Hi all,

I looked up some threads on the cross check for touring before asking, but most were quite old. I am looking at getting a new bike for my townie/touring bike. I live in Fort Collins, CO and do a lot of riding around town and commuting, but am thinking about getting into some touring. As of now, I don't plan to do any cross country touring, but stuff in the 200-800 mile range. I have read that the cross check is great for light touring, and a great option as it also works very well for a town/commuting bike. I am also considering the Trek 520, which will be $300-$400 more expensive, but is definitely built for the touring load.

I have read that the 520 is also a decent bike for town riding, but seems like it would be quite heavy and cumbersome riding it around the streets and bike paths. I wanted to get some opinions on what will likely suit my needs better. I usually ride around 15-20 miles a day, sometimes up to 40 mile rides on weekends, and plan to go on the occassional week or two long tour in the range I list above. These tours will likely be partial camping tours as well, so I would need a tent and a bit of gear. These bikes are both available for order near me, but no shops appear to currently carry them.

I'm currently not leaning towards either. I like the idea of the 520 as it seems like a great tour bike, but is a bit more expensive and I'm worried about it's ability to work as a town bike. The cross-check seems like a great option, and is much cheaper, but not sure it can handle the touring load.

Any opinions or thoughts are appreciated. Thanks!