Do it all bike.

[xerxes]

That would help How about a Singular Peregrine?

Hmmm, interesting, certainly very versatile, maybe a bit toooooooo retro.

What I'm looking for is baby bear's porridge, it would seem that there's a lot of mummy and daddy bear's porridge out there.

 

[MikeD]

Salsa Fargo?

 

[PurpleFrog]

Being a cheap so and so, in your shoes I'd say..

Why not just put drops on a 90s mtb? If you want 700c wheels, this is a Zaskar running them:

http://forums.mtbr.com/attachments/gt/3 ... 010677.jpg

..The guy bodged this using some home made brake arm extenders for the rear. If you wanted to be fancier, you could get a pair of Paul's Motolites. Then you'd be able to change between 26 and 700c wheels in just a few minutes.

It's just a shame that Motolites are so expensive, but if you're handy you might be able to diy a solution - everything else is cheap.

That's if you really want 700c - 26 works really well on the road imo. But ymmv, and 29s do work well offroad. All the same, converting something like a Kakorum to drops with thumbies or bar ends would be very cheap.

 

[xerxes]

Salsa Fargo?

Definitely Not!

Too much MTB, too little cyclo cross.

Salsa Vaya is closer: http://salsacycles.com/index.php/bikes/vaya

Also, I think I want something that can tour at a pinch, because it's not something I will do that often, but not too heavy and is fun on and off road unloaded.

I definitely don't want some 700c wheel, drop bar, MTB frame lash-up - no offense.

 

[MikeD]

Croix de Fer? The brake won't be a problem for a rack as long as you get the right rack.

 

[xerxes]

Croix de Fer?

That's where it all started.

I'll sleep on it for a year or two, it seems these all-rounders are getting more popular, so someone's bound to come up with exactly what I'm looking for eventually. Who knows, I might even like the colour.

 

[legrandefromage]

Lots of stuff is available to fit rear racks to disc brake bikes BTW. It used to be my job to fit the buggers...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/disc-brake-pannier-rack

 

[xerxes]

LGF, do you listen to Radio 4 comedy by chance?

With regards to racks and mudguards, I know you can make them fit, I remember making my own P clips to fit mudguards to a road frame with no mudguard eyes many years ago, but it would be nice to avoid things getting all "Heath-Robinson". Mudguards are enough of a faff to fit even when you do have all the right holes.

 

[PurpleFrog]

I definitely don't want some 700c wheel, drop bar, MTB frame lash-up - no offense.

Right now I'm thinking of the scene in Zen & The Art Of Motorcycle Mechanics with the shim...

Anyway, from your latest description, it sounds like the dropbar version of Cotic Roadrat might be what you want.

 

[MikeD]

My disc-equipped tandem has a rack with struts that are 20-30mm wider than the dropouts on each side. Long bolt, spacer, sorted. Not especially Heath Robinson