Originally Posted by
staehpj1
I do agree that touring isn't really about the bike or the gear though. When I think back on a tour, neither the bike nor the gear really come up much. The people and places do. The thing is that the tour experience just isn't a subject that lends itself to this type of forum. A journal format is better for that.
Yup, touring is 90 percent mental. It doesn't matter if you tour on a $5,000 bike or a $100 bike like I did, it's all about the experience. Touring can be great and there are days when touring isn't (like riding in wind and rain). It's not going to matter if the bike is a Trek or a Giant or a Schwinn etc when you actually start touring.
I think the idea is just do it and stop worrying about the "right size of tire", "right bike" etc . Just do it.