^And I think that is a good point. Some of my best trips were impromptu lightly packed events. I know I've "blown up" the touring section recently with all the pics of my blingy schwinn, with way too much bag potential. It's like a 747 heavy. I could load that bike up, remove half the bags, and it would still be overloaded!
But even lighter/medium loaded, I wonder about the potential of carbon gravel frames/geometry.
There is a 200 mile gravel ride coming up here shortly. A fellow rider wants to hunker down and go heavy, turning it into a 3+ day ride. I want to go light and do it in much less time.
This ride is one of the things that has me looking at a newfangled gravel carbon bike- staying light, fast, and comfortable as possible. Perhaps one bag tops, and pushing hard, strategically getting to hotels and credit carding it. More mileage, better rest, fresh showers, back to work the next morning with a warm fresh meal.
My post was really mentally hashing out (perhaps to myself) how a carbon frame could be used. Would it be a good heavily loaded tourer? Would it stand up? Someone mentioned the shorter wheelbases perhaps causing interference between the shoes and pedalling. I don't know. Most of the carbon frame loaded pics I see are frame packs and stuff suspended magically off the back of the seatpost. I do know in the mountains, with panniers, I am running 20-34 happily. 32-34 is fine unloaded. A lot of these bikes are 1:1 or 32-34 lowest, great for unloaded.
Just thinking out loud.
.ps- I was also looking at the diverge recently. The front suspension reminds me somewhat of the softride.