xybaby, There's a thread on this forum questioning touring bike weight where many bikes were weighed and the results published, search for that for more info. When I first built my touring bike I was amazed at how much heavier it was than my roadies. Heavy duty wheel sets and tires required for dependability are the major weight adders while the frame set itself only adds a couple of extra pounds. This is just my experience with MY Cannondales, YMMV.

A new LHT for a grand is a good deal, just make sure it fits.

Brad