Which make of MTB would be best for touring rough terain?

cyclingtoindia":31tq8z9g said:
I'm cycling from Georgia to India in March

Any idea what route you will take? The choice is usually through the 'stans above Afghanistan or through Iran and Pakistan under Afghanistan.
Although mostly inhabited by motorcycle and 4WD travellers this is one of the best places on the net for travel information, it even has a bicycle section.
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/
 
Have a look at the crazyguyonabike website.

Also beware of some high-end components - Shimano hubs are a case in point. The seals on the basic ones are OK. The midrange stuff (LX, SLX, Deore) is brilliant. The high-end (XT and XTR) saves weight at the expense of durability. Any XT hub with an aluminium axle has undersized bearings which fail quickly. The LX and SLX hubs with steel axles go on forever. What's good for a fang round a trail centre is not necessarily suited to long days in remote areas.
 
hamster":2gv8yzn0 said:
What's good for a fang round a trail centre is not necessarily suited to long days in remote areas.
And it varies component by component. And generation by generation too. A 10 year old XT might be good for another 10 years use, with it's huge bearings and steel axle. A 5 year old one *may* be good for another 5 years, or it might be toast already.

Also, some need (minor) fettling before some specific types of use. e.g. a strip down and pack full of grease for some hub models may extend their life from thousands to tens of thousands of miles..........
 
Re:

Be careful when choosing a frame as not all old steel MTB's make good touring bikes. Some have thin stays and can be very flexy under load. Go for something with a stout rear end.
Also, even if your wheels seem nice and true it's worth taking them to a good wheelbuilder for a tighten before you leave. Reliable wheels are a priority and an 'unstable'/uneven one can be a real pain.
 
Re:

It's hard to beat an early 90s Trek or Specialized, they're common enough to get them cheap and they last forever. I'd go with a 91 or 92 Stumpjumper myself as they already have the mounts you're looking for and they are a dream ride on pavement and gravel with the right tires.

I picked up a 92 stumpjumper for a similar build and it's been great with Specialized Hemisphere Armadillo tires, although they're a bit heavy, but it was bought built and cleaned up for $160 usd. I also received a free 91ish Trek 950 SingleTrack from the guy I bought a 88 stumpjumper from. It's too small for me (16") so if it's your size OP, I'd be happy to give it to you for free if you pay shipping. I think it'd be a good frameset for your use.
 
Crikey, that's a bit of a trip for someone not intimate with bikes

Whilst an older steel frame might fit the bill, I'd look at newer parts, as suggested not high end, something like Deore

Good luck!
 
Re:

I have this late 80s Scott sawtooth..nice comfy slack angles, quality steel, has low level pannier bosses on the forks and even bosses to carry spare spokes! If you want the frame , forks, headset and stem give me a shout and you can have it for postage costs. I agree re more modern drivetrain
 

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Another option might be one of these if your budget will stretch that far.

http://surlybikes.com/bikes/long_haul_trucker

When I rode the Pacific Coast Highway a few years back I saw a ton of these and they seemed pretty indestructible. If you're going off road it might also be worth considering a trailer as it will put less stress on the frame and the bike will handle better.
 
Adam_S":jzlm186u said:
Another option might be one of these if your budget will stretch that far.

http://surlybikes.com/bikes/long_haul_trucker

When I rode the Pacific Coast Highway a few years back I saw a ton of these and they seemed pretty indestructible. If you're going off road it might also be worth considering a trailer as it will put less stress on the frame and the bike will handle better.


Surly is a local company and it seems everyone owns one. 8 out of 10 are running racks, bags and or baskets.

I'm not sure the exact model but my 63 year old, 350 pound (no BS) coworker rides a Surly with racks bags and a trailer. Every year he takes 4 weeks paid vacation and takes a train out to either the east or west coast and rides that bike all the way back home to Minnesota.
 
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