Cross bike to touring bike....Advice needed please.
 

I want to start doing some short 2-3 day tours up in the Appalachian Mountains and am very happy with my Fuji Cross Comp, but am worried about having low enough gearing. Below are my current specs:

Component Group Shimano 105
Brakeset Tektro Oryx brakes, Shimano 105 STI w/Tektro RL570 levers
Shift Levers Shimano 105, 10-speed, STI, flight deck compatible
Front Derailleur Shimano Microshift, 31.8mm
Rear Derailleur Shimano 105, 10-speed
Crankset FSA Gossamer Cross MegaExo, 38/48 teeth
Pedals Not included
Bottom Bracket FSA Mega EXO
BB Shell Width Unspecified
Rear Cogs 10-speed, 12 - 25 teeth
Chain KMC DX-10, 1/2 x 3/32"

What parts will I need to upgrade in order to have a bike capable of handling mountain terrain? I have been reading some threads similar to this and am still pretty clueless. I know I will need to go to a triple, but will one work with the BB I currently have? Any other suggestions are welcome.

I don't want to buy another bike, just to do a few weekend tours a year, so this will still be my daily ride, just with a little more versatility. Thanks everyone.

You are looking at a costly upgrade. It is likely that your front STI levers are not compatible with a triple in the front, same thing with the front derailleur. Replacing STI levers is very costly. You'll need the triple crankset with compatible bottom bracket, triple front derailleur, and a front STI lever for 10 speed triple. 10 speed triple cranksets are expensive too. I know that you said you didn't want to buy a new bike, but when you add up the cost, you may be better off just buying a Surly LHT or Windsor Tourist over the internet.

Yep, you have the wrong bike for touring.

You can run a triple with that BB, but I can't see eyelets for racks and fenders. A carbon fork is usually not a candidate for a touring bike.

What did people do before triples. Go ahead and put a rear rack on the bike, pile 20lbs of stuff on the rack, put a 34t chainring on and go climb your nearest mtn. to see what you need as far as gears go. Unless you're a middle aged fart needing to drag 50lbs over the mtns. you should have no problem with a 1:1 gear that you can get with a 34 chainring and a 34t cog,,,assuming a cheap 9spd cassette can run off of 10spd brifters.

If the brifters can't handle it then scrounge around for a regular cheap brake lever with a bar end shifter and toss on the cheapest long range rear derailuer and put on the cheapest 8-9spd cassette.

Good idea, maybe give it a shot with the 1:1 gear one weekend see if it makes me flat out miserable. I understand what people are saying about buying a new bike, but I just won't use it often enough to feel it is being used. I won't be able to get out often enough for that. If nothing else if I tough it out with my current setup I get to be a stronger rider, if I can't hack it, I just don't get to tour until life free's me up to do a bit more touring. Thanks for the advice guys, you are correct, a front rack won't work, but I could get a rear one on there. I won't need that much gear for 2 nights.

IRD makes ten speed cassettes that go to 34. Also, many Shimano mountain deraileurs (not sure which ones) work fine with ten speed cassettes when paired with a tens lever (that's why the IRD cassettes exist -- they won't work with a road deraileur). I'm in a similar place as you, but have done touring before on previous bikes in mountains. For me, I think I'd be fine with a 1:1 ratio. And about racks, I usually tour with a trailer, which started when I had a bike that couldn't take a rack, but now continue to like how easy it is to load. But, if I was doing credit card touring, I'd use a couple of panniers. Old Man Mountain has plenty of racks that will now work on bikes without eyelets.

I don't get where the necessity for sub 27" gears come from except as a consequence of mtn cranks sets coming back onto road frames. Seriously if I need a gear lower than 27" then I'm carrying too much gear, am too out of shape or picked the wrong route as any major road for car traffic isn't going to be much over 7%.

My experience is different than yours.

Check out Nun's packing list for ultralight touring:

http://wheelsofchance.org/gear/

I would go that route if you plan on using the fuji.

yes there are many roads steeper than 7% but most major roads aren't

Let me clarify. The roads I'm interested in touring on are steeper than 7%.

and I'm a middled aged pot bellied old fart who won't carry 50lbs.

A 105 RDR won't fit a 34 tooth rear cassette, 27 is the max... the spacing and thus shifting will also be off if you throw an eight or nine speed cassette on with a 10 speed shifter. Making any of those changes properly would require almost as much gear and equipment as switching to a triple. That being said, depending on where you want to go in the Blue Ridge and your fitness, give it a try with what you have on there, possibly a 12-27 ten speed cassette and a smaller chainring would help.

Your bike will work if you can keep your load under control, you may need to use a rack designed to give you more heel clearance like the Axiom Streamliner Road, which will affect the handling but not fatally. Give it a try, the worst than can happen is you decide you do actually need a purpose built touring bike... to echo a previous poster, people were touring before gears were even invented.

My 105 will work with a 30T.

I don't doubt you, I was going by the published specs and they usually have a bit of wiggle room... I don't think you could go much larger than that without running into problems with the pulley striking the large cog during down shifts.

The cassette is 11-34.
I just don't shift to the 34T.

For 2 days, 3 days? You will be FINE! Your will, determination, and desire to not stop peddling are the only upgrades you know. I met way more than one individual touring much farther distances on single speeds. Some on old school 10 spds or 12 spds. For 2 to 3 days out there, you don't need to change a thing. Just enjoy the ride.http://www.alphabluetech.com/kjhanlo...s/P5150120.JPG
http://www.alphabluetech.com/kjhanlo...s/P5310121.JPG

Thanks guys, all the advice is appreciated. I will give it a shot with what I have, maybe it will lead to a touring bike, or maybe I will just get to be a stronger rider. Seriously appreciate all the input.

N+1 is your answer. Keep your eye out for a deal on a touring bike, or one with more generous gearing. I keep my 1005 Giant Kronos at the mountain home: 46/36/26 crankset, 11/24 rear cassette, basic brifter bike. My other touring choice is a 1987 Miyata 215ST, 50/40/28 up front, 14/28 rear.

This is for the Smoky Mountains.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2653/...d231ef5db7.jpghttp://farm4.static.flickr.com/3634/...3e57638c31.jpg