How To Buy A Bike For Your Venture Tour

Howdy! This was previously published on the Venture Blog, but I thought I'd repost it just in case anyone didn't see it. -Tyler

Hello Everybody.

 
It’s the time of year when the folks who are going on a Venture cycling trip tend to start thinking about one very important piece of equipment:
 
The Bike. 
 
You’re planning on spending 40 to 50 to (it happens!) 60 hours a week on a bunch of metal, rubber, and plastic. That’s a lot of time. You need a bike that will work with you and not against you. You need a bike that can go every single mile with you and not constantly break down or develop annoying gremlins. And, let’s face it, you need a bike that is high value at a low price. It’s a reality of Venture Expeditions: most of us are long on passion and short on cash. But don’t be discouraged! With patience, diligence, and some good advice, you’ll be able to find a bike you’ll be glad you bought. I’ve been a bike mechanic for four years and have co-led two coast-to-coast Venture Tours. I’ve seen a few things that work and a few that don’t, and I think I can give you some
 
Good Advice.

First, everything in this blog is worthless if you don’t go to your local bike shop (LBS) and actually ride several bikes. If you have the luxury of multiple bike shops in your area, try to find one that caters to long-distance riders. While you’re there, talk to the mechanics and salespeople and find out what they would ride if they were doing your tour. It’s a great way to get a different take on the whole process. Also, check out the long-distance cycling boards on bikeforums.net.

That being said, we’ll also run down a few basic things you can do to make sure your tour goes as smooth as possible. We’ll talk about the importance of a good set of wheels and tires. We’ll go over the different drivetrain manufacturers and the pros and cons present with their different systems. We’ll touch briefly on the differences between various frame materials. We’ll look at what you can do before your tour to minimize the discomfort and damage many people associate with long-distance riding. And finally, we’ll go over a few tour-proven bikes you can buy anywhere quality bicycles are sold.

Wheels and Tires
where the rubber meets the road

The most abused component on your bike will be your wheels.

Always.

Any time the bike is moving the spokes are being stretched and released with incredible rapidity, and if those spokes aren’t properly supported, they’ll break. And you’ll be sitting by the side of the road waiting for the van to save you instead of riding your bike.

So it stands to reason that you should make sure whatever bike you buy comes with excellent wheels. There are a few things to take into consideration:
1. Your Weight
If you’re a big person, you’ll need heavier, stronger wheels. If you’re a smaller person, you’ll be able to ride lighter, faster wheels.
2. Spoke Count
How do you make a wheel stronger? The simple answer is add more spokes. I weigh 225 lbs and I like having 32 spokes on my rear wheel (which takes the most abuse). But if, say,  you’re 150 lbs, you could probably ride 16-spoke aero wheels and never break a spoke.
3. Rim Depth
Part two of how to make a wheel stronger is to increase the rim’s “profile”. A high profile rim will be wider when viewed from the side. If you want fewer spokes on your wheels (less wind resistance) you’ll need a thicker, higher profile rim to make up for the lost strength. I’ve ridden the same set of Campagnolo Vento G3 wheels (low spoke count, high profile rims) on both my tours. After almost 7,000 miles they’re still in incredible shape.

When you’re buying your bike at your LBS ask if the spokes are butted (thicker at the ends--it strengthens them). Ask what the spoke count is. Ask what other people are saying about the wheels. Ask them which wheels they would use. Ask if they know if they’re machine-made (most will be) or handmade (handmade is better).

Tires: A good set of tires will cut a huge amount of stress out of your trip. A bad set will make it difficult or even impossible to continue a ride, and can throw a wrench in an otherwise good day. Choosing good tires and investing in them is one of the best pre-tour purchases you can make.

