Claud Butler?

[Snoop Doug]

Anyone ride touring style bikes?? I'm thinking something like this might be a good way back onto the road. I could keep up with steady rides methinks. This looks v good vfm - opinions criticisms, suggestions most welcome.

Cheers - Snoop
[url]http://www.evanscycles.com/products/claud-butler/regent-2010-touring-bike-ec022483[/url]

[Dan_K]

Love it Snoop.
I wouldn't mind a tourer myself for a bit of light touring/audaxes.

Have a look at Dawes too.

[Sylv]

Oh no .. you've been watching that bbc4 program the other night haven't you, with the riders doing 2mph with their period costums and facial hair?

DON'T DO IT!

[Amy]

I've got a custom-built Roberts tourer and the blue Roberts I ride in winter is the original for the Roberts Audax bike - honest Chas looked at the bike he built for me and decided that with a bit of tweaking from my custom sizing it would make a perfect Audax bike - I think I should've demanded commission

As for Claud Butler, I grew up riding an ultra short wheelbase Claud Butler tandem. It was the racing tandem of its day - it was (and is) like riding a flippin' tank

And Enigma do titanium tourers

[Dombo]

Do you really need all the racks and stuff? I'd have thought a pure road machine would be better.

[Andrew G]

Personally I wouldn't go for it. It is cheap...but:
Basic Aluminium frame will be pretty heavy.
Built up with very basic kit.
Running 35mm tyres on a heavy basic bike I don't think it will be much more rideable than your MTB with locked out forks and slicks on it.

If you can spend some more money as it will more than repay. If you can go to £750 then the difference in bike will be far greater than the comparative difference in the price.
I'm a big fan of do everything touring bikes and think steel would be better as it would be more comfortable and durable than the heavy aluminium and wouldn't weigh anymore, probably less. My GB frame is only cheap far eastern steel but very comfortable and was £250 including fork, so not bank breaking (don't know if you can still get them, if not then the Aeron alu frame is the same price and better than the one you link to - not sure about the tyres it will accept and not steel but...).
A proper touring frame will take 28mm tyres and some up to 32mm tyres if you want a wider tyre for feeling of stability, but you can always shrink them down as you want, or not as the case may be.
9 or 10 speed with a compact as you can then have a far wider range of options open to you for upgrades or just plain replacements when worn out.
Another option is something like the Uncle John from Planet-X that Aodan rides. Great do everything bikes, I think Aodan's done everything from touring, through MTB rides to racing at Palace on his .
[quote="Dombo"]Do you really need all the racks and stuff? I'd have thought a pure road machine would be better.

[Snoop Doug]

Thanks for all the replies and stuff to think about. Dombo - racks rule mate! Seriously I want something to go shopping on, and something I can keep up with folks when I'm out riding. I can't hold on to anything but the slowest of paced groups on my mtb with skinnies so I think I need something else. I don't want a road bike. I hate the geometry, the inflexibility. Everything really.

Marco that Kona looks nice - quite a lot more dosh though. Andrew - I think your feedback is v useful and perhaps I'll hold on a bit and try to scrape together a few more pennies. Better to suffer off the back of a bunch for a while longer eh.

Cheers - Snoop

[Amy]

Snoop, you can borrow my CTC mags and see what's available if you want

I don't read them so it'd be nice to give them some use

[Snoop Doug]

[quote="Amy"]Snoop, you can borrow my CTC mags and see what's available if you want

I don't read them so it'd be nice to give them some use