J'ai une envie folle de partir à vélo (pour l'instant en france) mais je ne suis équipé que d'un VTT lapierre pas du tout adapté au voyage.
Je recherche ce type de vélo:
- Tout rigide
- Acier si possible/ sinon alu
- Freinage V brake
- insert pour fixer porte bagage ARR et AV
- Bonne roue double paroi
- vélo adapté à ma taille (1m94)
- Budget entre 600 et 850 €
Je fais 90kg environ et je pense rajouter une trentaine de kilo de matos donc faut quand même un truc costaud!
J'ai donc entamé les recherches chez les velocistes du coin j'ai trouvé des choses sympa mais souvent hors budget...
Pour l'instant le seul qui colle c'est celui la:
Version Sport
Version Classique
J'en pense que du bien 😉 Je ne suis pas objectif parce que j'ai un T-300 (le même que le T-100, mais avec une transmission deore au lieu d'alivio, et des freins hydrauliques sur jante au lieu des v-brakes). Au début utilisé surtout pour du vélotaf, je l'ai modifié pour le voyage, et il ressemble beaucoup à la version T-100S.
Je n'ai fait que 3000km avec pour le moment, mais RAS !
Dans ton budget, cela me paraît être un très bon choix... Tu auras du mal à trouver un autre vélo à cadre acier monté avec des composants de bonne qualité à ce prix là.
C'est vrai le choix n'est pas trés grand dans le neuf sauf dans des budgets plus importants, malgré mon propos je trouve les fahrrad entrée de gamme un peu cher, la grande taille peut etre un avantage , les occases ne trouvent pas facilement preneur!Bon il faut avoir envie de monter son vélos et je comprend que l'on ai pas la fibre mécanique ou que l'on ai pas envie! Un exemple d'occasion en grande taille :http://www.leboncoin.fr/velos/815026803.htm?ca=12_s ça permet de mettre un peu de sous sur une bonne selle ou autres éléments... mais je respecte le choix de tout un chacun ,45€ ça permet des folies ailleurs! Au vue des tubes c'est de l'acier.
si tu as deja un velo et que les composants de base sont bon pourquoi ne pas juste acheter un bon cadre acier et transferer ce que tu as sur le lapierre dessus?
sur ce site tu as le surly en taille 60 ou 62:
http://www.probiketouring.com/produit/surly-long-haul-trucker-26
Le lien que tu as mis, le farrhad, j'y vois les problemes suivants:
-29 pouces... je te le déconseille grandement, c'est clairement moins solide, tu risque de casser des rayons puis si tu sors d'europe tu ne trouve quasi que du 26 pouces donc bloqué en cas de casse
-on a peu d'info concernant la qualité des jantes et de la selle sur le site...
Bref, perso, je suis tres grand et fais aussi 90 kg, jai pas mal voyagé avec un 29 pouces en amerique latine j'ai cassé enormement de rayons et jantes... j'avais un cadre alu.
La je repars vers l'eurasie, cette fois avec un 26 pouces, des jantes hyper renforcé (http://www.probiketouring.com/produit/roues-sun-ringle-rhyno-lite-xl-moyeux-shimano-xt-rayons-dt-swiss-alpine-iii) et concernant le cadre, j'ai un scott en alu et si jen ai les moyens je m'equiperai du surly qye je tai mis en lien.
En tout cas, de mon experience, je te deconseille le 29 pouces.
loic
Je suis en rando vtt toutes les semaines sur mon lapierre, je ne veux pas le mettre à nu le pauvre!
Après effectivement ca serait plus judicieux d'acheter un bon cadre et de choisir les composants moi même...
Mais je suis assez préssé et je me dit que si je deviens accro (premier voyage, je ne sais pas si je vais adorer, ou si je vais prendre le premier train apres 2 jours de galere) je pourrais toujours m’équiper mieux et garder ce velo comme velotaf ou le vendre.
effectivement assez peu d'info sur les roues, je retourne au magasin ce matin je vais essayer d'avoir plus d'info.
Je ne savais pas que les roues de 700 n’étaient pas représentées hors UE.
J'étais dans la même situation que toi et je me suis finalement équipé d'un T100.
