I'm starting to build my new bike and am stuck between the Soma Double Cross and Surly Disc Trucker. I plan on this bike to be an all-in-one type of ride - my daily commuter but also backpacking trips. I know these two frames are pretty similar and both great options, but is there any big difference between the two I should know about? If not, I'm gonna eeny, meeny, miny, moe it... thanks!

Hi guys !

I’m deciding on what touring shoes to wear. I’ve typically always toured with spds and prefer it that way.

Regarding spd shoes what would you guys recommend. I’m looking for something that is comfortable to walk around.

I’ll be cycling mostly from China to Turkey and will continue my trip from there. Temperatures will most likely get pretty cold as well( 0-5 degrees Celsius at some point) as I’ll be “chilling” in Central Asia for a while.

I’ve also heard a lot of spd sandals - how would those fair in those cold temps would some warm socks and overshoes be able to deal with those temperatures? Does anyone have experience with this?

Shoes that ive been looking at are the:

Shimano spd sandals

Shimano EX 700

Giro Rumble Vr

Northwave spider

Pearl Izumi alps

Thanks again !!

What do people prefer? Why?

I'm thinking of adding a bike because I don't want to take my carbon gravel bike overseas and don't want to worry about throwing a rack with loaded panniers on the frame.

I know I want drop bars (but more relaxed geometry than my current gravel bike) and clearance for big tires and lots of mounts and disc brakes and mullet gearing (doesn't have to come this way, just what I'd plan on switching it to).

I can definitely find what I'm looking for (or build up what I'm looking for) in steel or in titanium.

Do people find that one is comfier or sturdier than the other? I'm not currently doing particularly remote trips but I wouldn't be averse to it in the future, would that affect your choice? Do you worry about one less than the other?

And a secondary question: electronic shifting for touring, yea or nay? Why?

TIA for any perspectives on this!

Butterfly/touring bars seem to be a bit out of trend. I still think they are 1 of the best options for touring, many different handpositions and a lot of space for attachments/accessories.

I can only find relatively narrow butterfly bars like 580mm + the default handposition is inside, so that makes it even more narrow. I like a wider handposition I run 720mm and it just feels nicer for my shoulders and whole posture. I even met a Chinese guy touring who is a lot shorter than me, I was interested in his butterfly bars, but he also found the default position not comfortable and preferred the widest position, but you don't have access to your controls.

Anyway too much rambling,

TLDR:

Butterfly bars seem great but are too narrow, are there any wider versions (700+mm)?

Hello everyone. Im cycling from France to Népal. Currently in Iran i will cross Afghanistan border. Im looking for people who experienced cycling or traveling in Afghanistan. I need some feedback about roads, safety, camping, hôtel... Thank you very much for your help !

Does anyone know if Warmshowers (https://www.warmshowers.org/) has considered a sliding scale for membership for hosts in other countries? I know a few people in Mexico who host cyclists and would like to be listed but the $30 USD membership is too much for them to pay with pesos. That would be even more true in other countries.

Asking cause I have a maximum of 35 days 😅💀

Also I guess spring or autumn are the best and most sunny days (without being that hot) to tour right?

Edit: thank you for all the comments. I'm definitely fit, but now thinking that it's better to do each 35 days a smaller chunk to enjoy and see stuff. Any recommendations for the first couple of legs?

Dear all,

I am going on a little holiday to Costa Brava, and I have decided to rent a bike and go along the coast between Lloret de Mar and Palafrugell.

The problem is: I have never cycled outside of Belgium* and the Netherlands. So this will be the first time in my entire life to actually "share the road" without any cycling infrastructure.

(* I know, but moordstrookjes are technically also an infrastructure; GI-682 doesn't even seem to have a proper shoulder lane)

The whole Girona area seems to be thé "cycling region" of Spain, but I wonder how safe it would be for me personally. Are the motorists considerate enough, and would there be enough cyclists on a random Sunday afternoon, or would I be the only one taking all the irritation from motorists?

