The idea for today’s video started with a question, do I need a new bike to enjoy bikepacking routes that are mostly on road?
After being spoilt by the wondrous GDMBR, where 90% of the 2700 miles are on unpaved trails and paths, I am now finding that most routes or tours I am looking into entail much more road riding, and some trips that I would like to do are almost entirely on roads. I therefore wanted to find out how I would feel doing a full days road riding on my Sonder, and I weight up the positives/negatives of using the Sonder for all trips, whatever the surface.
The route I did on this ride is quite local to me, I got the ferry across from Felixstowe to Harwich, and then road inland through some lovely villages and towns in the Dedham Vale Area of Natural Beauty, before looping back around through Ipswich and along the river Orwell back to Felixstowe.
Thank you for watching.
Links
Kona Sutra 2023
Komoot Route
https://www.komoot.com/tour/1337602936?ref=wtd&share_token=a0WJB0KRtMpLBFGvCUaPALG1aEP3kNKL3gzMS8sBGgebzkdMf2
00:00. Introduction
04:40. Positives to using my Sonder for road bikepacking
07:31. Negatives of using my Sonder for road bikepacking
10:21. Weighing up the options
49 Comments
Mat, I also have a titanium bike with a Pinion. I have two sets of wheels for the bike. One set are 2.2 Maxxis Ikon. The second set of wheels are for 38mm schwalbe touring tires. Depending on the sprocket you have for the bigger tires you may need to have a belt specific for each set of tires. But it's very easy to open the frame and change the belt and you have two different bikes.
Mayonnaise? On chipshop chips? Heathen.
Another great video – enjoyed seeing places I haven’t been in more than 20 yrs. Thanks again!
Hi Mat, take a look at Decathlon the Riverside tourine machine. Seems to be getting great reviews and the price is good. Tried the Koga world traveller a while back, heavy but will get you anywhere. Just some thoughts from a life long bike rider, hope it helps.
Commuting, shopping and such rides are a big part of cycling, which justifies a good commuter that could be pressed into service as a tourer. In the event of a gearbox failure on your main bike on the night before the big flight for a grand tour.
Grab the backup bike, put on the racks and bags and go.
So pick a backup bike with this consideration.
I was interested to know the speed you could get on a flat, as you say you were spinning out the pinion. At what speed was that? Thanks
😮My commuter is a hybrid, 700c, with light suspension fork. Heavy but solid and can haul groceries or business goods. Winter, 90s MTB with 8 speed Alfine, and studded tires. I think the Kona Sutra is a great choice for an all a-rounder. With my back, and wrists, I need a more upright bike and set-up with alt-bars. And I enjoy doing resto-mods on 80-90s mountain bikes.
Kona Sutea would be a great choice, second-hand even better!
I bought a Salsa warroad it's a endurance bike i think it would fit the bill, light and fast and handle light gravel
I love the kona sutra I bought in June. I would higly recommend it. Though the fenders are a bit cheap (plastic) and I found the tires that came with it had a lot of rolling resistance from being a bit heavy. I replaced the tires with some gravel tires and am putting on new aluminum fenders.
Another great video – fish and chips by the coast is always a winner…pre- or post-beer😉😂 I took a good long look at a Kona Sutra and was about to go for it when I saw the Brother Mehteh. In the end I went with the Mehteh and have not been disappointed! Adding a Jack-the-Bikerack on the front has given me added carrying capacity too, as good on as off road and very definitely not a mountain bike. To be honest, there are probably dozens of bikes that would suit what you’re looking for 🤔 Happy hunting and hopefully you find the perfect ride 😁
I think that your conclusion is accurate by the number of bicycles that I have in my garage LOL. I think that bicycles are like shoes in that you have to have the right type for the terrain. I tour on a gravel bicycle. but I would not ride my gravel bicycle on the GDMBR because the tires are too skinny, 700 x 38.
I really enjoyed your GDMBR videos and journey. I am pondering that very ride myself, maybe with a second rider?
Cheers ;<)
Hello Mat…I've ridden both road and mountain bikes for decades. I'm 66. I stopped riding my road bike about 10 years ago and take my mountain bike everywhere. The only advantage to a road bike is speed…which I don't care about any more. The mountain bike is way more comfortable.
My last 5 mountain bikes have been similar. At the moment I own a Santa Cruz Chameleon hard tail with a front fork. I keep the front fork uncut so that I can ride upright and not bend over. Extememly comfortable. I have a raised neck on top of the fork that connects with handlebars that swoop up to give me even more height.
I ride with town and country tires, about 2" or 2.2" wide. They are smooth with some traction grooves. They provide plenty of traction even on dirt, gravel and sand…and they roll like butter on the highway.
It's an aluminum bike without connections for racks. But there are many ways around that, including purchasing axles that can connect with racks. Check out "Robert Axle Project" in the US.