J'ai fait mon premier vélo tour (pour voir si ça me plaisait ce mode de voyage, et ça m'a bien plus 🙂) dans le Morbihan le mois dernier (550 km parcourus : http://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=7058094;#7058094). Hormis le dérailleur dont il faut que j'affine le réglage, je n'ai eu aucun soucis avec et j'en suis content. Le vélo a peu roulé comparé à beaucoup de cyclo voyageurs (comme Funboard je pense) et pour les prochaines années je roulerai uniquement en France ou Europe (tu as l'air de vouloir commencer par la France d'après ce que tu dis), avoir des jantes 29" ne m'a pas bloqué. Après ça correspondait bien à mon besoin mais Funboard a beaucoup plus d'expérience, c'est sûrement plus sage de l'écouter.
Ca y est j'ai craqué!
Je suis donc l'heureux propriétaire d'un T100s!
J'ai fais que 60 bornes avec donc je peux pas vous faire un retour, mais en tout cas pour l'instant je le trouve vraiment agréable!
Je reviendrai vous donner mon sentiment après mon voyage.
Alors oui j'ai roulé avec, j'ai fais mon premier voyage avec d'environ 650 km et je m'en sers pas mal au quotidien également!
Je le trouve vraiment bien!
Je n'ai pas eu de souci mécanique, juste les roues qui ont pris un peu de voile. les composants sont de bonne facture, et simple à régler.
La position est agréable (plus confortable que sportive), j'ai eu quelques petites douleurs de temps en temps notamment a la main gauche et au genou gauche. (pour la main je pense que des cornes ou un guidon papillon régleront le problème)
Je n'ai pas investi dans un porte bagage avant, du coup j'avais un peu d’appréhension quand à sa capacité à supporter mon poids et les bagages, mais il à bien résister.
Le porte bagage bien chargé (environ 20 kilos), j'ai évité de me mettre en danseuse car on sent le cadre se déformer.
à vide ou peu chargé, ça ne bouge pas d'un poil.
La dynamo, avant l'achat je trouvais superflu, et si j'avais pu avoir le vélo un peu moins cher sans éclairage, je l'aurais pris.
Mais à l'usage, j'ai trouvé ça vraiment pratique et sécurisant.
J'ai roulé une fois de nuit en pleine campagne, l’éclairage est vraiment correct, et on nous voit de loin.
La béquille, je m'imaginais qu'elle n'allais pas tenir longtemps, et bien je m’étais trompé encore une fois...
Elle est très stable, et le fait qu'elle soit sur la base fais qu'on peut manœuvrer le vélo plus facilement sans jamais que la béquille se prenne dans les pédales.
Par contre mon popotin n'a pas trop aimé la selle!
C'est vrai que ne pas soucier de l'éclairage est vraiment pratique (pas de piles à charger, pas d'oubli).
Pour le guidon, je l'avais remplacé par un de forme papillon. Mais au final je n'utilisais jamais la partie la plus éloignée un peu trop loin pour moi. Le jour où je le change, je reprendrai un guidon droit avec des cornes, ce sera mieux je pense.
Et l'accessoire qui m'a beaucoup servi est le rétroviseur! Ca évite de se tordre le cou à chaque fois que je veux jeter un œil derrière.
Bonjour j'ai acheté un T100 version sport en octobre 2014, je l'ai utilisé au quotidien pour aller au travail (2x7.5 km ou 4x7.5 km par jour)
j'ai fait plusieurs raids en cyclotourisme en France (tente + sacoches AR seulement) la béquille tient bien
un premier raid de 4 j dans le jura (étapes de 100 km par jour en moyenne, dénivelée de 700 m à 1500 m par étape) je n'ai pas eu de pbs particulier sauf une crevaison avant.
un deuxième raid en chartreuse 3j (étapes de 80 km en moyenne, dénivelée de 1000 à 1500 m)
quand je l'ai acheté, le vélociste m'a monté un pédalier de VTT, 22*32*44 au lieu des 28*38*48, à mon avis indispensable si veut passer des cols chargés. J'ai réussi à franchir le col de la Biche chargé (jusqu'à 11~12%) sous la canicule, plus loin en Suisse j'ai été confronté à un raidillon de 14% et j'arrivais à suivre des papys cyclos plus tout jeunes il est vrai, il est important de toujours pouvoir mouliner pour éviter de caler, je choisi des petites routes qui offrent souvent des coup de cul supérieur à 10%
pour le raid j'ai mis des pédales automatiques de VTT pour améliorer mon rendement
le choix du pneu 700x35 est bien roulant on peut faire de la piste mais ce n'est pas un VTT, le 700x47 doit permettre de faire plus de chemin plus mauvais mais doit être moins performant sur route
j'apprécie l'éclairage que je laisse en permanence, bien utile dans les tunnels et par temps de brouillard, voire la nuit en cas d'étape marathon
il y a des inserts un peu partout sur le cadre, j'ai pu installer deux porte bidons. il y a des inserts sur la fourche pour porte bagage avant que je n'ai pas utilisé pour mes raids assez courts.
