Originally Posted by robertkat
I'm beginning to look into my next bike. I want to road bike that's nice and comfy for long distance/light touring but alos good and sporty for short daily rides. I'm consdiering having a frame made custom, possibly by Vanilla. But I'm also interested in Seven too. Can anyone give me their opinions on these two builders? Is a bike made by Seven a good deal? I'm leaning more towards stell which is why I'd like to go with Vanilla, but Ti has always held my interest too.
Also, I was looking at Trek's Portland model. Anyone have an apinion on that bike?
I have a suggestion that is way below your price range:
I have a Surly Pacer road/sport-touring bike that I think works very well for comfy all-day rides and would work great for light/supported tours. It's not as light and fast as the racers out there, but it handles rough roads nicely. Mine climbs well and descends safely.
The frame/fork sells for around $400 retail. Any shop can order one for you.
surlybikes.com
I had been thinking about upgrading to a Gunnar Sport frame, but at $1500 for a customized-for-me frame & fork for me I decided that it probably wouldn't be 3x better than what I already had.