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I’m excited to announce the annual update of both the Touring & Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guides is complete. The latest versions now feature more than 270 different bikes each!
I’ve spent almost every day over the last few months researching the latest touring and bikepacking bikes, calculating various measurements, observing the latest trends, contacting bike manufacturers (for additional information), and updating all the terminology and general advice in my guides.
I’ll be sharing all of my favourite bikes in the coming months – stay tuned for that.
Bike-On-Bike Comparison Tool
A large proportion of my time has actually been spent inputting the latest frame geometry numbers of every bike in my books into the website Bike Insights.
If you haven’t seen this nifty web tool before, it allows you to visualise the size differences between any two bikes found in my guides. It is particularly useful when determining the best bike size for you, as manufacturers do not have a standardised way of sizing them.
For example, use this link to see the 63cm Bianchi Impulso gravel bike overlayed on the 56cm Kona Sutra. Given the sizing name, you’d think they’d be 3-4 sizes apart, but they actually measure up almost identically in terms of frame length and handlebar height.
While the sizing discrepancies aren’t always this stark, Bike Insights is a useful way of checking you’re getting the right-sized bike.
Another useful way to use Bike Insights is to borrow, hire, test or get professionally fitted to a bike that (1) feels good in terms of size, and (2) is listed in the Bike Insights database. You can then use this bike as a size benchmark for comparing any of the bikes in my guides!
Gearbox Bike Categories
You’ll have noticed that I write a lot about gearbox drivetrains, namely the Rohloff hub and Pinion gearbox. If your budget allows, I think these are the perfect drivetrains for long-distance bike travel – you can find an in-depth comparison of the two market-leading bicycle gearboxes HERE.
The biggest change for 2022 is that I’ve separated the gearbox and derailleur bikes. I’ve also boosted the number of gearbox bikes significantly – you will find more than 80 gearbox bikes featured in the Touring Bicycle Buyer’s Guide and more than 30 gearbox bikes in the Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guide.
Almost all of these bikes are belt drive compatible too, which helps to create a virtually maintenance-free drivetrain.
Accessing The Update
Those who have already purchased one of my buyer’s guides will have just received an email with the latest editions attached. If you cannot find the email, there is a chance your email service has filtered it to the ‘junk’ folder. The email was sent right on the new year (31 Dec or 1 Jan).
Alternatively, you can search your email system for your original “Gumroad” receipt. That will take you to the portal with the current book(s), along with the buyer’s guides from previous years. Failing that, please get in contact with me using a private message on Facebook or Instagram – or via email.
If you’re a new customer, awesome! My guides will teach you everything about bikepacking or touring bikes, before allowing you to compare 270+ bikes at the back of the books. These guides are updated yearly – for free – so you can always keep on top of the latest bikes and information.