A good Venture Tour tire combines four things: puncture resistance, good grip, low weight, and sweet lookz. Puncture resistance is far and away the most important. You don’t want to waste hours sitting by the side of the road changing flats. Good grip is nice when you’re flying down a canyon. Low weight is nice for the climb up the other side. Style is a given. Ask about all four when you’re at your bike shop and looking for tires. Just a heads up: most good tires will set you back at least $60 apiece. Think of it as saving money on tubes.
Here’s a short list of tires that have proven themselves on Venture tours of yore:
1. The Panaracer TServ PT: I used the discontinued “For Messenger” version of these tires on the ‘09 Ride:Well Tour and had four flats over 3,750 miles. Then I put them on my fixie and haven’t had a flat yet. They’re tougher than nails (literally), have decent grip, and are of moderate weight. Sweet colors = awesome stylez.
2. The Specialized Armadillo: Some Venture riders have ridden from the Pacific to the Atlantic on these tires and never had a flat. However, several other Venture riders have experienced repeated sidewall tears and blowouts. These tires are also heavy (twice as heavy as the Panaracers), not particularly sticky, and ugly. But more importantly, Specialized has a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all their products. If you aren’t satisfied with the tire’s performance (flats, sidewall blowouts, etc.) just bring it back to a Specialized dealer and they’ll replace it with a new one. For free. No questions, no hassle. Awesome.
3. The Continental Grand Prix 4000: I used these tires on the ‘10 Just+Hope Tour and had two flats over about 3000 miles. TWO FLATS! From a race tire! I still don’t know how I did it. But I do know these tires are legit. They’ve got excellent Vectran flat protection, they’re super sticky, and they’re light. And they come in eight colors. The only downside is sticky rubber wears faster, so you’ll only get about 2000 miles out of these tires before you’ll need to get a new set. But it’ll be a really fun 2,000 miles.
4. The Michelin Krylion Carbon: These are similar to the Conti 4000’s, but with a longer tread life. Michelin claims 3,700 miles out of a single set. A rider from 2009 Ride:Well Tour whose name is Manthony agrees. The flat protection is very good, they’re light and grippy, and have colors.
5. The Bontrager Race X Lite HardCase: These come standard on some Trek and Gary Fischer models, and a lot of folks swear by them. I haven’t used them personally, but they have solid flat protection, aren’t super heavy, and stick just fine. They’re sort of the vanilla of Venture-approved tires: just solid.
6. The Schwalbe Marathon Dureme HS: The Marathon Duremes only come in super-fat sizes which might not fit on your road bike, but all of Schwalbe’s tires are legendary for their toughness. If you can fit them, the Marathons are a good choice if you’re not worried about getting there fast. Schwalbe’s Ultremos are a speed-oriented tire with the same levels of puncture resistance. They’re sticky, light, and stylish. And remarkably expensive.
-1. This is number negative one because you should never buy Maxxis Re-Fuse tires. Some people like them, but my experience has been uniformly terrible. The tread comes off after a week or two of a Venture tour. And for the week it’s attached, the flat protection is horrible. Don’t waste your money on these tires.

One last note: You want fat tires on your bike, because fat tires absorb vibration and bumps on the inevitable rough days. But I don’t recommend going above 28c (“28c” is a measurement of tire width in mm). Anything bigger than 28c and you’ll start to sacrifice some performance and will need different tubes. I’ve found 28c’s to be a good compromise between cushion and speed.

Drivetrain
putting the power down

Bicycle drivetrains are a great place to get confused when you’re buying a bike. With names like Tiagra, Veloce, and Rival, and components like a crankset and bottom bracket, the bike isn’t doing us any favors. But don’t worry. We’ll break it down to the basics and then go over what you need to look for as you pick out your steed.

The Basics
The drivetrain of a bicycle is everything concerned with making the rear wheel spin. This includes the shift levers, crankset, bottom bracket, chain, cassette, and derailleurs. If you don’t know what these are, don’t worry about it. The folks at your LBS can point them out to you. There are three companies that make almost all the drivetrains available: Shimano, SRAM, and Campagnolo. Each company makes several different versions of the parts listed above and calls each collection of these parts a “group” or “gruppo”. A full “group” or “groupset” will often include brakes, too.

Different groups have different levels of quality. The highest quality groups can be completely rebuilt, making them an excellent investment if you’d like to ride a long time. They will have more metal and carbon fiber parts and will be more reliable. The lower quality groups will have more plastic in their construction, break down quicker, and not be repair-worthy.

Additionally, each manufacturer uses different ergonomics in the design of their brake lever hoods, which is where your hands will spend most of their time. If the hoods do not fit your hands it can lead to numbness, pain, and weakness as the nerves in your palm and wrist are compressed by the poor ergonomic match. Test ride each company’s brake hoods to see which is most comfortable for you.
Most bikes have a mix of parts from one manufacturer’s various groups. A bike with components from only one group is said to have a complete “groupset.” Sometime SRAM and Shimano components will be found on the same bike; there are also manufacturers such as FSA who only make one or two pieces of a drivetrain, which will be mixed in with parts from Shimano or SRAM.

