Travel / "B" Bike

[c50jim]

I've had travel bikes for something like 15 years now. The first was a Bike Friday but I didn't like the compromises involved with the small wheels (limited tire availability, odd chainrings required) and switched to an S&S coupled steel Independent in 2004. Since it was for travel, it wasn't really light and I even went with a threaded stem so I wouldn't wreck the headset taking the bike apart every trip, even though threadless was becoming the norm when I bought that bike. Last year, I bought a Moots (dealer switched allegiance, I would have been happy with another IF) so I could have a lighter bike. The Moots has been used so many times that I replaced the chain when it came back from my Pyrenees trip this summer (the joys of retirement).

As someone who travels at least half a dozen times each year with a bike (often with two since my wife comes along on most trips), I have some experience and some strong opinions:

- the smaller cases really do make life easier when you're not on the bike. With two S&S bikes and all our gear, we can still fit everything into a rental Focus or Elantra to get from the airport to wherever we're staying.
- S&S and Ritchey both have good reviews from many people I've met. I've never had a problem with TSA or any other airport types, although my wife has the black S&S case with different latches than the silver ones and it flew open in transit from the plane to the terminal once and we've added an outside strap to our packing process.
- keep the bike simple. Mechanical shifting works and can be fixed or made to at least partially work. Electronic stuff just gives out completely. I don't know why you'd want to have discs so you can ride big hills in the rain. I've experienced European hospitals from a crash of mine and it was a great way to spoil a trip (not to mention that spending 18 days in an Italian hospital isn't fun). Be careful and don't ride in poor conditions.
- getting the bike sized so it fits in the box with less disassembly saves time. My IF had to have one crank arm removed and the stem. The Moots is slightly sloped (I'm 6' 1" so you might not need this) so it fits in the box with the crank on. I also have an S&S coupled stem so I won't wreck the headset by over or under tightening. We had less than an hour to pack our bikes, change and get cleaned up in Italy last month and made it because we've done it so many times and we remove as little as we can.

I'd be glad to answer any questions on S&S and travel. Off to Maui on Friday. Days are short here now and there's snow on the ground in the city.

[RyanH]

As the previous person said, even a light full sized case like my Pika Packworks can be awkward when traveling a lot and through large airports. It's only a little over 30 pounds but it's hard to walk far distances with. If I was traveling a lot through Europe, having a compact case would definitely be preferred. However, I only travel once or twice a year with my bike so I put up with the inconveniences of a full sized bike.

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[steventran]

Appreciate the recent points regarding having a smaller case and keeping the components simple. My lust for the potential benefits of wireless shifting and disc brakes are diminishing with each reply, although I'm not sure how high the risk of failure with wireless shifting will be.


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[sawyer]

"Travel" doesn't justify anything other than a high end road bike. Properly packed you can
take a road bike anywhere without it getting damaged.

"Mixed terrain" possibly does.

Key issue is how much you want to ride on surfaces other than roads. If it's all road riding, just
use a "B" road bike ...

[BRM]

Key issue is:
Will you stick to do on holiday the same things with your (road race)bike as at home.
Or do you see the challenge, the fun and benefits to use a bike on holiday in a different way, with a different kind of bike?

Roadrace bike vs Allround fun bike (like the Surly Troller)

[superdx]

I use my travel bike (CAAD10) not to race, but to really explore (paved roads obviously) a city and it's surrounding areas. Also tackle a couple of the local climbs. I also have a limited window as I need to get back before 10AM when my wife wakes up and we go do other sightseeing so speed is important, thus, race bike!

If you're really looking to see it all and not be limited by terrain, I think a CX bike with off road / gravel tires maybe a better option. Stick with steel, aluminium or titanium though.

Wireless electronic shifting is really new, you may be one of a few handful that take it on vacation. But it really bugs me that there are at least 4 batteries to think about: 2 battery packs + 2 CR2032 batteries for shifters + charging brick. If it was me, I'd bring a 3rd battery pack + 3-4 spare CR2032 batteries for backup. I'm not saying that Shimano is better, but Di2 maybe simpler. For spares, bringing 1 spare Di2 battery + 1 mini USB cable. You can even use your phone charger!

[steventran]

My new travel/B bike will actually be my daily rider for training, commuting, and wet roads after a rainy day in addition to being a travel bike. It will be a nice bike that's also durable and easy to maintain: titanium. It would be nice to be able to use it for some mixed terrain as well because dirt and gravel are available on my usual routes.

I recently got a new bike so it is a fair weather-only bike, at least for now. My other bike is a still an A bike, and I have traveled with it before, but I don't really see the point of having two A bikes that basically do the same thing. After traveling without an actual travel bike, I would appreciate the convenience of a coupled frame and smaller case. I would be more likely to take my bike on trips other than bike holidays due to the ease of traveling with a coupled frame and the lack of baggage fees.

I'm just not sure what configuration I'd like because I want something relatively like weight (no discs) that is also versatile (discs, larger tires) and easy to set up (wireless shifting). It doesn't help that I don't have any real experience with mechanical, hydraulic, or hybrid disc brakes or electronic or wireless drive trains. Thanks for all the ideas and keep them coming if you have more. I'll chat with some builders.

[sawyer]

Key issue is:
Will you stick to do on holiday the same things with your (road race)bike as at home.
Or do you see the challenge, the fun and benefits to use a bike on holiday in a different way, with a different kind of bike?

Roadrace bike vs Allround fun bike (like the Surly Troller)

It's a nice challenge, quite lot of fun, and hugely beneficial riding a road race bike on different roads while on holiday ...

[BRM]

It's a nice challenge, quite lot of fun, and hugely beneficial riding a road race bike on different roads while on holiday ...

There are tons of situations on and to holiday locations where a roadrace bike is definitely NOT the best option. Besides that you skip all the other things mentioned before. Like portability, transportation costs, the ability to put some Luggage on your bike, etc etc.

That you go for a road race bike ok fine with me, nothing wrong with that decision, you will not be the only one that prefers a road race bike, but don't stuck on this stupid discussion level you are on now.

[asv]

My B bike is a 2013 CAAD10 di2. Its great for travelling but not a custom coupler bike with a smaller bag. I only fly my bike once or twice a year at most.

[sawyer]

It's a nice challenge, quite lot of fun, and hugely beneficial riding a road race bike on different roads while on holiday ...

There are tons of situations on and to holiday locations where a roadrace bike is definitely NOT the best option. Besides that you skip all the other things mentioned before. Like portability, transportation costs, the ability to put some Luggage on your bike, etc etc.

That you go for a road race bike ok fine with me, nothing wrong with that decision, you will not be the only one that prefers a road race bike, but don't stuck on this stupid discussion level you are on now.

LOL, yes it is a bit silly

The point I was making was the way the OP has framed the question, the best answer is a road bike - many of us have two or more road bikes, and having two high performance bikes and taking the "B" bike travelling is a sensible option ...

Lots of other people yourself included have chimed in with suggestion that are suitable if wanting to go off-road, or carry lots of luggage etc, which is fair enough

[steventran]

I'm in the process of finalizing the geometry with Mosaic and I had a question. Given the choice between getting a front derailleur tab brazed on or going with a braze-on with an adapter or clamp-on derailleur, which would you guys choose? I've never had a bike with a braze-on tab, but I've used clamps and adapters. I like the idea of reducing the number of parts involved, but maybe there are issues with tabs that can't be adjusted? Or maybe it weighs more than adapter?

[shimmeD]

I toyed with the idea of getting a carbon one (there're 2 or more suppliers) and kind of regretted having a braze-on. That's because I'm using small chainrings (46/33) and the braze-on is a touch too high.