General Description... Touring bikes are designed
to take you long distances, carrying most or all of what you need
with you. They have lots of gears to get up the steepest pass, and
good brakes to make sure you don’t kill yourself coming down
the other side. Mudguards keep road spray off you, and racks front
and rear carry all your luggage. Some tourers look like road bikes,
with drop handlebars to let you vary your riding position. Others
look like mountain bikes, with straight handlebars for a more upright
position.
A variation is the fast tourer or Audax bike. Audax is a kind of day-long
race, and these bikes are designed to carry all you need for a full
day’s riding, but not for a long-distance trek. They are faster
than other tourers.
Pros...
For long distances, touring bikes are excellent. The riding position
is quite aerodynamic, but not so much that you can’t have a
good look around.
Cons... For
shorter or faster rides, touring bikes can be too well equipped. Mountain
bikes are taking over from tourers as they are more durable on rough
terrain. |
