Bike suggestions for touring South East Asia

That Fuji is actually good value for money if you must have something new,and yes you can put wider tyres on it if you want, possibly up to 42mm without mudguards or 37mm with. In SEA you will be riding mostly on good pavement and something between 30 and 40mm would be best. The Norco you mentioned is well suited to off-road with its FS but how much off-road would you expect to be doing on this trip? Most people spend the vast majority of their time on paved roads, where the FS is unnecessary and its extra weight a big drawback.

You really have a lot of options, but if you want to save money buy 2nd hand. You could modify an older MTB by adding racks, narrower tyres and mudguards. Something from the late 80s, fully rigid, butted cromo with long chainstays is best for this, but not absolutely necessary as you could get by on all sorts of models if you set it up right. Or, you could be into something like this nice old Avanti (which is overpriced anyway) for just a few hundred.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Touring-Bicycle-Steel-/151714703087?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item2352e6a6ef

factor in the cost of taking your bikes both ways on the aeroplane.
depending on airline, could set you back a couple hundred bucks
each.

you might consider buying used (or new) in asialand. i've seen
mention here and other forums of bikers (sometimes couples)
selling off their bikes and gear after their tours.

should have a decent selection of new/used if starting in bangkok
or phnom penh. there's an entire street...several blocks...of
used bike stalls near the capitol guesthouse. lots of crap, but
plenty of decent bikes, too. several new bike shops nearby also.

in that case, you travel with all your clothes and stuff in the
saddlebags that you'll hang on the rear rack. small handlebar
bag is your carry-on.

there's been a massive paving program in cambodia and laos
over the past few years. you should be able to do your entire
tour on paved roads. you almost have to research to find
dirt roads anymore. granted the paving in some places is
worse than dirt/gravel.... in the event a section of road is too
crappy, throw the bikes on a bus.

I'd agree that in Vietnam & Cambodia (presumably Laos also) one can stick to main roads but have found it's also nice to get off the main roads & away from traffic, if not whenever one can, at least occasionally.
On a recent trip from Phnom Penh to Vietnam (Bavet crossing) I was just so bored with the monotony of highway one that I cut off onto dirt tracks & paths through rice fields. Straight away the pace of life changed & it became a wonderful, peaceful cycle ride through tranquil, idylic Cambodian countryside. Often I find just cycling a dirt road running parallel to the main highway is so much more pleasant.
Except for the depths of the rainy season most of these roads/ lanes/ dirt tracks are hard compacted clay & road tyres will gain enough traction, indeed I cycled many with my tyres worn to slicks without any problem (until heavy rain descended).
I'm new to modern technollogy (hence my inability to spell check) but I am amazed at Google Maps ability to pick out wonderful routes when you set it to "walking" Hell they even know which ridges over paddy fields to send you.

I toured SA Asia on a hybrid with front suspension but the roads were generally good and rigid would have been fine, roads tyres are also fine, something from the Schwalbe marathon range is popular and long lasting. I have no idea what airlines fly there from Australia but I have used Emirates and Gulf to fly to Asia from the UK and both have 30 kg luggage allowance for cattle class so the bike has gone for nothing. I pack mine in a cardboard box they come to the shop in from the factory which should cost you nothing, if you buy purpose made cases make sure they are not too big for oversize luggage, I have seen people turned away at check-in because of this.

Such valuable information, thank you everyone for taking the time to reply.

Would anyone be able to give me a basic list of specs I should be looking for? I know hardly anything about bikes (trying to learn). My only issue with buying 2nd hand in asialand is the language barrier and the fact that I don't really know what I'm looking for. I do like the sound of the adventure though! I don't feel the need to buy new, the Fuji just seemed very interesting. The more research I do, the less money it seems I need to spend.

I'm not too worried about flying the bikes over, I know on some airlines it'll cost, on others it won't. In regards too the "off-roading", is it worth it getting those tires put on? Will I notice much of a different between off-road and road tires? Even just on pavement? I think I can agree, that I probably would like to get off the main highway once I was comfortable in the country. I love the tip about Google Maps, thank you.

