New to the forum, cycling, and choosing a bike.

[Trek420]

I was planning to get the LHT specifically because I thought it would be ideal for the ALC.

I ride a full custom Mondonico Futura Legero. There's no other bike I could have done my first ALC on, or as well my 2nd time. I love this bike.

The LHT is ideal for my next ride. I'm surprised we don't all get one. But then I'm happy because if everyone got a LHT how would we find our bikes each morning in a sea of 2000 bikes? Tassels?

After my last ride I asked my LBS "what's the best bike that is up for the ride, light and fast, with all day ... no all day all week comfort ... but that I'm not going to get farklempt if someone knocks a row of bikes over in bike parking (btw the crew is awesome, they will spoil you for any other organized ride, and I've never seen anything like that happen!) and it gets a tiny scratch.

He said the LHT is the bike for me. I've ridden one and he's right. When I first got on the bike "oh, nice but not as good as my custom ride" but he's also right that the longer you ride ... the more you will like this bike! I truly feel at the end of a week I'd like it as much or more than my custom ride.

Other bikes I've seen people very happy with on ALC are Rivendell and there are a lot of Riv riders here. And I'd love to have a Riv but my thought is to get a bike up to the task but that I won't be worried if it gets a real dusty, someone or a whole group leans their bike on it ....