Side question: Do the buses in the region, particularly the ones between Palafrugell to Girona by Sarfa Bus, allow bikes without further modification? I will be renting an electric bike, so detaching wheels or doing anything further than locking it would be impossible. (and I certainly do not have that giant bicycle case thingy)

Thanks in advance!

I made a post on /r/cycling and got some good information and a recommendation to ask some more specific questions here.

Basically, I have a 2015 (possibly 2016) Giant Defy 5 road bike that I'm hoping to use for some bikepacking/bicycle touring trips (just using what I have for now on pavement/crushed gravel paths but hope to move up to a Salsa Journeyer Sora if I find I really want to get into more adventurous trips).

At this point, I'm 99.9% sure I'm able to up-size my 700x25c tires to 700x28c to make for a more comfortable ride. I wanted to see if there was a good recommendation here for tires and tubes? I've seen a couple of different tires recommended (Continental 4 Seasons and Marathons) but I'm open to more suggestions for this and any tubes!

Thanks in advance for any guidance!

Hey you all! With a friend we are thinking about travelling from North to South America by bike.

I have several questions, such as

• what would be the best kind of bike?
• is it safe?
• when would be the optimal time of the year to begin the journey?

But more importantly, if any of you has already done something similar, I would appreciate your advice!

Can't wait to read about your experiences.

Thank you very much! (Sorry for my English)

I’m on my fourth pair of a fourth different brand that just disintegrates in a year. Is that the deal? Who loves their gloves?! Influence me!

Looking at planning something for next year. For the miles looking between 200 to 400 miles. It would be nice to be close to towns to restock items every night. If possible would love to be more in an area near the mountains.

I got this email from warmshowers and I was wondering if anyone else has been asked to do this?

沖縄本島東側の座間味諸島を自転車でツーリング那覇市からフェリーに乗って出航無許可キャンプなのでご注意を

Hello everyone.

I am looking for a bike for several months (years) touring, along all kinds of terrain. Some travel plans are Germany to Japan, Alaska to Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Africa perhaps... I would prefer mostly off road, but it is not always possible....

As I live in Europe, some American or Canadian brands are more expensive here. I have some bikes in mind.

Bombtrack Beyond+ Kona Unit X Surly Ogre

I'm also thinking of buying a frame, and from there build my own bike with selectet components/gear. I'm doing some research on the subject... if someone could recommend good components for the type of bike I want, it would be great. I have time, so building my own bike would not be a problem.

The budget can be around 2.000-3.000 €.

Thank you in advance..

I came across some pannier conversions kits on Amazon the other day to convert any bag to a pannier. I am wondering if anyone has tried this and were you happy with it? I'm interested as have some bags that would suit me better than what I can find affordably and also was thinking it would be a good way to attach an instrument bag to my bike.

I was thinking of attaching a thin plastic chopping board on the inside to provide greater strength, but not sure if that would be effective or not. I figure someone must have tried something like this before and might share their experience.

Ta much

A place to let everyone know where your are, how you're doing, what you have planned. Pretty much anything you don't want to make a post about.

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice on choosing a bike frame for a custom build. My goal is to create a versatile bike that can serve both as a gravel bike and a touring bike. I’m planning to use a Rohloff hub with a belt drive and eventually add hydraulic disc brakes. I would also like to use dropbars.

I’ve narrowed it down to the following frames but am unsure which would be best for my setup:

• Surly Disc Trucker (not sure if it’s compatible with a Rohloff hub)
• Salsa Marrakesh (though it seems a bit on the heavier side)
• Soma Wolverine (though it seems a bit on the heavier side)

I’d really appreciate any insights on compatibility, weight considerations, and other potential options I might be overlooking. If there are other frames worth knowing about, don't hesitate to let me know.

Thanks in advance!

Good evening Reddit folk,

So, I am starting to plan my summer vacation for 2025, and I want to combine two of my favorite sports: climbing and cycling. I have some experience in both separately but have not done them together yet. I am from the Netherlands and was feeling a challenge for this summer to Cycle to the Alps (France or Switzerland) and then do some alpine climbing and then continue my journey by bike towards Austria and meet up with a friend over there.

I was wondering if anyone has done something like this before and could maybe help me out.
Thanks in advance!