Originally Posted by
MassiveD
To me that is a chicken and egg issue. There is no technical problem precluding carbon bikes from carrying racks, but since tourists don't seem to want carbon bikes, the carbon bikes we get are not properly equipped to carry gear.
That's a problem for touring in general. Touring is not a big cycling market so innovation specifically for it isn't on the top of manufacturers' to-do lists. Luckily tourers can take advantage of the endurance and adventure bike developments if they can do without eyelets and frame inserts to mount racks.
Originally Posted by
staehpj1
That just about sums it up. I'd be riding carbon if it were cheaper. I travel light enough that road bike weight and geometry would be OK or even desirable to me, but yeah, for most touring styles the frame would ideally be built heavier, have more relaxed geometry, a longer wheelbase, and some inserts for racks and such.
The geometries and wheelbases for touring are all available in CF. Increasing numbers of tourers don't need racks because of new camping equipment and fabrics and the growth of bikepacking. So that just leaves cost as a barrier. The Raleigh Roker costs about $1000 more than a LHT. That's a significant amount, but the Roker might be bought by someone who wants to ride trails and do fast weekend road rides too.