I just picked one up as a commuter and touring bike. Here are some thoughts (disclaimer, I've never owned a touring bike before this):
- With the Bontrager 38mm tires at approximately 55 psi the ride is quite smooth and forgiving. I don't know if this is the tires, frame or both. I am 5'-10" 170lbs.
- I saw mention of concerns over the alloy fork - of the impacts that get through the ones to my hands are not the worst, I feel more through the saddle and not much vibration makes it into my hands and arms.
- The ride feels stable possibly at the expense of some in tight maneuverability. Quite good for my intended use.
- I haven't yet tested it with much load, just my commuting load which fits in one pannier.
- I really like the racks. They seem strong and versatile.
- Somehow I broke the dork disc on the second day. I cut it off and double checked the derailleur low limit. All seems well now.
- It rolls fast enough for me. I was expected to lose a fair amount of speed from my aluminum road bike with 23mm tires but it's not as much as expected. When at speed it feels nearly as fast, acceleration is slightly muted compared to the road bike though.
- The paint and overall look and finish is very sharp in my opinion. Good combination of utility and retro looks. The paint is metallic but not gaudy.
- The gear range is great, although the last jump on the cassette between the two lowest gears could be tighter. It's a little alarming when you drop to lowest and for a moment it feels like you may have dropped the chain. Maybe I'm just being silly here. I could easily sacrifice that 11 tooth cog for an intermediate cog to fill that gap.
If anyone has any questions about the bike feel free to ask.