


You have 2 very different and somewhat inappropriate bikes for loaded touring, even with a trailer. Are you doing a self supported - I.E., camping, tent, sleeping bag, pad, food, stove, pots, etc... ?. Or a credit card tour, carrying clothes and staying in hotels, eating at restaurants, etc ?

The Fuji has a compact double crank ?. Even with a new mt cassette, plus a new R derailer as well as a new chain, you could very well run out of gears. With an 11-34, 9spd cassette, you end up with a 27 inch low gear, which might not be low enough (20 - 100 is the recommended range). 

The Fisher has lower gearing but will weigh 27-28 lbs ?, plus has a suspension fork that does you no good at all. As well it may not be as comfortable for 7 hrs a day on flat bars. 

So tough choices, though I'd go for the Fisher If I had no other choice to buy a dedicated touring bike.


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## acg (Feb 13, 2011)

The Bontrager Backrack Light works well for bikes without rack eyelets. More info here:

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/commuting-touring-ride-reports/racks-cf-bikes-282885.html


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## JasonLew (May 6, 2012)

Steve B. said:


> You have 2 very different and somewhat inappropriate bikes for loaded touring, even with a trailer. Are you doing a self supported - I.E., camping, tent, sleeping bag, pad, food, stove, pots, etc... ?. Or a credit card tour, carrying clothes and staying in hotels, eating at restaurants, etc ?
> 
> The Fuji has a compact double crank ?. Even with a new mt cassette, plus a new R derailer as well as a new chain, you could very well run out of gears. With an 11-34, 9spd cassette, you end up with a 27 inch low gear, which might not be low enough (20 - 100 is the recommended range).
> 
> ...


We are going to mainly do self supported - prob stay with a few folks along the way a few times.
Looks like my Fisher weighs around 29.6 lbs after googling. I also know for sure that I won't be comfortable on flat bars after 7-8hrs a day for several weeks. The suspension fork at least has a lockout... but you're right, still has the suspension fork. 

As much as I wanted to avoid it.. I may be adding a 3rd bike to my arsenal 

Thanks for the input Steve B!


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

JasonLew said:


> ...
> As much as I wanted to avoid it.. I may be adding a 3rd bike to my arsenal
> 
> Thanks for the input Steve B!


I'm all for owning more bikes but it would likely be a whole lot cheaper for you to have a shop put a rigid fork and a set of bar ends on your Fisher. If your bars are really wide it might be worthwhile to chop an inch or so off each end before installing the bar ends.

Mountain bike wheels with slicks give plenty of performance at touring speeds and are plenty rugged for a long trip.

More than anything else bike and comfort wise I would say make friends with your saddle (I love me some Brooks).

In my experience it is rare indeed to ride in the drop position on a loaded touring bike.

BTW here is my rig......it is a great all day bike; tough, comfortable and can haul a heavy load. Notice that I didn't remove the suspension fork, I just use the lock out. The only other thing I would consider a "must have" for a long tour is a set of full fenders.


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## My Own Private Idaho (Aug 14, 2007)

+1 on the BOB. I love mine.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Bobbing*



JasonLew said:


> Ugh... I was reading that panniers are the way to go and try not to have to get a trailer... if I took my Fisher you'd still suggest a trailer?
> I'm also not too worried about weight of the MTB since it prob. weighs the same as a surly metal frame.
> 
> Def. appreciate the help!!


Just to be clear on this, the BOB trailer is just perfect for touring except that panniers are better unless of course you like the BOB in which case panniers stink. Advocates for both will give you oodles of information on why which is better than the other. Go to AdventureCycling.org and do some reading on the How To pages.


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## Art853 (May 30, 2003)

What others said. I have not bobed so I can not comment on it from experience. One person who did xc with one noted it weighs x pounds empty.

You did not say what kind of time you have and how far and fast you want to ride and how much weight you will carry. Consider you may carry 40 to 60 pounds of gear. You can save maybe 2 pounds with a new fork. Worth it?

People have done the ride on both of those types of bikes. It is up to you to decide how much you want to spend for an increase in comfort. 

The raccoons can be aggressive in the state parks so you will have to figure out how to protect any food you have. There were no food boxes when I rode it.


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## JasonLew (May 6, 2012)

Thanks for all the advice guys!

