First of all, you need to be clear about what requirements your dream bike should fulfil. A bike needs to be built differently for travelling the world than for week-long tours on local river cycle paths. If the touring bike will also be used for everyday use, different components are important than for an adventure tour through the Siberian steppe.
Large-scale manufacturers lure customers with attractive prices, while small forges focus on highly specialised designs and innovative details - the range is huge and the choice is difficult. We tested nine candidates from all areas. Their technical level is high: Reinforced frames made of aluminium or CroMo steel form the strong heart. The elaborate designs of the specialised suppliers stand out here.
The bikes in the test:
Hercules Travel Pro
Koga Miyata Signature TR 26
MTB Cycletech Papalagi
Patria Randonneur
Raleigh Magelan 800-R
Red Bull Globe Major I
Stevens Sovereign RO
Tout Terrain Silk Road
Velotraum Cross 7005 EX Plus
The full-length article from issue 5/2007 is available as a free PDF download.
