good, powerful performance
The trekking bike – the all-rounder of bikes
To move actively in nature, not necessarily be sporty, but just agile and if possible with a comfortable ride position and an ergonomic arm position – this is what we think a trekking bike should offer, which is why we transformed this thought into our actual trekking bikes.
We see the trekking bike in sporty but derailleur gear set versions as well as with low-maintenance hub gear sets, sometimes even in combination with a belt. This is because trekking at VICTORIA means the combination of a high degree of suitability for everyday use combined with at least as much comfort.
A trekking bike as a serious everyday companion
Trekking bikes are bikes typically for everyday use. Unlike comfortable city bikes, these are ideal for longer bike touring routes: simply bikes for almost every purpose. A trekking bike is especially popular with those people, who find a classic / retro bike too conservative and a trekking eBike does not come into question due to cost or general principles.
These are the aspects you should consider when selecting a new trekking bike:
- the drivetrain
- the brakes
- the tyres
The drivetrain on your trekking bike: derailleur or hub drivetrain?
The motor and the driver of every bike is the person. However, the person only has limited power reserves, with an ideal cadence as a cyclist being around 75 rpm. In order to get to speed on a bike, a drivetrain is advisable. It should work with as wide a bandwidth as possible and in a favourable graduation to transform pedal power into propulsion.
Sports enthusiasts value lightweight material that transfers the power reliably and with the greatest possible efficiency. As a result, they usually rely on derailleur drivetrains.
Maintenance opponents tend to fall back on the considerably low-maintenance and hub drivetrains. Maintenance restricts itself to occasionally cleaning and oiling the chain. Assuming a belt drive is not your first choice, this combination is the pinnacle of low maintenance. One crucial difference to the derailleur drivetrain is the fact that all gears can be used and are switched directly in succession. However, with a 3×10 derailleur drivetrain, there are really only 16 gears that can be used.
Trekking bike brakes – this is what counts
The past few years has seen the ‘brakethrough’ of the disc brake with it casting shadows over all other braking systems, and it is being used ever more frequently at VICTORIA. The reason: The disc brake is the strongest and safest brake for a bike: These always brake and well in all situations, even when wet or in snow. This means they can be used anywhere.
Rim brakes have a much simpler construction and can be mastered with minimal effort. Hydraulic brakes by MAGURA are almost fully maintenance-free once they have been correctly installed. The major disadvantage of any rim brake is admittedly the fact that it will affect the surface of the rim in the long term. Every time a rim brake is used, the pads have a grinding impact on the rim and wear off material: more so when dirty and wet, less the case when maintained. They like the wet even less as a water film has to be displaced from the braking surface, before sufficient brake friction can be achieved.
Therefore, our recommendation is: Disc brakes for a sporty riding style, year-round usage, larger payload and hilly routes. Rim brakes are better suited to a moderate pace and flat land.
V Brakes
Hydraulic rim brakes
Mechanical disc brakes
Hydraulic disc brakes
The right tyres for your bike
Do not fear wide tyres on your trekking bike – they can do almost everything better than their slimmer counterparts. However, tyres measuring between 37 and 42 millimetres standard width have become the norm.
Correct pressure: In order to play to all of its advantages, every tyre requires its ideal pressure. The best results are achieved with figures as close to the lower end of the pressure recommendation as possible. Your bicycle dealer will be able to tell you this too. As a guide, assuming the rider is of average height and normal weight, “wide tyres” can be pumped up to 3.5 to 4 bar.
Which VICTORIA trekking bike is the right one for me?
VICTORIA trekking bikes tend to be aimed at active cyclists, who do not wish to forgo a certain level of comfort. As a result, the seating position is more upright-relaxed than a sporty stretch on all models – which can be changed by shortening the steerer tube and changing the angle of the stem. Your bicycle dealer will be happy to help you here and will carry out a bike fitting for your personal needs.
The range of derailleur and hub drivetrain models is equally split. You will also find a trekking bike with belt drive in the range. All drivetrains are by SHIMANO and have proven their worth millions of times over. The range extends from the 24-speed Acera up to the 30-speed Deore XT derailleur drivetrain. With hub gears, we rely fully on the 7- and 8-speed Nexus hubs, available with or without coaster brake depending on the model.
Our recommendation: If you are more likely to use your trekking bike for daily trips, perhaps mainly in town without climbing many metres of altitude, you should give a hub drivetrain serious consideration. Combined with a belt drive as can be seen on the Trekking 5.8 D, you will be pulling out all the stops in terms of minimal maintenance.
If you are more likely to use your trekking bike in your leisure time, even for touring, cycle holidays or longer routes in topographically challenging terrain with long climbs, then you are better off with a trekking bike with derailleur drivetrain. Incidentally: Many of our models can even satisfy touring bike requirements.
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