Originally Posted by kalliergo
... but I think the Randonee is an excellent platform for both serious touring and all-around cycling. Unless you're a weight weenie, that is. This is a chunky bicycle (but I'm a big guy and I like that).
I talked my wife into test-riding a 47 cm Randonee last Saturday. She liked the feel of the bike but objected to the brakes being too far out on the drops for her hands and, most importantly to her, the WEIGHT of the bike - I think it comes in around 29 lbs. [Now she's looking at a Sequoia Elite.]
If you're flying the bike to Europe, make sure the bike doesn't exceed the allowable weight limits when boxed...I had the bright idea of flying my steel MTB with me to Europe last fall then discovered it was waaay too heavy to justify extra shipping costs. Just bought one over there instead.