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01-27-2005, 12:20 PM

marika wrote:

> So I am beginning to doubt the sanity of such an endeavor as well.
> They will not get into it without a fight.

There are still touring bicycles available. What's been almost lost is
the mass market touring bicycle that sells for a reasonable price. So
rather than selling for $600-800, you'll be paying 2x-4x that. The
Windsor Tourist and Fuji Tour are about the only sub-$1000 touring
bicycles on the market.

The Koga-Miyata Randonneur (http://www.kogausa.com/Randonneurspecs.htm)
looks like the best touring bike, but it's $2200.

Some of the 20" folding or disassembleable bikes, such as the Dahon TR
(dahon.com/speedtr.htm), the Bike Friday New World Tourist
(bikefriday.com/bikeMMI.cfm?bf=5&cat=1), and the Gaerlan gt20
(gaerlan.com) are pretty good. I bought a Dahon TR, and am quite
impressed.

Another issue is the distribution of touring bicycles. Some shops
distribute the products of a single manufacturer. While this has its
benefits in a business-sense, it means that they can't serve all
segments of the cycling market. So it's essential to visit several
shops when looking for a touring bicycle. I wish that Harris Cyclery
would open a shop in my area!

Don't blame the bicycle manufacturers for the decline in bicycle
touring. They are in a tough business with low margins, and can't be
expected to subsidize an unpopular model.

01-27-2005, 12:20 PM	#174 (permalink)
scharf@hotmail.com Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Windsor Tourist Bike, is it any good? marika wrote: > So I am beginning to doubt the sanity of such an endeavor as well. > They will not get into it without a fight. There are still touring bicycles available. What's been almost lost is the mass market touring bicycle that sells for a reasonable price. So rather than selling for $600-800, you'll be paying 2x-4x that. The Windsor Tourist and Fuji Tour are about the only sub-$1000 touring bicycles on the market. The Koga-Miyata Randonneur (http://www.kogausa.com/Randonneurspecs.htm) looks like the best touring bike, but it's $2200. Some of the 20" folding or disassembleable bikes, such as the Dahon TR (dahon.com/speedtr.htm), the Bike Friday New World Tourist (bikefriday.com/bikeMMI.cfm?bf=5&cat=1), and the Gaerlan gt20 (gaerlan.com) are pretty good. I bought a Dahon TR, and am quite impressed. Another issue is the distribution of touring bicycles. Some shops distribute the products of a single manufacturer. While this has its benefits in a business-sense, it means that they can't serve all segments of the cycling market. So it's essential to visit several shops when looking for a touring bicycle. I wish that Harris Cyclery would open a shop in my area! Don't blame the bicycle manufacturers for the decline in bicycle touring. They are in a tough business with low margins, and can't be expected to subsidize an unpopular model.