Shimano
Most of the bikes you’ll see will have Shimano components on them. Shimano’s component groups break down from highest to lowest quality like this:

-Dura-Ace Di2 - Dura-Ace 7900 - Ultegra - 105 - Tiagra - Sora - 2300

Higher quality component groups are made to last longer under harder use. Dura-Ace (DA) is the nicest Shimano group money can buy, and is totally rebuildable. You’ll spend a lot getting it. If you find a bike in your price range with Dura-Ace, be thankful and buy it.
Ultegra is an excellent group, and while it is less expensive than DA, it will still set you back a pretty penny. If you can afford it, buy it.
Shimano 105 is, in my mind, the ideal group for a Venture cyclist. There’s still a high level of quality, without the price being as prohibitive as Ultegra or DA. That being said, 105 isn’t cheap, but I think the quality is worth it.
Tiagra, new Tiagra in particular, has come a long way. It used to be pretty bad; now it’s pretty good. If you find a bike with a mix of Tiagra and 105 components, it will probably do a great job for you.
Sora is another group that’s gotten a lot better, but I still don’t like the amount of plastic inside the shifters. That being said, there are some Trek 1.2’s with Sora groupsets that are running strong after 5,000 miles, so don’t dismiss this groupset offhand.
Don’t waste your money on a bike with 2300 on it. It’s designed to be ridden six times in one summer and then forgotten in a garage.

SRAM
SRAM’s offerings are more limited than Shimano or Campagnolo, but they’re also more focused. Their groups are:

Red - Force - Rival - Apex

Red, like Dura-Ace, is very nice and quite expensive. You won’t need it.
Force and Rival are both excellent options. You might see Rival on some bikes in your price range. Both groups have high quality construction with nice touches like carbon fiber brake levers. One possible downside is SRAM’s DoubleTap system, which uses one lever for all the shifting. It’s complicated. I won’t try to explain it. Ride it and decide for yourself if it’s something you like.
Also, SRAM just released its new Apex group. It’s designed to give you a lot of climbing gears without the added weight and ugliness of a triple (three chainrings up by the pedals). With its price point and climbing focus, this could be an excellent group for a Venture cyclist.

Campagnolo

Campagnolo (camp-an-YEL-o) is one of the oldest bike companies in the world. They developed things like the quick-release wheel skewer and derailleurs. They have a wide variety of groups available, but the most important thing is that they all are high end and designed to be fully rebuildable and very reliable. Their gruppi (Campagnolo is an Italian company) are as follows:

Super Record - Record - Chorus - Athena - Centaur - Veloce

You will find very few bikes that come equipped with Campagnolo components, but there are a few. Super Record and Record are race-oriented groupsets and are overkill for anything less than a full-on race bike. Don’t get Chorus unless you have a lot of money and plan on riding a lot for long time to come. Athena could be a good choice if you can find it on a bike in your price point. Centaur and Veloce are both excellent groups that should last a long time. I’ve used the same Veloce-level Campagnolo components on my bike for both tours, and when I bought them in the first place they had been pretty well used. I’ve absolutely loved them. They’re strong, long lasting, and it feels mechanically satisfying every time I shift. That being said, if your components do break, it can be difficult to find bike shops that carry the parts you will need.

To sum it up: Look for a bike with components from these groups: Shimano’s Ultegra, 105, Tiagra, or Sora, SRAM’s Force, Rival, or Apex, or Campangnolo’s Athena, Centaur, or Veloce. If you can, test ride bikes with each manufacturer’s parts to get a sense of how they perform, and don’t hesitate to ride bikes outside your price range. They can help set the bar for the feel you like.

Frame Materials
keep it together now

Most bikes are made of either steel, carbon fiber, or aluminum. Titanium also pops up here and there, but it’s prohibitively expensive. Each material has different advantages and disadvantages based on their inherent weight, stiffness, durability, and ride quality. We’ll break them down on a 5-point scale, with 5 as the best.

Steel     Weight: 1     Stiffness: 3     Durability: 5     Ride Quality: 5
Steel is the traditional material for a bicycle. A good steel frame will be smooth-riding and responsive. It also tends to be cheaper than other materials. The main drawback is its weight; a steel frame will usually weigh one or two pounds more than an aluminum or carbon frame of the same size. There are also several different alloys used; when you’re at your LBS ask for frames made of “4130” (weird, I know, but trust me) or tubing made by a reputable bicycle tubing manufacturer like Reynolds or Columbus.