I think I am going to pick up a 1994 Cannondale T700:
http://www.bikepedia.com/quickbike/...Cannondale&Model=T-700&Type=bike#.UAbdoLRrMv8

Planning on upgrading the seat and most importantly the gearing. Any advice on how to do this? Since it sounds like the trip won't be flat the whole time  , recommend a 10 speed cassette? I'm not entirely sure what parts I'll need. Should I just take it to the LBS and pay... what would be an estimate you think?

Definitely appreciate it!!


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## ukiahb (Jan 26, 2003)

I have done Vancouver to SF twice, SF to San Diego once. The Cannondale should work fine as is, looks like it has a wide enough range for touring. No need for a 10 speed cassette, have done the ride with a 6 speed freewheel and a triple crankset and that worked fine...but you do need wide range gearing if you are touring with a full load, very low gears for tough climbs and a fairly big one for flat ground with a tailwind (lots of that on the Oregon coast for example if you are heading south)....a touring bike with panniers can fly downwind and the load makes it easier to pedal smoothly.


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## Steve B. (Jun 26, 2004)

ukiahb said:


> I have done Vancouver to SF twice, SF to San Diego once. The Cannondale should work fine as is, looks like it has a wide enough range for touring. No need for a 10 speed cassette, have done the ride with a 6 speed freewheel and a triple crankset and that worked fine...but you do need wide range gearing if you are touring with a full load, very low gears for tough climbs and a fairly big one for flat ground with a tailwind (lots of that on the Oregon coast for example if you are heading south)....a touring bike with pa
> panniers can fly downwind and the load makes it easier to pedal smoothly.


I wouldn't change anything at this point, just take it to a good shop and get it thoroughly checked and serviced, especially the wheels, hubs and bottom bracket. 

As Ukiah stated, the gearing will probably be OK and you don't at this point want to be hunting for a 7 speed cassette with lower gearing. At some point you can think about upgrading, maybe a R wheel that will take a 10 speed cassette, with related R derailer and shifters, but I'd go with as is. 

One thing to double check is the link you posted states it has a 8 spd. bar-end shifters as well as a 7 spd. cassette. Not sure what's going on with that, but I'd ask for clarification.


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## JasonLew (May 6, 2012)

Well the seller finally sent me a picture of the bike. They were asking $375 for "great" condition.
I asked $300 without seeing it,... but today I just received this:
Thoughts?
I was thinking half of that based on the picture... or if it is even worth it.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/334w0n83ziw97mw/photo.jpg


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## Steve B. (Jun 26, 2004)

It's not in bad shape, needs a saddle (which you would probably swap anyway), some new bar tape and a general inspection and tune up. I'd also ditch the adjustable stem (they tend to squeak) and get something that is dialed in to your riding position. 

Thing is that it's a very good touring frame. As long as there's no corrosion or dings in the frame, it's probably worth it if only cause used touring bikes in general are hard to come by. Somebody who knows enough to have purchased a C-Dale T700 or Trek 520, knew they wanted a touring bike and probably took care of it for the most part. Plus you are getting brakes, wheels, seat post, brake levers, shifters, F derailer, and a crank. I could see possibly down the road a new R wheel to go to 10 speed, plus a new R derailer and new shifters, as well as replacing the bottom bracket and headset just for insurance, but everything else is long term durable and usable. Having to buy a new frame (Surly, Soma) is going to set you back $500 and you still need to buy all the parts. So at $300 even if you had to lay $300-$400 into it it would still be a good bike.


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## ukiahb (Jan 26, 2003)

Steve B. said:


> It's not in bad shape, needs a saddle (which you would probably swap anyway), some new bar tape and a general inspection and tune up. I'd also ditch the adjustable stem (they tend to squeak) and get something that is dialed in to your riding position.
> 
> Thing is that it's a very good touring frame. As long as there's no corrosion or dings in the frame, it's probably worth it if only cause used touring bikes in general are hard to come by. Somebody who knows enough to have purchased a C-Dale T700 or Trek 520, knew they wanted a touring bike and probably took care of it for the most part. Plus you are getting brakes, wheels, seat post, brake levers, shifters, F derailer, and a crank. I could see possibly down the road a new R wheel to go to 10 speed, plus a new R derailer and new shifters, as well as replacing the bottom bracket and headset just for insurance, but everything else is long term durable and usable. Having to buy a new frame (Surly, Soma) is going to set you back $500 and you still need to buy all the parts. So at $300 even if you had to lay $300-$400 into it it would still be a good bike.


