>>>Don't let your wanderlust get translated into consumerism<<<<

Cheez, aside from this one line, all the guy did was tell us about a cool five-day trip on a cheap bicycle. I get what he meant by the statement above, and I'm not at all offended by it. Whether you prefer to ride a "good" bike or a $50 department store model, it's not a bad idea, every once in a while, to step back and take a look at what your ultimate goals are - and to make sure they are YOUR goals and not something sold to you by a magazine ad. I find that, if I can get my head right on a tour, put all my stress aside and just enjoy the heck out of every mile, I can easily forget which of my bikes I am riding.

Omiak, point well taken. Glad you enjoyed your ride. However, my advice is to abort this thread now and not try to convince anyone that their attitude about biking is somehow inferior to any other attitude. We are ALL correct.