Originally Posted by cyccommute

The problem I have with your list of touring bikes is that it's pretty short on touring bikes! The Trek and the Mikado (not available in the US) are the only bikes on the list that I would call a touring bike. The others are cyclocross which don't have what I would look for in a good touring bike. I've owned "sport touring" bikes in the past which have similar geometries to the cyclocross bikes and they didn't perform loaded touring duties well at all. If I were going to go on an organized tour where someone else carries my gear, these bikes would work quite well but if you are going to load them up with all the gear needed for multiday touring, the flaws in their designs become apparent very quickly. Try coming down off Trail Ridge Road here in Colorado on a short chainstay loaded bike versus the same trip on a well designed long chainstay touring bike and you'll become a believer too.