I can't decide Amazon or Yukon?

[Royalrider]

Hi All,
as per title. Have decided I want (need!!) a titanium bike and am at the point of organizing a trip to see them in the flesh/ get a fitting. Have pretty much decided on Van Nic. Here lies the problem both get excellent reviews and appear to suit the type of cycling I do which is a mix of road and cinder track/canal tow path and fairly long day rides.
I have a mountain bike if I want to go pot holing!
I understand that the Amazon is described as a 'If you can only have one do it all bike.....' and is robust enough for heavy touring. Even though my wife and I are planning a cycle touring holiday for next year it will be of the B&B type and not carrying tents and sleeping bags.
My questions are:
How much better is the Yukon on the road than the Amazon?
Will the Yukon be suitable and strong enough to take on the cinder paths, disused railway tracks, forest trails etc or will that need the Amazon.
Which would be better for 'credit card touring'?

Or is it just a matter of which feels right and I like the look of?

Any comments appreciated

 

[SimonGalgut]

I have both.

The deciding factor will be tyre size - the Yukon can only take up to 25s with 'guards whereas the Amazon will take up to 37s. If your off-road bits require bigger tyres with a bit of tread then the Amazon is the way to go. Of course you can always fit fancy wheels and tyres to the Amazon as well.

I love my Amazon Rohloff and would use it in preference to the Yukon in most cases, the exception being long day rides where the lighter and faster Yukon is an advantage.

 

[Royalrider]

Thanks for the swift reply Simon.

I wouldn't imagine that much of the off road parts would require greater than 25's and I have no desire to be riding through mud needing nobblies. There is the comfort factor however! I have fitted semi slicks to my mountain bike as the drag on the nobbly 2.10 's was very noticable.

I will happily do 50 mile on the road on my Raleigh Royal tourer but am not confident taking it onto trails and feel like I have been riding a bucking bronco on the occasions that I do. So I am looking for a bike that I can comfortably do an all day road ride and another day do the High Peak trail. I also would not describe myself as an all weather cyclist either. I do like it to be warm and sunny!!

Would you take your Yukon onto a Sustrans route. A friend and I have half planned to do C2C in October. Do you think the Yukon is an OK bike for this.

 

[SimonGalgut]

I wouldn't take my Yukon off tarmac, but it has silly low spoke count wheels and 23mm slicks. With decent wheels on hard pack surface it would be fine, but any mud, gravel, tree roots etc. would be much more fun/comfortable on the Amazon.

 

[andrew_s]

If you don't like the Raleigh on trails, you aren't likely to find the Yukon any better.