MattNo offense, but:
“It could simply be so you have a bike that will keep pace with them” = Worst reason to buy a bike. Ride your own ride, Period.
The instant you try to keep up with someone is the instant you start making judgement mistakes about cornering speed.
If you are just starting out, the last thing you should be thinking about is keeping up with your buddies.
If you try to go the long distances your buddies do, even on a bike that does it “better” than a smaller bike, you are asking for trouble. You will get mentally and physically worn on (on any bike) before your buddies do. Then you are far from home and tired, which means mistakes.
Even on distance trips, you have to learn your limits (and build them up) on your own.
Someone just getting into distance running does not just join an accomplished marathoner for a jog expecting to keep up with them.
Ride your own ride.
As a helpful suggestion (just so I don’t come across as totally negative):
If you have sport riding buddies, join them for part of a trip. Ride an easier section and ask them to ride it at a sedate (legal) pace. You get to ride with them, you get to set your own pace, and when your bit is done, they get to have enjoyed your company and then resume blasting the back roads.
If your friends are distance riders, join them for the initial hour or so of their trip. In many accomplished sport-touring groups (example: canyonchasers.net) this is extremely common. There will be only a handful of riders doing a full multi-day trip, but each day (or half day) they will meet and join up with some locals.
As RT says, chose the bike that is right for you, not for your friends.
And I’m going to point out that at 6’0″ 185#, you aren’t a little guy, but you aren’t especially tall either. You should find most bikes fit you reasonably well. I’m almost identical proportions and very few bikes I’ve sat on felt cramped (Honda Rebel being the only one)
—
“The two seconds between ‘Oh S**!’ and the crash isn’t a lot of practice time.”
