Our 500€ Budget Touring Bikes // Cycling Around the World

UPDATE: As of December 2023 we have done over 35,000 km on these bikes!
Our most recent bike review: • 2 Years & 30,000 km - ...
The first 3 months and 3,000 kms of our journey around the world have already passed and we have now reached our first major milestone by arriving in Artemida, Greece.
So we thought it was the perfect time to review our second-hand, 500 Euro travel bicycles to see how the frames and all the components are holding up. We will try to do a review like this every couple of months to see how things develop.
For more information on our bikes & gear, visit our website:
www.louisaandtobi.com/bikes-gear
Our Route & Travel Infos: www.louisaandtobi.com
Follow us on Instagram: / louisaandtobi
Donate to our Channel on PayPal: www.paypal.com/paypalme/louis...
Thank you to our partner, Dr-Walter!
If you're looking for travel insurance, consider using our affiliate-link:
www.protrip-world.com/en/?vkn...

[@louisaandtobi]

UPDATE: As of December 2023 we have done over 35,000 km on these bikes! Our most recent bike review: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eKaveaqmqsqCodk

[@rpiereck74]

I always wondered why cyclists don't use Rok Straps, they are truly excellent. And they're made in narrower, shorter, lighter sizes that are more conductive to cycling. I'm glad to see you using them.

[@BillyBob-uc9zp]

Well done you two. Shoestring cycle tour. Perfect ❤

[@dattatraykrishnanathpatki4731]

Nice to hear a taiwan basic steel frame and brakes paddles are simple but sturdy the seat is also good no more technolgy but strongness preferred Hercules brand is famous in india too Happy to see such bicycle review as a basic helpful feature🙏😊

[@doctorgonzo207]

Cheers, guys. Thanks for the video. Safe & happy travels.

[@louisaandtobi]

Thanks! 😊

[@omare_biketonature]

Expensive bikes 😅 I bought a 1998 mountain bike for €75, it’s a 26” Merida Dakar 660, beautiful chromoly steel frame in neat condition! With the upgrades it might come to €250, I’m flying either Turkey or Colombia for a tour, I wish I could afford a proper touring bike like a Kona or a Surly, but I can’t! The main point is to get out there. Just subscribed, Cheers!

[@louisaandtobi]

Nice! Just had a look at the Merida 👍 Yea, best to get out there, regardless of what bike! Enjoy your trip and all the best! Cheers, Louisa and Tobi 😊

[@reeceholmes8546]

great vid thanks guys, love those bikes

[@briantyhy4880]

Thanks for posting. I am going to check out your guitar setup video. Best of luck in your adventure in this time of covid.

[@hemaccabe4292]

I love hearing what works for you. I’m never going bike touring. But what works best for you, will definitely get me around the corner for groceries. Thanks.

[@sanjeevrck]

Are you gonna talk about the duck with helmet in the front.. i love it .

[@louisaandtobi]

Haha, a present from Tobi’s mom 😅

[@hemaccabe4292]

I love that you have second had bikes. Great cost savings. People with more money than sense are always buying fancy bikes then not riding them then selling them cheap. I hope you do well.

[@outtatrex]

Nice, great review. Always interesting to see what bike setup people use. Good luck with the trip!

[@louisaandtobi]

Thanks! 😊

[@junderwood4803]

The hiking pole stand is such a good idea!

[@louisaandtobi]

Thanks! 😅

[@witofthestaircase1]

Two nice people.

[@c0r0y]

nice

[@hansguckindieair]

👏👏👏

[@nevertoopoortotour.3033]

I like that you chose used metal frames

[@MaartenVScheppingen]

You could buy a bungynet in an motorshop. I use one secure the duffle bag, easy to put wet clothes to dry or as a quick storrage for the raincoat

[@louisaandtobi]

We have one for the guitar. 😊

[@mohdsaadrosbandiroslan8372]

Nice cycling sir...

[@stefanwespa479]

Danke für das informative Video. Viele Grüße, aus Berlin Stefan

[@nevertoopoortotour.3033]

I just found your channel

[@WheelsonaBike]

Thank you for this overview. I have the Marathon Mondial tires as well, they came stock with the bike, but it's good to know they didn't do so well on the road with some debris. I will most likely upgrade them before a long tour. I also like your use of a collapsible trekking pole as a stand. I'm looking into getting a click stand, but your solution could also work.

[@GM-ob1bc]

Hallo , there is a difference between the much more expensive Marathon mondial evo , and the normal one , wich is only a look a like with poor quality.