Aluminum     Weight: 4     Stiffness: 5     Durability: 3     Ride Quality: 2
Aluminum is currently the most popular material for road bike frames. Frames made of aluminum will be very rigid and lightweight. On the road, this means more energy from each pedal stroke is sent into spinning the rear wheel, which makes you faster; the bike will flex less in turns, which leads to sharper handling; and the light weight will help you climb faster. But all that rigidity causes the frame transmit the vibration and bumps in the road directly into your wrists and backside, which can be very uncomfortable on a long ride. Many manufacturers now use carbon forks and seat stays to help absorb some of the vibration. I’d recommend finding a bike with one, if not both, for a Venture tour.

Carbon Fiber     Weight: 5     Stiffness: 5     Durability: 1     Ride Quality: 4
Carbon fiber is still a new technology in the bike world. Its combination of light weight, stiffness, and superb vibration dampening make it an excellent choice for a frame material; however, before you run off and buy a carbon fiber frame, there are two things to consider. First, a carbon fiber frame will be very expensive, and second, the durability of carbon fiber is by far the lowest of any frame material. If the resin surrounding the weave of the fibers is chipped or deformed in any major way, the frame might suffer “catastrophic failure”; i.e. it will break into very expensive pieces. This means you’ll have a bike you’ll need to baby for two months, and it can be a hassle.

The most important thing to keep in mind is this: if you like how a bike feels and you can afford it, buy it. Carbon fiber, aluminum, and steel have all been successfully used by members of various tours. What’s most important is finding a bike you will be happy on for two months of daily riding.

Protect Yourself
God helps those...

A Venture tour is an incredible opportunity to push yourself beyond what you would have thought possible. And if you really want to see how far you can go, there’s a few things you can do to prepare yourself. We’ll start with gear for yourself and your bike, and then look at ways to prepare your body for the test.

Get your bike fitted to you. A bike fitting is a simple way of customizing your bike to your body. When you buy your bike at your LBS, tell them you want a bike fitting. Ask if they include it in the price of the bike. Having your bike fitted to you will reduce the chance of your knees, wrists, neck, and lower back being damaged by poor posture and riding form on the tour.

Find a saddle that fits. First off, this paragraph refers to what you’ve probably called the seat. In bike lingo, it’s a saddle. Moving on, many new bikes come with a generic saddle; it’s not too wide, it’s not too narrow. But people have various hip widths, and sometimes the stock saddle will be the wrong shape for your hips. This can lead to a sore butt, knee pains, numb feet, and impotence. When you’re getting your bike fitted, ask them to look at your saddle and make sure the width is right. If it’s not, ask them to swap it with one that fits you. Another option is a leather saddle, such as a Brooks, Cardiff, or Velo Orange. Leather saddles mold to your body as you ride them. I’ve ridden a Brooks B-17 for the last three years, and I can’t speak highly enough about it. I’ve never had significant soreness, even after 130-mile days. It’s an awesome saddle, and it’s only getting more comfortable. One last note: if you change your saddle after you get your bike fitted, ask your fitter to make sure your bike fit hasn’t changed with the new saddle.

Do your homework. Read Bike for Life: How to Ride to 100. Spend time on Bike Forum’s Long Distance forum. Ask the folks at your LBS about what has worked for them, and if they know anyone who’s done a similar tour. Find a group of local riders you can train with. Run stairs.

Invest in the right gear. Contrary to what some people think, you don’t need a ton of gear for your tour. It’s easy to overspend on things you might need and run out of money for things you will most definitely need. So: buy one good pair of heavily padded bike gloves two sizes larger than you need. They will last longer if they’re bigger, because they will be stretched less. Buy at least one, possibly two, very nice pair of bike shorts. You probably won’t use more than two pairs. If you have to, buy one nice pair and one cheap pair for backup. Don’t discount bib shorts, either. Get comfortable shoes; if you’re using clip-in pedals, buy mountain bike shoes instead of road shoes. Find a light-colored, well-ventilated helmet. Get polarized sunglasses that won’t stab your head if you crash onto your face. And bring a bandana.