agree that that bike is a good bet...and you will need to completely check out and overhaul any used bike that will be used for loaded touring anyway, if any of the parts (wheels, bearings, chain, hubs, etc,) are marginal the odds are high that they will fail when hauling a heavy load a long distance. Ideally you should do this yourself so you will know how to work on your bike if something breaks on the tour. If you do go with racks and panniers a touring frame with built in mounts like that is a big advantage, it will be much easier to mount the racks and they will be far more secure. All the info you need to check out, repair, and overhaul a bike is at http://www.sheldonbrown.com/


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## logbiter (Sep 14, 2005)

JasonLew said:


> recommend a 10 speed cassette? I'm not entirely sure what parts I'll need. Should I just take it to the LBS and pay... what would be an estimate you think?
> 
> Definitely appreciate it!!


I wouldn't go 10 spd just yet... assess what shape the chainrings & cassette are in, if new are needed (along with a new chain, of course) then consider going 10spd. You can get 8spd cassettes in 11 or 12-32, which will give you plenty of gear range with the triple crank. 
Going to 10 spd will require new shifters, as 10spd with friction shifters (the existing 8 spd can be switched to friction) is pretty finicky to get into gear perfectly, but 8spd in friction is just fine Those bar end shifters may shift 8 in SIS mode.


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## JasonLew (May 6, 2012)

I picked up the bike guys!!
So excited to make this baby mine!

Everything looks to be in good shape, however I would like to switch to drop bars w/ STI ( love them on my road bike and I don't see myself putting a front bag on the bike)
Is this a good idea or would I just be opening a can of worms with having to change a lot more, like $200 more? I'm also contemplating getting the frame repainted since there are many scratches all over it.

Thanks for all the help / info guys!


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## JasonLew (May 6, 2012)

Here's my inspiration:
http://lakeside-bikes.com/product/12cannondale-touring-1-59003-1.htm


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## Steve B. (Jun 26, 2004)

JasonLew said:


> I picked up the bike guys!!
> So excited to make this baby mine!
> 
> Everything looks to be in good shape, however I would like to switch to drop bars w/ STI ( love them on my road bike and I don't see myself putting a front bag on the bike)
> ...


In order to change to brifters you will need to find a set of either used 7 (or is it 8) speed STI shifters. I would not buy used at this point as they would be very old and nearing the end of typical life (or be potentially less reliable). New in box ?, you'd have to do a lot of searching. Or you would need a set or 9 or 10 speed (expensive) units as well as a cassette and chain. I don't think your hub accepts 9/10 so a shop would have to replace the hub body (doable), and you might as well service the hubs (F & R) while your at it, then you need a new chain and cassette, so maybe $450-500 just for that little swap (brifters, h-bar tape, brake and shift cables, cassette, chain, labor/service). 

I'd ride it as is for a bit, try out the bar-con's. They are generally considered ideal for touring bikes due to the reliability. As well I'd bet your brake levers would work better with the canti's then a set of brifters, which can get cranky to set up right for canti's. 

Good luck with the bike,m as BTW !


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## logbiter (Sep 14, 2005)

can o' worms. I'd ride it a while, make sure the bike is for you. Just put into her what's needed to get going. Same with paint, it's aluminum... don't sweat scratches. Repaint after the tour, if you decide she's a keeper.

You can get 8 spd STI shifters (2300) for about $200. I haven't done the research, but if like the shimano mtn bike shifters, you can use 8 spd with 7 speed, just with an extra click. Like I said, I don't know if this works with road shifters... there's likely proper information to be found over at Sheldon Brown's website.


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## JasonLew (May 6, 2012)

Thanks for all the advice guys!! Definitely appreciate it!

Going to take it to the LBS and probably wait on the paint.


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## acg (Feb 13, 2011)

AAA Oregon membership offers roadside assistance for cyclists.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

Read this about trailers vs panniers: Adventure Cycling Association
and: https://www.adventurecycling.org/resources/panniersversustrailer_03.pdf


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## JasonLew (May 6, 2012)

Thanks guys!
I ordered some Axiom panniers and a few other goodies. I'll post a pic when it is all ready, right now it is getting tuned at the LBS!


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