Which vintage for a loaded tour?
I just lost the initial post so I'm putting up the short version.
My wife and I are taking four days to do the North Loop trail outside of Chicago. It's fairly flat, 200 miles, and I think 70% is on bike trails, with half of those trail being crushed lime and half paved.
We are camping, and we have hiking gear that's good quality and lightweight, not "ultralite" mind you, but it's shouldn't be to hard to keep the loads about 35lbs per bike. With sleeping bags, pads, tent, stove, etc, maybe less if we're cut throat about it.
I finally get a chance to put one of my tourers through it's paces! But which one?
The contenders:
1) 1991 Miyata 1000LT, A size small at 57cm but works well with the riser stem I've got on it. I'm hesitant to take it on a 4 day trip without fine tuning the rise and reach a little more, but we have a couple weeks.
2) 1990 Cannondale ST600, like the Miyata it has a good stiff frame and also like the Miyata a strong rear rack. The featherweight of the group.
3) The Trek Triplets. '84 520 and 620, and an '83 720. All sporting original racks, but the wheels on the 620 and 720 have been replaced so no Helicomatic to worry about.
So any thoughts? Concidering the local the Treks would be appropriate, the 620 being a little sportier than the the 720, the 720 being the stretch limo. The Cannondale would help with the weight, and be a responsive and stiff ride with all the gear. The Miyata would be stiff as well, and maybe the strongest all around IF I can tune the fit correctly.
What say you?