Originally Posted by Barrettscv

Yes, I'm very happy with it. It's about 97% as fast (over longer distances) as my Carbon road bike which features much smaller tires and better wheels. It can also be used for gravel trails here in the Midwest. On gravel I can hold a 17 to 18mph while training with some serious Cyclocross cyclists. It's reasonable stable with a credit-card load of 20 to 25 lbs. The 425mm chainstays and stiff construction help with the load capacity.

The tires are important. I'll use Vittoria Randonneur Hyper tires on road or gravel when conditions are dry. I run Kenda Happy Medium tires when the trail is damp. Both tires roll well while providing a smooth ride and secure traction.

30 years ago, most large bike producers sold sports/touring models that cleared 700x28 or larger tires and had 425mm or longer chainstays. Most of these used long reach caliper brakes, and were available with triples. These bikes were popular and could be used for anything short of racing or cross country unsupported touring.

I guess when producers started making money with road bikes that copied the elite bikes used at the Tour d' France, they moved away from less practical bikes.