I'll chime in - got a free RockHopper a while ago. Definitely struggling a with the long top tube to make it a drop bar conversion: TourHopper
- but you can't beat free. I've not set the height since I installed the bars, so they won't be as high as in the photos. It's been too icey to get out and dial in the fit a bit. If I don't like these RANDO bars, I want to try the rivbike Albastache, I think.

On the other hand, I'm working over this Nishki sport thing ($25 frame/fork on CL): CLICK ME (in process - no tape or brakes yet; need to paint the seat tube/down tube & logo it)
I think it could be an OK-tourer - but no cantilever brakes. I brazed on rack bosses and shifter bosses before powder coating it, but couldn't put enough heat to it to do cantilever brake bosses.

TO the OP: cantilever brakes or disc brakes if you want to go heavy touring.
Go 700mm wheels for road touring; 26in wheels for off road touring; and dealer's choice for dirt road, but fenders rattle a lot on dirt roads.
Go with steel if you're going 'round the globe; steel or aluminum if you're staying first world.
I like the insight at this website: Tom Allen?s Bike Trip ? Adventures and experiments in two-wheeled travel

have a nice day

If you figure that a lot of companies either abandoned (Trek) or downgraded (Schwinn) their touring program at the end of 1985- that's a pretty good year to focus in on for when "Touring" lost its cachet to "mountain bikes."

I'd enjoy that, might be a while before the bikes see the road though. Keep an eye on the Northeast thread, there are rides planned a few times a year. I think there will be an early spring ride on Cape Cod sometime in April. Hopefully the snow will be gone by then! Niantic is not that far from me, I live in Plainfield.

Pics on a couple of suggestions, some of which have already been mentioned.
Cannondale ST (sport/touring) frame, upgraded with modern 9 triple (did 350+ miles on one of these last Fall):

Same year and model of frame but 10 speed double compact (just rode this in a century in Palm Springs, CA, best elapsed time/average MPH ever):

'87 Schwinn Voyageur. Awesome bike, easily a cross-country candidate:

Here's a heretical option: Over the holidays, Nashbar was blowing out their steel Chinese-made touring frame for $80. I added a Soma fork (also on sale), v-brakes, V-O fenders, an old Blackburn rear rack I had around, a few other sundry parts. Currently with 35mm tires but room for wider. I've tweaked it a bit since this photo (lowered the bars a bit, swapped in black headset spacers and a bell, an RHM saddle:



It's not a lightweight, but the ride is very smooth and sure, and it's a better climber than I expected. I haven't ridden it much since the deep snow fell in Boston (the old HardRock with studded tires is on commuting duty), but I look forward to much more riding in another few weeks (yeah, I can hope the snow will be gone by then).

I've done quite a few in Shelbyville and a few out of Lexington when Johnny was the RBA. I'm doing my series south this year, headed to Gainesville this weekend for the 300K. I've really enjoyed the terrain and the great group you have in Kentucky!

It was a pleasure working with Alex in building this frame. Alex is a long distance rider and understands the need for a perfect fit as he also has spent lots of quality time with his aches and pains.

The frame is made with KVA stainless tubing, an American product and silver brazed with lugs. It also was built for internal wiring for the lighting system using a Schmidt Sondelux hub and Edelux 2 light. The rear light is a fender mounted B&M unit however I've been eyeing the new Schmidt rear light which is not a fender mounted unit.

As you noted I specified S&S couplings foreseeing the need to travel for tours and events. I've not used it yet for traveling yet or noticed any downside of having them installed, the bike handles perfectly.

I built the frame up with a mixture of Campy Chorus and Record components, Campy CX brakes, Thomson seatpost and stem, Brooks Ti B-17 special and bits of Paul Components. The handlebar is a Nitto Noodle which gives me more real-estate than the Randonneur model which I've on my other bikes but I also like quite well. This is my vision of a Modern classic Randonneur.

[IMG]Alex Meade custom Randonneur by TimothyCreamer, on Flickr[/IMG]

1984 Raleigh Portage, Raleigh's top of the line 650B touring bike. Lots of awesome touring features, but not very common and not easy to find one.

Cantilever brakes
Room for 45 mm fenders and 33 mm tires.
vertical drop outs
Three water bottle bosses
two bosses on drop outs
Original bomb proof wheels still going strong

[IMG] [/IMG]

I think you have the right idea by going south. Our first 200k is Saturday and the forecast says it will be 8 degrees at 7am when we roll out.

Don't rule out new bikes. There are some excellent touring frames available in the $500-600 range, such as Soma Saga, Bob Jackson World Tour, Surly Long Haul Trucker, All City Spacehorse, Jamis Aurora as well as cyclocrossers.

One problem with buying used is that many less knowledgeable people use the term "touring bike" synonymously with road bikes in general. So, if you search for touring bike on eBay or Craiglist, you get a lot of false positives.

I think you may have passed the refurb time limit. You must send me that bike now, sans V brakes of course. You may keep those, and the ergo bars.,,,,BD

I will second the notion that the Miyata 1000 (grand touring) is possibly the best stock touring model ever to grace the roads, although others like the trek and Univega were up there as well. I had a blue exactly in like this one with the suntour bar end shifters and broken in B17, this was probably the best riding bike I ever owned and wished I never sold. I've owned and still own some great 853, Ti and spine Lemonds, Volagis, and Specialized. the Miyata was still one of my very favorites ------------ complete with front and rear racks, finned mathhauser pads and chromo frame. awsome. beautiful lug work for a japanese frame, and not too heavy or flexi. looked for another for years in the approx 59cm I had, but they are unfortunately rare or very expensive.

Beautiful bike, fellow Buckeye!

For credit card touring (no camping gear), I submit the following:

This Takara isn't just a touring bike, it's a Deluxe Touring, and I give it high praise. I have to admit pushing middle age I like these handlebars better, even if the looks of them not so much.

I 'toured' with my '75 Fuji S-10S for several years and tens of thousands of miles in the late '70s. No, it does not have bottle braze-ons. No, it does not have rack braze-ons. What it DOES have is a long wheelbase, with both long chainstays and lots of fork trail, making the ride very smooth and stable. I used what I had - a Pletscher rear rack and a pair of old Cannondale panniers, the crankset was upgraded to a triple 30+ years ago... A couple of years ago, after picking up a slightly more 'modern' road bike (Univega Viva Sport), I had thoughts of putting fenders on the Fuji and making it a dedicated tourer since it does have lots of drop-out eyelets...

That changed this past Spring when I found a true 'touring bike' - a Univega Gran Tourismo. Front and rear rack braze-ons, canti brakes... By comparing the Univega to the Miyata catalogs for specs and componentry, it is very close to a '85 Miyata 610 - a step below the 1000 in their touring line. It should do nicely once I fit it out like my other bikes with SunTour bar-cons. I'm thinking either VO Zeppelin or Facette fenders for this one... I already have a Blackburn rear rack

There are some beautiful bikes in this thread. I'll submit mine. A 1982 Trek 728/720. I'm planning to start the process of selling this soon.

That bike is going to make someone very happy.

What are the cranks on there?

Velo Orange fenders?

Very nice. I have an 82 614 but haven't ridden it much - yet.

https://www.compasscycle.com/product...onents/cranks/

Thanks for the kind words

Looks to be my size

I kind of figured. I wasn't sure if they were making a triple- it appears as if they are!

It's Trek 22 1/2 or ctc 56.