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

Hello

I'm cycling from Georgia to India in March and am planning to do it on an old MTB as they're really solid and can be welded back together if anything goes wrong! However I'm completely out of my depth as to know which type to pick.

I'd be after something with no suspension which would beable to take front and back panniers - would also like an upright cycling position - I've been looking at Treks, Marins and a few Relieghs but i have no idea what to look for. I'm 6ft so imagine a good frame size would be 20/22inch? Any ideas of makes would be really useful!

Many Thanks

Justin

A mid 90s Trek Singletrack 970 or 990. You can't kill those!

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I've just built up something like this using a Trek 830.

I'm just over 6' tall and usually ride an 18" mtb, but in this case I went bigger, to around a 21" and so far it has worked well.

I think anything steel from the early 1990's will do the job fine, I looked for a frame that had rack bosses at the top of the seat stays, by chance it was the Trek I got, for £16.50. :mrgreen:

I stripped the whole bike down, put a better quality headset in, a different crank (from stock) as I had to damage the old one to get it off, new chain and new higher geared cassette, some new brake inner cables and some touring tyres and almost everything else is as it left the factory, I would guess that total cost so far, not including the racks would be something like £150, if that, the tyres being the most expensive purchase.

The front forks don't have rack mounts, instead I bought a front rack with clamps as it was far cheaper than having bosses installed on the forks.

Good luck with your project.

Yep, steel. Something like a early 90's Marin, Trek, DiamondBack, Dawes/Raleigh etc.
Earlier the better really as the older 80's geometry had much longer wheelbase with slacker angles which equates to better stability when loaded with fr & r panniers etc.

I'd make sure it has the right brazeons for your carriers etc as P-clips & such bodges will be a weakness with the weight you are carrying. It might mean havibg low-rider bosses put onto your forks ahead of the trip.

Just my advice, I used to sell/build touring bikes.

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Given your height, you need at least a 20", so focus on finding the right size. As already said, most late 80's/early 90's steel bikes with rigid forks from reputable brands will do the job, and most have all the fittings to install rear racks. If you want front racks, most won't have the eyelets but you can improvise other fittings.

To get the handlebar at the right height for touring (about same level of the saddle, if not higher), have a look at stems from brands like Ergotec or Procraft. With quills longer than 15 cms, they are ugly but extremmely comfortable. I bought one for my wife, as we also tour in old mtb's and that was the only way to get her comfortable.

I travel often, and to save airline fees, I usually try to get a cheap but decent bike, restore it, and donate it at the end of the trip. So these are usually my guidelines:
-I look for brands that were great "back in the day" but nowadays are not that popular, therefore they are cheaper. Mongoose, Univega, Wheeler, etc.
-Look for conventional features, a "boring frame". No elevated stays, funky designs, internal cable routing, etc. Also check for clearance. You probably want to install mudguards too, and some retro bikes don't take anything wider than a 2.0" tire plus mudguards gracely. My Scott Windriver '91 is not great in this regard, while my Trek 950 '92 is brilliant.
-Get a high stem, like this one, to get comfortable
https://www.bike-components.de/en/Procr ... -8-p13334/
-If the top tube is too long for touring (typical of bikes of that time, combined with very long stems), you can always get a "butterfly bar" that due to its shape brings the grips closer to you.
-Since 7/8 speed chains are wider, they also last longer, ideal for touring. Exactly what you will find on a retro bike, so don't upgrade. However, if the bike needs a new cassette, get a 13-34 (if 7speed) or 12-34 (if 8speed). When touring, you need all the granny gears possible, specially in India.

SJS Cycles is pretty good for touring components not easy to find elsewhere (high stems, etc.) should you need to change something in your bike.

I can't add much to the good advice above. One final suggestion is to avoid high end bikes. A beautifully light frame is often too flexy when loaded. Lower-end frames also tend to be a little shorter in thetop tube, which is also an advantage.

What matters most is a comfortable fit firstly and then reliability. I definitely agree on going 7 speed, it's tough as old boots. Add thumbshifters and you have something that is as simple as possible.

The frame is obviously important but the quality of components is possibly more so as they wear out and break more often. My suggestion would be fit the best quality components as you can, take two chains and swap them every 1000 km to even out chain and sprocet wear.
Another thing to think about are some short travel front forks, something simple but with a lockout, I have toured in developing countries and found the comfort they provide worth the extra weight.
Three things many long distance cycle travellers have in common are a Brooks saddle, Ergon grips and Schwalbe tyres and I recommend them all.

If you want quick simple and indestructable. A geared on one inbred is inexpensive and easy to add bosses/braze ons too. As most of it is almost scaffolding pipe

Problem with anything old is you've no idea of it's history, will it fail tomorrow, or be ok for another 20 years......... at least something new (even if it's only cheap) will at least give you some confidence!

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There's been some great advice given, so not much more I can add other then: late '80s Muddy Fox frames always seem to be very popular as tourers/expedition bikes.

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Oh my word thank you so much everybody - that's really helped me out!