Originally Posted by MassiveD

Generally people get a chance to test touring bikes unloaded, which creates a false impression of how they will ride loaded. Tires are a big factor in bike feel, and the lighter tires on the Trek would normally give a nicer ride when comparing the bikes unloaded. Personally I prefer 35-37 mm tires for softer surfaces like stone dust rail trails, etc... However either tire size is fine for the road. But it would be cool if one could test the two bikes in your sample with the same wheels, just to take that variable out of the equation.

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