[@yotoma]

Sorry, which Mondial do you have on your bike now? The folding bead evo or the wire bead? Thanks

[@WheelsonaBike]

@@yotoma I'm not sure. It says Schwalbe Marathon Mondial Performance Line, RaceGuard, LiteSkin on the tire.

[@wildirishladdavy7965]

That’s very impressive but you have upgraded them into nice machines ☘️🐺☘️

[@RollingExistence]

Awesome to see how the bikes are holding up. We went the other direction, spending about $4500 USD each on our bikes. They've been bombproof after about 10,000kms with no parts breaking, but if something were to go wrong we would be stuck for a while. For example, we have Rohloffs, which are known to be reliable but if they fail we are going to be stuck without a bike for potentially months. Also is it fair to say it's a 500 euro bike if you spent 400 euro on the frame then added a Son 28? Just your lights and hub are more than 500 euro haha. Great video though!

[@louisaandtobi]

Haha, yea, with all the extra parts it’s probably a bit more (I think we paid 190 for the Son28 and 80 for lights). Of course the Quad-Lock, horn, etc. would all be on top as well, but that would be the same on every “off the shelf” bike. But we thought the “500 euros” was a fair description, as this was the average price we essentially bought our bikes for. ;) It’s definitely an interesting topic, whether or not to go for high-end travel bikes or not. I think in the future we’d also look into getting a nice frame with a Rohloff or Pinion and then building it up with the components we want.

[@karstenschmidt5579]

Vielen Dank für Eure insides. Ich denke die Rahmen sind echt gut und es macht auch durchaus Sinn, auf Stahlramen mit einfachen Komponenten und vor allem ausenliegenden Zügen zu setzen. Einzig was wirklich ein Quantensprung in den letzten Jahren war sind die Scheibenbremsen. Gerade bei Langstrecken ist die Belastung für die Felgen nicht zu unterschätzen - und ich hab es schon geschafft, innerhalb von 10 000km Felgen durchzubremsen. Gut Felgen sind nicht furchtbar teuer und wenn man einspeichen kann, ist der Aufwand überschaubar. Jedoch habt Ihr schon erhebliche Lasten auf den Bikes und eine aufgehende Felge kann schon ein erhebliches Sicherheitsproblem darstellen (insbesondere am Vorderrad). Zum Thema Hydraulik an den Bremsen - hier hatte ich in den letzten 29 Jahren und weit über 100 000km mit Hydraulik Bremsen nur 1x ein Thema - das ich aber selbst verschuldet hab - hier hab ich an den Magura HS66 (Renn Felgenbremsen) zu weit zugestellt, so das Schraube und Kolben nicht mehr richtig verbunden waren.... und dann ist das System auf gegangen..... Das war das einzige mal das ich Öl gebraucht hab....Alles wieder richtig verbunden, mit einer Spritze von unten wieder aufgefüllt und bißchen gepumpt zum entlüften und gut war.... In der Zwischenzeit hab ich Hydraulische Scheibenbremsen.... hier verschleißen eben die Scheiben, aber die kann man einfach überprüfen und sind schnell mal getauscht - und auch das ist planbar.... (dann lässt man sich zur Not welche wo hin schicken und wechselt schon früher.... oder trägt sie ne weile mit rum). Also.... Wenn ihr zufällig die Gelegenheit hättet, einen guten Fahrradlöter zu finden..... Die Bremssockel wären ein echtes Upgrade - ob dann mechanisch oder hydraulisch..... Scheiben sind das bessere System.

[@hza.609]

i'm glad to see that you chose repurposing over buying new. I'm running a pretty similar setup. i just chose to put on hydrolic rim brakes from magura which are stronger especially with 35kg of luggage. also, have a rearview camera instead of mirrors, to constantly see what's coming behind. :)

[@louisaandtobi]

Nice! 😊

[@mastergalen]

It's a lot easier to twist the phone into your quad lock if you press the blue release handle down first 😃

[@louisaandtobi]

But then you don’t get the nice “click” 😂

[@hubmac3139]

I recently bought lugged cromoly Bianchi Spillo trekking bike 1992 propably, not sure the year. Everything is shimano STX and i paid €50. Had to replace chain, sprocket and tires but its great commuter bike really comfortable

[@AlbinoWaschbaer]

I use Schwalbe Marathon "original' 47-622, 28" x 1.75" tires with reflective sidewalls. I love these tires. They are very puncture resistant and ride very well. If I were to ride on rougher terrain much, I would prefer a wider tire though.

