jedijon

Here's my expected needs for the bike

Commuting - 10 miles each way
Rail Trail - connected to a trail-a-bike, weehoo, etc.
Farm roads on solo adventures

Here's my current fleet - Giant carbon-frame road (aero seatpost) no attachment points, Trek 1200 aluminum frame from the 90s no attachment points, Diamondback full suspension with...no attachment points. So, at least I can work the seatpost attachment angle for the various kid trailers on two of my bikes.

The goal is to replace the full-sus MTB with this bike as entirely duplicated. I don't ride singletrack/downhill and so don't have a need for suspension. By having two sets of tires, I could optimize this bike alternately for use with the kids on rail trails [~35], or for around town [~28], or for my winter wet commutes with fenders [~28 w/fender]. That SHOULD allow me to get rid of the Trek also. Then somewhere down the road a few years I could re-evaluate my roadbike situation.

Given that The bike I purchase NOW will have disc brakes and none of my other bikes would, I can't change wheels between them. The main reason I'd re-evaluate a road bike purchase is that if I DID HAVE a carbon frame roadbike that would take a 28 tire, and that bike had disc brakes, then I could swap those to this bike for commuting (assuming the roadbike didn't have fenders installed). I also wouldn't get another road bike with an aero seatpost because that just prevents me from towing the kids.

All that to say, the 2016 search aluminum frame has TA in front but a standard QR in back. I feel like I'd be playing the odds on whether this bike would share the same specs as any future bikes I'd purchase...would I be able to SWITCH those wheels or is 2017 and onward going to be ALL TA front and back??

Is there any other drawback to a QR rear? Okay - it's not as "stiff". Is that all?

So that's the ultimate goal - 2 disc brake bikes and no others. One with narrow tires and one with wider studded that wears fenders at least some of the year. Quick swaps between wheel sets. Front rack option is nice...rear rack I'd probably use and soon. Trek Crossrip seems to have all these options - TA front/back rack mounts front/back. Niner RLT steel is quite appealing as well (but more $). The Search Carbon appears to have TA front/back but I can't quite figure out what the rack mount situation is on the carbon. I like the nearly 1:1 of the 34/32 low gear and would prefer lower. Doubt I'd go for a XC 36/46, not going to tow kids on that...