Originally Posted by
X-LinkedRider
Front Suspensions? - This will absorb so much of your precious energy over the course of a day/5 days/or 3 months it is not even funny.
Maybe true in the past, but there are many models of suspension fork that have a pretty decent lock-out system these days. Or you could always convert a suspension front-end to rigid. Chro-moly rigid forks can be had for around $75.
As for finding parts for 700c, as long as it is a bike shop or a place that has a bike section, I have not run into ANY problems.
You haven't toured in east Africa, have you? Just finding a bike shop can be difficult. One with 700c parts? Likely impossible. The last time I was there, which as admittedly 10 years ago,
every bike I saw had 26" tires. If I were planning to tour outside of NA and Europe, 26" wheels are the
only ones I'd consider...