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SCOTTinNJ · 04-02-2015, 12:49 PM

I say this in the most loving way, I should have just asked which hitch to buy!

Jammer · 04-02-2015, 12:50 PM

29" Unicycle. More portable and good for road and trail. You do have to work on that balance thing though.

SCOTTinNJ · 04-02-2015, 12:51 PM

Funny. I've actually ridden a unicycle.

Rod Johnson · 04-02-2015, 01:29 PM

I know you are feeling inundated with info, but I'll add my 2 cents.

I'm 71 and used to ride a lot (particularly commuting). Also rode with the Potomac Pedalers. I have both a good but older Trek road bike (2300 ZX) and a Trek hard tail mountain bike (FX 6500). The latter is modified to include fairly slick tires, fenders and a Tubus rear rack with Ortlieb panniers. The bike gets lots of use going to the store for groceries. I don't really like either bike with the Airstream. The 6500 is heavy and the road bike won't take the rear rack and panniers.

I vote for a touring bike with a steel frame. Rivendell is great but spendy. I'm looking at the Surly long-haul trucker or disc trucker. Relaxed geometry and very comfy with a Brooks saddle. Yes, lots of gears, but I haven't found keeping bikes reasonably tuned on the road to be a problem. BTW, I use the Fiamma rear bike rack.

Drathaar · 04-02-2015, 01:50 PM

I think I would go with an appropriately sized mountain bike with two sets of wheels. One set with an off-road tire, the other with high pressure fat boys for the pavement. Maybe different gearing for each set. Get a good quality seat, pedals and shoes, and any of the other gear that you normally use. An alternative would be the touring frame with 700c rims that was previously mentioned.

martin300662 · 04-02-2015, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SCOTTinNJ

I say this in the most loving way, I should have just asked which hitch to buy!

That's the fun thing about asking for opinions.....everyone has one!

Wayne&Sam · 04-02-2015, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by martin300662

That's the fun thing about asking for opinions.....everyone has one!

Yeah, but I'm the only one who's right.

Coki · 04-02-2015, 02:18 PM

I have found a fat tire bike will work well for all kinds of terrain you may encounter in your travels as a full time RV'er. Campgrounds have mostly dirt trails and in Florida, you will encounter sugar sand. I take my Trek Navigator, has a fat tire. It is perfect for unpaved campgrounds, dirt trails and great in gentle sugar sand. And i can ride it on the road too. It's not an expensive bike, so no worries about it being exposed to weather conditions, and protecting it like a high end road bike. Tires on a hybrid, even if they are knobbies can't be ridden on some surfaces.

dwightdi · 04-02-2015, 02:27 PM

I like my Trek Multitrac aluminum. It is a compromise, but rides nice on most surfaces. Pick the right tread for you average usage. The hard tail is made softer with the spring seat post with no weight gain.

robert claus · 04-02-2015, 02:29 PM

I like our Trek Lime bikes. Although they are no longer produced, you can find used ones for great prices. They are lightweight, and have three gears. The kicker is that they shift themselves, up and down, to match the speed. You can ride alongside your youngster, or get into it and it will adjust appropriately. These replaced some single speed folding bikes we had. Storage under the seat is a bonus. Low & high bar frames were available in two different sizes. Bought the first (low - small) at a yard sale. Liked it so much I found another (men's - large) for myself. Great for around town or campground.

WaLee · 04-02-2015, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rod Johnson

I know you are feeling inundated with info, but I'll add my 2 cents.

I'm 71 and used to ride a lot (particularly commuting). Also rode with the Potomac Pedalers. I have both a good but older Trek road bike (2300 ZX) and a Trek hard tail mountain bike (FX 6500). The latter is modified to include fairly slick tires, fenders and a Tubus rear rack with Ortlieb panniers. The bike gets lots of use going to the store for groceries. I don't really like either bike with the Airstream. The 6500 is heavy and the road bike won't take the rear rack and panniers.

I vote for a touring bike with a steel frame. Rivendell is great but spendy. I'm looking at the Surly long-haul trucker or disc trucker. Relaxed geometry and very comfy with a Brooks saddle. Yes, lots of gears, but I haven't found keeping bikes reasonably tuned on the road to be a problem. BTW, I use the Fiamma rear bike rack.

