30 or 35 pounds of stuff is a lot for a road bike.
OPTION #1: Buy a new LHT and sell it when your done. It'll probably cost you around $400. The odds on you having bike problems very low.
OPTION #2: Buy a lightly used touring bike and then sell it when you're done. The only bike cost is your wear and tear on the bike probably around $200. The odds on you having bike problems would be somewhat low.
OPTION #3: Use your bike and reduce the carry weight in half. The cost would be $0 to $1500 (or more) plus actual wear and tear cost. If you weight less than 155 lbs than the odds of having bike problems would be very low. If you weigh 160-175 lbs the odds on you having bike problems would be somewhat low. If you weigh more than 190lbs I would not take this option.
Last edited by BigAura; 05-26-13 at 06:31 PM.
Reason: typo & clarification