Frame sizing for touring bike?

My girlfriend and i are buying touring bicycles. The tech at one shop says you should buy a smaller frame for touring than you would for a road bike. He says it's a long-distance comfort thing.

Another tech at another shop says that's crap. Buy the same size touring frame as you would buy for a regular road bike.

Does anyone know the answer to this?

This suggestion comes from my best friend, who biked from Key West Florida to Anchorage Alaska--on his touring bike. He also has road bikes and mountain bikes. Direct Quote "Buy the bike that fits you" If you get a bike that is a size smaller, you will feel like you are riding a bike that is too small for you, if you get a bigger bike you will feel like it is too big for you. Considering he spent just around 8,000 miles on his touring bike, I'll give him credit for knowing what he's talking about...they did anywhere from 40 (bad weather, steep inclines) to 100 (straight or downhill) mile days, but he has biked more than that in one stretch but they had to pace themselves.

If you get a smaller size for touring there is a good chance that you will not get the handlebars up high enough to be comfortable on long rides. Get yourself fitted to the bike by a good bike shop. The manufacturers of touring bikes adjust the geometry of the frame for its intended purpose and there is no reason to just buy a smaller frame. You should get yourself fitted to every new bike you buy. A 58cm by one manufacturer might not be the same as another's 58cm. Not to mention that smaller frames will also have a shorter top tube and wheelbase. This will make the bike unstable should you come down a steep grade with a heavy load.

Go to a shop that fits the bike to you not to what some guy thinks......... Your size is your size it will not fit if it's too small. The only difference in a touring frame from a road frame is more braze ons for carrier mounts.