+1 on the Surley. After replying i thought i should have added the same bike to my list. But, Rivendell is spendy in the same way an airstream is. I have my eye on a pair of Sam H models as our camping and townie bikes.
Btw avid Colnago roadie here.

Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums

SCOTTinNJ · 04-02-2015, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coki

I have found a fat tire bike will work well for all kinds of terrain you may encounter in your travels as a full time RV'er. Campgrounds have mostly dirt trails and in Florida, you will encounter sugar sand. I take my Trek Navigator, has a fat tire. It is perfect for unpaved campgrounds, dirt trails and great in gentle sugar sand. And i can ride it on the road too. It's not an expensive bike, so no worries about it being exposed to weather conditions, and protecting it like a high end road bike. Tires on a hybrid, even if they are knobbies can't be ridden on some surfaces.

Now this sounds like the voice of reason.

EDIT: I thought you were talking about a real fat bike, not this.

Road Ruler · 04-02-2015, 04:06 PM

Good day Scott... I have many higher end bikes ( I don't like cheap heavy ones) and the best all purpose one is this Kona Major Jake cyclo cross bike that I converted to flat bars (added comfort). It will do almost everything fairly well and weighs just 21lbs. For bumby rides I have a Fuel 98 full suspension. PS... I could never ride a single speed. Those days are long gone.

The Major....

SCOTTinNJ · 04-02-2015, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Road Ruler

Good day Scott... I have many higher end bikes ( I don't like cheap heavy ones) and the best all purpose one is this Kona Major Jake cyclo cross bike that I converted to flat bars (added comfort). It will do almost everything fairly well and weighs just 21lbs. For bumby rides I have a Fuel 98 full suspension. PS... I could never ride a single speed. Those days are long gone.

The Major....

Now we're talkin'

m.hony · 04-02-2015, 04:38 PM

I'll give another vote for the Surley Long Haul Trucker or the brown Trek commuter bike- can't remember the model-
My Trek campground comfort bike is a Navigator some number I can't remember-
Many Trek bike riders on this thread-

Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums

jcl · 04-02-2015, 05:55 PM

One bike is tough for an avid rider.

Today, it is a Cervelo R5 with Zipp 303 and Campy S/R for training or distance. A Trek 1.5 with fenders and a rack for wet weather. A Simcoe Prestige with internal hub and sealed brakes for in town errands or cruising the park.

My wife has the same 3, but with DuraAce on the Cervelo.

We take the Cervelos on trips.

If I had to have only one bike, it would be lightweight steel, 28c tires, disc brakes, drop bars, and a Rohloff hub. And a rear rack. Our Nexus 7 speed internal hubs are great, but too much drag for distance. Surly frames are a little heavy IMO, so maybe a CoMotion. They build a nice frame and are accustomed to the Rohloff hub. It would be similar in concept to a cross setup. Maybe an Americano model. Hmmm, need to go spec one out. N+1 and all.

Jeff

Photobum · 04-02-2015, 06:08 PM

I travel with two bikes.

1. A Specialized Roubaix road bike.
2. A Giant 29 inch mountain bike.

Phoenix · 04-02-2015, 07:19 PM

Several AirForums members have Montague Folding Mountain Bikes. They have relatively low rolling resistance on pavement, but handle well in loose dirt, gravel and sand found in most campgrounds and easy trails. One big plus: They are full size, and fold in half.

I think one member recently was considering selling a "Paratrooper", and you might be able to save a little money on a gently used model.

See more info at these links:

Note: I have no affiliation with the above vendors, which are listed for reference only.

gandttimes · 04-02-2015, 08:22 PM

We carry two Bike Fridays. A Pocket Llama and a touring tandem. Llama is foldable and tandem dismantles to our roof pod. Both are 27 speeds and very light.

George

Gneiss Guy · 04-03-2015, 05:20 PM

It all depends on where you are going and what kind of shape you are in. We typically head for the Rockies in summer and, at 75, the idea of a single-speed bike is very off-putting. On the other hand, if you are young enough to have a five-year-old and don't have many hills to climb, the "fixie" might be just the thing for you. I am at the age when I am buying my "last" everything. Our last bikes are flat-barred road bikes and they work really well for us. Get what is best for riding with the kid and get your own favorite when she is not there to ride with.