This entire trip is kind of "practice" for a huge European tour I've been dreaming up. Should I try and make the bike purchase a 2-1 type of thing? A bike suitable for both continents? Or are they so different in needs, that it's not worth it? Should I just focus on a bike for SEA right now?

Thank you again. I'm sure I'll have a lot more questions

a mountain bike will do fine, as long as it fits and is comfortable
for long stretches of riding. be sure to check the frame is long
enough....do your heels hit your saddlebags while pedaling?

mtb will probably be the cheapest option....that seems to be the
most common quality bike available. also with smaller frames
they're easier to load into bus cargo bays.

you really don't want off-road tires. heavy tractor-style tread
with big lugs is uncomfortable, slow and noisy on pavement.
get something with a smooth center section for roads, but
has bumps/nubs/profile on the shoulder for traction off-road.

this tire for example: http://img04.taobaocdn.com/bao/uploaded/i4/17186024499342629/T1AAlmFc4XXXXXXXXX_!!0-item_pic.jpg

i used this type of tire throughout cambodia/laos/etc, on roads, trails,
mud, gravel and light sand.

I wanted a 26 inch wheel MTB with cable disc brakes and 9 speed for the cheapest price, and found the Hasa, I've added a few things, but use this in Asia because it gets knocked around, I thought the kid in the picture was going to destroy the bike. http://imgur.com/C9UFopZ - http://imgur.com/k5YaP3t

http://www.cyclingdeal.com.au/buy/2015-hasa-comp-3.0-mountain-bike/COMP30GY

tire link doesn't work, try
http://image.dhgate.com/0x0/f2/albu/g1/M00/3B/EF/rBVaGVRbKTmABlwIAAJSLatZxEk072.jpg

Hi Chris, an aussie here.

I"ve done a few trips now. In Asia, only two long ones in india, both on a moutain bike but there most roads are paved and a bike with bigger wheels is fine. The more spokes the better though.

I'm on my third bike now. I'm sticking with Giant as the best value for money bikes you can buy although i'm not saying its a fact but its my impression. Reason being that they make so many they get good economies of scale. And the quality is excellent.

I'm on my second giant. The first one was stolen in Paris. I bought my second one there and its got bigger wheels. Bigger wheels enable you to go faster and you can ride them on rough roads anyway. The only reason i'd suggest you buy a mountain bike is if you are really heavy and intend carrying a lot of gear. Personally i suspect you don't need a mountain bike for your asia tour and you will be better served with a touring style for Europe.

I'd buy a bike that would serve both tours to save you more money. And one decent Giant bike will certainly be adequate for both tours.

I bought mine in Paris it was the cheapest touring bike i could buy and it came fully rigged with lights, mud guards. I recommend you buy better peddles and put on either spd clips and buy the shoes or a cheaper option is to buy a cage or toe clip type gizmo. Either way, you should get one or the other for efficieny and comfort.

The seat on my bike is great. The bike cost about $600 at a time when the exchange was good. Only in 2013. If you do not have a lot of money, i am all for buying the cheapest bike that will do the job reasonably well because you will have to buy more gear and should keep most of your money for enjoying your trip.

Buy ortleib panniers. For Asia, you should be able to make do with only the back panniers as you won't carry a tent most likely.

As for tyres. You probably don't need knobbly tyres unless you plan to do a lot of offroading. I would stick with slicks of a wider kind.

Remember when kitting up, including with tools, less is generally more. Asians ride bikes so they have bike mechanics everywhere except perhaps in more mountainous areas but they should be able to help you with any mechanical problems.

Another reason for buying a new bike is that you are unlikely to have any mechanical problems. If you buy a second hand bike you will have to get it serviced and who knows what issues will arise.

With any cheaper end bike, ensure you have a "sealed bottom bracket". If the bike does not come with this, get it changed over before you leave. This brought me unstuck towards the end of my tour in outback australia with my first Giant. The gears seized up and I couldn't ride another inch. And no one locally could fix it.

Only get suspension in the front forks, not elsewhere on the bike. Sorry I can't remember what model i bought. I would also consider the advice of people in the bike shops when choosing one.

I replaced the pedals on mine with the steel ones I had on my very first bike which I found in the lifeline shop. If you buy second hand, make sure its the right size and get it checked out first by a bike mechanic so that you know how much extra you are up for.