Touring - Need reviews about 700cc softtail tour bike

I have discovered a few cyclocross softtail bike Over the Internet possible to use as tour bike. Big name such as Moots, Dean, Morati etc are made of titanium thus expensive. However the KHS CX 100 softail is made of chrom steel which cost only USD $799 for a whole bike.

The bike's specs seem Ok to me, But I am worried that the frame may not be strong enough to withstand a self contained tour. The manufacturer certainly claimed that this frame have passed all their Performance test and it come with 25 years warranty!

http://www.khsbicycles.com/page127.html

However, I am not convinced because it was not suggested By Adventure cyclist magazine Buyer's guide 2002. Can anyone with experience on Tour bike take a look at its web page. I need your suggestion whether I should settle on this bike to use for
self contained tour/ Leisure racing/ city cruise etc

Thank you for your Kind assistance

Might be fun for commuting and knocking around. Can't comment on its suitability as a cyclocross bike.

I don't think it's a good choice for touring:

-No rack mounts
-No fender mounts or eyelets
-The gearing is much too high
-The added complexity of rear suspension is just one more heavy thing to break
-chain stays too short for large panniers, even if you could mount a rack

I question the usefulness of any kind of suspension on a pavement bike. And a 1" travel rear suspension can't be much more effective than a good shock seat post, which you could mount on any bike.

RichC

I think for the money you should take a look at the Fuji Touring. I believe you can pick one up for around $650 to $700. IMO it has better parts, big tires and is a touring bike with all the eyelets.

For a self contained tour you need a rock solid rack. You cant afford to have the rear end bouncing or bending around.
You can ride tracks and trails on most loaded touring bikes.

As an alternative to a suspension seatpost, you may want to consider a Brooks Conquest sprung saddle. This is probably a more reliable solution to the "problem" than a seatpost with moving parts that wear out.

First of all, you don't want to go on a long tour with el-cheapo Sora components-they will wear out fairly quickly.
Secondly, this is a road bike, you need a touring bike if you are going to carry any amount of gear.
Thirdly, if you are going to carry weight, you will need a heavier spring to hold it-do they have one?? Are you going to ride all the way with the spring on the bump-stop? Why bother with a spring in that case?
This looks like a gimmick-not something to use on a long tour. Get fatter tyres if you want a smoother ride.

Originally posted by D*Alex
First of all, you don't want to go on a long tour with el-cheapo Sora components-they will wear out fairly quickly.


Actually Sora components have held up pretty well since they were introduced. They're heavy, and you can't shift to a small cog while you're in the drops, but I wouldn't reject them for touring because of durability concerns.