hey bikers,

I'm looking to get into more serious, long distance riding, although by serious I hopefully mean more fun. I needed some help finding a versatile bike that fit all of my criteria/needs for a bike.

First, I wanted a sturdy bike that I could start to use as my primary mode of transportation around town. I'm thinking steel is the way to go, and since I don't see myself getting into racing, I don't really care about a few ounces of weight. I just want the bike to last a long time. Also, I wanted a frame with attachment points on the chainstays so that I could add some panniers and have the ability to carry groceries, etc.

Second, I wanted to get a road bike so that I can go for longer rides than I could do on my mountain bike. I'd like to be able to ride my first 100-miler by the end of the year (New Orleans is nicely 100 miles down the mississippi river road from Baton Rouge and I figure that's a good goal).

And lastly, and most pertinent to this forum group, I could really see myself touring around the states by next summer, and I'd be pretty bummed if I ended up buying a bike that couldn't handle the trip or carry a full load.

I've found a few bikes online that already seem to fit these bullet points, like the surly crosscheck, bianchi volce, or jamis aurora. Are there any other recommendations out there I should check out?

I just wanted to know what other people rode that go touring every once in a while, but also use their bike for other purposes. Any suggestions or advice that you could give me would be great! Thanks a lot.