Help kitting out a 97 Kona Kilauea for touring

[bikeworkshop]

We hung our tandem up when our kids were 0 and 2, but got it down again when they were 12 and 14 and went camping in Normandy (oooh the food ) me and the youngest on the tandem and my wife and older boy both on 90s mtbs.

Racks, panniers, bar ends all round
The kids said it was one of the best things they'd ever done!
The night in the hotel thrown in probably made the difference

 

[Lucidone]

We've used Ortleib 30l (2*15l) sport packer plus panniers successfully on both the rear of late 90's MTB's (18" M-trax and 16" Kona) and the front of a Dawes kingpin successfully - really nice bags and because they're compact (technically a front bag) you can position them right at the back of your rear rack meaning good heel clearance.

 

[bikeworkshop]

The backrollers are a decent size and have plenty of adjustment on the mounting rails for small frames. we've sold them for years - our home pair is probably 20 years old been on dozens of trips

 

[Titiritero]

I think you're doing the right thing by using your current bike. It's your first experience so no point in throwing money in case it won't happen again, and steel rigid MTBs are great for this purpose.

In summary:
-get quality panniers, like the mentioned Ortliebs. Unfortunately there's no middle class, regarding panniers, they are round-the-world ready or they are rubbish. Get the good ones, you can use them later to go to work, to the Uni, or worst case, the Ortlieb retain their value in the used market
-get a rack with double railing, like a Tubus Logo or similar. It lets you put the panniers further back and low
-handlebar bag, not a must and not very versatile, see if you can get away without or buy used, many available as they hardly see any use outside touring. Maybe a basket instead? Whatever you get, the klickfix system is the standard for the better brands, avoid proprietary fixings
-quality and strong tires might make a difference with all the weight

And finally, don't overthink it, any bike is a touring bike, specially if you're just doing a short tour in Europe...

Retro touring bikes gallery

And some more

 

[Chopshop]

We hung our tandem up when our kids were 0 and 2, but got it down again when they were 12 and 14 and went camping in Normandy (oooh the food ) me and the youngest on the tandem and my wife and older boy both on 90s mtbs.

Racks, panniers, bar ends all round
The kids said it was one of the best things they'd ever done!
The night in the hotel thrown in probably made the difference

Ah this sounds great! I'm already hopeful we might manage a short trip between Bruges/Amsterdam with the kids maybe next year (and definitely with a tagalong type thing for the youngest), it's mostly convincing my husband (who doesn't really do cycling ).

 

[Chopshop]

I think you're doing the right thing by using your current bike. It's your first experience so no point in throwing money in case it won't happen again, and steel rigid MTBs are great for this purpose.

In summary:
-get quality panniers, like the mentioned Ortliebs. Unfortunately there's no middle class, regarding panniers, they are round-the-world ready or they are rubbish. Get the good ones, you can use them later to go to work, to the Uni, or worst case, the Ortlieb retain their value in the used market
-get a rack with double railing, like a Tubus Logo or similar. It lets you put the panniers further back and low
-handlebar bag, not a must and not very versatile, see if you can get away without or buy used, many available as they hardly see any use outside touring. Maybe a basket instead? Whatever you get, the klickfix system is the standard for the better brands, avoid proprietary fixings
-quality and strong tires might make a difference with all the weight

And finally, don't overthink it, any bike is a touring bike, specially if you're just doing a short tour in Europe...

Retro touring bikes gallery

And some more

Thanks for the tips. I have a bit of money to spend on new/maintenance bits needed for my bike to make sure it's all working well before we go. My thinking with regards to the panniers was exactly that, I'd always rather buy quality stuff and I've seen their resale value is pretty good second hand. Though my very short experience of cycle touring last year and love of cycling, I can't imagine I will hate our trip this year and never want to do it again! I see these videos of people packing up and heading across the world and think how much I'd love to do that! One day maybe..

I think i'll try and sort the rack and panniers and have a practice pack and see what else I will need to take. Thanks again

 

[RetroDavy]

Lots of good advice in the comments. My 2p from doing similar kinds of distances would be...
Rear rack that puts the bags way back a good idea. I also like a front rack to balance things out. Not too bothered about the extra weight. Carradice are good panniers. And I like volume - half empty panniers I can top up with food and drinks. A comfy saddle! Multiple hand positions is good and maybe a higher/closer bar position than normal for shorter rides, or options for raising it if wanted. I like a klickfix bar bag for easy unclipping to take valuables into shops. If you use SPD pedals, ones with flat pedals one side and SPD clips the other are good. New(ish) tyres, chain and brake pads means less to worry about. Mudguards. Lightweight tools, couple of spare inner tubes, zip ties, a few M5 bolts (the one thing I needed when one fell out). A rechargable power pack is helpful. Especially if using battery powered navigation. I used a phone and Google maps across Austria, Germany and The Netherlands without issues. (The Netherlands was amazing for cycling, maybe not a surprise.) You'll have a great time..

 

[d00m]

Can't recommend any specific luggage, but if you're adding anything that screws or bolts on, use loctite.