Hi all, I'm new to the forum, but have been reading your interesting and knowledgeable posts for weeks.
I started biking a few months ago after a long hiatus, and I've fallen in love with it. I'm commuting to work several days a week, and have dreams of starting to do some serious touring. I'm on a mountain bike now, and it's so slow it's killing me.
I'm looking for a steel commuter/touring bike with disc brakes (I'm in Seattle and planning on riding year-round). I'm only 5'3", and almost everything I try has too long a top tube. The longest I seem to be able to handle is about 500 mm. The Salsa Vaya is the only bike I've found that fits these criteria, but I just don't love the way it looks, and it feels a little too much like a mountain bike.
Do you guys have any ideas? Do I need to go custom?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.