Show off our bikes! (page 2 of 9)

Hi there,

A photo of my bike taken yesterday.

It's a custom build based on a Surly LHT 26-inch frame with a Shimano XT Deore groupset (10-speed). Mavic rims. Tubus Cargo rear rack. All classic components.

This bike is really easy to handle, but it has the downside of being way too heavy on rough terrain.

How much does it weigh?

Hi, You're up north, I'm heading back up from the south toward BKK. I'm between Ranong and Chumphon.

Just to clarify, everyone could see it—it's a 26-inch bike. Safe travels! The road gets hilly down there. Jacky

Just arrived, about 400 km on the odometer, haven't taken it on a trip yet. Gravel Origine Trail Road aluminum, just over 9 kg on the scale. GRX groupset with a 46/30 crankset and 11/34 cassette. It replaces a Trek 520 that, in my opinion, was 4 kg too heavy. Tires changed to 32mm tubeless road tires since—pure bliss. Rear rack mounts included, otherwise fully bikepacking-ready. No photos uploaded yet.

It’ll change your life! (in the mountain passes) Not for heavy bike-camping with a table and chairs, but if you keep your luggage to 10/12 kg, it’s perfect.

How’s that GRX (600?) working out? I chose this groupset for my future bike—crankset and derailleurs—with the rest in 105 because the bleeding is easier and the shifters are more comfortable (in my opinion). Just two more months to wait....

Yeah, for now I’m not planning to go for more than 15 days, no table or chairs but with a tent and sleeping bag 😉 It’s definitely the 600 (with Ultegra cassette). Actually, the GRX shifters are a dream (I’ve got 105s on the Wilier). They’re bigger, better grip—especially on rough terrain—and the fact that the pivot is raised by 18mm is a real advantage for me since I’ve got small hands. Braking is more effective (more leverage). Speaking of braking, hydraulic discs are pure bliss—smooth as velvet but still powerful and progressive. So far, I’ve only done road rides with it; it’s still really smooth and responsive. I’m heading out for the Velocio at Easter. What did you go for?

hey denis, I’m having a custom bike built by Fabien Bonnet (Cycles Cattin) in Grenoble. Here’s the spec: - sporty gravel bike vibe - capable of going far for long trips but not too loaded - disc brakes - ability to fit tires up to 45mm on 700c wheels - carbon fork with inserts so I can add a low rider when needed - self-sufficient power (I’m sick of juggling recharges and extra batteries) - powerful lighting—it’s not just for night riding, but tunnels, cities, and that twilight time between dog and wolf make it really useful. Plus, I sometimes set off super early during heatwaves (leave at 4 AM, ride till 10 AM, then another session from 5 PM to 8 PM—this rhythm works great for me)

Tech specs: - frame is Dedacciai Zero (lightweight 5/10ths with thru-axle) - Fyxation carbon fork - GRX600/105 groupset, 30/46 chainrings, and 11/34 cassette - DT Swiss wheels: DT Swiss hub at the rear, Shuster Precision at the front - Busch & Müller lighting with USB output on the headlight

I’m treating myself, and yeah, it’s pricier than an off-the-shelf bike, but I also love supporting an artisan who doesn’t count the hours (for example, the measuring and project discussions took nearly 5 hours—that’s fair to pay for). The bike will have a lifetime warranty, be perfectly fitted to my size, weight, and goals, and made locally—those are things that matter to me.

The downside? I’ve got to wait until the end of April...

You're absolutely right—we should treat ourselves! We’ve talked about this before: heavy bikes at 14-15 kg or more are a no-go. These days, you can get really great gear under 10 kg, and it makes all the difference! For lighting, I’m still sticking with removable setups. I got a B&M with rechargeable batteries, and I’ll grab a second set for the velocio where we’ll be riding all night. Later on, if the need arises, I’ll switch to a dynamo hub, but honestly, there’s not much night riding when traveling. For the fork, I went with a pair of Topeak VersaCage—haven’t tested them yet, but they seem solid for forks without inserts. They’re guaranteed to be carbon-fork compatible. Add a front bag, a frame bag, and a large saddle bag, and I should be good to go for a 15-day summer trip. I hate overpacking!

You're absolutely right—we should treat ourselves! We’ve talked about this before: heavy bikes at 14–15 kg or more are a no-go. These days, you can get really great gear under 10 kg, and it makes all the difference!

With a front pannier, a frame bag, and a large saddle bag, that should do the trick for a 15-day summer trip. I don’t like overpacking.

