The age old question....should my next bike be a cross or touring bike?

[Sky King]

Think this has been covered, yes Cross bike is more aggressive geometry. What was interesting to us on Surly - The DH's city bike is the Surly cross check in a 58cm and fits great but he would actually go to a 56cm if he bought the Surly Straggler - again geometry.
Touring Bikes - IMO - you don't want them to small, I'd much rather go to the longer tt and then change the stem if need be. For me, riding loaded, I like the balance a longer bike gives me. I hate feeling like I am perched over the bike, I like to be settled in the bike and become "one with the bike" I can ride a 52 or a 54 Surly LHT/DISC Trucker but like the 54 if I am using it loaded. When I was bike packing on the 54 I did put a shorter stem as I was a little to stretched out on the one that came with.
Salsa is a nice brand of aluminum - both Salsa and Surly are divisions of QBP. We don't have Salsa only because they wanted us to carry their entire line of bikes - yikes, We are touring specific so didn't work my business model. (sorry for the digress)

Lots of shops in Maryland, Looks like Joe's Bike shop carries both brands.

[Owlie]

Hm.
My CX bike really isn't a CX bike, at least, it's not a racing-oriented CX bike. It's more like an off-road road bike and light touring, though I haven't seen how it performs under load (it doesn't have a rack on it yet). It's steel, so it is a bit heavy compared to the road bike. Of course, standover really isn't an issue for me, and finding a CX bike with a low standover might be difficult. I'd look into something like the Vaya.


If I remember correctly, unloaded touring bikes will ride like a tank, but you trade that for stability when it's actually loaded down.

[mzone]

I think your choice is going to come down to size availability first and load carrying capacity second. If you're not going to do fully loaded (as in camping/cooking/multi-day treks), you have a few more options.

I want to do long-distance, self-supported touring. I got a Velo-Orange Campeur this spring in a 51, which was the smallest size they carried at the time. They are now in testing with a 650 wheel and plan to have 47 and 49 sizes: http://velo-orange.blogspot.com/2014...ampeur-26.html. It might be fun for you to go see them as they're in Annapolis.

The Campeur is a bit heavy for daily commuting the way I have it built up with their front and rear Campeur racks and Copenhagen kickstand, but at the same time I have the flexibility to grocery shop on the way home or take off for a weekend overnight. I think it handles great whether loaded or not. I call it my Cadillac ride, as I barely feel our potholes with the steel frame and 37mm Continental City a Ride tires. I ventured out much earlier this spring than I would have on the urban hybrid with skinnier tires and aluminum frame.

The other bikes I seriously looked at were the Salsa Vaya, Soma Saga, and All-City Space Horse. I just happened to get a stellar deal on a pre-built Campeur that I couldn't resist.

[Jolt]

You might find that a Surly LHT will be a good fit...I am about your height and ride a 46 cm but I do have longish arms and legs so YMMV. 26" wheels so no toe overlap problems, especially important for a bike that ought to have fenders put on. The Salsa Vaya sounds like it has a lot of the same advantages and might have more standover clearance if this is an issue. Somebody mentioned the Bianchi Volpe which is another nice bike that comes in sizes down to 46 cm...700c wheels but I didn't notice major toe overlap when I test rode one. Enjoy the search!

[mzone]

You will probably be just fine splitting the load between the two of you with the two panniers, and the trailer is a bonus. For me as a solo traveller, a tent, stove, food, clothes, sleeping bag and pad, rain gear, etc. takes me up to four panniers.

Check the specs on the racks you plan to use. Many have weight ratings. Check out the Adventure Bike Touring Society site and also the blogs on crazyguyonabike.com for gear reviews and route ideas.

[fallstoclimb]

I think your choice is going to come down to size availability first and load carrying capacity second. If you're not going to do fully loaded (as in camping/cooking/multi-day treks), you have a few more options.

We do want to do long self-supported tours, but I'm actually thinking they won't require many more things than just a couple nights on the C&O did. We'd have to wash clothes, obviously, and maybe carry more food if we are between towns and can't access food, but the bulkiest items were our sleeping bags, sleeping pads and our tent, which you need no longer how far you go for. Am I being naive in assuming this?

For the C&O my husband pulled a trailer and had a small food bag on his back rack, and I had two loaded panniers on my hybrid, and we were fine - so I'm thinking load isn't a HUGE issue but please tell me if I am wrong! I assume that a light touring or cross bike would handle a load basically the same as my hybrid?

[pll]

Think this has been covered, yes Cross bike is more aggressive geometry. What was interesting to us on Surly - The DH's city bike is the Surly cross check in a 58cm and fits great but he would actually go to a 56cm if he bought the Surly Straggler - again geometry.
Touring Bikes - IMO - you don't want them to small, I'd much rather go to the longer tt and then change the stem if need be. For me, riding loaded, I like the balance a longer bike gives me. I hate feeling like I am perched over the bike, I like to be settled in the bike and become "one with the bike" I can ride a 52 or a 54 Surly LHT/DISC Trucker but like the 54 if I am using it loaded. When I was bike packing on the 54 I did put a shorter stem as I was a little to stretched out on the one that came with.
Salsa is a nice brand of aluminum - both Salsa and Surly are divisions of QBP. We don't have Salsa only because they wanted us to carry their entire line of bikes - yikes, We are touring specific so didn't work my business model. (sorry for the digress)

Lots of shops in Maryland, Looks like Joe's Bike shop carries both brands.

A cross bike may have a more aggressive geometry relative to a touring one (I am not sure about this) but the geometry is more relaxed relative to a road bike. Head tubes are typically taller for a more upright ride.

[Msquared2]

I'll second (third? fourth?) the Salsa Vaya. I own a Salsa Colossal, but when I was test riding bikes, I tried out the Vaya. It's very sturdy without being slow. Lots of fun to ride. I am 5'-5" and fit on a 52cm, so I imagine you would fit just fine on a 50 or 52cm.

[fallstoclimb]

I have a follow up question: Do we think its appropriate to buy a steel bike when it will be spending some time in the rain? I commute to work and have to lock up to an uncovered rack (security guards don't let me bring my bike inside). I'm not too worried about security because I've been parking my hybrid there for a year with no issues, and there's cameras and security guards around (fed building), but I am a little worried about my fancy new bike getting rained on. I probably won't bike in when its absolutely pouring but at the very least it will be exposed to mid-day drizzle. Does that change anything here? I mean I imagine touring bikes are built to get rained on right?

[Becky]

Treat it with Frame Saver prior to building, touch up scratches with paint or nail polish, and it should be fine. I don't worry too much about riding either my steel MTB or steel road bike in the damp and drizzly. Pouring rain requires some more post-ride care, but that's true for any frame material IMO.

[zoom-zoom]

I'll second (third? fourth?) the Salsa Vaya. I own a Salsa Colossal, but when I was test riding bikes, I tried out the Vaya. It's very sturdy without being slow. Lots of fun to ride. I am 5'-5" and fit on a 52cm, so I imagine you would fit just fine on a 50 or 52cm.

Hey, I think I know who you are...and we're on another forum together (RunningAHEAD.com). Howdy!