A sight like in the land of milk and honey: never before has a TREKKINGBIKE test field been so splendid. All eight high-end touring bikes are bursting with super technology - "super" here in the sense of "excessive, superior, outstanding". We invited a small but select group of renowned bike manufacturers known for their innovative spirit to submit their absolute top touring bikes for testing.
Super touring bikes from randonneur to fatbike
The field of candidates is therefore wide-ranging: from slim tarmac racers to massive fat bikes, from full-suspension titanium frames to classic, handcrafted steel frames. There are all the current drive types, as well as tyre and wheel dimensions. In short: every bike is different. So it is not surprising that the areas of use are also very different.
The Norwid-Randonneur is a long-distance tourer for good tarmac roads, for example on epic routes through the south of France, or for "pass collecting" in the Alps. The Rennstahl, on the other hand, scores highly as a specialised vehicle for rough terrain. One of its owners rode it in February 2016 in the "Rovaniemi 150", a winter race in Finland's Arctic Circle. But the field between these extremes is also interesting, because it is a wide one. The Travelmaster 2.9 from Santos, for example, is recommended as an easy-rolling, super-robust packhorse for intercontinental tours in tough conditions. For those who prefer more luxury, the Idworx Opinion is a comfort-orientated companion full of reserves for tours around the globe. This is also the focus of the Tout Terrain: a touring bike concept that combines classic steel with sophisticated full suspension for difficult routes. Technically simpler, but no less robust and stable, Velotraum also presents a coherent concept for long or short pedalling adventures with the Finder. Sporty riders will be delighted to open up low mountain terrain with the off-road crosser from Salsa: the perfect forest road racer.
Exquisite frame materials are characteristic of the high-price segment:
Stainless steel and titanium frames are considered almost indestructible. They are absolutely rustproof, impact-resistant and extremely strong. The Rennstahl and Norwid frames are made entirely of rustproof, scratch-resistant stainless steel. Tout Terrain uses it to manufacture the integrated pannier rack, which is subject to particularly high loads. If the material properties are utilised wisely, the high modulus of elasticity of titanium can even be used to dampen vibrations. Idworx, Salsa and the Swiss specialist Hilite therefore use titanium for the entire frame despite the increased production costs. The hard material requires hardened tools and must be welded under inert gas to prevent oxidation by atmospheric oxygen.
Hilite even uses the elastic metal to provide hingeless suspension for the rear wheel of its super-light titanium tourer. Rennstahl uses the expensive material in a similar way: in order to achieve the balancing act between stability and comfort, the titanium fork consists of a forged crown, ovalised and internally and externally butted bars, which only taper below the lowrider thread and thus have a defined flex range. A thru axle helps to stiffen the construction with regard to disc brake position, steering, braking and luggage influences. The advantage of larger diameters is that the bending stiffness increases exponentially. Increasing the wall thickness, on the other hand, only stiffens linearly. This applies to thru axles, but also to frame construction. This is why we generally find voluminous, oversized head, top and down tubes, rear triangles, butted fork steerer tubes or even thru axles, sometimes in the lightest possible form with fine threads instead of quick-release locks. It is practical that SON has reacted quickly to this trend and with the SON 28 15 has produced a hub dynamo for thru axles (Idworx) and with the SON 28 15 150 version even an extra-wide version for fat bikes (Rennstahl). There is a huge range of wheel and tyre dimensions in the test field. The maxim: wide is better. Idworx and Velotraum are particularly versatile.
Both combine wide rims with a hook width of 40 millimetres and tyres with a width of 70 millimetres. This is the only way for a wide tyre with low-pressure to provide stable support without becoming "soupy". Despite the fat tyres, the wheels can still be used universally, with a big shot of extra safety for rough terrain.
All this sophisticated super technology makes our test bikes almost priceless. High expenditure and low quantities demand their price. The good thing is that the technology will gradually migrate to lower price groups. This arouses interest and anticipation. Our insight into the land of milk and honey is also a promising glimpse into the future laboratory of bicycle technology.
The super touring bikes in the test:
The article was published in Trekkingbike issue 4/2016.
You can download the individual articles as PDF files here.
