Re: [CR]Touring on vintage lightweights

(Example: Racing:Wayne Stetina)

From: Donald Gillies <gillies@cs.ubc.ca>
Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2004 07:49:22 -0700 (PDT)
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: Re: [CR]Touring on vintage lightweights

What is the definition of an "Off-the-shelf" tourer? I agree that the paramount shouldn't qualify since it's a limited production bike. And i think that just because a bike is a 15-speed doesn't necessarily make it a tourer, e.g. fuji america.

An off-the-shelf tourer has some combination of geometry and/or wheelbase and/or perhaps rear double braze-ons, randonneur handlebars (raleigh gransport, most schwinns), and room for large (32mm) tires with fenders (that disqualifies my P-15 paramount, but qualifies the raleigh international.)

By today's standard, every bike sold from 1970 until 1980 was a touring bike. Most of today's overly-racey bikes (trek 520 excepted) are pretty feeble from a touring standpoint.

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA