I have ridden 26 inch bikes abroad and think they ride fine, would be happy to have a 26 in tourer to just not worry about a wheel blowout in the middle of nowhere. But unlike in Europe, it is really hard to find 26 in tourers in North America for a good price. I ended up getting a really nice Kona Sutra, and am very happy with it. But I am curious how 26 inch wheels would feel on it - the disc brakes and good clearance might make this feasible. Otherwise I will just take spare parts and hope for the best with the 700c on it; maybe the rise of 29ers (622 rim) in other parts of world will make 622 wheels/tires easier to get in Africa/South America/Asia soon.