Hey DebW,

Just a data point on gearing....I toured with four panniers in upstate NY in fall of 2004 on my Bike Friday. I wasn't super heavily loaded since I'm so small (DH carried the heavy stuff!), so my load was mostly clothing, plus the weight of front/rear racks and Arkel panniers and front bag, some food, camera, etc. We toured in a very hilly area around the Finger Lakes. I needed every gear I have -- a 30" front ring and a 34T rear (XT derailleur). With the Bike Friday's 20" wheels, I believe that was something like a 19" gear. I am not a super strong hill climber by any means, but I had trained well for the tour and was in very good shape (for me) at the time, or so I thought! By about the fourth day, a couple of steep hills had me in my lowest of granny gears. There were even two hills near the end of our longest day (nearly 80 miles) that I had to walk part of even with my ultra-low gearing, because I was spent -- just needed to use different muscles for awhile.

So....with the load you're talking about, I'd definitely recommend mountain gearing in the rear. I'd also probably go with Shimano just because they are by far more common/popular than Campy, so easier to find parts and shops that can help you on the way, if disaster strikes. Don't get me wrong, I love Campy (have Chorus on my Aegis Swift), but not for a touring bike, just for practical reasons. I also went with bar-end shifting for the same reason when I had my Friday built and was very happy with my choice, despite initial skepticism. I went with 9-speed.

Have a blast building your custom bike!

Emily