Recently I been looking for touring bike. While I have friends who have invested touring bike, all of them are serious road touring only. As for me, I specially looking for a bike which can perform (1) light mountain biking activity, (2) offroad-touring, (3) road-touring as well. Sound like I'm a tough customer...
My beloved bikes =D
Well, since I already owned a full-suspension bike & a road bike, I would like my third bike that function in between. Hence I'm targeting a hardtail bike that wouldn't cost a bomb, doesn't weight like an elephant, and doesn't break as intended ride. Who knows when I will go for fully-load touring ride for self-supported ride?
Be prepared is my best motto =P
After spending considerable amount of time searching, I finally found some potential candidates.
Giant Roam 2011 (source)
Trek Dual Sport (source)
Scott Sportster (source)
These bikes (mentioned above) are terms as 29er MTB-centric road bike which is versatile enough to do road ride as well as some light offroading, with more robust MTB frame offering a durable ride. The 63mm suspension fork helps you cope with some light bump along the ride. They even utilized the 29" 700cc wheelset with semi-slick tyre, further convincing you of their dual purpose philosophy. Mechanical disc-brake setup is also a plus for me. For extra weight will provide a more powerful & consistent braking power than the V-brake, even in the wet.
If I deem the front suspension fork heavy for road riding, I can swap into a rigid fork for better pedaling efficiency. For offroad purpose I can invest a spare set of 26" offroad wheel. Ah the fun of upgrading =)
Some might ask...what about proper MTB bike?
Avanti Aggressor (source)
Specialized Rockhopper (source)
So do I get proper X-road bike with 29er wheelset (with extra 26" wheels for offroad), or the pure MTB bike, with some luck, can install the pannies and bag without some size restriction? Man I'm spoiled for choice!
Decision... decision... decision
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