je n'ai pas d'avis pour le choix roue de 700 vs 26" car je n'ai roulé qu'en France + Suisse, pour l'instant je me contente de l'Europe occidentale
Je rencontre un petit souci avec ma tige de selle ergotec sur cadre acier tx400. Elle a tendance à descendre de quelques millimetres apres une sortie.…
L'année 2017 est terminée, une nouvelle se profile.. c'est donc heure des bilans et des projets, voire des fantasmes cyclistes. Voyages aux longs cours où à la…
Aux beaux jours je fait des périples à vélo. J'emprunte des pistes cyclables et des grands itinéraires de vélo mais pour visiter des tas de choses souvent je…
Alors que les premières sorties à bicyclette sont encore assez loin, claudio décide de continuer à écrire ses récits, même si ils n'auront pas le prix Nobel de…
Bonjour,
Je prévois de faire la partie hollandaise de l'Eurovélo 19, de Maastricht à Rotterdam.
Comme c'est trop compliqué d'amener mon vélo en train, je cherche à louer un vélo sur place.
Je suis preneuse de conseils ou d'adresses de loueurs de vélos, j'ai du mal à en trouver même à Rotterdam.
L'idée serait de le louer à Rotterdam, de partir avec en train jusqu'à Maastricht, pour faire Maastricht/Rotterdam à vélo
Merci d'avance pour vos conseils ou suggestions.
Nath
I’ve gotten used to crossing Europe by bus to return by bike.
It was really convenient to take the bike without having to disassemble it.
But FlixBus no longer accepts bikes...
What alternatives do you know about?
Thanks.
I’m planning to cycle from Morlaix to Brest (via Roscoff and the V45 coastal route). We’ll start riding on August 16th for 13 days (with stops for island visits, surfing, etc.). Is there a lot of traffic at this time of year? I’ve got two kids, 11 and 13, and we don’t like riding in the middle of cars (we’ve already done the Vélomaritime—Caen to Cherbourg—the Loire route from Orléans to Saumur, the Vélodyssée from Nantes to Royans, and the canals like the Nivernais and Bourgogne, where there were plenty of bike-only lanes, which isn’t the case on this route).
Thanks for your help if you’ve already done this route in late August!
Virginie
I’ve got my flight ticket sorted—departing in mid-November and returning in mid-March. I’ll arrive in Santiago and leave from Buenos Aires.
I’ve already been to southern Argentina, specifically Torres del Paine National Park, and I’d love to go back to do the full W trek (I only did the shorter version last time).
I also want to do some hiking and maybe even tackle a summit. I climb and occasionally do some mountaineering, so I’ll definitely be going with a guide.
I plan to start around Temuco in Chile, with the idea of heading toward the lakes, then taking the Carretera Austral.
I’m not sure if I’ll go all the way to Ushuaia—it’s supposed to not be *that* worth it, except for the bragging rights of saying you’ve been to the end of the world.
I saw there are lakes in Argentina too.
I don’t have a precise itinerary, but what I’d love is, once I reach the southernmost point of my trip, to take a mini-cruise to see some wildlife. Any tips for that?
What kind of sleeping bag did you take? Is a 0°C (32°F) one enough?
And one last question: white gas stove or can I get by with my gas stove?
This summer, we’re planning to cycle along the EV 19 that follows the Meuse River from Langres all the way to Rotterdam.
My question is about getting back to Nantes.
Do any of you know what the best return option might be? I’d love to hear about your experiences.
I saw that FlixBus doesn’t take bikes.
By train, I think it’s possible but would involve multiple local trains.
We were also wondering if there’s a boat from Rotterdam to Saint-Nazaire that could take passengers with bikes.
Any tips or experiences you can share would be really helpful—thanks in advance!
Have a great evening
Hi there,
I’ve been road cycling for several years, and I’m about to switch to gravel in the next few days—I’m waiting for my bike, which should arrive this week.
I’m planning a bikepacking trip in a few weeks along the Véloroute V81, also known as the Vélosud, from Biarritz to Le Barcarès.
