Bike Friday ,+ Rohloff, Disc Brakes Dynohub LED Lights.
easier to get it to where you want to start your trip, because It packs into a Suitcase
so skips special handling Fees Airlines Charge,
or needing to buy a box from Amtrak to get on the train.
In looking at various bike shops there are so few touring bikes( steel) on their shelves.
Where I live, it is a very popular place to be touring through .. N>S,
and Starting W>E or ending E>W. But folks already have their gear and Bikes
when they Get Here , so the economics is against selling touring bikes ..
instead, the inventory is stocked for the people who live here, the rest of the Year.
[ & small parts for the passers through,
and new raingear when, they realized theirs was not working for them ]