Originally Posted by Russ Roth

Wow, way to tear apart someone's bike, I don't see how the marlin is really that much worse then an antique or so bad it has to be denigrated like that.
Looking up the specs on the Marlin shows that it is running a real cassette, not a freewheel which should make the hubs better.

To the OP, if money is an issue there's nothing wrong with using the equipment you have. If you have some decent technical knowledge/ability you can always convert your bike to a drop bar cheaper then you'll buy one. Microshift has a pair of 3x7sp shifters that should work fine with your bike and go for 60-80, a basic drop bar will cost another 20-30, new tape and some brake housing and you should be good to go. I like cross levers on my touring bikes so another 20.00 and your bike is set. Thinner tires are also nice but unnecessary. Check out 365cycles for the levers, randombikeparts for the bar, tape and cross levers or the bikewagon ebay account, they also have deals on their website. Depending on your weight, the load, the terrain and the quality of the rims and build 32 spoke can be more then adequate to the task. My own touring bike supports me, at 275lb, and my equipment and does fine. Trek outfits with OK rims so you'll get away with it a couple times on those wheels but long term you'll need better. Course you could also just do nice tires, some bar ends for extra hand positions and just go with it, seen that plenty along the Erie Canal. Your frame should take a rack from the pictures and the stays should be long enough that bags won't get in the way. Might also get a deal on something older but look for something with bar ends or brifters and made within the last 1/4 century,ld wheels had more spokes for a reason, the old wheels were not as good as modern ones and I wouldn't want to tour on them, to me newer is better.