Originally Posted by
cyccommute
I think you misunderstood.I like long cockpits on my bikes. But the comfort of a touring bike doesn't necessarily come from a more upright riding position. I think the longer wheel base is more important. The slightly relaxed head angle and relaxed trail also contribute.
I misunderstood? Maybe a bit
Still I have to say I am more and more doubting that I really find touring bikes more comfortable in any substantial way, at least if comfort is measured by how I feel at the end of a long fairly fast ride. That may not be the right measure for everyone, but I think it is for me. I definitely find a fairly aggressive cockpit to be more comfortable by that measure and am not so sure any of the other factors favor the touring bike all that much for me.
I don't find the cushier tires and slacker angles to be exactly a panacea when it comes to comfort either. Maybe they help, but other factors outweigh them enough that I can't feel their advantage much.
The longer wheelbase I don't see as a big comfort issue either except as it relates to the fact that the bike will be loaded and I will also need a bit of heel clearance. The heel clearance isn't too big of a deal for me since I use smallish panniers. I would agree that an extremely short wheelbase isn't ideal, but don't find fairly quick handling to be a problem.
I know that a lot of this is individual perception. I also know that a lot of it has to do with how and where you ride and how much you carry. In addition as I have said many times I don't think the bike is a very big factor in the success of a tour as long as it meets some minimal requirements of suitability. Ok, now after making so many qualifications as to make my statement meaningless
... I think the "perfect touring bike" for me would be a road bike with a bit more conservative geometry than is currently popular (maybe one of the more relaxed ones would suffice), but with room for fenders and 25-28mm tires, strong wheels, eyelets for racks and fenders, and with low gearing. Just about everything else could be pure road bike. Maybe that is a cyclocross bike; it would be at least close to what I am describing.
I would buy/build one if I thought the difference was enough to matter, but my current bike is adequate. I am tending to make choices that are a bit closer to the road bike when adjusting or replacing stuff though.
I admit that I have not toured on a bike like I am describing and I may find I am wrong if I do.