MTB touring bike

This is the touring bike of Brian O'Sullivan. In 2005 Brian came to us to get a touring bike for a tour of the Rhine. At the time we didn't have a conventional touring bike the right size in stock, but there was this 531 Raleigh mountain bike from about 1993.

It's a little known fact that 700c wheels will fit in mountain bike frames. The cantilever bosses will be in the wrong place, but with touring tyres it is a simple matter to use sidepull brakes in the holes provided for fitting mudguards, as the picture below should make clear.

The handlebars are German style trekking bars, which are a good choice for people who don't like drops. The headset is a Stronglight X15 rollerbearing. This headset can have its bearings and bearing surfaces replaced in 10 minutes using only hex keys.

This is a bit of a heavy way to make a touring bike, but once it is loaded up with four panniers the extra weight of the bike becomes less important than it's stiffness, and this bike is very stiff. It also handles beautifully.

The paintjob is one of our "brushed smooth Hammerite" specials. It was a rusty frame.

Many years ago, at the start of the mountain bike boom, there was an article in one of the cycling magazines asking the question, "can I turn my touring bike into a mountain bike?" The answer was not really. This bike proves you can go the other way.