right not planning to mount the rack when riding with the road bikers as that would get some speed. To also mstateglfr's point
Originally Posted by
mstateglfr
not sure there is a cross bike available that will net you 7 mph faster on pavement versus your Kona.
Tires can account for some speed, but 7mph is huge.
Some other adjustments to ride faster I'm thinking of is narrower tires (e.g. 28c) .. vs 35c that Kona had. Although I am not sure if 28c would work for multi-day touring or light gravel/trails in terms of going flat. Also planning on using clipless pedals and shoes which should get some speed. Used to ride on platform pedals before.