So I went in to my bike shop and said I narrowed it down to the Surly Long Haul Trucker v Cross-Check. Then a store employee that I hadn't talked to before said the LHT is great for unsupported touring but for the type I'm doing (fully supported) it would be creating a lot of extra work for me. He suggested I try a Giant OCR1. What a great bike! It made the Cross Check feel horrible by comparison. The ride on the OCR was smooth and the same route seemed to take a lot less work. Now why hadn't anyone else told me about the Giant??? Anybody have any opinions on this bike or company? Thanks.