Touring Bikes Under Consideration

[esassaman]

Ditto on the 2012 Randonee. REI is always a safe bet if you have one nearby, they'll take good care of you. It's got the dinkyest granny gear I've ever seen, which I think is awesome and will make those steep parts a breeze if you're not a hard core tourer. Love the color. I installed a matching stainless steel Tubus Nova front rack and some stainless steel water bottle cages and it looks freakin' awesome. Love the comfy flat spots on the bars too. It's a great deal at $1k and with 20% sales going on all the time at REI, you can do like I did and pick it up for $800-ish. Save your money for all the accessories and gear you'll need to buy for the trip

[TwoWheeledExplorer]

I am going to throw in the Bianchi Volpe for consideration, too. Good, sturdy (designed for cyclo-cross), stable bike. Been touring fully loaded on mine for 6 years now, with no problems, although by default, I have done a lot more light touring on it the past couple years. I put a Jandd Expedition rack on the rear and an OMM rack on the front. I have fenders, but have not had to use them.

I decided the other day, I will keep my Volpe until I can afford a Co-Motion Divide, probably when I retire or win the lottery. (Kinda the same thing, I guess. )

Ride safe,
Hans