[@louisaandtobi]

We really wanted to get the “Marathon Plus Tour” here in Athens but it’s proven to be impossible. So Louisa got the Continental Ride City now (only 47 available here) and Tobis sticking with his Mondials until we find something better.

[@rosshickman2777]

I would also recommend Schwalbe Marathon tyres. The Green Guard may be easier to get than the Plus version. Very puncture resistant. Keep safe guys 👍🏻

[@apaul1305]

Ihr zwei seid einfach toll! Mit Komponenten höherer Qualität ein Einfaches Rad zu einem Weltreiserad gemacht! Super! Muß mal schauen, ob sich was an den Rädern geändert hat. Habt ihr die Bremse wirklich mit Gummiband fixiert? Interessant! Nun seid ihr ja in Ecuador und habt schon ungeheure Abenteuer hinter euch! Gute und sicher Fahrt für euch!

[@louisaandtobi]

Vielen Dank! Ja, die Bremsen mit Gummiband fixieren funktioniert super und machen wir immer noch. Einige Verschleißteile haben wir mittlerweile (schon mehrmals) ausgetauscht, aber sonst hat sich nicht viel an unseren Rädern verändert. Bald haben wir die 20.000 km erreicht und werden eine neue Review aufnehmen. 😊

[@Seajunkie]

Wonderful! I think your approach highlights for us that biketouring is more accessible than some might think ( gear doesn’t necessarily have make it cost prohibitive !). Did you start out with a rough idea of costs to travel or a budget while traveling?

[@louisaandtobi]

Exactly, bike touring can be done in a number of ways, also on a budget. We saved up a certain amount of money before the trip and planned roughly what we wanted to spend, so we were able to get a rough idea as to how long we could travel. We are aiming for 15 Euros per day per person, including flights, new gear, etc. although we are slightly above this at the moment.

[@charlesdgrinstead2114]

Regarding pedals for Luisa‘s bike, I got NC-17 Trekking Pro pedals after experiencing similar wet weather slipping. They‘re basic pedals, but inexpensive and practically indestructible. Highly recommended for touring when you don’t want to use shoes with clips.

[@louisaandtobi]

Thanks for the tip! :)

[@Bikepacking]

Just a bit of advice about the hub when it breaks you won’t be able to go anywhere ie the wheel will lock up my friends broke on tour spent 3 days trying to get back to a city then 3 weeks wait for replacement then had to pay for wheel. Build total cost 1200 usd all extra expenses included .. and remember son hubs are only designed for powering lights .. look at pedcell much better system if breaks you can still ride and power out put is crazy .. ps good lights look at supernova

[@louisaandtobi]

Thanks for the tip! :) We have seen and heard many people ride the Son for 50,000+ kms so at the moment we are not too worried. Also people powering their lights and USB chargers with them. If they do break we'll maybe consider looking into something else.

[@Bikepacking]

@@louisaandtobi I have one as well but replaced it because didn’t want to take that chance .yes people use uk brands of usb converter that cost over 200 pounds to make it even make power at 6 km a hour but the out put little ..6 .. but pedal cell is 2.2 amps ..

[@raimbowraimbow]

Amazing! I am looking around at a bike to convert into a touring one and was originally thinking of getting a 26" tire. 28" are popular though! What frame size is Tobi's bike? And your height? :D

[@louisaandtobi]

Tobi's bike is a 56, as far as we know, and he's almost 180 cm. We definitely love the stability and rollover of 28"s.

[@BodyKnight]

I see a shimano parallax hub on a rear wheel. Those things are virtually indestructible.

[@louisaandtobi]

We were really happy with it yea, although, unfortunately while taking off the cassette recently we noticed that the freehub housing had cracked so we needed to replace it.

[@darrentyrrell4217]

Hi I love your videos. I was wondering what shifters you use on your bike Tobi? I have a similar 8 speed setup and I'm looking for a durable set of thumb shifters. I'm also considering friction shifters. thanks Darren

[@louisaandtobi]

Hey, I use an old Shimano Deore LX system which came with the bike. The drive train (Crank, Cassette, chain) are newer but the front and back derailleur and shifters are still Deore LX.

[@johnboxxy3432]

Nice video. Re bungies, I use flat ones about 12 mm wide which hold things better and are easier on more delicate things. They also have luminous spots through them which shine at night when lights reflect on them.

[@louisaandtobi]

Thanks! 😊 Nice, sounds good.

