Originally Posted by
coffeecake
The LHT would be at least $400 more than the Rocky.
And the Sherpa is a nicer bike! And, if you have any "nutty" national loyalties, the frame is made in Canada!
Originally Posted by
coffeecake
I must admit I am kind of a sucker for the slick look of the Surly or Tweed.
The Tweed looks
very nice but I can't imagine it would hit your budget (nor would a custom LHT build). The Sherpa is slicker looking than the LHT (though, I might be biased).
Originally Posted by
coffeecake
I'm not too worried about gearing, we're about 800 km from any serious hills here and my knees still work (for now.)
I didn't expect it would be a problem but I'm just making sure you were aware of the potential issue.
Originally Posted by
coffeecake
We're in Canada and about a 5 hour drive from the border. I'm tempted to go down and buy from the States as a last resort. No LBS here is going to sell us a complete LHT under $1600. Taxes, tariffs, shipping....
But the Sherpa
isn't any sort of a compromise compared to an LHT.