Originally Posted by
katiemac
Thanks Red!
I think I am leaning more towards the Diverge at this point, but I would like to keep the possibility open for unsupported tours in the future. It doesn't look like the Diverge has fork braze-ons, but would I still be able to comfortably tour with it if I had a trailer? On the flip side, would the Aurora be good for club riding?
Yeah, the Diverge is limited in that capacity though it does support a rear rack (It looks like even the A1 has eyelets for a rear rack). I think if you're planning on doing a little more with the same bike in the future, and you aren't going to enact the N+1 rule and get an totally separate bike for each task (touring, road/gravel rides, etc.), you may want to look into options like the CrossCheck, Vaya, Spacehorse, and Mr. Pink.
The Aurora could be a club rider, but really the bike is oriented toward touring. Jamis goes as far as keeping spare spokes on the frame. It also comes standard with a triple crankset. The bike has more squared geometry with relaxed seat tube angles, and compared to some of the more straight-up road bikes you're considering, the bar-end shifters may seem not as ergonomic/convenient.