We are headed to test ride a few bikes now. Does anyone know much about the Specialized tricross? Gearing recommendations, how I would handle racks an panniers? I know it does have a carbon fork and alum. Frame which I am not crazy about.

Don't own one, but have checked them out before (not for touring though.) Great commuter bike and should work for very light credit card touring. 440mm chainstay on this bike is possibly the shortest chainstay I would personally like to use for rear rack and panniers. 450mm and longer being more ideal. I also feel this bike is geared too high for any kind of comfortable loaded touring (i.e., you'll be suffering in steeper hills.) If you want to achieve more comfort, you'll have to invest virtually in new drivetrain: triple crankset, cassette, long-cage rear & front derailleurs. Hmmm... seems to me like it will be very pricey proposition once you finish adding everything up.

If you have a Specialized Dealer nearby, odds are they have a QBP account,
part of what makes Surly Long haul truckers so popular
is that they are sold to any bike dealer with a QBP account.

Ditto on Salsa,another bike brand sold thru QBP..

Its just the payment terms in billing and credit are not as good as some companies
so the having it sitting on the floor waiting for the right sized customer is a up front,
rather than a long revolving account that doesnt have to be paid off
till end of summer..
so you may not find those bikes waiting for you when you visit, But,
learning the size you are best suited for and talking to the people there
will give you a good idea about sizing and accessories to get to get you started.

The aluminum frame isn't an issue. The carbon fork is. You are probably looking at the Tricross Comp. The Tricross (no other name) has an aluminum fork and is $1100 less than the Comp. The components aren't all that good and the bike is less than optimal as a loaded touring bike but I think the Tricross would be a better choice.

Both bikes have midfork mounts but carbon is questionable for carrying a touring load. Since this is a rather short bike, it would be best to load the front of the bike, i.e. lowriders, so that the tail doesn't wag the dog as much.

...Or, you could get a proper touring bike like the LHT complete. That's a much, much better touring bike. Handles loads better, handles with a load better and is built for the job. The Tricross...and cyclocross bikes for that matter...is made for racing in the mud, not for carrying gear for weeks on end. Essentially, the LHT will do every thing a cyclocross bike will do but a cyclocross won't do everything an LHT (or other proper touring bike) will do.

I wouldn't want a carbon fork on a touring bicycle ... it would be very tough to put a front rack on it if you wanted to go that route.

This has come up in another forum and it got me wondering if the New Zealand product, the Freeload would be okay with a carbon fork.

http://www.freeload.co.nz/images/216...rack-small.jpg

Andrew

I have the Jamis Aurora Elite and I love it. My daughter has a Raleigh Sojourn and I think it is the equal of the Jamis. They are very different bikes, yet both ride very nicely. As others have said, it is much about personal preference. The Raleigh has a drop bar which gives some room on the standover for my daughter. We are still getting the bikes set up for a summer tour... but with this beautiful weather we have been having in Ohio, we have made some long rides and have been happy with the bikes.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...61696375_n.jpg

The best touring bike is whatever you have while you're actually on tour.

While I haven't gone touring, Salsa makes some great bikes. Love my Salsa Fargo. It's made for off-road touring and has lower gears. The more expensive one is out of your price range as I think it runs about 1700 but has the better shifters. Mine is the lower model with the bar ends. I did try out some Surly bikes and liked them, I just wanted the disc brakes of the Fargo.

Just bought the Raleigh Sojourn for my daughter today. Hope to do some bike rides with her. I have a Giant Seek1 and I prefer the IGH, but the Sojourn is a really beautiful bike.

What type of panniers are you guys using? Thinking about something big enough to hold quite a bit of gear and hopefully waterproof.

I am using Ortlieb Bike-Packer Plus panniers on the rear and on the Extrawheel Voyager trailer and Ortlieb Sports-Packer Plus panniers on the front.

http://www.aushiker.com/wordpress/wp.../IMG_27841.jpg
The Ortlieb Bike-Packer Plus panniers on the Extrawheel Voyager.

Regards
Andrew

Ortliebs all the way around. I use the rollers, and my wife uses the Packer Plus models.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/y...IMG_4282-2.jpg

I use Ortlieb Front Rollers with a Frost River Saddle bag.They are waterproof and handle everything I use on an overnight or week or more.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RYcm8eTg-2...0/IMG_0875.JPG

Marc

Also Ortliebs.

http://i534.photobucket.com/albums/e...amp0529033.jpg