Touring Audax and Sportive Frames - A touring frame is a bicycle frame designed or modified to handle bicycle touring. To make the bikes sufficiently robust, comfortable and capable of carrying heavy loads. A Audax or Sportive frame is a road frame that is adapted to take mudguards and a rear rack, it is lighter than a touring frame and the geometry is more racey (yet slightly more relaxed than a road racer). Special features of a touring frame may include a long wheelbase (for ride comfort and to avoid pedal-to-luggage conflicts), frame materials that favor flexibility over rigidity (for ride comfort) and multiple mounting points (for luggage racks, fenders, and bottle cages).