Originally Posted by Keepupwithcj
I am just getting into riding a little more on a number of fronts and want one bike that will handle three things; commute on the paths, ride the occasional sprint tri race (semi-competitive) and ultimately give me the option to tour if needed. I would like to be able to add a rear rack. I am looking at a 2010 Specialized Sectour and a Cannondale Synapse. Not sure on all the specs yet. What do I need to know?? Very competitive athlete coming from the sprinting world but trying to adapt to a new sport or two.
I would love to find such a bike myself.
By and large, fast road bikes and touring bikes are different enough that it will be far easier to buy 2 separate bikes rather than trying to force a single bicycle to accomplish all 3 tasks.
It will be quite easy to find a bike that will serve as a tourer and commuter, but quite difficult to find such a bike that will be suitable for racing of any kind.
Trek's fast road bikes allow for rack and fender mounts, but probably have serious constraints on how wide your tires can be. 28 and 32 tires will probably not be possible.
Also, race-oriented road bikes are almost always spec'ed with carbon forks. You will not be able to use a front rack and panniers.
On top of that, the lightweight tubing, and lighter wheels with fewer spokes are not designed for touring.
tl, dr: Find out if the specialized has rear rack and fender mounts. If so, it should be fine for light touring with 25 tires. At 21 to 23 lbs. it will be a little heavier than the top dollar bikes other racers use, but it will be fast enough so that it won't be an impediment to your ability to keep up in a pack and to sprint at the finish.
Best of luck!
