Have to chime in here with a plug for a heavy touring bike. I have a Surly LHT. It is a heavy sucker! I have a front mini rack w/bags, full fenders, 1 1/2" x 26 tires and assorted odds and ends. Bet the bike weighs close to 30 pounds. I pull a trailer when in touring mode. This bike is my foul weather daily commuter and will get me through anything. I recently did a VERY hilly organized ride and choose the Surly over my carbon fiber road bike. Yes I generally ride 1-2 mph slower with this bike, but with the mountain bike gearing I can get up and over almost any hill/mountain while pulling a fully loaded trailer. About this time every year I switch to my speedy road bike and I have a very hard time giving up the Surly as my daily rider. It's a very comfortable bike to ride and while I'll never set a land speed record riding it, it's not a lumbering slug. In my opinion speed is highly overrated when it comes to touring. It's the journey, not how fast you get there. The LHT is built to ride all day, after day, after day. And that how you should judge a touring bike. My 2 cents! bikerHen