The guy selling the Merz touring bike claims that he rode it 50k miles! If true that is pretty amazing. It seems that touring riders were much more serious about the equipment back when I was building frames. I live on Hwy. 1 and see a lot of touring riders, most riders are on Surly or something like that. I think they think of the bike as just another piece of gear, like a tent or sleeping bag. In the 1970's I had almost zero money but had to have the best bicycle for my touring, racing, and city riding. Other people felt the same way, and I made what I felt was the very best bike to fit their needs. I learned a lot, and had a great time building those frames. I took that knowledge gained and tried to make bikes that a large number of riders could enjoy.
Jim Merz
Big Sur CA