Yes the frame is heavier than other touring bikes but I don't find it sluggish at all. I can often keep up with my friends who are riding their road bikes. The steel frame helps to soak up bumps on gravels and dirt paths and actually does a better job than my ok'd trail bike with a suspension fork. As far as hauling gear it's great- the longer wheelbase distributes the weight evenly to avoid swaying. I've done many >250mi trips on it without any complaints. It may not be as nimble as the Specialized Diverge but I wouldn't change a thing.

This bike is well built, comes with nice setup (e.g. front/rear racks, dynamo w/ complete light set up, sufficient gear range), and is made to haul. Get rid of the seat. With all of this said it is very heavy and sluggish. You will not go anywhere fast and it has taken some time to build my strength to be comfortable on longer treks. I love not messing with batteries for my head light and rear lights. I love the carrying capacity of this beast. The biggest drawback is the weight. I would see if your bike shop had some of these on hand you could try first. Or find a lighter frame and get your bike shop to lace up a dynamo/lights and put some racks on.

I purchased this bike for myself for my 50th birthday. When I was young, I rode hard, and thought, ""When I am old, I will do some bicycle touring."" Well, here I am. I just rode this bike on my first tour, 845 miles from the Columbia River to the Golden Gate Bridge down the Pacific Coast. I have1400 miles on it in total (approximately 550 training) and it hasn't even broken a sweat. It's ready to go around the world. I give it a five star rating because it deserves it, but there are a few things I think could still be improved. First, the denim saddle isn't a touring saddle. I threw it away. Second. the lowest gear seems like it could be lower. Maybe that's something for me to figure out. There are some steep hills on the Pacific Coast. Other riders were spinning up them at 3 or 4 mph and I was not spinning. I was pushing. No spinning. Third, the Supernova stem is useless. It charges nothing. It's not a selling point. Don't buy this bike thinking that thing will charge anything. It won't. Get a solar panel.... Ok those are the negatives. 1400 miles I got zero flats and I rode through ten thousand nails. Its a REALLY NICE BIKE with a few things could be improved.