unterhausen

most modern racing bikes do not have a particularly aggressive geometry. They work just fine for long distances. They have even started coming with more clearance for bigger tires, which is probably the main thing that a touring bike has over a typical racing bike. Can you ride a double on a touring bike? Sure. Is it better than a racing bike that the OP already owns? No way.

Kertrek

That's exactly the touring bike I'm looking at. I recently talked to someone with a Long Haul Trucker who toured across the country with a guy who was riding the Fuji Touring Bike, and said the Fuji is faster than his LHT. And a lot of people love the ride quality of the Fuji. I've found some small panniers that are about day trip size, and I'll have enough room for granola bars and fruit. Once I get that bike I can decide which bike I prefer for endurance rides.

Ghazmh

I ride my 2014 trek 520 when I do centuries. It is very comftorable but slow and heavy. If I could do it all over again I would have bought a Crossrip or something like that

woodcraft

A double century is just a century

with an earlier start & later finish.

Your bike will be fine.

Maybe get some really nice shorts.

mtn.cyclist

It is really easy to overthink bike choice for any given ride. I do agree that certain types of bikes are better suited to different types of riding and I am so equipped. Specifically, I built up a bike for long distance, non-touring type riding. It's light, fast, and efficient with a big emphasis on comfort and it has suitable gears for climbing. My touring bike would work for a century or double, and it has gone 100 miles in one day, but if I don't have a load to carry my other bike is much more suitable.

bikemig 

The fuji touring is probably the best value for a touring bike out there and it will be fine for long distance riding; you may want to use different tires though.

JFuller

It's been pretty well covered already but throwing in my 2 cents anyway:

The best bike falls right in between the touring and road race bike, almost dead center between the two. The #1 consideration will be road conditions IMO - if smooth pavement, stick with road bike; if rougher roads, the larger volume tires of a touring bike will keep your momentum going.

Benefits to road race bike:
- More speed for your effort exerted
- More comfort from the frame/fork

Benefits to the touring bike:
- Better geometry when you're exhausted
- More comfort from the tires

Ideally you'll have a bike with lightweight tubing for a compliant ride combined with slightly larger volume tires to deal with a wider variety of road conditions, with geometry that is still pretty quick but more stable so you don't have to think about it when you've been riding for 8 or 10 hours.

JFuller

I recently sold my LHT and picked up a Soma Grand Rando, and I am FLOORED by how much faster the Soma is. The LHT is a great bike but it is pretty sluggish (though depends on setup to some extent, of course)

rawly old

Two centuries! Geez, I barely made it through the last one. I'll be lucky to hit 75. which is in winter
my weekly average in miles coincidently. That's if I can catch a tailwind. I found my 'race' bike
frame in a ditch & cobbled it back together with whatever was handy. Still, It's pretty fast all things
considered. It has a 35 yr. old frame with 40 yr. old wheels & a 50 yr. old B-72. It's my retro-rocket.
I actually paid $60 for my touring bike. My now touring bike was a purpose built race bike.
I'm no longer all that keen on ridin" a 100 miles all at onest. Not to say I'm too old, but if 60 is the
new 40, then I'm pushing 50. My problem with which bike to ride is bewildering, so much so that
invariably I end up riding 3 on a given day. Tough choice.

thebulls

I also have a Soma Grand Rando, which I ride as my regular brevet bike and I find it quite responsive. Still, it's very capable as a light touring bike, particularly when the load is carried up front e.g. a big handlebar bag, plus front panniers on low riders, and maybe a Carradice saddlebag to carry any bulky but light items like a sleeping bag.

My "best" brevet bike is a Gunnar Sport that has been converted to low-trail by having Waterford build me a fork to the same specs as the Boulder Bikes Allrounder. So the resulting bike is almost identical to the Allrounder in geometry. Tubing spec may be a bit different because of S&S Couplers.

Last summer I did a series of hill-climbing tests where I rode a loop with a big hill, first on the Gunnar, then the Soma, then the Gunnar, etc Repeated tests on a very hot day riding as hard as I could made for decreasing average speed on the climbs. But what was interesting is that even as I fatigued, each run with the Gunnar was faster than the prior run with the Soma. See attached graph, the first point of which is on the Gunnar. So the second run on the Soma was slower, but the third run on the Gunnar regained some of the speed.

intransit1217

I intend on doing one, once trained properly, on my Masi Giramondo. Here's why.

A. It fits the best of all my bikes.
B. It has gearing that helps me make use of my measly 200 watts.
C. It is comfy on long rides.
D. It has gearing for climbing.
E. 700x40 clements are fast and comfy.

The downside I think will be weight. Recently when riding with my local groups, I found it to be less responsive when applying power early in the climbs. The lighter bikes made better use of the rider.

OTOH. the weight gave me more downhill speed and I was significantly heavier than I needed to be. I will strip it down for the RAIN and RAW, when it is time.

escii_35

Yes, but it really depends on the touring bike.

I did a double on my mid 90's cdale touring with Vittoria randoneur 700x28 tires and rocked it. Harsh ride but wonderful power transfer.

Did the same double on my 26in wheeled gravel grider with all the rack mounts sporting 1.25 slicks. Think extra big 1990 stumpjumper with drop bars. Ug, never again.

At mile 175 I can't imagine pushing the big boy gears of my c and v race bike.