LA Guy back again. I'm planning a trip from Santiago south - don't know how far into the Patagonia I'll go. Then find a willing (and in need of extra cash) truck driver to haul me over the Andes, cycle across Argentina and into Uruguay. Mostly paved if possible but many interesting places are on funky roads. Fifty miles a day are plenty for this old dude. Lots of wet on the Pacific side so I'll be in hostels more often than the tent if possible.
Thanks for the idea of the SRAM 9 (formerly the Keating 6 and the Motown 3? Guess one needs to be a Yank for that one). I'm not a mechanic and am looking for a drive train that can take a beating on the road, by baggage handlers and truck beds. Plus all the road mung and world class potholes that passing traffic forces one to swallow. I just thought that the Nuvinci is so much simpler and hefty compared to the wonderfully intricate German precision hub that it would be best. However I know zilch about the subject and if the 9 is certifiably trouble free for heavy touring, I'll do that.
If I go the kit route, will the V2 frame and front end accept disc brakes?
Thanks again.