Touring - MTB designed for Touring?

Are there any moutain bikes specifically designed for around the world touring? I've only been riding for a year so I'm new to all the possibilities. My thought is that I'd like to get a steel framed mountain bike (not a road bike because I'm going off road quite a bit) with front suspension with lockout and use a BOB trailer. I've heard steel is very durable and the easiest to repair. I've been looking closely at both the Soma Groove http://www.somafab.com/groove.html and the Surly Karate Monkee http://www.surlybikes.com/karatemonkey.html# but was wondering if anybody has any other thoughts or suggestions. My main objective is comfort and durability, not speed.

Check out Bruce Gordon Bicycles in the US. Thorn Bikes in the UK. They both make hardcore heavyduty touring bikes with 26" wheels (MTB size) designed specifically for around-the-world touring, but they're very pricy. For a bit cheaper, any mountain bike company that builds steel frames is likely to be able to provide you with a touring style mountain bike. My favourites right now are Kona and Rocky Mountain.

I just bought a bike with pretty much the same interests as you (around the world durability, ability to ride off-road, and comfort not speed), and I ended up having a touring frame built for me by Independent Fabrications. It was a lot money, but I'm loving it, especially since I have a bit of a funny shaped body and production frames don't fit me very well.

Good luck with the shopping! It's fun to look at bikes...

You might check the Koga Myata they make suspension world trekking bikes with a good reputation.Appears they are al frame and are European and hard to get in the U.S. but worth a look.I read some of the journals of Tilman Waldthaler (man that name is diffiult to spell lol)accessed from the sites main page of his travels on this bike.
http://www.koga.com/uk/index.asp

There's also the Reise & Muller Delite Black

http://www.r-m.de/english/1_katalog/delite/model/black.html

with a faiv front rack (www.faiv.de) it would be rather tasty.

Here's a somewhat related thread I started which might be of interest to some...

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=56824

There are MTB's designed for touring as others above have said. I have a Giant MTB (no suspension type) that was design for touring; problem with it is the straight handlebars thus lack of hand positions which is needed when riding long distance's-of course I could always swap the bars out for road bars. But MTB for touring are more intended for off road touring, on the road they tend to be stiffer due the beefer construction of the frame. If you bought a MTB with front suspension you would not be able to attach panniers there, losing valuable cargo room.

Old Man Mountain makes front racks for front suspension MTB's. They are available from either OMM or Adventure Cycling. Gunnar makes an off-road touring bike with 26" wheels and knobbies.

There are MTB's designed for touring as others above have said. I have a Giant MTB (no suspension type) that was design for touring; problem with it is the straight handlebars thus lack of hand positions which is needed when riding long distance's..

Flat bars with bar ends (or other bar variations) can provide multiple hand positions. What I think is important is that the rider finds what works for his/her needs. My most comfortable distance riding setup (rides of 50 to 100 miles in length) is a flat bar setup with bar ends that has cushy MTB grips. I have a drop bar bike that is OK, but I still prefer the flat bar setup. I can do a century on that bike and have NO hand discomfort at all.

The drop bar setup is better for fast riding, and fairly comfortable, but not what I want when I want to ride along and look at the scenery and still feel fresh at the end of the day.

To each his own.

The flat bar/drop bar debate is misleading. Either can be set for a high/close position or for a low/stretched one. It is entirely up to you. Most drop-bar touring bikes are configured for a fairly relaxed ride, not racing aerodynamics. The advantage of drops for the tourist are the variety of hand positions. You can use drops off-road without a problem.
The Thorn/BLT style of expedition bike is really a tourer fitted with 26" wheels, rather than a modified MTB. You get a good selection of braze-ons (ie third waterbottle), good placement of the rack fittings on the front and rear, and a very long rear-triangle for performance when loaded.

I have had my Soma Groove for a month now. I didn't buy it for touring, just for riding around, and it does that fine. To me it feels to short for touring, the bars don't go out far enough to streach out a bit, as on the Marin Hybid that I have toured on. Maybe if I had bar ends on it I would feel differently. But it is the best looking bike I have ever seen.

The Reise & Muller Delite bike(s) is just what I was looking for....Big $ though. Thanks Blonde for your post! Now if I could only get one in the USA (not to mention, get that kind of cash!). I might have to build a semi-custom mt/touring bike just save anyhoo.

The Reise & Muller Delite bike(s) is just what I was looking for....Big $ though. Thanks Blonde for your post! Now if I could only get one in the USA (not to mention, get that kind of cash!). I might have to build a semi-custom mt/touring bike just save anyhoo.

I think for that kind of money you can build yourself a better customized Mtb/tourer to fit your specific need. At least component-wise you can do alot better. Old Man Mountain racks look very appealing too... That would be the route I would take.

I think for that kind of money you can build yourself a better customized Mtb/tourer to fit your specific need. At least component-wise you can do alot better. Old Man Mountain racks look very appealing too... That would be the route I would take.

Yeah, I do have specific things I want... disc brakes, bombproof wheels, ergo/gel saddle, solid 27sp drivetrain, etc. And I probably could build or convert a mt bike for less $. The Delite Black (their cheapest one is $2,454 USD) and Delite Jubilee ($3,682) pretty much has everything I want in a mt/touring bike. Then the Grey Delite....ultimate!

If there's one thing I've learned, is to buy best quality in gear (that one can afford) , and it will save headaches and $ later.

As a thought.... Resie & Muller do sell the frames seperately as well so you could put on the shock, forks and brakes of your choosing which I would prefer to do, and hopefully will when I have the money.

If you want good tips on mountain bike touring look at:

http://www.mountainbike-expedition-team.de/

They (and many others) think the rohloff (http://www.rohloff.de/) internal gear hubs are the best thing for touring as they are much more robust than the derailleur system and actually give a better range of gears that most (roughly 20 to 100 gear inches) in nice steps. You can also change gear when stationary! Alas they are expensive, but maybe not that much more than a XT/XTR drive system.

I've had a good look at the delite black in one of the local bike shops and it is a very nicely put together frame and overall bike - you definitely get quality for your money. It's worth noting that if you tow an ibex/yak and have rear suspension you need a decent 'rear triangle', so none of the swinging arm designs that seem quite common at the moment.

Decisions decisions..... Have fun!

It's worth noting that if you tow an ibex/yak and have rear suspension you need a decent 'rear triangle', so none of the swinging arm designs that seem quite common at the moment.
Decisions decisions..... Have fun!

Not sure what you mean by this... Is the Delite ok for towing a BoB? Or is the rear triangle NOT stiff enough? According to the website, their frame and suspension is stiff.

The delite is fine! You need something that looks like a rear triangle in the suspesion system, so not something like this...

http://www.specialized.com/SBCBkFamily.jsp?sid=04Enduro
http://www.storck-bicycle.de/de/bikes/organic-alu.asp

whereas I believe things like this are fine

http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/04/ce/model-4VP3.html

They still have the diamond shape but there is a shock in the way so to speak. There is plenty of info on the bob website and a discussion forum there for bob questions should you want to know more.