I want to try and go on my first short tour (Jasper to Banff AB, ~300km) this summer but I don’t know what kind of bike to use?
I’m fortunate to have a couple options to pick from, I’ve got:
A Norco arctic 1998 hybrid bike built into a comfortable steel gravel bike
-1×9 mountain bike drivetrain
-700c x 35 tires
-weaker rim brakes and difficult to work on without lots of tools
A trek domain sl 6 from 2017, I’ve taken it on an short overnight trip, but it’s not very capable
-very efficient and light
-more aggressive riding position
-700x 25 tires make it only realistic to pedal on asphalt
-carbon frame and fork without mounts of any kind limits on-bike storage
The only bike I’ve gone on a multi day trip with before is a canyon spectral, but it’s obviously very slow and not built for something like this.
Does anyone have any suggestions to which bike would be better or anything I could change on the bikes to make the better suited for touring?
by Other-Carrot-6792
5 Comments
I would use the road bike. Ain’t no way I’m riding that mountain bike for 300 km on tarmac.
The Trek is fine but if you need more gear room swap the rear rack with a “tail fin “ and use panniers as well
I would take the Trek, pack super light, and do it in 2 days. Otherwise the Norco if you want to bring more stuff and go slower.
I wouldn’t worry too much about maintenance over such a short distance. Flat tires are probably the only thing you’d need to fix.
the rear rack on the full squish 😀
Put the thickest schwalbe marathon tires you can on to the trek pack light and go for it.