Road bike for a 10 day trip in the Pyrenees and French rivera and other questions

Question

I am planning a 10 day trip covering roughly between 500 and 600 kilometers, starting in the Spanish Pyrenees and finishing in Nice.

What kind of bike do you recommend me for such a trip? Obviously I need something with gears since I am going to do a bit of cycling in the mountains. I prefer not to get a mountain bike because my idea is to keep the bike and use it in London for commuting.

My budget is in the £500 - £700 range and I would probably go for second hand since that way I can get something better. At this price range I cannot afford any fancy carbon frame ones. However, would I ideally want a carbon frame bike? I know they are much lighter but I obviously need to carry some stuff in saddles so I am not sure I want a super light one, do I?

Also, I'd be great if you give me any advice on saddles as I will need to get these as well.

Finally, is averaging 50-60 kilometers a day too much for 2 fit guys in their late 20s and early 30s? I am more or less a seasoned rider although no expert and certainly not trained.

Cheers!

Answer 1

With no training in the mountains it'll be quite painful I suspect regardless of what bike you have.

If it were me I'd just take my road bike with panniers containing a bit of food etc. My Trek 1.5 2011 cost between 500-700 quid and is, in my limited opinion a fantastic bike.

I can't say that's the best solution, but I'd confidently take my trek up those mountains. Might be worth getting with a triple chain ring (3 cogs at the front) otherwise you might really struggle if you've done no training.

Saddle wise you stick with what it comes with and get some decent cycling shorts. Remember to keep back some money for:

• Helmet
• Cycling shoes/pedals perhaps?
• Cycling sunglasses (think rims/easier for seeing)
• Lock
• Tools including cleaning stuff, pump, spare tubes etc.
• Lights
• Other things I haven't mentioned.

Good luck!! And get training, that'll make the biggest difference!

Answer 2

I think your two main criteria should be: comfort and reliability. On a tour, both of these factors have a big effect on your speed as well as your enjoyment.

With that in mind you should probably aim to get a steel (or possibly aluminium frame). The good news is that steel lasts well, so buying second hand is a good option. Obviously check for signs of rust before buying. Carbon is not usually considered a good choice for a touring bike.

Saddles are a personal preference thing. I suggest buying a cheap one of medium width and not too much padding. Make sure you give it a good try well in advance of the trip. If it doesn't work for you they're easy to change.

50-60km a day is probably fine, unless you aim to finish the day at a significantly higher altitude than the start. I've forgotten to take this into account when planning and ended up quite cold camping in the mountains!