[@onedaywellallbedead4338]

Guys get some Schwalbe Marathon Plus tour tyres You will not have many problems Liked & Subscribed….😎👍

[@louisaandtobi]

Yes, they were our first choice too - but it’s proving to be very difficult to get them here in Greece 😄

[@pawel8365]

Love your videos! I was wondering what your electrical setup is with the dynamo? How do do you split between the front and rear lights and the USB werk unit? Do you have any diagrams or links I could follow? Best wishes and thank you.

[@louisaandtobi]

Unfortunately we don’t have any diagrams. But the USB Werk and front light are essentially connected directly to the dynamo in parallel. And the rear light is connected to the front light (the front light has designated cables for the rear light), so that when we turn off the front light the rear light also turns off.

[@pawel8365]

@@louisaandtobi Thank you for your valuable reply! I have seen schemes whereby people have connected "switch boxes" between the lights and USB Werk. I will look into your suggestion. Many safe travels! 🚴‍♀🚴‍♂

[@robertmolthoff1280]

Why don't you guys do not cycle with one sided click and one sided normal pedals? Also then no big problems with slippery pedals in bad weather conditions when used the click side. Amazing video' s by the way...

[@louisaandtobi]

Yea, this could be a thought for us in future. The main reason we don’t use click is because we like to cycle with different shoes (sandals, waterproof shoes), depending on the climate we’re in. And we also need to use those shoes for walking. So we would need more shoes just for cycling, etc.

[@Mokkel73]

7:42 :-)

[@louisaandtobi]

😅

[@franknobody5965]

use wet wipes to clean your chains and hands.....and other stuff 😉

[@louisaandtobi]

Yea, we do 😊

[@yotoma]

Do you happen to know the estimated weight of each of your set ups when fully loaded? I would like to know if you are happy with your all your gear and if it’s not too heavy? Thanks

[@louisaandtobi]

Hey, actually we just had the opportunity to weigh them only a few days ago. It was with an industrial car scale so the accuracy is unfortunately only +\- 5 kg. But Louisa’s bike weighs 55 kg and Tobi’s 60 kg. That being said, Louisa has meanwhile gotten rid of her guitar as she wasn’t using it enough. In general we are really happy with our setup. We have gotten rid of small things (pieces of cutlery, pieces of clothing, etc.) and optimized other things (smaller sleeping bag liner, plates, etc.) but not gotten rid of anything major (except now Louisa’s guitar). Of course there are large and heavy things that might be unnecessary, but for us they are important. For example, Tobi’s guitar, our folding chairs, our camera and editing equipment.

[@yotoma]

@@louisaandtobi Thanks for taking the time to reply. I'm glad you are happy with your set up. I intend to be on the heavier side when compared to most tourers and especially bikepackers, but I, also, have chosen items that I want to have with me. Overtime things get dialed in, but I am anxious about starting out at about 60-65 kg. with food and water. I assume your 55 & 60kgs. weights are with food and water, right?

[@louisaandtobi]

Our weights were with about 2/3 of our water filled up (excluding an optional 10L water sack), and some food with us.

[@akhil6095]

How did you guys manage during COVID? where were you staying during hard lockdowns?

[@louisaandtobi]

We started our journey in July last year so didn’t have any hard lockdowns until now, luckily!

[@bolleolympus]

👌👌🌹🌹❤❤🌷🌷👍👍

[@ShihabdeentheCyclist]

Use center stand instead of kickstand

[@joramvandervorst7715]

Wich version of the Schwalbe Marathon Mondial do you have? The wired or folding bead? The wired ones are much less puncture resistant. The normal Marathon Greenguard wired tyre will do fine for your trip.

[@louisaandtobi]

I’d have to check which version it is. But it looks like we have finally found some Marathon Plus Tour tyres in the correct size here in Istanbul. So we’ll hopefully be upgrading to those soon!

[@KG-lr2qw]

How do you keep the phones dry if it rains?

[@louisaandtobi]

We put them in the clear plastic top pockets of our handlebar bags. That way we can still navigate and they’re protected from the rain.

[@KG-lr2qw]

@@louisaandtobi Ah, I wondered if that kind of handlebar phone holder thingy had some kind of case you could put a phone inside and still clip it back on. Oh well...

[@louisaandtobi]

@@KG-lr2qw We do have a Quadlock phone holder which came with a waterproof cover for the phone, however, this isn’t really waterproof so we got rid of it.

[@marksadventures3889]

I don't like dynamo lights, I am looking at a Dawes Galaxy, but prefer disc brakes..living in the Pennines I want stopping power. 26" wheels.

[@louisaandtobi]

We like the simplicity of dynamo lights, not having to worry about batteries being full when you need light. Disc brakes are definitely the way to go if you need stopping power, but so far it’s actually been alright with our V-brakes (better than expected to be honest). We would probably get cable operated disc-brakes next time round.

