by Scott
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| Keith Barr Randonneur |
Some say that the best bike for the job is the one you have. And for many things, I think they're right. You don't need something fancy for commuting for example. A mid 80's mtb is a great starting point for a commuter that is tough and ready to hit the urban streets. For other cycle-born adventures, something a bit more specialized is sometimes required for the task. Take for example a bike for randonneuring. What is randonneuring you ask? Well, check out my post about it here for a detailed discussion. But to sum it up, randonneuring is an "organized ride of a distance equal to or greater than 200 km (125 miles) along a set route with a series of check points (controls) along the way. Time limits exist for the rides."
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| Photo courtesy of Chasing Mailboxes |
The basic touchstone that I've always worked from for a rando bike is that the bike must be comfortable, efficient, and reliable. Going back to that blog post, a key aspect of brevets is self-sufficiency. You need to have a bike that doesn't break down and the parts are robust. And if something does break, can it be repaired roadside or commonly found in a bike shop?
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| Igor's bike got hit by a car during a lunch stop. Wheel was un-taco'd and fender straightened roadside. |
As far as personal must-haves for a good randonneuring bike: solid and dependable drivetrain, comfortable handlebar and saddle, fittings for fenders, and clearance for wide-ish tires (28mm minimum) is a solid foundation. Hub-powered dynamo lighting, from-saddle accessible luggage, and electronic navigation would be the next step up - but not completely necessary.
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Bike fit is absolutely paramount. You want to be comfortable on the bike for hundreds of kilometers. Super aggressive positions are rarely encouraged. An even saddle and handlebar position is a good starting point, with many opting to raise the handlebars a bit higher. We've always encouraged people to leave 5-10mm on top of their threadless steerers for future adjustment when building up their bikes.
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| My actual brevet bike before hanging up my reflective vest |
Does it have room for fenders? While it may not be a necessity if you live in Southern California, brevets are held rain or shine and 200km (the shortest distance) is a long way to go with a wet bum. If you have room for fenders, I'd always suggest installing them, for peace of mind and protection against that rain storm or errant puddle splash that is sure to happen if you don't have them fitted.
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| Build list here |
Does the bike have sufficient clearance for a reasonable size tire? Again, take a look at what you have installed already on the bike. If your bike has something between 28-35 mm (for 700C tired bike) you're probably in good stead for staying comfortable on a brevet. If your bike has 25mm, check and see if there is room to put wider tires into it. Can you ride a brevet with 25mm tires? Yes, but it can be uncomfortable for some, particularly those of us over 40, whose hands and backs are more "sensitive" to bumps and such. For 650b, it seems like 38-42mm is the sweet spot for quality tires.
When we were designing the Pass Hunter and Polyvalent, all these questions came to mind. We wanted to have frames that had sufficient clearance and fender and rack fittings for different setups. I think a Pass Hunter with a set of cable actuated disc brakes, a solid 10 or 11 speed set up with a compact double crank would be all I'd need to get through a full set of brevets this year and for many more years to come.
There is a huge variety of randonneur bike styles, so by no means is this comprehensive, just my opinions from years of riding brevets. Some people ride electronic drivetrains and time trial bikes, others ride super traditional setups with big, boxy bags. Someone even rode PBP (Paris-Brest-Paris) on a scooter back in 2015. It really comes down to what works for you and what you're comfortable with!
What is your favorite randonneuring bike? What makes it so special to you? Let us know in the comments and share it with the wider world.
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10 comments:
Surly Crosscheck
All of your recommendations are spot on. I'm particularly biased towards simple / easy to maintain and repair mechanical and control components. I ride a Surly LHT with bar-end shifters and 3 x 9 gearing. 2 x 10 would probably be fine. Fenders, racks and brakes by VO!!
Just as I finished my first R-12 series I was considering upgrading to integrated brake/shifter style controls. I volunteered at a 400K event and spent an hour overnight helping a rider fish the broken head of his shifting cable from his shifter before we could replace the cable. He was lucky and it broke just a few miles before he arrived at the control where I was manning the feed station overnight to serve hot food. We had tools and spares on hand just in case. We got him back on the road, but I kept thinking how much worse that would have been by the side of the road in the dark, in the rain.
I've kept my bar-ends and never looked back.
I thought this would blog post would surely be where you revealed all of the considerations that went into your new rim brake randonneur frame, shipping next month! Not even a salacious shot of some wishbone chainstays. :P great to hear the team’s thoughts as always.
Haha i had the same thoughts
Informative article without overly-promoting your products!
My favorite bike (only bike) is a 70's Japanese Bianchi Limited sport-tourer equipped with Suntour Superbe 7-speed/triple components including bar-end shifters. Dual-pivot brakes are only modern touch. Relaxed, forgiving but lively geometry and a good fit (62cm seat tube, I'm 6'1"). Nitto Noodle bars) and Brooks Cambium saddle are close to same height, bars a bit higher. 28mm tires. Will try 32's but likely too tight. Not light but not too heavy. (We RIDE our bikes, we don't CARRY them!)
I like it because it disappears under me. Smooth and not twitchy. I've ridden it since about 2003. Its understated, not a racer wannbe and kinda retro and elegant to me. Assembled it myself for not much investment, which is also satisfying.
Jumping in here! One cannot go wrong with friction shifting bar-end shifters, they always work and work well with any mechanical derailleur! Brifters are nice, but they do break down, never a good thing. If one has brazed on post for cantilever brakes then look closely at Magura's hydraulic rim brakes. I put them on our tandem and they are just fantastic! Keep the load to a minimum, and front loaded bags can affect handling more than one would expect. Have fun!!
For longer rides I actually prefer my racier Fairlight Strael equipped with aero bars but without fenders. When out on a 600k, going a little bit faster will make a big impact on total time spent. The fancier classic randonneuse I save for the shorter 2-300k, when it doesn’t matter if I’m out 7 or 8 hours.
I too ride a sport tourer from the 80s— a Univega Gran Rally— as a fair weather commuter and longer road ride steed. 2 x 9 spd indexed bar end, Suntour down tube shifter for when I get bored in the big chainring, keep it simple stupid. Built a super strong wheelset for it...it’s springy in all the right places, stiff enough when you need to put power down. 48 nitto noodles, VO front rack attached with p-clamps, wald 137 basket. Room for lots of snax. 650b conversion is tempting but for now 32 in the front 28 in the back.
My former orginal VO Passhunter, (Ahren Rogers built), was a good Rando bike, cantilever brakes, room for a wide tires, very light frame, it have some disavantges,but overall was good.
I did ride PBP Randonneur 2011, and LEL 2013 on this bike.
At LEL think the weight was 9,6 kilo with mudguards, rear rack, front rack, pedals, and lightning, dynamo hub. It was complete different to today's Passhunter.
Definitely feel the in the saddle accessible luggage advice. I always run either a traditional boxy rando bag or a half frame bag. Plush and versatile tires are a big plus around where I live since you never know what condition the roads will be in, and the pavement is often awful. Minimal gadgets and as little fuss as possible in the build since the road and your body will offer up enough surprises.
Personally, I historically rider solo permanents. My schedule and family life rarely allow me to fit in group brevets. Therefore reliability and familiarity with my bicycle are even more imnportant.
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