I haven't ridden a touring bike much, but I did test ride both the LHT and Cross Check fairly extensively a couple years ago (no load/rack on either) before I bought my CC. The LHT felt slower/less nimble/a bit more boat-ish (like driving my grandma's big Oldsmobile when I learned to drive) while the CC definitely feels more maneuverable/faster. I can see where the tourer/LHT would be great on a tour since it did seem to track/roll well, but I like the lighter feel of the CC for commuting/avoiding traffic/pedestrians/etc. Not sure how true this holds for all cross bikes, but I think the CC is among the heavier options there (and mine has stock/heavy wheels and heavy tires) and it's made a great commuter/grocery hauler-- although the brakes are a bit underwhelming for me (160 lb, plus usually 15-25 lb of gear/crap) when the weather gets sloppy.... I have a Straggler frame on order which I think will be my perfect commuter once I move the CC parts over