I am a 15 year old guy from the USA, and I want to get into cycling and eventually bike touring. The other week I ran 14 miles at ~8:00/mile, so I'm sure some of that fitness will translate to cycling. I have watched countless youtube videos on bike touring, and I would love to do one of ACA's routes one day (https://www.adventurecycling.org/routes-and-maps/adventure-cycling-route-network/atlantic-coast/)! What bike should I buy? Should I get it new or on facebook marketplace? I will be riding mostly on roads but I may do some trails here and there. I am 5'8 and my budget is around $1200.
by mrbrod_
3 Comments
> What bike should I buy?
No one right answer here, but a touring bike of some kind. Alternately you could go for a gravel bike or endurance road bike.
Steel frames are good for mounting lots of bags and racks. A big front triangle permits lots of bottles/bags too.
Examples of good bikes for road and light gravel touring:
* Marin Four Corners
* Salsa Vaya (currently on sale for nearly half off but a little above your budget)
Good used options but otherwise too expensive:
* Surly Disc Trucker
* Surly Grappler
* Kona Sutra
* Soma Wolverine
* Soma Grand Randonneur
Some viable gravel/endurance bikes:
* Primos Dame
* Kona Rove
* State 4130 All-Road
* Salsa Journeyer
Marin Four Corners is an excellent choice and the less expensive ones can be upgraded over time. The Breezer Doppler and Radar are solid options as well. Those are all steel. Salsa Journeyer is a good choice as well if you want an aluminum frame as is the Trek Checkpoint.
I’d get a traditional touring bike: steel frame, longer wheelbase and traditional panier bags. The idea is to have a comfortable ride and get the weight of your baggage low on the frame.
A good steel bike is going to be more comfortable as the frame has some spring in it.
Gravel bikes built for bikepacking are available but I don’t like how the weight on them is all up high with those big seatpost bags. I do like how that setup forces you to pack less though.
I’d make sure you have lots of gears. My Jamis Aurora is a 3×9 so while there’s lots of overlap between each chainring the difference between each gear is smaller. On longer distances that’s helpful for maintaining a consistent cadence. Today’s 2×11 gearing setups are what you’d want.