There are quite a few of us on this forum who "advocate" for lightweight travel. Of course, I’m not saying you can do the TDM with an 18 kg bike (including luggage)—though some people do…—but let’s be honest: the vast majority of cyclists don’t go for more than a month, usually in the summer and mostly in Europe. Under those conditions, setting off with a bike fitted with Schwalbe Marathons or similar, weighing 16–17 kg, really isn’t the best choice. But what can you do? Clichés, myths, and urban legends die hard...

Just arrived, about 400 km on the odometer, haven't taken it on a trip yet. Gravel Origine Trail Road aluminum frame, just over 9 kg on the scale. GRX groupset with a 46/30 crankset and 11/34 cassette at the back. It replaces a Trek 520 that, in my opinion, was about 4 kg too heavy. Switched the tires to 32mm tubeless road tires—pure bliss. Rear rack mounts installed, otherwise all bikepacking. No photos uploaded yet.



Simply gorgeous <3

I agree, it really is a beautiful bike.

Besides, with this type of bike, what can you still criticize about road bikes (handlebars, position, lightweight)? The usual complaints just disappear. There’s enough clearance for tires other than 23 or 25 mm, a low gear under 2 meters, mounts for a rack, and even disc brakes for those who can’t do without them. And this type of bike comes in aluminum, steel, and carbon, and can even be custom-built by a framebuilder.

The real question now is why anyone would still buy, for road or trail touring, bikes that offer nothing more for the same price and are much heavier—sometimes available in only 4 or even 3 sizes.

Fun detail: it’s great to see a real photo of the bike because on the 3D render from the manufacturer’s site (if it’s the Trail 36), they just forgot the cassette (and the valves)—it looks like a bike with a magic chain!

On the 3D render from the manufacturer’s site, they just forgot the cassette (and the valves), so it looks like a bike with a magic chain.

Back when I used to browse manufacturer catalogs, I was struck by how the valves were always in the same position in bike photos—aligned right at the bottom of the wheel. The latest trend might be to hide them behind the fork and chainstays.

But forgetting the cassette—that’s hilarious...

In our family, we have 4 Vagabondes and are really satisfied. I know Meg2 had some issues, but personally, I'm happy with mine.

Actually, the bike itself wasn't bad, but it wasn't properly adapted to my measurements, which is pretty ironic for a custom bike! The postural study was rushed—what a shame...

On top of that, a few months ago, when I wanted to retrieve the rear Rohloff wheel that originally came with this bike to equip my new touring bike, I found out that Vagabonde had installed a Rohloff hub that wasn't disc brake compatible, even though I had explicitly written in the specifications "disc brake compatible" to allow for future upgrades. When I contacted Vagabonde to ask for some commercial goodwill for this additional issue (since modifying the Rohloff hub to make it disc compatible costs me nearly 140 €), the craftsman replied by email that he had listed the hub reference on the quote, so he had no reason to compensate me—end of story. As if it were my job to know the specifics of every single one of the N variants in the Rohloff catalog just by reading the reference code... That’s pretty bold, if you ask me!

My new touring bike isn’t assembled yet, but the frame is ready, and it’ll look like this:



It’s an Alpentourer from Wolf & Wolf. I test-rode one of their demo bikes at the craftsman’s shop last December—I’m going to love it! It’s both super comfortable and efficient—mind-blowing.

Of course, it’s ridiculously expensive, but I’ve got some savings (no car helps), and I should soon receive compensation from my 2017 accident. I made a strong case for the "vehicle adaptation" line due to my minor disability.

Before that, before and after the failed Vagabonde, I happily rode two custom Cattin bikes. Custom bikes significantly increase the price, and it’s not always necessary, but for my build, I’ve never found an off-the-shelf frame that fits me well—I don’t regret that choice! For more details on my Cattin bike, check here: blog.zamir.fr/pages/Mon_velo_trek

Note: This blog might be temporarily unavailable soon while I move it due to a technical update from my hosting provider. But it’ll be back!

More recently, I’ve also traveled on an AZUB Ti-Fly recumbent trike after an accident left me unable to ride an upright bike for more than 15-20 minutes. The trike is cool, very comfortable, and great for travel, but it’s a tank—hence my switch to a recumbent bike. And before all that, I started with a trusty Peugeot "semi-racer" that only had a rear rack.

What’s its weight?

