The steely explorer
For the tourer who prefers the ride and repairability of steel, the Burke is a long distance companion. We don't do standard sizing for touring bikes because we've found that the needs of touring riders vary widely according to preferences for loading, ride position, length of expedition and unique cockpit equipment. Our general approach to fitting touring bikes is to relax the seat tube angle and lengthen the chainstays to increase pannier clearance. A lower bottom bracket increases stability so you can descend without without missing the view while taller head tubes unload the shoulders and neck for comfort during the longest traipse. We favour a longer front-centre for stability, and the extra room that allows for an extra biddon mount.
Our steel tourers are built with the same attention to individual needs as our racing bikes. We take smaller diameter, thicker walled tubing from Reynolds, Columbus and Dedacciai to favour load carrying capability and increase durability. We keep the finished look traditional because a bike that draws attention to itself can quickly become a liability.