Bike test: British-built touring bikes

These mid-priced tourers have much in common: steel framesets, very wide-range gearing, mudguards and a rear rack. But there are notable differences. One is defiantly old school, with V-brakes and quick-release axles. The other has cable disc brakes and thru-axles.

The most striking difference is the choice of handlebar: the Spa Cycles D’Tour has a drop bar, the Oxford Bike Works Model 1 a flat bar. Curiously, while this is the default for each bike, they’re both available with either handlebar option.

Frame, fork & handlebar

Both frames are made from Reynolds steel and are very neatly finished. The Spa has 725 tubing, the Oxford 525. They’re essentially the same chrome-molybdenum alloy but 725 is heat treated, which boosts its strength by about 50%. It’s not something you’re aware of when riding, and either frameset should last you a lifetime if looked after.

The Oxford Bike Works Model 1 is about as retro as it gets: a frameset that would have been familiar decades ago, decked out with kit not dissimilar to that which I toured on in the 1990s. That’s not a bad thing. It’s tried-and-trusted technology, put together with care and attention – and it all works well.

If you were buying one, you’d probably have fewer spacers on the steerer; Richard at Oxford Bike Works put this together at short notice in a size smaller than I’d normally ride.

Every one of the bikes I’ve owned since my flat-bar kids’ bike has had a drop bar, and I’ve ridden all my extended tours on drops. I’ve nevertheless put in thousands of miles on flat bars. There are obvious benefits to both setups.

While the flat bar helps with stability, as your hands are further apart, the extra width makes it harder to squeeze through gaps in stationary traffic. It generally puts you in a more upright position, which means less strain on your lower back. Yet it’s harder to ride into a headwind as it’s less aerodynamic.

Apart from better aerodynamics, the big advantage of a drop bar is the number of handholds it offers. Your hands, wrists and shoulders aren’t stuck in the same position, so you can reduce the likelihood of discomfort and numbness setting in.

There are ‘in-between’ handlebar options: the butterfly bars used by many European cycle tourists, and the alternative flat bars we featured in the June/July 24 issue. These increase the number of handholds while retaining a more upright riding position and enabling the use of more cost-effective flat-bar controls.

Although the Oxford has a simple flat bar, it can be specified with grips with integral bar ends, giving a useful extra hand position. I’d choose these if I were buying the bike.

Components

The Oxford Bike Works Model 1 has a triple chainset. While rare these days, it’s still the go-to for many of us, offering both a wide gear range – including a bottom gear of just 18in – and small jumps between gears. It’s arguably the best of both worlds when it comes to range and cadence.

The drivetrain is 3×10-speed Shimano Deore. Deore has been doing sterling work for generations of mountain bikers, day-to-day cyclists and cycle tourists since the 1980s. Shimano flags it as only mid-range kit, but in my experience Deore is durable and well designed.

The trigger shifters work impeccably and the braking is very good. It’s been quite a while since I’ve used V-brakes. I’d forgotten just how effective they are. They offer plenty of power and control, and a pretty light action. They don’t need bedding in either.

Compared to the cantilevers that preceded them, they’re a noticeable step up. With flat-bar levers they don’t require a Travel Agent or similar gizmo to achieve the correct cable pull. And V-brake spares remain readily available.

The Spa D’Tour has a more modern road- and gravel-based setup: 11-speed Shimano 105 with a GRX rear mech. You can choose from a number of chainsets. I picked a sub sub-compact 40₋24 double. Paired with an 11-40 cassette, that gives an ultra-low bottom gear of just 16in. This was a godsend for my 63-year-old knees.

The Spa’s brakes are TRP Spyre cable discs, which are a decent choice for touring. They may lack the power and light action of hydraulic discs but would be easier to fettle in the back of beyond, and they too will work with buckled rims.

The test bikes have similar wheels, in that they’re built for strength and are paired with reflective-sidewall 35mm Schwalbe tyres with enough tread for towpaths and light gravel. The Spa wheels are hand built by Bobby Stevens, who did a great job on my own Spa Audax wheels. Hand-built wheels are an optional extra from Oxford Bike Works.

Out of the box, both bikes come well specced for touring or year-round commuting and day-to-day riding. The Oxford is equipped with full-length mudguards, although the front one doesn’t have a quick-release in the event of something being trapped between guard and tyre.

Its aluminium Topeak Supertourist rear rack is solid and is compatible with the Topeak’s MTX bags and baskets, which slide into rails on the top than click in place.

The Spa D’Tour’s SKS guards have the familiar Secu-Clip quick-release feature. The rack is German, too: a chrome-moly Tubus Cargo Classic that has the same hefty 26kg capacity as the Topeak.

Ride

With steel framesets and 35mm tyres, both bikes are unsurprisingly comfortable. The Oxford’s upright riding position is regal and puts no pressure on your back. It’s great for both seeing and being seen. You won’t be steaming up hills, but the 18in bottom gear means you won’t be pushing either, even when carrying all your gubbins.

The Spa’s drop bar puts you in a lower riding position, but the long wheelbase keeps the ride stable and – like me these days – it’s built more for comfort than speed. The Spa also has the only Brooks saddle I like: the non-leather Cambium C17.

The Oxford has a larger, more padded Bioflex OnGel option. I don’t usually like so much padding but it proved friendly to my backside.

Both bikes climb well thanks to their low bottom gears. My ride home from town has some short stretches at 11%, and I’m usually in the largest sprocket for these. On the Spa, I found myself in second or third. That doesn’t mean that the 16in bottom gear is superfluous.

We also have nearby hills with pretty long – by UK standards – steepish sections. If you’re carrying bulging panniers on a ride of a few hours or more and you reach the foot of one, trust me, you’ll welcome it. The older I’ve got the more convinced I’ve become that you can never have a bottom gear that’s too low.

Verdict

Both these British brands have delivered high-quality tourers with the sort of care and attention that smaller-scale companies do so well.

Well-finished, Far-East-manufactured framesets are decked with carefully chosen components – the Spa’s contemporary, the Oxford’s more retro. Crucially, both bikes have gearing, wheels and tyres that are spot on for touring.

As for the handlebars: the Oxford’s flat bar helps with a super-stable, upright and regal ride, while the Spa’s drop bar gives you more handholds and a lower, more aerodynamic position for a slightly swifter ride. Neither bar nor bike will let you down.

Other options

Ridgeback Expedition £1,349

Well-priced, flat-bar offering with a steel frameset, cable disc brakes and a 3×9-speed Shimano setup with a low bottom gear.

Temple Adventure Disc 3 £1,695

Drop-bar steel tourer with TRP Spyre brakes, Shimano Sora and 40mm WTB Vulpine tyres. The price doesn’t include a rack or mudguards.

First published in Cycle magazine, April/May 2026 issue. All information correct at time of publishing.