Since I’ve modified it over time, I can’t give you the exact weight. I’ll answer your question once I get a chance to weigh it. Wisdom prevails. 😏

Thanks in advance. The Surly LHT remains a great bike for long-distance travel, highly praised by round-the-world cyclists. Maybe that will change over time with the rise of lightweight and versatile bikes... though they still have to prove themselves in the toughest conditions.

Anyway, I wouldn’t go to Vagabonde for a custom bike... I’m currently looking at François Coponet’s. Such a beautiful machine, this recumbent bike! !

I’m sharing the detailed build of the parts I chose for my Surly because before ordering my bike, I spent a long time browsing voyageforum.com. I want to thank you for being such an amazing forum with an extraordinary community and professional-quality answers. Without you, I definitely would’ve made mistakes in choosing my bike. In my daily life, I have a visual impairment and I’m a bit strapped for cash, so for me, a touring bike means adding a little—or a lot—of freedom to my otherwise dreary life.

I wanted a super sturdy bike that could be loaded like a pack mule and repaired anywhere, capable of riding on farm tracks, forest trails, sand, gravel, and branches. After quite a few rides in the woods, the test is positive—I realized I’d built myself a steppes bike. I chose parts for good road comfort and a groupset that could handle changes in gradient and terrain. I love being surprised by the terrain and having to battle the road. I’ll keep saving to move to the south of France, and once I’ve got my camping gear, I’ll go bivouacking in the mountains near a lake—bye-bye civilization!

In terms of weight, the Surly racks and Marathon Mondial tires add 4 kg, bringing the total bike weight to 17.4 kg, but I don’t care—I’ll save weight on my gear and go on a diet. To replace the Long Haul Trucker’s long haul, a manufacturer would have to make the same bike with lighter parts, because I don’t think Shimano, Surly, or Ergotec are chasing weight savings on their components—they’d rather guarantee robust parts.

**Frame:** Surly Long Haul Trucker Grandpa’s th **Headset:** Stronglight ÓLight Steel **Crankset:** Shimano 9-speed Silver FC-T4060 44/32/22T 175mm **Rear Derailleur:** Shimano 9-speed SGS RD-M772 Deore XT Shadow **Front Derailleur:** Shimano Triple Silver FD-M590 Deore Top Swing **Shifters:** Shimano 3x9-speed SL-M4000 **Bottom Bracket:** Shimano BSA SM-BB52 Deore Level **Chain:** Shimano 116-link CN-HG53 9-speed **Cassette:** Shimano 9-speed 12-36 CS-HG400 **Rear Wheel:** 26x1.75 Deore 510 8/9-speed 36T Exal ZX 19 silver stainless spokes **Front Wheel:** 26x1.75 Deore 510 silver 36T Exal ZX 19 silver stainless spokes **Tires:** Schwalbe MARATHON MONDIAL DD TS 50-559 **Seatpost:** Humpert Ergotec Skalar D27.2mm, 400mm, silver, aluminum **Stem:** Humpert Ergotec A-Head Octopus 50 aluminum, silver, 1 1/8", D25.4mm **Handlebar:** Humpert Ergotec Ergo XL aluminum, D25.4mm, 630mm, matte black, 14° **Saddle:** SMP Martin Touring **Rear Rack:** SURLY RACK 26-29 **Front Rack:** SURLY RACK 26-29 **Inner Tubes:** Schwalbe AV/AR13 40/62-559 Box AV 40mm **Front Brake:** Shimano V-Brake Silver BR-T780 Deore XT **Rear Brake:** Shimano V-Brake Silver BR-T780 Deore XT **Brake Levers:** Shimano Deore BL-T 611RL silver, 3-finger, right / BL-T 611LL silver, 3-finger, left **Brake Cables:** BBB BrakeWire 1.5mmx1700mm **Brake Housing:** BBB StopLine CEX Black 5mm x1 **Derailleur Housing:** BBB ShiftLine LEX Black 4mm x1 **Derailleur Stop Screw:** Shimano KSMSTR1S47 **Pedals:** MKS SYLVAN TOURING COPPER **Fenders:** Pair of Stronglight Country 26" **Grips:** Ergon GP3-L Comfort **Kickstand:** Ergotec extrem side/central **Kickstand Mount:** Surly central mount

Our travel tandem since 2013, nearly 70,000 km covered. Shimano Ultegra derailleur 53-40-30 up front 11-32 cassette in the back Arkel panniers

That tandem is seriously loaded!

Quebec-made aluminum bike with a steel fork.