specialized tricross sport triple for touring?

[buddha_bellies]

I just came back from a self-supported bike tour with a guy who had a Specialized tricross. He had an accident because his foot caught his front fenders when he had to do a very sharp turn. He's okay and so was the bike.

His main complain is the wheelbase is too short to be a proper touring bike. But if you don't have fenders in front, then it shouldn't be a problem. The weight will not be an issue for you. And he was able to do climbs just like anyone else.

Also, the Specialized has carbon forks so you'll have to be careful how much you load in the front too.

Sorry, I don't know much about then other bike.

[AnnieBikes]

My husband and I both own Tri-cross sports and love them. I have not done much touring due to family issues but he rode the Southern Tier this spring on it with about 35-40# of gear and he did not have any problems. He had fenders and never experienced any problems with them interfering with tight turns. There were five in his group and two had a Tri-cross. I can highly recommend it for long distance touring though you should definitely try it with your set up to see if it works for you. He loves it.

We plan my first loaded tour on the Blue Ridge Parkway in a few weeks. Then I will be better able to say how it went for me. I have ridden lots of miles unloaded on this bike and really like the way it rides and feels. And the triple is great. My regular road bike, Felt FW3, has a compact crank and there is nothing like a triple for the mountains where I live!!!

Good luck and let us know which one you choose!