[jluetjen]

I had the same sticker-shock. I really wanted a "touring" bike where I could mount some bags if I was going to go some place and discovered that they don't make them any more. I ended up buying a used mid-80's Trek 520. It's got a Chromalloy frame that is tough as nails, but still has some give over rough roads. Sure it's not quite as light as the more modern bikes, but I'm not racing and the difference in weight is really only about 1%-1.5% of the total bike and rider combination. In total it cost me a few hundred bucks after I freshened it up a little bit.

Quite a bit less then what I would have paid for the cheapest new Trek road bike, and a better fit for what I was looking for.