Carbonfiberboy 

We tour on the same tandem we use for group sport rides. We can make the bike go pretty well in both sport and touring configurations. We'd have to spend a very great deal of money to build a better bike, but it would still be the same dual use bike. Only about 10% of our total down-the-road weight is touring gear. Thus a sport bike works great. We're only 1/2 mph slower on the flat at the same effort with full touring gear compared with sport trim. We can use exactly the same components in both roles.

So that's what we like and it's quite easy to do on a single bike, too. Endurance frame and components suitable for randoneurring. Add rack and minimal bags for touring. Keep it light and compact. Have fun. Take the touring gear off and do group rides, doubles, brevets, all sorts of fun things.

It's too bad that the touring market is so small and tooling so expensive or we'd see more carbon touring-capable bikes which would be ideal as dual use machines. They're out there, though. Google "carbon touring bike."

robow

I don't get too attached to my bikes, including my touring bikes. I build them from the frame up, ride them for a while, some longer than others, then find a new home for them. My touring bikes have evolved over time, and I've yet to build the ideal machine, but it is fun trying. Presently it's a titanium framed cycle cross bike that wears my panniers most of the time, and yea, it's built to my specs but then again..........I think I spotted something new and shiny over there, hmmm

mdilthey

I do this a little. I bounced around between bikes, but I've been settled on my current ones for a little under a year. It's too early to tell how long they'll stay in my stable, but I enjoy them both quite a bit.

BigAura

The thing that amazes me is that every touring bike, especially when rigged for a tour, looks to be a bespoke one-off. I know for myself I'm constantly adjusting, right up to the last minute, my configuration and pack-list based on the tour itself, prior experiences, and my current whims. It turns out there is no unified mystical configuration that always generates a perfect outcome, because once on tour its about the-tour-as-life-experience with the bicycle & equipment playing only a minor role.

DropBarFan

Sharp lookin', thanks. Any special frame tubing? As a lightweight rider I reckon a custom steel frame could save significant weight vs production frames that are designed for folks nearly twice my weight.

dbg

Partly because I have a particular aversion to toe overlap I prefer touring on 26" wheels (or maybe 650B). Bikes that fit me in the 700c wheel category frequently have toe overlap and pretty much always do with fenders attached. A couple years back I built up what I planned to be the perfect loaded tourer. 1988 Trek 850 was a 26" no-suspension mtb frame --BUT it still had 130mm rear drops and 68mm bottom bracket --which gave it the "Q" of a road bike. (If you search on 1988 Trek 850 you can find it in several threads). It was just a little bit big for me and I do only light touring anyway so I started loaning it out on our trips to see if anyone took a liking. I still have it if anyone is interested. It may become wall art if I don't find it a home (really nice powder coat job).

Yan 

Yes, it's True Temper OX Platinum. It's not a light bike though: the fillet brazing, oversized tubing, and S&S couplings all add weight, not to mention the plethora of heavy components used on a touring bike. The small weight reduction of the steel quality is completely masked. It's a very stiff frame. Back when I used to tour on a Surly Cross Check I could feel the entire bike flexing side to side whenever I stood up on the pedals. There was also a small shimmy at high speeds. None of that here.

There would be a much more noticeable weight reduction on a road bike spec'ed with the same steel. I would say if you are considering a custom touring bike, do it for fit and features, not for weight. For me that included no toe overlap with fenders, internal cable routing through the fork, a third bottle cage mount below the downtube, and a frame pump stud on the headtube.

Regarding S&S couplings: it depends on where you live and what your regional airline's policies are regarding bicycles. I live in China now and the airlines here generally do not charge for bicycles. I only save money when I make the occasional international bike tour, such as last month when I flew to SE Asia. If you live in North America where pretty much all the airlines charge for bicycles, you'd make back your money back much faster.

You should also know that the packing process for the S&S couplings is so involved that if I'm traveling domestically I no longer bother with it. I just put my bike into a full sized bike case. My bike being a 58cm with a long steerer tube, takes quite some effort to jigsaw into the S&S bag. To make this easier I take the bottle cages, front brakes, and crankset off. I also take the tires off the wheels. The whole thing takes over an hour longer than packing with a full sized case.

On the flip side, I can carry the S&S bag on my back as a backpack, and the bag collapses to a small bundle that is easy to mail and store. I put all of my panniers into a 100L mountaineering duffle that also has backpack straps. Therefore I can carry my bicycle on my back and the duffle on my chest and still have both my hands free. It's very nice for train stations and bus stations where carts are not available. Can't walk very fast while wearing 80lb though.