You guys have provided me with some really eye-opening info.
For someone who had literally no idea about any of this stuff, you've all been a wealth of information.
I've always been under the impression (mainly 'cause I was lead to believe it by others) that big people should only ride mountainbikes since they're the strongest, blah blah...
I'm now no longer even considering a mountainbike as it seems completely pointless for my type of riding.
Seriously, thanks so much for leading me to that eye opening revelation.
I'm now looking at pretty much exclusively touring bikes and both the Surly CC & LHT, along with the Trek 520 seem like fantastic options.
A couple things I'm now wondering:
What's the main difference between the Surly CC & LHT?
Are there any upgrades that you'd suggest be done right away to the bike once I get it? (be it different wheels, seat, brakes, handles, etc.)
Do you think buying a bike online is a stupid idea given that the experts aren't there to set it up how you need it when it arrives? I could save a good deal buying online, my only worry is that I won't be able to ride it "out of the box"- and I don't know any bike techs near my area.
Are there any other touring bikes in this price range you recommend checking out?
Thanks again, everyone!
EDIT: After researching a bit, it seems people stress the importance of the wheels and tires quite a bit. Would the stock ones on the LHT, for example, not be sufficient for me? How much does a good set of wheels + tires run roughly? Sorry for the completely noob questions- again, I know nothing about any of this and am just getting into it all!
Last edited by mrkm; 06-09-13 at 01:46 AM.