Touring with a Road Bike
 

Can I take a small tour(180 miles) with a road bike if I just change out the tires? How do I know which tires would fit on my bike(Redline r740)? I'm a beginner to biking in general so I'm just worried about my bike on rough roads, but I don't have money for big upgrades or to buy a new bike.

Here are the standard return questions:

What kind of touring? What kind of surface will you ride on? Where will you sleep? How heavy is your load?

If the load is light enough and the roads are smooth enough, you can tour on anything.

If you have a bike shop nearby, take your bike in and ask about what tires will fit. If you can't get bigger tires on, then tour on what you have. Tires are important, but not a deciding factor on smooth roads.

Unless you weigh alot this could be a great bike for light touring. It accepts fenders and a rear rack. Take a spare tire and tube along. You could ask at a bicycle store if your frame will accept 32 mm tires but then it probably won't handle fenders. I would not be afraid to go on a 180 mile trip with 25 mm tires like Pasela Tourguard.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000AO9S18/...8&linkCode=asn

I used 700 x 28's on my road bike for two tours.
Find a front rim from your bike shop that has 28's on it and see if it fits on your bike.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=524843

What kind of touring? What kind of surface will you ride on? Where will you sleep? How heavy is your load?

I'm not sure what different types of touring there are. I plan on maybe 3 days, spending 2 nights in a motel. I weigh 140lbs, plan on carrying sports bars, water, gps and a credit card.
I guess I'll be going down the side of a highway. There will be lots of gravel and dirt. I don't know if there are alternate routes other than the main highway.
The spec sheet says the bike has 700 x 25's

is it bad to tour with skinny ties? im leaving my normal tires on my road bike when i tour this summer.

For credit card touring, just pump up your tires and go. You need nothing else.

this old guy i know has done 2 fully loaded cross country tours on 700x23's, when i told him i ran 700x28's he thought i was crazy.

Well, almost nothing else. Make sure you've got a frame pump and a patch kit, and know how to use them.
All else is fluff. If you have a flat, be sure to check the inside of the tire well for a sharp object.

I used 700x23 tires and my road bike for 3000 miles of unsupported touring because that was what I had. I didn't feel like shelling out money for a new bike and tires, and I am glad that I didn't.

If you aren't loaded, anything will work if the tires are sufficiently inflated. I ride on rough and unpaved roads on my road bike (700x23) all the time and have never had serious problems. The narrow tires need to run higher pressures, so they aren't as comfortable, but you shouldn't damage your wheels with them.

Talking tires are a lot like politics, but FWIW I'll give my opinion anyway. I rode several multi-week, self supported tours on road bikes with 25mm tires (check out the Trek 1000 thread). One trip had 17 miles of gravel road, and some construction. They did just fine. I have also done a cross country and several shorter self supported tours on 28's (touring bike). I have never seen any reason to go with a wider tire. The advantage of the 25's or 28's over the 23's is a little softer ride. I usually run 100 psi in all my tires and that seems to be a good compromise. Depending on the circumstances, your intended route, road conditions, weight etc; everyone's advice is good!

Using Road Bike for Touring
 

Go for it. I have cycled self supported in Europe for the past 8 years with a road bike. I only use a rear rack and handlebar bag and pack really light. I have have two flats along the way and carry spare tubes as I find bike shops do not always carry the right tire types. I plan my route to take advangtage of paved bike trails or lightly traveled paved roadts. With a loaded road bike I need to be more cautious when on small sections of gravel or cobblestones. I am not able to have fenders but it is really only a minor issue. The key is to travel light.