New Bike, Advice Please!

[SPHDS]

Hi all...it has been a fair old while.....but here I am again...!
Sorry, it is yet another of those 'what to get' questions.....!
I am in the market for a new bike as my faithful old Raleigh Granada has finally bitten the dust after years of use and abuse....! So I need a replacement.....it will mostly be used for commuting and blatting up and down the canal towpaths (unpaved/gravel tracks).
I like the drop bars of the Raleigh, and would like a rear rack and mudguards....so a tourer sounds about right....but which one.....!?!
So....are any of these any good -
- Dawes Galaxy/Horizon
- Claud Butler Dalesman
- Ridgeback Voyage

Also are Roux Etape any good? (never heard of them, but look quite good!)

Finally are disc brakes any good on bikes of this sort - know a fair few MTB's and the like have them....but are they really 'worth it' (also are they simple to 'maintain'/not need constant fettling......!?! (the centre pulls on my Raleigh were good, but needed constant fiddling to keep them effective)
Sorry for a load of waffle (and probably pointless/inane qu's!) Look forward to hearing from you!

Cheers

Sam

 

[Pale Rider]

Can't help with the bikes, but hydraulic discs are all but no maintenance compared to cable discs which require occasional adjustment.

Hydraulics are also better in that both pads move equally to clamp the disc.

On cable discs one pad is fixed and the other squeezes the disc against it.

 

[Cycleops]

Three quite different bikes. Ridgebacks are good and great value but this has a Ali frame, I thought you might have a preference for a steel frame after the Raleigh, which I think give a more comfortable ride. The Dawes are more full on touring bikes with their wide spread of gears so should suit you well. The Dalesman is an Audax bike so more of a fast tourer but without the gear range.As for disc brakes I can't really comment as all my bikes have rim brakes but an awful lot have them today.. I think whatever you decide to go for won't be wrong.

 

[SPHDS]

Hi, cheers for that, if I am perfectly honest I just had a look on Ebay for 'touring bikes' and those were the ones which caught my eye.....!
As for gear ratios.....am used to close ratios as I had to get the cassette replaced on the Raleigh a while back and the only 5spd available was one from a road racer.....! Plus I have always been more of a 'Stand up and Stomp' than 'GrannyGear' type of rider when it comes to hills.....!
The problem I had with the brakes on my Raleigh was they seemed to need constant fettling, and being centre pull calipers, you always needed about 3 pairs of hands to do it....!

 

[Cycleops]

I've always rather liked this: http://www.konaworld.com/honky_tonk.cfm steel frame, fittings for rack and comfy 28c tyres with room to fit wider, about £700. Only problem is the silly name!

 

[vickster]

Have a look at spa cycles for tourers