buying a new road/touring bike cant decide
 

ok i currently ride a trek 1000, dont know how old.. but its from the 1990's i gather. only problem is that it isnt mine. ha..
i would like a bike that is a some where between a road bike and a touring bike.. i wont be touring the nation or anything but probably once every month take it out on a 2-3 day trip. but the rest of the time it will function as a road bike ride 20ish miles every couple of days.. i dont think i want to go as heavy as cro-moly, but will aluminum and carbon do the job? also i want the ability to put panniers on but at most probably 25 of gear... probably more between 10-15?

i would like nice bike have about $1000-2000 thinking trek, specialized, cannondale, giant, fuji? open to any and all suggestions (regarding bikes)

even though you said you ruled out steel, you may want to consider the lemond sarthe. test rode one and even on a short ride you could tell that it was a lot more comfortable than aluminum.

A 2-3 day trip every month sounds ambitious, but a nice ambition nevertheless. I can almost guarantee you won't be doing multi-day trips that frequently, unless it is already that much a part of your lifestyle. But lets assume you will be getting four or five multi-day trips in a season. Why don't you get a used mountain bike or hybrid, without suspension, for the touring, and get a decent road bike for your regular rides?

Mountain bikes with slicks are more sensible for touring than touring bikes IMO, used MTB's don't cost much, are more stable on descents when loaded down, and are more comfortable for long days in the saddle.

A straight up road bike would give you more joy on your local rides. I have two road bikes, and an MTB I have used for touring since 1993. I would not trade my MTB for anything, nor would I ever want a touring bike to replace it.

I think trying to get a 'tweener bike usually results in some dissatisfaction, based on my many friends who have tried that approach.