...

There is no "touring group" per se.

The typical approach used by most manufacturers is to use a "moutain" rear wheel, cassette and derailleur (11-32), and a "road" triple crankset – 105 or Ultegra – with a road derailleur and STI levers. Two flaws of this practice:
- gears are too high and too spread apart for ideal use (25 to 127 gear-inches with 9 or 10 duplicates... and 3-4 gears that are way too high);
- STI levers are often matched with v-brakes using Travel-Agents... which tend to be cable eaters.

In my humble view, a better setup would be to use a mountain crankset (44-34-22 or something like that). A person could then either use a 11-27 cassette to build the bicycle for light touring or commuting or a 11-32 cassette to build a true tourer.

Then use either bar-end shifters (or downtube shifters), or use STI with cantilever brakes.

I'm partial to shimano XT. I just ordered moocho components to start the building of my stumpjumper frame and I went like this:
Dura ace DT shifters (sweet I might add. I bought them last year and they are awesome)
Avid road bike specific front disc brake (because of the road brake levers)
Surly fork
crane headset (upper grade)
XT BB and Crankset
Easton seat post
brooks saddle (of course)
The new cantis from shimano that are for road brake levers (my theory is that discs on the front and cantis on the back will give me the best of both worlds plus if the discs fail I always have the cantis to rely on)
XT rear derail
LX cassete
LX chain
XT hubs laced to sun rhyno lite rims (this may change as I'd like 36 hole plus right now my rear hub is a disc hub... no need for that with a canti brake back there)
Hope this helped. I like to buy last year or even older level components and since I usually build up older bikes anyway it all seems to work out. I spent about 530 for my components necessary to build up the stumpjumper frame I got on Ebay. I had the wheels, handlebars, brake levers, shifters, and seat.
Doug
Here are some pics and links FYI:
road bike discs


http://harriscyclery.net/site/images...odl/BR7086.jpg


http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/images/BR4858.jpg



XT bottom bracket clearance

http://www.pricepoint.com/images/sty...ICB4%20KIT.jpg

My bike (Trek 520) started off with the road/mountain mix Michel mentioned.

Deore LX rear derailer and hubs, 105 crank and front derailer, with dura Ace barcon shifters.

I had the shop switch out the 105 crank (52/42/30) for an LX (44/32/22), and later switched the drop bar with barcon to a flat bar with LX shifters. The bike came with an 11-32 cassette. And v-brakes from Avid.

If I were to order a custom bike, I'd go with an LX setup, except maybe with XT hubs instead.

bradw, did you have do change out the bottom bracket or derailleur? anything else? I've toyed with putting mtb cranks on my 520, but haven't b/c I didn't know how much of a can of worms I was opening.

Thanks
Anna

Why the hubs? I looked on Shimano's website, and the only difference between XT and LX hubs that was listed was the titanium versus steel axle. I think that I'd rather have the steel, so I was going to go with the LX. Are there other differences that I don't know about?

I think the LBS switched the BB - but it was a couple years ago and I'm not 100% sure. They used the same front and rear derailer, and it has worked fine with both the barcons and now the LX rapidfire shifters.

I just saw someone's comments about how the XT was an outstanding hub and it made me think that was the one component I *might* upgrade from the LX group.

You are probably right that there is no practical difference.

To change the 105 (or Ultegra) crankset with an XT crankset (and I think LX too), you need to change the bottom bracket. Not sure exactly which one or if it still is the case, because I bought mine in 2000.

As for the derailleur, the 105 and Ultegra derailleurs are optimised for standard "road" chainrings (i.e. 52-40-30) and should work without problem if you go down to 50 or 48 for the large ring. But all this is official text that might be true for STI. Yet many people have successfully adjusted STI shifters with moutain gears, and the 105 or Ultegra derailleurs work without problems if you use bar-end or Ergo shifters. And BTW, I have bar-end shifters with 105 front derailleur and 44-34-22 rings on my tourer, and bar-end shifters with Ultegra front derailleur and 48-38-24 rings on my tandem. Both works flawlessly.

And Anna, since you already have the bicycle, changing the crankset is probably out of the question. But there are cheaper options.

1. Keep the large rings as is, and change the granny for a 26. You could also optimise gearing (less highs, closer ratios where you need them) by installing a Cyclotouriste 14 cassette. You can order it from Sheldon Brown or a few other shops, but you can make your own by using your existing cassette (11-32) and one of the cheap 12-25. Details on how to do it at http://sheldonbrown.com/k7.html

2. For even lower gears, change all rings for 48-38-24 (which are the lowest rings that fit). For optimal results, lower the front derailleur by 4-5 mm.

Oh I already downsized the rings to 48-38-26, and the cassette to 11-34. My LBS told me that 26 was as low as I could go on the granny b/c of bolt pattern, I wonder if they were wrong. It's a 2001 105 crankset, if anyone knows offhand. Anyone have a link where to look this up?

Actually, I just replaced the rings (prior set was 48-39-26). I never bothered riding that stock 30 tooth granny. I decided not to opt for the bb/crank changeout, after much consideration, b/c of the $ and I really hardly ever *need* a lower gear. At least, that's what I say now, sitting at my desk ;> Of course, if I could just stick a 24 on there I would certainly do that, esp. since I haven't ridden that 26 yet, just installed it.... does that 24 shift OK? Chain suck under load? I have barend shifters.

Anna

They were, the 74 mm bolt circle will handle down to a 24 with no problem.

There's a chart in the Bolt Circle Diameter entry of my Bicycle Glossary - http://sheldonbrown.com/glossary

Actually, I just replaced the rings (prior set was 48-39-26). I never bothered riding that stock 30 tooth granny. I decided not to opt for the bb/crank changeout, after much consideration, b/c of the $ and I really hardly ever *need* a lower gear. At least, that's what I say now, sitting at my desk ;> Of course, if I could just stick a 24 on there I would certainly do that, esp. since I haven't ridden that 26 yet, just installed it.... does that 24 shift OK? Chain suck under load? I have barend shifters.

See: http://harriscyclery.com/74 for the skinny on this.

Sheldon "B.C.D." Brown

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My touring group is:

Ultegra STI shifters
Paul canti's with refillable V-brake shoes (46-36-26)
old square taper XTR cranks
XT rear derailleur
ultegra triple front derailleur

I have a 52 tooth outer chainring that I can fit if I am going to be lightly loaded or doing unloaded day rides.

-s

Thank you for the response Sheldon, your glossary is very helpful.

Anna