Hey there...
We've recently began thinking about working up to a tour this summer for maybe as much as a few weeks somewhere here in Poland. We've lived here for over a year now but know that this would be an incredible way to really get a great view of an area that we haven't visited. But have some questions...
Bike:
Currently the wife and I both have Schwinn "hybrids". I think they're 21-speed'ers...no suspension. They were semi-cheap ($250/ea) some 6 years ago. They're relatively uncomfortable (maybe just a seat issue) but we're trying to figure out if what we have could be used to go touring.
New Bike?
We've visited a local shop where they sell mostly Kelly, Giant, and Wheeler. After much talking, the salesman seemed to think that what we were looking for would be a middle-of-the-road Wheeler cross bike...like the 1600 or 2600. I have been able to find a deal for the 5600, though, for the same price as the 1600 (about $600US). You can see the Wheeler line here:
http://www.wheelerworldwide.com/cross-5600m.htm
Just don't know if we should be thinking about changing bikes...or just sticking with the schwinns and changing tires, adding seat suspension (or something like that)...etc.
Any advice?? What do y'all think???