.. using it for a whole west coast tour from Southern California to Northern Washington eventually,..
Bene Sugg: want the extra challenge of doing it in a headwind?
on the Pacific coast route, its for good reason the bike tourist traffic is North to South.
What about the Surly Cross Check?
they get used for touring..
tow a bike trailer and you wont need to fit Racks..
FWIW, the Specialized will be set up and ready to ride at the Dealer .
the others you get a shipping carton with a knocked down Bike in it,
to put together .
Surly will only sell complete bikes through dealers,
though some retailers may reship them..
Lots of shops have QBP account so,
though they may not stock them they can order the bikes on demand.