Conversion

I have been pining for the Trek 520 or Surly Longhaul Trucker. But those touring bikes cost about $1300to $1500. I'm afraid my consumer confidence is fairly low given the situation. :)

An alternative.

I do have a hard tail mountain bike already. It's not even that "mountain'ish". It comes with front suspension forks, moderately knobby tires, and a straight bar. It has aluminum frame, and granny gears, so climbing should not be a problem. The rims have decent amount of spokes, so strength should not be an issue.

Here's the plan of touring on the cheap: Convert the existing MTB into something tour worthy. It won't be the fastest, lightest, and most comfortable bike. But it will be an affordable option.

1. replace knobby tires with slick tires
2. replace suspension forks with rigid forks
3. tune up

These are the essential items, and my local bike shop eyeballs it at around $200 including labour. That's much cheaper than getting a real touring bike.

Additional items independent of the conversion:
1. saddle (Brooke's?)
2. racks (do I need front racks?)
3. bags and panniers
4. bar end extension for the straight bar (for additional grip position)

I need to price this out before deciding on the MTB conversion route.