Has anyone here already done this route? Any info is welcome, whether it’s about the route itself, gear, or accommodation. I’ll prioritize staying with locals as much as possible. On that note, I just signed up for the brand-new site *Guidon et Couette* ((www.guidon-et-couette.fr)), which offers free accommodation between cyclists across the country, but there’s almost no one listed along my route!
Thanks in advance.
Laurent.
I’m planning to build a new touring bike.
I want to prioritize lightness.
That said, I’m tempted by a suspension fork that could offer some comfort on rougher roads.
The recent appearance of gravel suspension forks on the market might meet my needs—at least on paper.
I’m particularly considering the RockShox Rudy Ultimate XPLR fork.
Unlike MTB forks, its travel is short: either 30 mm or 40 mm.
It weighs 1400 g, which is 400/500 g more than a steel fork.
Any thoughts or real-world feedback on this?
I’m also wondering about the durability of magnesium (lower leg) for long-distance bike touring.
And what’s the impact of skipping the manufacturer-recommended maintenance every 50 and 200 hours? That’s bound to happen on a long trip unless you carry extra gear.
More generally, how reliable are these kinds of forks?
Hi everyone,
I wanted to share with you the incredible feat my friend José, who’s 72 years old, is currently undertaking. He left Auterive near Toulouse on Monday, May 18, 2026, on his non-electric bike, heading for the North Cape in Norway!
You can follow his route on the link below—he’s currently in Sweden:
https://thierry-thomas.travelmap.net/jose-de-toulouse-a-nord-cap-2026
You can zoom in on the map and click on each stopover town to see the photos
I’m making an exception and creating a separate post this time, since it’s all about France. In May, we spent a week in Provence, specifically in the Luberon, exploring the cycling routes *Autour du Luberon à Vélo*, the *Véloroute du Calavon* (part of EuroVelo 8), and the shorter *Les Ocres à Vélo* route. Together, they gave us an amazing journey through rolling hills, vineyards, lavender fields still green in spring, and some of the most stunning landscapes in southern France.
It was, of course, the perched villages that impressed us the most. We visited Gordes, Roussillon, Bonnieux, Lacoste, Lourmarin, Ménerbes, Oppède-le-Vieux, Cucuron, and Lauris. Many of them are among the most beautiful villages in Provence, and it’s hard not to agree with that reputation.
One interesting point is the route of EuroVelo 8 in this part of the region. The official path mainly follows the old railway line of the *Véloroute du Calavon*, which is very comfortable and safe. But in our opinion, cyclists traveling EuroVelo 8 around the Mediterranean would discover even more treasures if the route passed through villages like Bonnieux, Lacoste, or Oppède-le-Vieux.
We were also pleasantly surprised by how safe cycling felt. Most of the route takes small local roads, but traffic is light, drivers are respectful, and road design really takes cyclists into account. It’s one of those places where you can ride peacefully even without separated bike lanes.
Our full story:
Around Luberon by bicycle - the most beautiful villages of Provence
You can also find all our cycling travel stories on the forum:
Cycling Thread - Europe’s most beautiful bike routes
Hi there, we’re a group of 4 cyclists looking to get from Treviso in Italy to Munich with our 4 non-folding bikes. It seems complicated! Are there any solutions? Thanks so much.
hello fellow cycling enthusiasts
here’s a travel journal of the cycling tour through the Rhône-Alpes Auvergne region by Claudio
zouli
it was the plan
http://cbandiera.free.fr/parcours/auvergne-Ralpes/
the trip was completed
story being posted online soon
1100 km in 11 days
beautiful and varied regions
Hi there, we’re planning a Munich to Venice bike trip at the end of June 2026. Getting back from Venice to Toulouse by train with 4 bikes isn’t straightforward. What return options have others who’ve done this trip chosen? Any tips or great deals would be much appreciated. Thanks a bunch! !
Hi everyone,
Happy owner of a Pegasus Estremo bike with a Rohloff hub, which is giving me trouble with the SF11-NCX-FT-E-LITE 700C TS 300/0 fork (serial number TD01329060). It’s starting to show its age, and I’d like to repair it to extend the life of my beloved bike.
The suspension is gone, and there’s an oil leak from the seals.
Does anyone know how to repair it? Where can I find parts that are about fifteen years old? Or where to find an identical replacement fork? Just to clarify, the Magura HS11 brakes are mounted using Firm Tech, meaning they’re on pivots behind the fork, facing the frame.
Hi, I'd like to know if anyone has done this route recently or has reliable info.
