Thanks Alee for the quick reply! I don’t want to purchase a touring specific bike until I see that I stick with it. Cheers!

You can bike tour on any bike! Your Trek 7.2FX is probably fine for the type of touring you’re planning on doing. You can always just replace parts if they break along the way seeing as though you won’t be a million miles from home.

Regarding the handlebars, just keep in mind that a drop handlebar has a longer ‘reach’ than a flat handlebar. This means that in the ‘hood’ position you’ll be further forward by 5-6cm. The only way to make sure your position stays the same is by shortening your stem significantly. My article on the Crazy Bars explains this in more detail: https://www.cyclingabout.com/velo-orange-crazy-bar-review/

That said, given that you’re thinking about swapping the handlebars, it could be beneficial to get a touring specific bike (like the Fuji) which is optimised for a drop handlebar and already has strong wheels and a really wide set of gear ratios. There’s nothing to swap out, so it will undoubtedly work out cheaper in the long-term.

As a resident of Amsterdam, I am well aware of how to lock bikes, and also well aware of the fact that it will get stolen anyway. That said, I’ve found something of a solution: insurance. Though they won’t ship me back my bike when I am in the middle of Mexico… Still, the risk is just part of the trip.

Stolen bikes suck! I have some locking tips here: https://www.cyclingabout.com/keep-your-bike-safe-strong-bike-locks-and-tips/

A vastly better solution is to get decent nylon (not polyester) panniers with plenty of exterior convenience pockets. Make sure you are happy with their mounting system. You do not want them rattling while you ride. They will be both cheaper and lighter than Ortliebs.

Then hie thee to a supermarket for clear plastic ziplock freezer bags. They are completely watertight, come in sandwich, quart, gallon, and even two- and five- gallon sizes. They weigh nothing, cost little, are clear so you can see what’s inside, and are available everywhere. Socks in one, headlamp in another, cellphone in a third, gorp in a fourth, and so on. You can even nest them. They keep your stuff organized and thus minimize rummaging which is frustrating and time-consuming.

Surely you mean brass nipples, not steel, correct? I’m not even aware of current steel nipples, only aluminum and brass for the most part. Brass nipples are known for building more durable wheels, though.

If that rim manufacturer is a sponsor, hey, cool, it’s likely a wonderful wheelset. If not, there are ways to do cheaper but still solid wheelsets.

I just put together a 36 spoke 700c wheelset that would have cost me $140 after shipping if I would have bought a front hub rather than using the extra dynamo I already had. Double butted sapim spokes, brass nipples, sun cr18 rims, tiagra hub (126 rear spacing on my frame, no mtb rear hubs). Even after giving someone $100 to hand build them for you, that’s still a solid wheelset at a cheaper price. Partial to velocity rims myself, but that puts the wheelset into the price of the other one you mentioned.

And lastly, schwalbe Mondial tires are wonderful. I had some on the disc trucker I used to have and put them through 4,000+ (3,000 loaded) miles with a single flat: a 2″ screw acquired during a 30mph descent.

Good tips there, Joe. Thanks.