Why are touring bikes so expensive

Some consider full fenders a necessity for touring as they protect your body, gear, and the bike from the dirt and mud on the road better than the partial options. This creates another incompatibility issue — many suspension forks do not have mounts for the installation of full fenders. Somewhat ironically, most of the forks that offer than functionality at the moment are found on trekking bikes running modest suspension forks.

The higher-end forks are designed primarily form mountain biking and therefore do not make fenders a priority. Suspension shines when riding off-road because it absorbs the irregularities of the terrain, increases traction and makes the ride safer and more comfortable.

Hence why mountain bikes are big on suspension. But when the road is smooth, the suspension is just a hindrance because it eats a lot of the pedaling effort. The simplest way to witness the inefficiency would be to climb a hill out of the saddle. When you do it, you will feel how a big part of your effort sinks into the front fork. You can minimize this effect by locking the suspension, but if you find yourself riding with a locked fork all the time, what is the point of having suspension at all?

You would be getting the negatives maintenance…etc. Many touring cyclists are purists who prefer the appearance of an old-school bike without suspension and often criticize the effort of the industry to turn bicycles into motorcycles that you pedal by adding a variety of new tech. The popular touring cyclist known as UltraRomance is a good example of this mentality.

The customer is king and dictates the market. If the potential buyers of high-end touring bicycles wanted suspension, then the companies would have delivered such a feature as in most cases it makes little sense to go against the preferences of your clients. Ultimately, the lack of suspension on high-end touring bikes reveals that the people who have desire and money to buy those models do not see suspension as necessary. The money that one would have to invest in it would be better spent on parts and gear that matter more to touring cyclists.

On my hardtail, I am running Schwalbe Big Ben a balloon tire on the rear at relatively low pressure around 2. In conclusion, the suspension effect of the tires in combination with a steel frame provides sufficient comfort for most touring cyclists without compromising the reliability of the bicycle with extra technology.

There are other options such as:. Another benefit of suspension seat posts is that they are easy to maintain and can be installed on any bicycle. Moreover, if something was to go wrong with the seat post, you could just replace it with a cheap rigid one and fix it later.

Suspension stems are even less popular than suspension seat posts and have developed a bad reputation due to the initial versions which offered subpar performance. Times have changed, however. Suspension stems have improved over the years.

For example, many people are giving good reviews to the Redshift Sports ShockStop suspension stem. A suspension stem and seat post on a rigid bike come with an unexpected positive — they make the ride smoother without the loss of energy caused by traditional suspension systems.

For example, if you go on a 2-day trip, the suspension would still slow you down, but the loss of time would not be as detrimental in comparison to a journey of multiple months. Solid frame. Most top touring bikes have a high-quality butted Cr-Mo frame because steel is reliable, easier to weld than other metals such as aluminum, and also compliant.

Some touring cyclists pay premium money for a custom made frame. Touring frames have a longer wheelbase the distance between the two axles for extra stability and come with the necessary eyelets for the installation of racks, full fenders, and many bottle cages.

Top tier disc brakes. Why are touring bikes so expensive? A good touring bike will be strong and steady so you are comfortable and can bring stuff along for your ride. The added comfort and sturdiness costs more. Touring bikes are more expensive because they are designed differently to accommodate heavier loads with a steel or titanium frame and larger 26 to inch wheels to cover more distance. They are also designed to keep you comfortable over longer rides with drop handlebars, low gear train, more points for mounting panniers, baskets and other accessories.

A touring bike comes with extra, so it seems fair that they cost extra too. While there are some you can find at lower pricing, the quality may not be what you need. Touring bikes are expensive and are worth it too. A touring bicycle is for people who love long-distance cycling and want to carry gear for self-supported travel.

The design is not about speed and more about covering distance in comfort. You want to experience comfort and stability through towns, cities and countries when you get a touring bike.

The features that allow this to happen are what makes these bikes so expensive. The touring bicycle is built with specific characteristics in mind for long distance riding on paved surfaces. A tough frame, front and back mounting options, frame shape that allows for maximum comfort and stability are examples of these basic characteristics.

Touring bikes are robust with long wheelbase, frame materials that favor flexibility over rigidity, and multiple mounting points. They are designed to be stiff and tough to better carry panniers. This means they are not lightweight. The solid frame, bigger wheels, and carrying capacity causes turning bikes to be much heavier than other bikes. The bike has to get you and your gear as comfortably and safely as possible between your destinations.

While you will not get speed, you will get comfort. With a heavier bike comes a higher dollar amount. Touring bikes are not designed for speed. They are produced to be sturdy to support your weight and heavier load capacity. When taking longer bike rides you will want to bring gear with you. Whether this is food, clothing, or supplies, touring bikes are designed to accommodate that. The frames are built with already mounted points for panniers, that allow for this storage.

The frames are thicker and sturdier so they can support extra weight. Having this capacity to hold heavier weight is one feature that makes riding these bikes comfortable and you will have to pay for this. Touring bikes have plenty of attachment points for accessories. The need for both load-carrying ability and a comfortable ride means touring bikes tyres are wide. Puncture resistant belts in tyres are common too; manhandling a fully-loaded bike to fix a flat is a bit of a pain.

Disc brakes are becoming more and more common as the options available to manufacturers expand. Forget weight; touring bike wheels need to be strong. High spoke counts are common 36 per wheel is traditional , as are wide rims. Many keen touring riders end up buying handbuilt wheels because off-the-peg options are limited or simply not up to the job. The trend to wider rims of the last couple of years has improved the options for touring riders too, making wheels inherently stronger and stiffer.

Carrying loads up hills requires low, low gears. Touring bikes often borrow components from mountain bikes and hybrids to provide the gear range needed for a touring bike. Gearing is another area where touring riders love to tinker. Many chainsets will take inner rings as low as 24 or even 22 teeth. Explore the complete archive of reviews of touring bikes on road. If you like road. As a subscriber you can read road.

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He was heavily involved in the mountain bike boom of the late s as a racer, team manager and race promoter, and that led to writing for Mountain Biking UK magazine shortly after its inception. He got the gig by phoning up the editor and telling him the magazine was rubbish and he could do better. Along with road.