Prepare Your Body. You’ll sweat a lot on your tour, so get hydrated now. Be drinking half your body weight in ounces of water (you weigh 200 lbs, drink 100 oz) every day, and try to drink as much as you can before breakfast. Buy some high-quality protein powder and start drinking a protein shake to start your day. This will prepare your body for the massive amounts of muscle (I kid you not) you will put on your legs and backside during the tour. Stretch every day before you go to bed; find out ways to stretch all the muscles in your legs and lower back. And men, start growing your beard so when the time comes you can carry forward the Venture Moustache Legacy:

Greg Bargo, Mike Barrow, David Van Buskirk. Ride:Well 2008

Tour-Proven Bikes
I li-i-i-ike, my bi-i-i-ike, it’s not like other bikes

So you might be thinking, “Ok, Tyler, I’ve read all this bike stuff and I think it’s swell, but can’t you just tell me what bike I should buy?” That’s an easy question to answer: No. Because I’m not you. You are the only one who can sit on a certain bike and realize, “This feels perfect for me.”

But I do want to help you out, so here’s an incomplete list of bikes that have been ridden on Venture tours and have come through with flying colors.

Specialized Allez: As a bike mechanic, I’m always happy to see a Specialized Allez on one of my tours. They’re fast, sturdy, and reliable bikes; the Allez’s on both of my tours have taken their riders from coast to coast without any major breakdowns. I’ll say here that regardless of what bike you decide to take on your tour, it will still need regular maintenance -- the chain will need to be cleaned and lubed a couple times a week (and replaced after about 2000 miles), the cables will stretch and throw off your braking and shifting, your wheels might slowly go out of true. Expect these things to happen and budget for the repairs now.

Surly Long Haul Trucker, Cross-Check, and Pacer: Surly designs their bikes to be ridden every single day, regardless of conditions, for years. And they succeed. Surly bikes are smooth-riding steel bikes with a component set designed to be cheap and durable, and they’re great bikes that you can keep riding right through the end of your tour and into a Minnesota winter, if that’s your thing. The Long Haul Trucker (LHT) is a full-on touring bike. It’s a relaxed, smooth, and remarkably heavy bike that’s designed to carry you and forty pounds of gear down the Silk Road or something like that. It’s overkill for a Venture tour, but if you like the ride and can put up with the weight it would not be a bad purchase. The Cross-Check is a bit more aggressive than the LHT and is noticeably lighter. They’re designed to be tough and long-lasting, and are a versatile bike for both during and after your tour. Finally, the Pacer is a bike designed for long-distance, all-day rides...which is exactly what you’ll be doing. Try one out. See if you like it.

Trek 1.2: The first thing you should know about a 1.2 is that it’s not designed to be ridden as much as you’ll ride it on a Venture tour. The Shimano Sora shifters tend to malfunction and drop bits of plastic from their innards and the wheels rarely stay straight and true. However, I’ve seen 1.2s keep rolling down the road despite all these things. If you must have a cheap, lowest-end bike that has proven it can do a Venture tour, the 1.2 fits the bill. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Trek 2.3: Yes, it’s somewhat expensive. But if you want a bike that will be steady, fast, comfortable, and reliable, I’d recommend the 2.3. It’s got a complete Shimano 105 group and strong wheels. If you can afford it, this is an excellent route to take.

Bianchi Via Nirone 7: Drew Nelson, the 10-Tour legend of the Venture pantheon, only rides Bianchis, and he rides his Bianchi Via Nirone 7 (Shimano 105 group) the most. I’ve heard it said that a Bianchi has a soul; that may be going overboard, but there is a harmony that comes with riding one that seems to transcend the materials.

Giant Defy 1: The Giant Defy 1 and 2, and the woman-specific Avail 1, have been consistently improving over the last several years. The frame design, component group choices, and unusually good wheels make this an excellent option for Venture cyclists. Check out their Advanced versions of the Avail and Defy, too.

In Conclusion
it’s simple, really.

To sum this whole thing up into a few points:
1. Go to your local bike shop (LBS), listen to their advice, and ride lots of bikes.
2. Invest in good wheels and tires.
3. Look for a bike with a comfortable and affordable component set.
4. Work hard preparing both your body and your stuff for the tour.
5. You’re in for an adventure unlike anything you’ve ever known.

I’d also say this: God’s heart longs to challenge injustice. He’s looking for people who will stand with Him. Whatever rises up against you as you prepare for this tour, know God Himself works tirelessly both on our behalf and on behalf of the people we are trying to help. If you don’t reach the end of your resourcefulness preparing for the tour, I guarantee you will once it starts. Look forward to it. Christ will meet you on the road when you ask Him. I’m excited to hear the story.

God Bless You All!

Tyler Sevlie, Ride:Well 2009, Just+Hope 2010.