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  Topic Name: What Frame Platform: mountain or road bike? on: May 03, 2019, 02:21:29 PM
Bobonli


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« on: May 03, 2019, 02:21:29 PM »

I am curious as to what your primary frame type is for your rides: mountain bike or road bike?
And in an era of fat tire road bikes, does the difference really matter when you take suspension out of the equation?
I'm in the market for a new bike that I'd like to be a capable machine for bike packing. I don't ride technical terrain so I don't need or want suspension. I want lots of attachment points, room for wide 29 or 650B tires. Comfort to pedal for hours, so a good fit. With the exception of the attachment points, this pretty much describes my current randonneuring bike, though attaching stuff to the drop bars is a little more challenging than straight bars.
My mental model has always been "bike packing = mountain bike" and I'm wondering if that needs adjustment. Wondering what others are doing.
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  Topic Name: What Frame Platform: mountain or road bike? Reply #1 on: May 03, 2019, 02:27:38 PM
taprider


Location: North Vancouver
Posts: 339


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« Reply #1 on: May 03, 2019, 02:27:38 PM »

depends on if you want to ride rugged trails or smooth gravel roads
If you would want more than city type SUV or CUV to drive your route, such as jeep and 4x4 tracks with lots or ruts and ledges, then I would choose a mtn bike
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  Topic Name: What Frame Platform: mountain or road bike? Reply #2 on: May 03, 2019, 05:58:35 PM
Adam Alphabet


Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 968


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« Reply #2 on: May 03, 2019, 05:58:35 PM »

Without getting into a 10 page dissertation on the merits of either... Salsa Fargo
https://salsacycles.com/bikes/fargo/2019_fargo_apex_1
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@adamalphabet

  Topic Name: What Frame Platform: mountain or road bike? Reply #3 on: May 05, 2019, 06:10:55 AM
RonK


Location: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Posts: 177


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« Reply #3 on: May 05, 2019, 06:10:55 AM »

Salsa Fargo. This is my bikepacking rig. No attachment points required.

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Cycle touring blog and tour journals: whispering wheels...

  Topic Name: What Frame Platform: mountain or road bike? Reply #4 on: May 06, 2019, 05:17:29 AM
bakerjw


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« Reply #4 on: May 06, 2019, 05:17:29 AM »

I will always go with a hardtail mountain frame as it gives more options.

A few years back, I built up a Lynsky M290 Ti frame as my bikepacking bike with 2x10 Shimano components, 24/36 chainrings, 11-36 cassette, WTB Nano 2.1 tireas and a no name Chinese carbon front fork. On a fairly decent gravel road it did pretty well for me. The fork flexed well enough to absorb some of the road chatter but the first time that I took it down a lesser maintained USFS road, it beat the living hell out of me.

I had a spare Foundry Firetower frame laying around that I had planned to sell but built it up the same way as the M290 and picked up a Lauf fork for it. That made all of the difference in the world. That is now my bikepacking bike.

The M290 got 32mm tires and was used for commuting as it was the same gearing and general geometry as my bikepacking rig.

Well maintained gravel roads are one thing, but hours on something rutted and rocky will take it's toll.
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