If you are looking for a bike more suited for touring, I would not give up yet. I picked up a nice Novara Randonee on C/L for my wife for $200 a couple of weeks back. If that is outside your budget, I picked up my Trek 950 off of C/L for $75. If that is outside your budget, I picked up a nice Schwinn Criss Cross at a garage sale two months ago for $10. All have triples and are geared well for touring. The Schwinn really rides nice, but is on the heavy side, and heavier than the Randonee or the Trek. I am not sure I would notice the five pound difference on a tour if I packed efficiently.

If you are willing to buy used and look for a while, you can find decent to good bikes for not much money.


Around here, any direction I go will put me into hills. There really are no flat rides.