I can't believe that people ride long distances bike touring while bending over their handlebars and craning their necks….ouch!
The best of luck to you!
How's the back ? Before purchasing my Unit X , I considered the Sultra , but went with the more rugged Unit X instead . I think the Sultra would be a fine choice for what you want to do
I have a road bike and a mountain bike that I use infrequently. The bike I ride most often is my Rivendell Hunqapillar. The Hunq is an all-arounder with 1.75 Schwalbe Dureme tires, rim brakes, brooks saddle, and upright bars. I ride it everywhere including single track. It always has a front basket and bag attached and it can be used as a fully loaded touring bike as well. It is not a speedy bike, but it is always comfortable and dependable. It is easy and cheap to keep running and it looks good too. The best part is that I got it second hand for a song. It needed help, but it’s sorted now and I wouldn’t trade it for anything else. I would use my mountain bike if I was doing a loaded off-road tour, but the Hunq for everything else. I’m really enjoying your content. Thanks…
Yes! Explore anywhere/everywhere on a mountain bike. I love my old Gen 1 Vassago Jabberwocky.
In the 60's is when I first saw a 10 speed. I thought THAT might be nice yet I kept riding my 3-speed for decade. I have been riding nothing but mountain bikes since 1984, when I spotted and purchased the first specialized stump jumper available at my local bike shop. A simple MTB, no matter how old, can do it all. Its a non-issue what is ridden…just get out and ride.
I know your talking about getting a touring bike but I'm sayin get a FATBIKE lol! Thanks for the awesome video. Good luck on whatever you choose.
Kona Sutra has a great reputation. Cycling About is a fan. I’m a Salsa guy. Love drop bars with aeros. Cutthroat carbon AXS 1×12 2.25 Terravails and suspension fork for GDMBR, and Marrakesh steel STI 3×9 38 mm Schwalbe Marathons for cross-country touring, which also works as a commuter bike for hauling groceries etc. around town. I like the gear-inches range on this…very versatile. Comes with nice Salsa front and rear racks standard. That will set you back $2000 new. Your growing YouTube community might get you a Kona or Salsa sponsorship!
What are those handlebars that you have on your bike?
Could you please let me know what handlebars model/brand you've got there on your bike? Can't find it on the Sonder online latest version. It appears to hv flat handlebars.
Also curious to know the average speed over the full distance/course – similar question from @PeteM-xp4qc – your reply was 29mph, that's the fastest speed recorded – which is irrelevant in my opinion. I cover singletrack/gravel, all terrain, in my hybrid/touring Cube, I can get to 60/70km p/h downhill, but the overall average only around 20km/h depending on terrain, hills, how much % off rd etc. Speed is not the most important, but it's more enjoyable to hv a bike that can go fast when you need/want to and respond to effort put in. Safe, happy cycling👍 🚲.
Few things to think about in my view. Swapping bags, racks from one bike to another can be a frustrating faff. Another wheel set easier with a derailleur. In your route planning software you could always select mtb particularly for east anglia Where you have road and byeways combined for a little bit of offroad. which would suit your current bike. For long road journeys your thoughts on the Kona seem sound.
1) Fenders are a must.
2) Flat bar or drops?? (Drops are more aero)
3) Dynamo hub or batteries??
I've tried all of that & I prefer to have just one bike , I have a similar bike & have tried loads of tyres .I've settled on 2.25 Vittoria Mazcals & I'm very happy with them very good on & off road , I found tyres like you have very draining on long road days . I have a Thorn Nomad with a Rohloff , a Surly Ogre with a Rohlofff & a Ribble Adventure 1 x 12 Sram .. All doing nothing I'm happy with my Olsen Lamb , I may fit a Surly fork on the front so I can put a rack on the front .
Very interesting. There are several more small ferries along the Suffolk coast that carry bikes, lots of photogenic circular route options in flat-ish terrain, maybe we will see you visit again?
Great video mat. I can understand the concern of leaving bike even for a short time. Can’t wait for the trip you were talking about. I have a 3 speed chopper bike you can borrow 😂
Hey Bert, I have a old 1990's kona MTB 3×8, as Hack/commuter, looks a bit rough/odd but is mechanically spot on!
Long muds, alt bars, front rack with a wald basket, rear rack with a selection of bungees, tyres are more road than knobblies but will do a turn on tracks/canal paths etc.
Been running it a few years now and its not been robbed yet , probably as no little scrote than pinches bikes would be seen dead on it………..
I wouldn.t leave any bike worth any kind of money that I was invested in, outside a shop/pub etc these days.
Enjoy bike shopping, make the effort to go sit on a few different ones if you can find them reasonably close by, no substitute for sitting on them IMO.
Cheers. 👍
Would love to see more about your van set up!
