Originally Posted by clasher

Why not step down to the Elite Disc model? It has eyelets and a triple up front, it seems to make more sense for touring than the expert... it has a fork with braze-ons and you could upgrade the drivetrain since it's 600$ less than the expert model. I've got an '06 sirrus sport I've set up for commuting and touring, it had all the braze-ons I wanted: front/rear racks, fenders, 3 water bottle holders.