Hi all, so here is what i am starring at:

specialized sequoia 2018 steel adventure bike
kona sutra 2017
kona sutra LTD 2018
genesis tour de fer 2017

what i want:

– low gears, preferred mtb groupset if possible or sti compatible (while i’m in town i do like speed when i change gears)
– to be able to put on some fatter tires if needs be
– eventually mudguards as it rains here really a lot
– eventually upgrade to dynamo hub or if the bike has on that would be great

what i don’t particularly like about the genesis tdf is the weight and the tiagra road groupset, the presence of dynamo, lights, mudguards etc is nice

what i don’t like about kona is bar end shifters (the dynamo hub is what i can upgrade

intended use:

after work spin around the county, weekend loaded touring, daily do-it-all bike with lights and fenders to keep me safe in winter, sti and low gearing is a must, space for at least 700x40c tires

any thoughts?

I have a tour de fer. it is far from a do it all bike. spacing for a good sized tyre with guards is very limited.
also I have a surly ogre, which is far more suitable. it will do all that you have listed.

Out of your list, I would go for the Sutra LTD. It most closely resembles the description of what you want.
I would urge you to look at the Rove st too. Same geo as the Sutra with a lighter tubeset.

I nearly went for one a couple of years ago until Mrs Wachowchow came home with a Kona Jake for my birthday, which is also lovely.

No kinesis at?

AWOL weighs very little more than a Sequoia and less than the Croix De Fer.
Has the new 9 Speed Sora group, which is really nice, pretty wide spread, STI’s too.
Takes 45’s very happily with guards, lovely bike.

Sutras are lovely too, both take standard QR’s and MTB brakes.

Love my Surly DT, about a pound heavier than the AWOL but nicer on road, imo.
AWOL is better off road, great fun.
Very nice standard kit on the AWOL.

I do all of the above with a Surly Troll, which has 26″ wheels (the Surly Ogre is the 29″ version). It looks weird with drop bars but do-able.

The biggest compromise (and there’s always a compromise, right?) is when I’m touring- it feels a bit noodley when properly (properly!) fully loaded, which my old Dawes Galaxy didn’t. However the other side to that is that it feels very nippy and enjoyable to ride around town when commuting (which is, realistically, what it gets used for 95% of the time..)

PS I liked it the most when it had an Alfine hub for five years until it wore out. May well get another when I’m rich again!! 🙂

Not on your list but i’m loving my Arkose Alfine. Thought the bar end shifter would be an issue but it’s very easy to get on with.
It’s my favourite bike by far. Very capable and should be low maintenance. Pretty quick on the road too, even with WTB Nano tyres.