Whos making the nicest 26' touring bike these days?

I want a new 26' steel touring bike for my regular offroad pootling tours.

At present I convert my RM Blizzard over every trip, but I'm finding it unsuitable (Very low front end, short rear end) and worried about breaking it – i'd like something a little more specific.

Don't want a thorn. Looked at the Surly LHT (But no disc mounts) Any suggestions?

Santos bikes are miking some nice ones.. the Travelmaster springs to mind. I'm in the Andes cycling north from Patagonia on my Mk1 Thorn Nomad right now, it's a fantastic bike… maybe a Singular something though not tour specific… what do you want to do with it?
a mate has a Thorn Ripio, and I know you don't want to know about Thorn but it's a fantastic frame.

Just use an Inbred frame.

Roberts Cycles Cumbria or Rough Stuff?

If you want 26" wheels and discs on a touring bike and have relatively deep pockets, the obvious answer is a Tout Terrain Silkroad (see Bikefix)

^ Agreed.

though it has proper mtb steering so a lot of wheelflop if you run a lot of weight on the front.

Paul Hewitt does some nice stuff?

A 26 feet touring bike? You are the jolly green giant, and I (politely) claim my £5.

And to answer your question: what the others up there ^^^ have said. I'd go Hewitt, but that's because he's close by (and makes ace bikes).

Oh why not….some amusement for you!

Riese & Müller Intercontinental Extreme;

Tout Terrain Panamerica;

Serious mode on now…

http://www.co-motion.com/single_bikes/single_bikes_tour.html – Look very nice.
How about a Surly Long Haul Trucker if you're smaller? They use 26" on their smaller frames.

CFH – while both bikes are, by any normal measure, quite the most hideous things I have ever had the misfortune to gaze upon, I find myself strangely drawn to the Tout Terrain and it's insane looking suspension arrangements.

Vive le diff. etc. 😀

orange p7??

Some great ideas. The tout terrain is absoloutely lush and just what i'd want. Shame its such silly money.

An inbred is actually a very good idea which i might look into in the coming weeks. I don't know why I don't cut my loss's and just buy one.

p.s. probably going to do a London to cape town run on the bike.

Also want quite a tall frame. Don't want to be riding high with a foot of seatpost.