Originally Posted by
mstateglfr
If I had $1500 to buy a touring bike though, I would buy an REI COOP ADV 1.1 for $1000 and use the rest for gear/clothing. It comes with front and rear racks, wide range gearing, hydraulic disc brakes, and neutral geometry.
Thanks for the advice! Had no idea about the tires. I did consider the ADV 1.1, but I can't do bar-end shifters. Too used to integrated brake lever shifting.