+1 for the CrossCheck,
get a frame and work with your LBS to build it up with the basic components you need/want-
$$$ will work out to about $1200-1300.

On my stock Cross Check I put a small front chain ring, added a triple FD, and swapped out the cassette for one with more range. This gives me more than enough gearing for any riding I want to do.

I have not done any touring yet, but I have all the equipment I need. I have no doubt my CC would take me anywhere and as far as I wanted to go. I would not hesitate to take it on an extended tour.

I've got an old Bridgestone RB2 that somehow escaped the wrecking ball over the past 20 years I've owned it. It is hardly the type of bike you might mention in the same sentence with cyclocross, but over the years I've always been kinda fascinated with cyclocross bikes. Their recent spurt in popularity tells me some other people have also been eyeballing them for their uber-cool versatility factor. The old Bridgestone probably won't ever get morphed into something it simply wasn't intended to be. But so far the tweakings I've been bestowing upon it with gearing, stem positioning, better hubs and rims, and more balloonish rubber are paying off in spades........This old horse has suddenly become a total blast to ride, and I can't wait to take it on a century or maybe a Mississippi River tour later this summer. So, I guess the moral of this is never ignore what might be sitting in the corner of the yard. With a little tinkering it might serve a purpose you never knew it could have.

Hey, you really are in the same boat that I was in. I upgraded from a 90s MTB to the Tricross Sport, and immediately reduced 10 minutes off my 55 minute commute time back from work.

>also looking at cyclocross bikes (although the latter make me uncomfortable... I have zero interest in any kind of racing and don't want to buy a bike optimized for something I will never do).

I don't think the Tricross Sport was ever *really* intended to race with - the triple crank kind of gives that away. It's more like an adaptation of a race design, for general use.

Steve

I'd also take a look at the Soma double-cross. The frame is very similar to the cross-check, but it has more of a loaded touring component package (triple front chain ring, super-beefy tires, etc).

It's basically like the cross-check, but with a nicer component package.

And where exactly does one purchase a Soma with these nice components ?

"Hey, you really are in the same boat that I was in. I upgraded from a 90s MTB to the Tricross Sport, "

Well, I've stayed in your boat, b/c I just picked up a Tricross Sport today as well. So far I'm ecstatic.

I'm curious too. I thought Soma only sold framesets, not complete bikes.

I use my Jamis Aurora ( touring bike ) for cyclocross and will be using in June in a MTB race. ( generally flat terrain, not to technical - Tim Horton's L2L )

thanks for all the responses, guys. right now i think the bikes at the top of my list are

-soma double cross (preferably built up with 105)
-kona jake the snake (or possibly kona jake)
-jamis nova (haven't heard too much about this, any opinions?)
-specialized tricross sport or comp

of course, i'm flexible, because i'm trying to buy used. IMHO, as i've discovered after working at a bike shop for a long time, you get so much more for your money. but finding a 47-49 cm used cross bike is tough! all of the responses have been so helpful--thanks so much. i'll keep reading for more suggestions...

Does material matter to you? You've got different materials on your list: Soma (cromo frame and fork), Jamis (aluminum frame, carbon fork), Tricross (aluminum frame, carbon fork) and Kona Jake (aluminum frame, steel fork).

From everything I've read, people seem to prefer to tour on a steel frame. From your list, I would pick the Soma. However, I can't imagine you'd go wrong with a Cross Check (I have one and I love it). By the way, I have yet to hear, read online, or experience anything negative about the Cross Check.

Good luck!

>specialized tricross sport or comp

Can't see why you'd want the comp - only double chainring, and the extra money basically makes it better for racing, not touring.

I did a two week tour of Japan with a cross check. It worked out great for me. I only had rear panniers though, so I'm not sure how it handles a front load. I have an lht now and I honestly don't notice really notice a difference in stabilty between the two with rear panniers. I used a jannd expedition rack with my cross check, it gives you a lot of room to push the panniers back. I have big feet and I was able to avoid heal strike easily.

yeah, i'm aware of the material differences. i prefer aluminum for the frame, actually--i've toured before on aluminum and don't really mind it. and in terms of the fork, i'm fine with either carbon or steel, which all of those bikes have. the reason the materials vary on the list is because i'm trying to be flexible--in the interest of finding a bike used!

can't remember if i've already said this, but--the vast majority of the riding that i do, and plan on continuing to do, is not touring. i need a bike that is capable of light touring, but i'm not buying a bike to tour. the comp appeals to me (although not the pricetag--i'm looking for any of these bikes used) because of the 105 and ultegra. i know opinions on this vary greatly on this forum but given my experience working at a shop and the number of miles i put onto my bikes, i just don't think tiagra is a great option. in my experience, tiagra and sora require so much tinkering (at least once you get to a certain mileage / level of riding) that it's worth it to bump up to 105 in the first place. but, as i've said, i don't have an unlimited budget, so i'm keeping my options open. and $2050 for an ultegra-equipped bike (and not even full ultegra!) is, in my opinion, pretty absurd.

Oh, fair enough. Maybe I was lucky to be too ignorant to be a groupset snob. In a few years maybe A double chainring would scare me - even with the triple I'm considering getting a smaller granny gear.

Only thing that bothers me about the tiagra (and I don't know if this is even a tiagra issue!) is the difficulty of upshifting chainrings. Everything else is good.

Steve

This must be the zombie thread since it never seems to die, . I've been thinking of touring on my soma double cross. The chain stays are short but the bike is pretty stout. If you get a long enough rack (and panniers that aren't too wide) the heel clearance shouldn't be a big issue. That does put the center of gravity back a bit but I suspect that won't be a big problem.

Wow, thread started in 02, bumped in 08, and now in 13. Several have used the excellent Soma DC to tour with and that particular bike has recently come up in a few threads. As to myself, I would never ever suggest touring on a cross bike, much too dangerous,.......kids don't try this at home.

Some can make this work - some can't. Putting a huge load way back can cause handling problems, particularly shimmy, which can be terrifying, cause a crash, and be difficult to resolve (usual remedy is to move load to front panniers).

If the solution was this simple and cheap, then no one would sell or buy touring-specific frames.

That's a great looking bike. Yeah I'm thinking this thread might be like those 17 year cicadas except it comes alive every 5 or 6 years.

Agreed that this will be the source of the problem; chain stay length matters. But if much of the load is put up front (as you suggest) and there is no heel strike on the panniers, this should work, I think. Also this isn't necessarily a cheap solution but it might be a viable one if you can repurpose a bike you already own.

How about something like Salsa Vaya?
https://salsacycles.com/bikes/vaya/

Magnus Thor
Iceland