I ride this Diamondback Cross country that I got at a place in my city that reservices old bikes and then sells them for $90. I've gotten a new chain and bottom bracket and made some other adjustments so far that make it more suitable for my needs (commuting with a lot of equipment). I've never toured before but am very interested in doing so, probably going to start in the near future by riding to visit my parents (40 miles) or to a Church I visit (70 miles) once I feel in shape enough to do so and the time is right.
What I'm wondering is, is this frame suitable for touring? I've learned that Diamondback, while not being the most renowned name in the business, doesn't strictly produce the junk I associate it with. This bike as far as I know was only made in 93-95. Based on what I know about the geometry, the chainstays could be longer but aren't problematically short. Its made of steel. Does it make sense to gradually keep upgrading this bike as I begin taking longer trips and (theoretically) actual lengthy tours, or is there some fatal flaw that would end up making this unwise. I started thinking about this because the concept of putting a brooks saddle on a diamondback sounds goofy.
