E_merlin

I'll play.... I have had a couple of touring bikes including Trek 620 (loved it....) 520, Fuji touring and now I have an LHT. I think the LHT fits the bill for me, at least the way I have it built up. It is a good friend and just feels like I can go forever. Smooth and forgiving with a B17. Maybe not true off road, be enough for my riding purpose. I agree what others have said - it really depends on what type/terrain of touring you intend to do.



All the LHT love fest aside.... the Salsa Vaya is makes me wonder if it would not make the ultimate adventure bike....

bradtx

No idea, maybe someone can measure theirs.

Brad

tom cotter

Certainly, there could be applications where a standard tourer wouldn't be best. An off road single track tour, being the obvious. But for most tours, which are tours on pavement, the standard off the rack tourer is the best suited. It is purpose built. Custom made tourers can really focus down to exactly what the rider is looking to accomplish. Co-Motion, Independent Fab, Gunner, BG, Rivendell, Waterford etc etc can build you exaclty what you want.

While I have no ax to grind against CC bikes they have to be adapted to touring. This, IMO, makes them no different than any other non touring bike used for touring. While CC bikes are great machines in their own right ,outside of their intended purpose my thinking is Jack of all trades master of none.

onbike 1939

I've had a few touring machines including a Dawes Super Galaxy and a custom-made Mercian and I now have a Airnimal Joey Explore drop. That said, I've built up a few Surly LHT bikes and if living in the USA I'd buy one and be very, very content.

nun

I agree that if you need to carry 4 x panniers a sturdy, low geared bike, with a long wheel base and with places to attach racks is required. However, if you don't need to carry 4 x panniers you don't need a traditional tourer to go touring on the road. I'd argue that for a light load the LHT etc is overkill and you'd be more comfortable and enjoy the riding more on a relaxed geometry road bike.

NCbiker

I ride my LHT lightly loaded almost everyday. If It was any more comfortable or enjoyable, it would be against the law.

nun

I though the same as well if you substitute Atlantis for LHT, but riding a Rambouillet and then a Cervelo RS has made me reaslise just how heavy and slow the Atlantis is.

fietsbob

I tend to look around at where I went to see, rather than rush through it.

on the Oregon Coast, every year, people bring performance bikes to rush through the scenery..

nun

I don't rush, I like the Cervelo RS because it takes less effort than my Atlantis and climbs better, so I feel more comfortable. Hence, it is my favorite bike for touring.

LeeG

Yep, when I was young and light I did a few tours around parts of California on different road bikes with no more than 12lbs of gear. An Italian Maserati road bike with steep angles, an English Argos road bike with a relaxed angles (most secure high speed descender) and a Specialized Sequoia road bike that could take 32mm tires. That was an excellent bike.

bradtx

A touring bike most often is a road bike that has pretty relaxed geometry.

I now also use my T bike for my unloaded distance rides. Once the heavy (by comparison) wheelset and tires are rolling, it's just not a terrible difference from my old dedicated distance roadie. I probably wouldn't have discovered this if it weren't for the drought my region is enduring, and the rural road damage that weather causes, which made using the wider tires on the T bike more desireable from a safety standpoint.

Brad

PS I have to admit that I used to have different bikes for different roles and I wasn't quite as flexable as I am now opinion wise as to what should be used when and where.

Bentrim

My favorite touring bike is the one that is paid for, in good working working condition and parked in my garage that happens to be a 1998 Jamis Road series with pretty much new everything.

Clarabelle

I have a Fuji touring bike and my wife has a trek hybrid. We've gone on two tours down the Oregon Coast, One thru the San Juan Islands, and one through the Gulf Islands in Canada. We've both been happy with our bikes, and other than the occasional flat, we've had no problems on these trips. Now we have a Mocha Tandem, but haven't toured with it yet.