My first tourer was an mtb - served me very well - bit flexy though - coming off a big col I had to be very careful with braking going into hairpins - too hard and the rear would jump out - it was a Marin Eldridge - steel frame - had to be put down after a few years - came back on the bus from a tour of France - at the drop off point where i had left my car I lifted the bike up to put it on my car rack and noticed the chainstays had rusted through from the inside