Hey, what's up? Anyone who asks this question is usually looking for a cool introduction to non-binding small talk. We present the answers we received to this question on the following pages - because we asked nine proven touring bike specialists. These people are less interested in small talk, they prefer to do things. Their nine very special bikes, which come very close to the limits of what is currently technically feasible, represent a total value of almost 52,000 euros if you add up the individual prices. For that, things can get a little more personal.
Touring bikes are always individual
For quite a few travellers, long-distance cycling is the road to adventure. In exotic regions, brave globe-trotters have to contend with tough conditions: muddy or sandy tracks, desert climbs, stony tracks, extreme temperatures, coupled with monsoon rain or total drought. The touring bike has to cope with this just as well as its pedallist. Defects on the road are annoying to say the least; in the middle of a desert crossing, however, an irreparably defective gear can also have serious consequences. It therefore makes sense to rely on robust, less susceptible, but definitely repairable technology - which is of course never out of place on a well-maintained river cycle path.
The frame is the basic structure of the touring bike
This is particularly true for frames: a dent in the top tube because the handlebars have turned over is annoying, but only a visual blemish. However, if the bike and its luggage swing up uncontrollably on a fast descent, this affects your own safety. There are also different concepts of what comfortable cycling means: one person loves the aerodynamic racing bike riding position, while another prefers to sit upright so that they can see as much as possible. This is why almost every touring cyclist needs a bike that is customised to the specific requirements of their area, route, personal preferences and body measurements. After all, you want to spend a lot of time together in the future.
Touring bike specialists know more
It is not without reason that each of the nine manufacturers we asked for their top model emphasises their many years in the business. Intensive experience in the construction of touring bikes and their frames is a treasure that can be directly translated into the quality and reliability of a bike. A frame builder knows exactly whether and under what load his frame could exhibit the undesirable fluttering of the handlebars. The targeted selection and matching of individual tubes to their respective tasks is the key to a safe and robust bicycle frame. Frame builders usually opt for steel tubes, which are available in a wide variety, are easy to process and have sensible material properties: Steel is tough, less susceptible to breakage and fatigue, and the frames don't get too heavy. Stainless steel and titanium are also used for touring bike frames, but are significantly more expensive and more complex to process. In addition, the frame builder has to assess more precisely whether the respective mix of their properties suits the customer's needs. Norwid, Patria and Wiesmann are examples of bikes that are completely handmade in Germany, from the frame to the last screw.
However, good touring bike frames do not necessarily only come from Germany. Aluminium is also a useful material for bicycle frames, and the know-how for processing it is concentrated in Asia. Good steel frames also come from there. Cleanly constructed frame-fork sets, carefully manufactured by ambitious suppliers, characterise the bikes from Falkenjagd, Idworx, Maxx, MTB Cycletech, Tout Terrain and Velotraum, which provide the manufacturing companies with their respective idea of the optimum touring bike. The rest is meticulous quality control.
Continuous development towards the perfect touring bike
If you talk to the makers, you realise that they all have experience of travelling by bike, either personally or in their teams. The close contact with their customers, who take the product out around the world, also always flows directly into product development. The individual bike models usually exist over a long period of time and are continuously improved from generation to generation. This is one of the decisive factors that make a touring bike good or even perfect all round.
Our test field: These nine touring bikes define the current level of bicycle technology
- Falconry Aristos CX Randonneur
- Idworx Rohler BLT Multispec
- Maxx Crossmaxx de Luxe RO
- MTB Cycletech Papaglagi GPI
- Norwid Aaland
- Patria Cosmos
- Tout Terrain 5th Avenue Xplore
- Velotraum Finder FD2
- Wiesmann F2814S
You can find the complete test including all test judgements and individual ratings in MYBIKE 4/2019. The test costs € 1.99 as a PDF. Why not free of charge? Because quality journalism has a price. In return, we guarantee independence and objectivity. This applies in particular to the tests in MYBIKE. We don't pay for them, but the opposite is the case: we charge for them, thousands of euros every year.
{{affiliate("outtra", "wtb", "21459") | safe}}
