Jarrett2

I may have to give a Brooks a try, thanks.

My take is a solution has already been found and you didn't read down into the thread far enough to see it

Food for thought, which saddle bag am I going to slip a pair of size 14 - 4E shoes into?

My sasquatch shoes barely fit in the damn panniers

indyfabz

I tour on a Terry Men's Liberator Gel. I think REI still carries them. If so, you can order one, try it and return it if you don't like it.

vesteroid

14...s baby shoes, I wear a 15

I meant a backpack. My favorite bike backpack is made my cervelo I found it online last year, dont remember where) Its small enough to not get in my way. Its got this mesh back so i dont sweat tons under it, and it has a waterproof compartment in it as well as other pockets. More than enough room for a pair of my shoes and a change of clothes. plus food and water if I want. Would I rather have a real bag on the bike, i suppose, but for the one or two days I actually want to carry all that stuff, this works fine and cost me about 70 dollars if I remember correctly

Jarrett2

Pics or it didn't happen

vesteroid

Link I found online

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=...20824316462170

Jarrett2

I meant I have a hard time imagining a pair of size 14/15 shoes (maybe narrow, but not 4E) in there with clothes, food, water, etc. that you mentioned. But if you make it work for you, all good. I'd rather have the weight on the bike frame than me.

MRT2

I was talking with my LBS service manager the other day about the topic of touring as we are considering some light touring next summer. His advice was to pack light. He told me about a tour he did from Eastern Wisconsin to Minnesota where he brought more than 30 lbs of gear with him. Told me that if he would do the same trip again, he would look to cut that weight significantly as he didn't use half the stuff he brought.

If you are credit card touring in the summer, presumably the shoes you are bringing would be something lighter than you would bring in the winter. How much else do you need on a short tour? Phone and phone charger, windbreaker or rain jacket, basic flat repair tools, a little extra food and water, a spare jersey and/or shorts, some regular summer clothes, maybe a change of underwear. Frankly, I was thinking all the stuff could fit pretty easily into a large trunk bag.

MRT2

Just make sure you buy it at least a few months before your tour.

Jarrett2

Which one?

MRT2

How about this one?
Paddywagon 19 - Trunk Bags - Bags - Products - Axiom Performance Gear

Jarrett2

I'd have to put the shoes at an angle as they are a couple of inches longer than the bag, but it might work. Hate to find out the hard way.

Thankfully, they fit in the bags I have already. Glad I bought the bigger ones.

bigredkevbot

Novara Randonee Bike - 2015

I have a friend that took this across the country. They reported they wanted a different wheelset.

As far as brifters (or STI Levers, or Integrated Shifters), my roommate went across the country on a bike with integrated braking/shifting, broke one shifter cable, replaced it himself and that was the only actual repair he had to do (no flats) for 3700 miles. I should note that he did get his bottom brackett replaced somewhere in Colorado.

I have an All-City spacehorse I plan to tour on but with rack, panniers, fenders, lights and a handlebar upgrade (all the new Salsa Touring bikes, All City bikes, and even some of the Surlys come stock with cowbell handlebars Cowbell 2 Bar | Parts & Accessories | Salsa Cycles