Before I toured on a Rivendell Rambouillet with the same luggage arrangement. I ran 28mm tires front and rear and had a gear range from 21" to 103". The Ram is a very comfortable bike and great for all day riding and the geometry makes for a very stable ride.

The Cervelo definitely has more "snap" than the RAM and feels faster. The handling is a bit more sensitive than the Ram, but not worryingly so and I've set the riding position to be very similar to my Ram with only a little saddle to handlebar drop. My Ram and the RS are both size 56cm. The bike shop I bough the RS from wanted to put me on a 54cm, but I like to size up so that I don't feel cramped. The Cervelo is very comfortable on the road and I think that's due to the design of the rear and it goes up hills nicely. I plan to run 25mm front and 28mm rear tires on the RS and the current gearing is 36" to 112". I will probably reduce that a bit by using a 12-36 cassette with the new wheel I'm getting which will probably be something like Velocity A23 or HED C2 with White Industries road hubs.