[@marksadventures3889]

@@louisaandtobi I use USB lights, hooked up to power packs, fed by solar pads - I can always charge them up fast at a café if need be when the skies darken. I'm looking at posh - for me - panniers- ortlieb and front bag from carradice, made in my old town Nelson, Lancashire.

[@louisaandtobi]

Just had a look at Carradice products and saw they also have some nice saddles. I’ll keep that in mind if mine gets too worn out!

[@marksadventures3889]

@@louisaandtobi they cost a bit but they are craftsmen and women- last you years and great service 👍 over 50 years says quality to me.

[@alexmorgan3435]

Your videos are usually very good showing your journey but this video really frustrated me as why not show the bike when you are talking about it and various parts????? We know what you look like, we just want to see your bike, the components you are talking about, the things you have changed and how you have arranged your luggage on them. We only need to hear the commentary not see it!!! Maybe on a few occasions point the camera back to you talking but it's not necessary so often, the focus should be on the bike(s). Sorry end of rant. With your Quad lock set up I would suggest very strongly getting the vibration damper as well as without it the vibrations can knacker your phone's camera and image stabilising function. I think the damper is only about 18-20€ and is easy to fit. I know of a few people whose phones have been wrecked as they had a solid mount without a damper to absorb the shocks. For tyres you should try the Schwalbe Marathon Plus touring tyres. I have never had a puncture with these tyres in many many thousands of km. They are a heavy bicycle tyre but the puncture protection is worth it, but no way are they as heavy as the 1kg Mitas tyres that were suggested to you. It might be good to carry a couple of spare tyres and tubes. It's always easier replacing tubes at the side of the road rather then trying to mend a puncture with a crowd of people starting to gather around with various people trying to offer help and pulling at your bike, with kids and dogs around you as well. You can repair the puncture later when you are away and safe. Is the leather saddle a Brooks saddle? When you take the kickstand off you will realise how heavy it is and that you should have taken it off much earlier! I took the kickstand off my Cube touring bike and it weighed a tonne!!! I had same Vaude Aqua rear panniers that you have. They were good until they fell apart, splitting at the seams/welds after about 2.5 years of constant use. I now use Ortlieb panniers and they are far better in terms of robustness and durability plus Ortlieb panniers and bags have a 5 year warranty as opposed to 3 years from Vaude. Do you carry any spokes in case you get a broken spoke(s)? I think the solution for your front mudguard is to cut it so you don't have any below the fork crown creating less space for the tyre to pass or stones and mud to get caught. You will have to make additional mounts for each of the 2 pieces of the front mudguards which is what I did with one of my bikes. Those pedals on Loiusa's bike look like they suck and will make riding so much harder especially riding for a whole day after days. Anyway it looks like you have pretty much everything covered. Looking forward to the next one, Turkey and Istanbul. You are planning to visit Istanbul?? You surely have to. Safe cycling.

[@louisaandtobi]

Hey, greetings from Izmir, Turkey. Thanks for your feedback about showing the actual components when talking about them, we’ll keep that in mind for the next videos! Quad lock: yea, we’ve heard that before about the vibration damper.. we’ll try to get it when possible, however this might be difficult in the near future. We really wanted to get the Marathon Plus Tour while we were in Greece but it proved to be impossible. Tobi will keep his Mondials for now and Louisa got 47mm Continental tyres as they were the best we could find. We hope to both upgrade to Marathon Plus Tour when we get to the USA. No, it’s not a Brooks saddle. It’s some other no-name brand leather saddle that came with Tobis bike. But it’s pretty good! Taking the kickstand off was great! 😉 One of Louisa’s Vaude Aqua rear actually started to tear at the seams now but we glued it… let’s see how long that holds. We have also seen other cyclists Ortlieb bags tear as well though… I guess there’s just no perfect product. Yea, we have several spare spokes, cassette puller and whip, etc. For the Front mudguard we found a nice solution. We’ll show it in our upcoming “Greece Cont.” video. 😊 Louisa has better pedals now! 😅 We will be in Istanbul first week of December, for now we are cruising through Turkey. Take care and thanks for your comment and tips! 😊

[@mendigoizalemendi5049]

Where do you bougth the cork grips? Thanks in advance

[@louisaandtobi]

We bought ours from Globetrotter in Germany but you should be able to find them online.

[@emp-ty-g]

film the bike and not the user.

[@that4205]

rich man talks about cheap bike. my bike cost four euros. plastic is waterproof. and cover.