I prefer a steel touring frame with wider (37mm) tires, equipped with front and rear panniers and at least three water bottle cages. I can ride a bike like this carrying about 50 pounds of gear anywhere between 50 and 100 miles on pleasure tours. Properly motivated, I could certainly do more. Being kind of elderly, I have come to appreciate low gearing.
I wouldn't mind a dedicated Tourer or Audax Frame myself in high quality low alloy steel tubing but the prices for reasonable quality cycle framesets and parts are extortionate. I have just looked up an old mass produced classic called the Dawes Galaxy Ultra in 853 tubing and nearly fell off my chair. The frameset was £600 or $1000.
We are talking a factory frame not bespoke.
http://www.dawescycles.com/p-32-ultra-galaxy-frameset.aspxThe titanium in 3AL/2.5V version was £2000 or $3,300
Even the parts such as gear train and brakes parts are eye watering expensive.
The Dawes Super Galaxy was £1500 or $2500 for middle of the road quality parts.
I think I might just get the old Nivacrom MTB frame from the loft and braze some addition bits on so it will take Panniers and mudguards then just get it resprayed.
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