Hi All--

It's time for me to buy a new (to me) bicycle and I feel like I could really use some input from people more knowledgeable than I am.

For the last fifteen years or so, I've been riding an early 70s Motobecane Grand Record that I inherited from my father. Though I'm not nearly as knowledgeable as most of the posters I read on here, I've developed a deep admiration for this bike: it's taken me on loaded tours through New England, Glacier National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway (though I nearly died [speaking metaphorically] with 40+ lbs packed and only those 10 racing gears on a ~7,000 ft. elevation day--bad miscalculation), etc. It's also taken a beating on my countless daily commutes to work (I've never owned a car) and grocery runs in all sorts of weather. I've certainly put more than 20,000 miles on the bike (plus whatever my dad put on it)--all, for the most part, with the original (mostly campy) components. Over all that time, it rides like a dream. Not bad for a bike that's more than 50 years old. The amazing way that it has served its function (even stretched--this wasn't designed to be a tourer) for all these years has made me think differently about material goods, and to wonder at how quickly new items these days break down, and how often we replace instead of repair (trite reflections, I know).

Still, it's finally time for me to get a new bike. For one, in my early 40s, I'm not going to continue to survive doing my annual-with-friends loaded touring trips on just the racing gears. More to the point, the bike is just finally starting to suffer from the beating it's taken over the past half century: the headset/stem, for example, is on its very last legs--there's no avoiding the "rumble" that happens when I brake in the front. Finally, I don't think the bike has ever *really* fit me: my dad was a couple of inches taller than I am and I feel somewhat stretched out even just on the hoods. I'm certainly not going to give up on the bike, but it's ready to become an interesting rehabilitation project rather than my go-to bicycle.

The problem is, I want to replace it with a bicycle that I admire just as much, and one that will last me for the next fifty years--and I'm not sure how to do that. First, my primary uses for my bicycle are: 1) commuting, 2) roughly once-yearly loaded touring (almost always but not exclusively on paved roads), and (3) maybe an occasional 20-40 mile recreational ride with friends. I'm willing, if necessary, to split functions (1) and (2) into separate bikes if absolutely necessary--I have an old steel Peugeot frame that I could enlist a friend to help me work up into a functional commuter--but it seems like a pity to buy a high quality bike only to not use it for many hundreds or thousands of usable miles.

I'm not a wealthy person, so cost is relevant to me. Before I started researching this purchase it would not have occurred to me that $2000 is something anyone would spend on anything other than the very highest end custom bike. On the other hand, I'd rather buy a bike that I'll use for the rest of my life than have to buy another bike in x years, and if I'm going to use the thing for the rest of my life I want to love it: I'd rather spend more for something excellent than spend less for something that's noticeably (even if just a little bit) worse for the next (super optimistically) forty years.

I understand, based on my reading of past threads, that the bike's *fit* is far more important than the various things that distinguish a $400 refurb project from a $2000 tourer from a $6000 custom build with exotic materials. ...but I don't really know what my *perfect fit* is, and I'm not sure how I'd even figure that out. Even in a city like Boston, I don't find many stores that have a wide variety of tourers in a bunch of different sizes that are willing to spend all day giving me test rides, and even then I'm not sure what I'd be looking for in a test. Weight also matters to me: I carry my bike up and down a ton of steps daily and I have tendonitis in both elbows. I don't care about shaving grams for racing speed, but the difference between 25 and 30 pounds is relevant to me. (Not that 30 pounds is a deal-breaker.) I also genuinely care about aesthetics--not enough to compromise on anything else (longevity, safety, riding pleasure, ease of maintenance)--but I'm very far from being indifferent. I'd love to be able to look at my bike and enjoy it. I think, for example, that the bikes that Royal H builds are a lot more beautiful than a Surly Disc Trucker (though if the SDT is the right bike for me overall I'm happy to go in that direction). I have a sense of what I like: generally, I prefer steel or titanium to aluminum or (last choice) carbon; I like a two rather than three-ring drivetrain; I'd prefer rim brakes: but none of those things alone are absolute deal-breakers. And, while I don't care about racing speed, I'd like to be able to keep up with my friends if/when they decide to push things a bit.

Based on these considerations, how would you advise me to proceed? Of the stereotypical new touring bikes (all of which I assume are great), I think I like (in rough order) the Kona Sutra, the Bombtrack whatever that's been on sale for ~$1500, and then maybe the Surly Disc Trucker (though I detest the lime green). But all I've done is read about those bikes on the Internet. I don't know which geometry suits me best, which size is mine, etc. (I'm about 5'8", 150, fwiw.) Another option would be to invest far more than I'd ever imagined or think is especially wise (but technically I could--it just feels insane) into some kind of custom or otherwise higher end or niche type build, like a Co-Motion or a Royal H or a Seven or Mosaic or Ritchey (or whatever). I'm hesitant to do this but if a twice-as-expensive bike is going to be noticeably better for the next forty years that's probably worth it. If, on the other hand, it's just vanity, it's not. I've been happy on a hand-me-down alongside friends with newer and more expensive bikes for years. --or there are intermediate options, like the Deschutes (don't much like the current stock color) or a used Royal H at the Pro's Closet website. A final option would be to search for something higher end on the used market. I do have an extremely lovely friend (one of the best people on the planet) who's a better bike mechanic than I, so he could help me with the process of building something out (and of acquiring the right components).

I feel like, ideally, I'd get a SUPER precise idea of exactly what I want in every facet before buying (I like this geometry not that, I value these components over those, etc.)--but I'm not sure how to achieve that.

I apologize for the overlong life-story. Any suggestions would be most welcome! Thank you so much. -Rob