Recommendations for a small touring bike

[murielalex]

I have a custom Gunnar Sport, which is a steel bike made by Waterford, which I bought for the same goal as you. For a touring bike, I didn't want to necessarily have the most expensive as I'm sure it's going to get beat up. Right now, I have it set up strictly as a road bike, without fenders and low-profile aero wheels. In the Spring, I'm breaking out the racks and wider tires (takes up to 32s or 28s with fenders) and doing a six-day tour. It's definitely one of the more affordable, quality custom frames, though they have stock frames for even better prices. I'm very happy. If I were choosing again, I would seriously look at Carl Strong's bikes, a one-man builder of excellent reputation out of Montana: really nice frames made for each rider by purpose, weight, etc. with personal attention you just can't get with the bigger operations. You can get SS coupled, etc. and the price is impressively low for what you get. I'm currently on a waiting list for a custom Kirk Framework's bike that's going to be my everyday and stay-in-Florida speedy bike. Unless I had no money concerns (wouldn't that be nice...), I wouldn't drop the big bucks on a touring bike and feel my heart sink with very ding, scratch and potential traveling mishap that comes. On the other hand, I strongly believe you should get exactly what you want regardless of what anyone else says and love it every time you're on it. My friends and family think I'm a fool for spending what I have and am about to on bikes when there are perfectly good less expensive options available, but I'm the happiest, healthiest fool I know, and there's no price on that. I love my bikes.