I have a Giant Contend 2 – 2020 road bicycle. I had a mountain bike, but someone stole it. The Contend is fine for cycling on the road (obviously) but I'm not sure how it would hold up on a tour. I'm thinking of a small tour this summer, just from Ireland to Holland or France. I know the wheels on the Contend are kind of bad even on cobble stones, or rough paths/potholes in town.
I was thinking can I upgrade this bike enough to make it dependable for touring. It currently has 700×27 inch tires. I think I can up this to 32's, or even change out the wheels completely, and put some 700x38c wheels/tires in. But would it still be dependable? Its a very light aluminium frame. Would I be better to just purchase a Giant Escape, or similar spec touring bike?
thanks a mill,
by KaleidoscopeLeft5511
2 Comments
The max tyre clearance is listed as 32C, so you most likely can’t get 38s. If that works for the sort of path you’re going to take, and you find a way to mount luggage on it, I’d keep it.
If you set up with a light touring gear kit that would be 100% fine. I’ve toured on my carbon gravel bike with 30c tiers and had a great time. Look into Bikepacking bag setups. You will need to keep your kit lighter than a traditional touring setup.
The one upgrade I’d recommended would be to get the largest cassette you can fit in the rear. When you add weight you’ll want a smaller gear. If you plan to go with a heavy setup or do big mountains like the alps you’ll definitely need to get lower gears.
No need to upgrade the wheels unless you go heavy touring kit. I’d recommend keeping a spare spoke on you just in case.