New bike days are the best.
I've been riding a cheap gravel bike in Scotland, on tarmac, and I've had the lend of a mountain bike in Wales. The difference is huge. The mountain bike just wants to grip the tarmac and slow down. I did 28 miles, to Mumbles and back, and it was hard work. Horses for courses as they say. How long did that ride take you? I was about 2 1/2 to 3 hours covering 28 miles. Just curious.
Another great post.
Be interested to see your van set up, exactly sort of thing I’m contemplating. Be good to know what’s good, bad and ugly about it.
Thanks.
Just to reassure you, I ride 100 miles on and offroad in 10 hours at a steady pace filming on my fatbike. The difference you enjoy it more. crouched over a dropbar bike on bone shattering tyres is no fun in my book. Thats a 70 miler. Great ride https://youtu.be/1KZ-rhBqGWI?si=dMEZ07jlBmofAXKR
I don't get why you need another bike Mat. Chuck some Vittoria Mezcals on yours. Great tyres. on and offroad
Lovely local jolly, my advice…. not that it's worth much as I know nothing about bikes would be anything with a comfortable seat 😂
Ps…. chips looked yummy 😋
Hi Matt, there’s a Kona Sutra in Elmy Cycles in Ipswich, so fairly local to you ? I think the one in stock is a large frame but even if it’s not the right size it might be useful to see one ‘in the flesh’
Nigel
I've been a YouTube Premium subscriber for well over a decade…this is my first time ever commenting. I absolutely love your content. The GDMBR eps were great, but these latest rides in the UK are fantastic. As a Midwest US rider, I typically stick to rail trails and overnight bike camps, but you've got me thinking bigger and broader! I've exclusively ridden my Surly LHT for 12 years in all formats, surfaces and conditions… Would love to shop for a new bike but can never fully justify it! Dig the format, excellent camera work and keep up the commentary! Cheers!
Hi Matt, another great video , your plans for future trips sound really interesting can’t wait to see where you go . Keep up the good work 👍and you never need an excuse to buy a new bike 😂
I really love my trek fx2 for commuting
The answer is yes, as touring/bikepacking is not usually competitive speed and time, an MTB can do anything that a road or gravel bike can do
Hey Matt,
I’m a roadie, and i like watching cycling videos on YouTube while I’m spinning away on my indoor trainer.
I searched for “cycling” videos and yourDay 1 of your Tour Divide ride came up, so I clicked on it.
When I saw the content, I thought watching some old dude ride slow is gonna be a total snooze-fest … like watching paint dry.
But I watched the entire 1st video.
When it ended, YouTube automatically started the 2nd video.
I watched it entirely.
I think I’ve watched like 10 of them now!
I don’t exactly know I keep watching … but I can’t stop. 🙂
So I guess I gotta say, well done my boy!
Hi is that an Ergon saddle your running? What model is it and how are you finding it?
I use a plus bike for everything and it has 3.0 wide tyres lol Yes I could make it a lot easier with the correct bike for the right situations, but i love my bike and don't care what anyone thinks. I mean how fast and how many miles do you want to do in a day on the road anyway? I take my time and enjoy the comfort my 3 inch tyres give me. 😊
Your comment on the statue with the little girl! 😂 What was that you were eating at your 1 mile meal? Some kind of hot dog? 🌭 Have you considered a single speed for your commuter bike?
takes more than a pair of shades to become the "Bono" thank God, thanks man, great stuff
I have a POSEIDON X.
It acts like a road bike, has gravel capabilities that I will never discover. This might be an option. Aluminum with carbon fork, mechanical Tektra disk brakes and Microshift X, 1X10.
Hello Matt, I have a Condor Fratello, it’s a steel framed touring biased road bike with rack mounts etc. I love it and condor are great to buy from, it rides very smoothly for commuting. The other one worth looking at is Temple Cycles, out of Bristol UK. They have a discount deal on at the moment I think, I ride with someone who has the adventure disc and it’s a great bike. Cheers. Enjoying the channel. Nice to see my home region of east Anglia on YouTube!
As i said before, You have the most realistic biking videos on you tube, With your bike question I was thinking just putting a different sprocket and some more road like tires.. Then i remembered what my dad used to say, One is none and two is one. So yea I do buy two of everything and suggest you get another bike. Something you won't worry about… Thanks again for all your videos,,,, From Montreal Canada.
I use gravel bike on my bike touring and it's perfect but looks like you can use mountain bike as well. Awesome video 👍
I'm pleased that you're buying a new bike, it's much more enjoyable having a bike suitable for the occasion.
I see that I have quite a backlog of videos to watch and I look forward to catching up and finding out what it is, and what you are up to next/now 🚴♂️👍
Take a look at the Fairlight Secan as a British touring alternative. A proper do it all bike.