Originally Posted by
robow
I understand what you're saying but a flat tire or a broken cable, I can probably fix on the side of a road in 15 minutes or less, but a broken frame (depending on the break) could be a game changer. With that said, I don't, won't and can't worry about everything that can go wrong, hence why most of my touring is on a titanium frame, as I'm definitely not getting that thing welded easily at Billy Bob's Welding shop.
That reminds me of a conversation I had way back in the day when I was getting ready to head off on a long trip with a beater car. My boss (who had previously had to cancel a vacation because of car trouble) commented that he didn't see how I could risk taking off on a a multiple thousand mile trip in a $300 car. What if it breaks down? You'd be stuck? Bla Bla Bla.
My reply was that if it broke down I't be way less stuck than if I had a newer car. I could hand someone the title. Buy another junker, rent a car, or hop on a bus. With a new car I'd be stuck until it was fixed. He didn't buy it. I closed with, "Well at least I never had to cancel my vacation because of my car" which shut him up but he never bought my theory.
Anyway, there is some similarity in bike touring. There is something to be said for having stuff that you can afford to lose fairly painlessly. A broken frame on a $600 Bikes Direct Windsor Touring, a converted older MTB, or any number of lower priced models would be easier to just junk the frame and replace it or even replace the whole bike. It usually isn't that hard to ship a bike or a bike frame home, but there is something to be said for having stuff that doesn't represent a huge investment and therefore is somewhat more expendable. Despite having a few fairly nice items my entire setup most likely cost less than a ti frame. I know that I feel a little more at ease in general knowing that my entire setup would be pretty painless to the wallet if I had to write a check to replace it all. This is probably more applicable to theft worries though.
There is one big hole in my theory. I tend to get emotionaly attached to some of my gear. My favorite sleeping bag and my 1990 Cannondale Crit bike would both be harder to part with than much more expensive items, but I just have to live with that.
I do lust after more expensive bikes at times and can afford one. I like the idea of a high end carbon gravel bike for touring, but really don't want the burden of worrying about one on tour. The next thing you know I'd be carrying 8 pounds of gear and 8 pounds of locks and chain and not sleeping at night
I do get the attraction to nice bikes though. I just see a plus to lower end stuff as well