Note: The Flat White has recently been de-listed from Adventure’s website. Here are some of the most highly recommended budget touring bikes that have proven themselves over time and miles: They are still designed and built specifically for touring, often sharing a frameset with models at the higher end of the budget spectrum.īikes at the entry-level are often prime for future upgrades for longer and more demanding tours – perhaps after you’ve tried your hand at a short cycle tour a little closer to home. These bikes are usually characterised by having cost-saving aluminium frames cheaper, heavier and simpler drivetrain components (ie: gearing systems) rim brakes and perhaps a basic pannier rack to get you started. If you’re getting started, there’s a good range of cheap but good-quality touring bikes, luggage-enabled and ready to roll, that can be had for less than £1,000 (around USD$1,200). The Best Entry-Level Touring Bikes In 2022 Let’s have a look at the most tried-and-tested touring bikes throughout the range of budgets. If all you can afford is a €20 bike from a local scrapyard for an impromptu cycling adventure, go for it – you won’t be the first to do so! This is the domain of the premium touring bike, or expedition bike, in which the top design priority is durability, using higher-quality components and specialised design principles to achieve that goal. Got a budget for a serious new touring bike? Accepted wisdom is to get the best you can afford without compromising your overall trip budget. They are similar in design to their more expensive siblings, but with cheaper components and fewer touring-specific accessories, thereby hitting the design goal of affordability. Bikes at this price point are considered entry-level. Got a bit of cash but still on a minimal budget? Good quality touring bikes can be bought new for well under £1,000 (USD$1,200 or CAD$1,500). This isn’t just rhetoric: read how I put together a complete touring bike (plus gear and luggage) for £25.17. You will (eventually) get from A to B on the rusty heap that’s been sat in the garage for the last decade. Short of cash? It is possible to use any bike for touring, as long as it’s about the right size.
But first… Slow, fully-loaded, long-term cycle touring occasionally looks something like this. We’ll be looking at oft-recommended examples of these touring bikes a little later on. Cycle touring is a conservative niche, with specifications changing little year on year, meaning many of these touring bikes have a strong tried and tested heritage. The only specialisation of these bikes is that they are generalists, catering for a wide range of bicycle travel scenarios, as manufacturers strive to sell enough bikes to break even in the small and not-very-profitable niche of cycle touring.īeing distributed alongside the far more popular road, commuter and mountain bikes from the same brands, mainstream touring bikes are fairly easy to find for a test ride at your local bike shop.
That’s why the big bicycle manufacturers tend to offer one or two do-everything touring bikes. If you’re not clear on the answer to each of them, it might be time to stop reading about bikes and go back to first principles.Ī lot of cycle tours land somewhere in the middle of these spectrums. These are the questions that will help determine your choice of touring bike. Is your route mostly on-road or off-road?.Will you be cycling ultralight or fully-loaded?.Are you touring short-term or long-term?.Most bike trips fall somewhere on the following spectrums: Resist the temptation to go deeper into your research until you’re clear about exactly what kind of cycle tour you want to go on. Exactly what kind of cycle tour are you planning?