Does the track exist, and most importantly, is there sand (for biking)?
Any info is welcome.
Cheers,
diego ambilobe: mangaoka, manondro, ramena
vohemar sambava: masondrono, tanambao
Hi there,
New to bike touring,
I’d love to start with a section of the Via Rhona to explore and share (route to be decided).
Looking forward to exchanging tips!
I’m landing in Madagascar with a buddy before the end of April 2026. We’re planning to bike around for about twenty days or so. We don’t have a specific goal other than exploring the country and meeting the locals.
Ideally, we’d prefer a loop route starting from Antananarivo with a good chunk of it along the coast. On the bike side, we’re used to riding 6 to 8 hours a day, depending on the needs, encounters, and mood 😉 Any feedback or tips from trips around this length?
A big thank you to Lazarou for all the info you share in this forum!
I'm passionate about Morocco, which I cycled through back in 2009.
Last year, my wife and I explored the High Atlas by tandem. Completely smitten, we're heading back in April (Anti Atlas) and May (High and Middle Atlas), still on our tandem.
Do you have any info on the track between Amezri and Ali Ait Nito? Are the river crossings in the Tessaout still there? It's not easy to navigate with a loaded tandem... especially if the river level is high due to this year's heavy snowmelt!
Thanks in advance for any tips you might have, and best wishes for health in this new year!
Claudio specializes in the route of the Savoie lakes
Here are his travels
Between Bornes, Chartreuse, the Savoie foothills, and Dauphiné
Five lakes: Léman, Annecy, Paladru, Aiguebelette, Bourget, not to mention a few ponds along the way
Plenty of accommodation options: camping, hotels, and more...
A lovely route not far from his place
Rural and quite peaceful
A road cycling route created by Serge B...
First of all... happy New Year! Wishing you great roads in 2017!
I’ve been traveling for a few years now with a high-quality mountain bike, but it’s equipped with hydraulic disc brakes. I live (pedal) with the constant worry of a breakdown (leak, air bubble, heat causing the fluid to...). My bike mechanic tells me it’s impossible to switch them out for V-brakes.
What do you all think? Am I taking a big risk continuing (alone) with these brakes? Thanks in advance for your great tips!
First post here to share a quick recap of our west-to-east bike trip along Algeria’s coast in January 2025.
It was just the two of us—my partner and I—with French passports and not a word of Arabic. No friends or welcoming hosts in the country.
Under those conditions, we’d strongly advise against going.
Our original plan was to follow the coast from Algiers to Tunis. We ended up cycling from Algiers to Béjaia, then took the train from Béjaia to Annaba (with a stop in Constantine), and finally biked to the border.
We were tailed by police the whole way—whether on our bikes, on the train, or even on foot while exploring towns. On top of that, we couldn’t wild camp and were limited to the few state-approved hotels that accept foreigners. Under those circumstances, connecting with locals was especially tough.
With such an omnipresent and intrusive police presence, we’d definitely recommend against this destination for bike touring. A really sad situation that completely cuts you off from the local population...
We’d been warned, we went to check it out, and we weren’t disappointed!
Hi there,
I’m planning the route to cycle from Lille to Nordkapp with my partner.
Duration: 3 months, from May 1st to July 31st, 2026.
In the attached details below, I need to add some "non-riding" days (rest days, basically).
So I’m looking to "shorten" the trip by taking ferries or trains for some stretches. Which areas could I skip?
Thanks in advance for your great tips.
Have a good evening.
https://www.komoot.com/fr-fr/collection/4023980/-lille-cap-nord-1er-mai-au-31-juillet-2026?ref=collection
I’m planning to bike back from Poland this summer. Does anyone know a way to ship it there without having to take it apart? Otherwise, it’s a real hassle to fine-tune all the settings before departure!
Thanks in advance.
Hi, has anyone recently bought Primus or Butagaz gas, possibly puncture-style, in Dubrovnik or the surrounding area? Same question for Albania... thanks. aichatou
Just a few words about the loop I did by bike in Yunnan.
Entry and exit
I entered China through the Sino-Vietnamese border crossing at Lào Cai / Hekou under the 30-day visa exemption currently available to French nationals and others.
The process was simple and quick. A Chinese police officer even helped me complete my electronic pre-registration at a computer kiosk. I wasn’t aware this formality was required—it’s similar to Thailand’s TM6.
No issues with the bike.
I left the country via the Sino-Laotian border crossing at Mohan / Boten.
