I knew you would focus on the legal.
I ride *somewhat* illegally, and only in situations where it makes sense and I remain safe. and remember, going 5mph over the speed limit or rolling through a stop sign in your car is illegal too and those things also hurt nobody and many times makes sense in real-life traffic situations.
and anyway, since I dont plan on touring downtown urban environments, it goes without saying that my behavior on the road would adapt to the kinds of roads, and traffic,and general environments that I would be riding in.
as far as daily miles, 15 is my absolute minimum. after posting yesterday, I got on gmap-pedometer.com and mapped my miles for the day (commuting, lunch, grocery store, trip to friend's house, errands) and was suprised to discover that although it didnt feel like I did anything over normal, I racked up 47 miles.
I didnt even go on a leisure ride!
I agree that it makes sense to experience loaded weight, but as of right now all I own is my track bike and I can't really hook any racks or anything up to that. heck, I cant even get a clip-on front fender on it.
so, back to those questions:
training tips for someone who does not yet own a touring bike
and when shopping for a touring rig, what is considered light, and what is considered heavy? unloaded.
thanks.