Thanks for the reply. I would probably use my cannondale f600 with racks. I think having a lockable shock would be nice. Do you prefer a ridgid fork or suspension?
Originally Posted by cyccommute
Off-road touring can fall in to a bunch of different categories. There's just riding dirt roads or smooth trails like the Katy Trail. These can be done with a regular loaded touring bike using panniers and racks without too much trouble. The eastern third of the Lewis and Clark Trail includes a lot of dirt roads and rail trail. I did it on a Cannondale T800 and had no problems at all.
The next category (which overlaps the above a little) is rough dirt roads, mountain roads, jeep trails and unimproved rail beds. I've done that too and I'd rather use a mountain bike with full knobby tires over a road touring bike. I have done this kind of touring with panniers and with a trailer and I'd probably use a trailer, especially if I'm using a mountain bike with suspension. It's just easier to do than trying to put racks on the bike. I did a solo tour a number of years ago that started from the east portal of the Moffat Tunnel, deep in the Colorado mountains. I rode over an old rail bed called Rollins Pass then on to Dillion over an old road called the 4-bar-4 road and, by linking several rail beds and Forest Service roads as well as some state highways, I was able to do a 400 mile loop back home. On an unsuspended bike, it was a very tough and rough ride but it was also a lot of fun.
And then there is the full blown, off-road, single track experience. Mountain bikes need only apply. Mountain bikes with trailer are best by far. You can get into some serious trouble doing these kinds of tours so be prepared for just about anything. I'd stay away from a full suspension bike because you don't want something failing miles from nowhere.
For both of the latter categories, I'd use full knobbies on my bike. The volume helps with taking some of the pounding out of riding. The knobbies provide traction where you need it and, if you need to, you can always pump them up to around 60 lbs and ride on pavement. I'd also get bar ends and use them often because without them you can end up with numb hands, something that I did and it took around 6 weeks to get the feeling back.
For routes: Get a DeLorme for the area you want to ride and look at how to link stuff together. There are far too many dirt roads to choose from to suggest anything specific. Just in Colorado, I could probably name 15 300 mile loops from mild to "Oh My God!" to "You want me to carry my bike up what?"