The atmosphere was a bit chaotic there, but again, no problems with the bike.
The timing
I visited Yunnan in February 2026.
Weather-wise, at higher altitudes (between 1,500 and 2,000 meters), it was around ten degrees at night and in the mornings, and around twenty degrees at the hottest part of the day.
I had two days of rain, so I took the bus to keep moving. Otherwise, clear blue skies.
Culturally, Chinese New Year fell on February 17th (and the 15 days following), right in the middle of my trip. Because of this, my take on the traffic might be off.
Accommodation and food
I always found a hotel to stay in for prices ranging from 8 to 15 €. Except in Kunming (the capital), where many hotels were fully booked (Chinese New Year). I ended up at a 100 € hotel with great value for money.
A bowl of noodles costs about 1.5 € on average.
Onboard electronics
Since my smartphone doesn’t support eSIMs, I subscribed to a China plan with my carrier. Otherwise, for much cheaper, Alipay offers eSIMs for foreigners that allow access to services usually blocked for Chinese users (WhatsApp, Facebook, etc.).
An internet connection is essential for paying with Alipay or WeChat, as this payment method is widespread.
I only managed to use Alipay.
Either way, always carry cash because sometimes there’s no signal, or the merchant only accepts WeChat.
Also, it’s best to bring a power adapter when you arrive rather than struggling to find one.
Traffic and roads
The Chinese aren’t reckless drivers. They follow traffic rules and watch out for cyclists. This is slightly less true in Xishuangbanna (the region bordering Myanmar and Laos).
In urban areas, there are almost always wide bike lanes, separated from other roads, where bikes, electric mini-scooters, and scooters share the space pretty harmoniously.
The roads are in great condition, and traffic is generally manageable—even light—except for one stretch (Eshan -> Yangwu).
Most traffic is absorbed by expressways, China’s equivalent of highways: toll roads that are off-limits to slow vehicles.
You’re never far from these expressways; sometimes you even ride alongside them, which can be noisy at times.
The climbs are usually reasonable, around 5% to 6%. From what I remember, the steepest section was between Menglun and Mengla, with gradients of 8% to 10%, sometimes more.
Riding at these altitudes—though modest—took a bit of getting used to.
The route
I didn’t plan anything in advance. My only goal was to reach Kunming. I don’t know why, but just hearing the name of that city, like Yunnan, always felt dreamy to me.
Hi! I’m planning to visit the Stockholm Archipelago by bike in early April.
Do you know if the boats will be running between the different islands at that time of year? For those who’ve already been, all your tips and recommendations are welcome—accommodation, etc. Also, do you know where I can rent a bike in Stockholm? Thanks so much in advance for your help!
Hello there, pedal-powered Young Boys!
Claudio (still from Faverges)
dreaming about a cycling getaway in Italy from Faverges (train all the way to Turin)
from Turin down to Venice along the Po River and back via the Padana (Alta Italia da attraversare – Northern Italy to cross)
The tricky part is getting from Chioggia to Venice.
I read it’s possible by hopping on a boat from island to island,
but it sounds a bit stressful.
Has anyone already tackled this route?
I’m currently looking for a bike to do my first bike trip across France, with the ultimate goal of cycling through Latin America. I’ve got a lot of questions and I’d love to hear if you have any answers or advice to share.
First off, I’ve been through this before with hiking. I want to get top-quality gear right away. When I started hiking, I ended up buying everything three times—first beginner gear, then intermediate, then expert, etc.
For biking, I’d prefer to skip that process and invest right now in a bike that could ideally handle Latin America.
I’ve set a total max budget of around 5000 € (roughly 4000–4500 € for the bike and the rest for accessories: panniers, helmet, cycling shorts, etc.).
So, I’ve got quite a few questions:
* I’ve read in several places that some people recommend buying the bike directly in Latin America. Since I need a first bike to train in Europe, would it be better to buy an entry-level bike in France (and sell it before the big departure)? Or is it preferable to start right away with my final bike to get used to it? Is buying it there just to save a bit of money?
* For a long-term trip (around six months) in Latin America, is it better to go for a gravel bike or a mountain bike?
* Should I buy a new bike or a refurbished one? Even more so given that I’m planning a long trip—could a refurbished bike end up causing more breakdowns?
If you have any advice on models, technical features to prioritize, or recommended sellers or resellers, I’d love to hear it. I’m a total beginner—I’ve only just started watching videos and reading up on the subject, and all the technical specs are new to me!