Hi there, I'm Ed Austin.

I recently compiled "Ed Austin's World Touring Bicycles Guide", which is available free-of-charge at -

www.scribd.com/doc/246190511/World-Touring-Bicycles-Guide.

The Guide does not promote any specific bicycle brand or cycling related product. It was produced simply through my love-affair with bicycles and touring on them. 

There is an ever increasing number of advertisements, websites, blogs and Facebook groups, devoted to cycle touring, which suggests that many people are out there touring on bicycles, and many others are thinking of doing so. Could you be one of them?

If you're considering such intrepid adventure, you'll need a bicycle. Of course you could venture out on granny's trusty shopping bike, or anything else that has wheels and a seat, but long-distance unsupported touring is best done on a bicycle that's specifically designed for the purpose, and fitted with panniers to carry heavy loads over rugged terrain. These special bicycles are known as “World Touring Bicycles” (WTB's for short).

WTB's are rarely seen in towns. They are seldom promoted or displayed in bicycle shops, and unlike many other types of bicycles, they are not produced in large numbers.

Obtaining online comparative information about the many brands and models of WTB's that are available, is far from easy. They tend to be submerged in the crowd, and specification details vary enormously in presentation and content.

The Guide makes comparing and selecting WTB's far easier. In this single document you can peruse at your leisure, the important technical details of well over a hundred retailed and configured solo model WTB's.

As well as the technical specification and gearing table for each WTB model, the Guide contains narratives to introduce the concept of bicycle touring to you, with lots of advice about bicycle components, materials, maintenance, gearing, road safety, etc.

If you are only interested in WTB's with a specific type of brake, frame material, gear system, handlebar, or wheel size, you will find component indexes of bicycles with those specific features, so the sorting is done for you.

If you prefer to have your very own personal WTB, made by a professional bicycle framemaker, World Touring Bicycles Guide lists a hundred of them, in ten countries.

The Guide applies exclusively to solo WTB's with steel or aluminium frames, and rigid forks.

Whatever model you decide to buy and ride, the machine and its details, will hopefully become secondary to the pleasure and enchantment of the things you see, and the people you meet, as you ride out to explore our wonderful world on your trusty WTB.

May you chose your WTB wisely, and have many safe and happy journeys.

Ed.