Longfemur

I have a mid-1980's full touring bike that I use as a second bike, for transportation (I'm car-less). It's full-fendered and it has wide, touring tires that run nice at very comfortable 60 psi or so.

I usually use my custom-made steel sport road bike for longer, sunny day rides, but sometimes I like to take the old beater touring bike instead. It's a completely different kind of ride. More sedate, more laid back... no compulsion to speed about all the time.

And it's very comfortable over bumpy surfaces. It has gearing that will handle absolutely anything easily, only at a slower pace. I think this thing could easily climb any of the famous tour mountain climbs, it just wouldn't be the first to reach the top.

I keep my custom road bike set up more like a light tourer anyway, but the real touring bike has a certain appeal even for local, around town rides.

I still think that most of the people who are buying the fancy, expensive carbon racing bike-like stuff would find a touring bike to be a lot more reasonable for them. I mean, you don't drive around in an imitation formula 1 race car, do you?

I love my custom road bike, but to be honest, when I think back to the time I bought it 11 years ago, I would have been just as happy since then if I had bought a Trek 520 or the Marinoni Turismo I had been looking at. If you can keep the testosterone in check, a touring bike makes a LOT of sense, even if you don't tour. And even if you don't, just the thought that you could is nice.