Originally Posted by
CrossCountry50
Hi Everyone,
Next summer I will be riding across the US with a bike tour group. I decided to go with a group this first time around as I have never done anything like this before.
The ride is 100% supported so the amount of gear I will have to carry will be minimal.
I have been looking at the Novara Randonee from REI. Would this be a reasonable choice for a first long distance tour?
Thanks in advance.
A touring bike is made to carry a load. You are not carrying a load.
How many miles are you planning on riding a day?
It's unlikely that you'd want a mountain bike for this ride. It would work (no doubt, people have done it) but if a touring bike is "bad", a mountain bike will be "worse".
Assuming you are riding a fair amount of distance each day,
you want a bicycle that is going to be comfortable for many long days. For many people, touring bicycles work fine for this (even if they are not carrying a load).