There are boring days and there are days where the weather is awful to ride in. It's not all glamorous 70 degree days with no wind. And I suspect boredom is the #1 reason why people abandon tours. But this is case for a lot of adventures, hiking the Appalachian Trail, climbing Everest, rowing across the ocean, building a house, driving your car across the nation, stacking dominoes, etc.... Boredom does play a factor.

This forum rarely covers the biggest obstacle to touring, that is the mental aspect of it. It is work to do a tour. There are times when you are wet,cold, riding into a nasty headwind, and you will be asking yourself why in the hell am I doing this when I can be warm and dry and comfortable.

however, there are rewards to touring that go beyond words.. Being able to see things at 10mph that no one else will see. Being able to completely ignore world events. Becoming almost one with your bicycle. Not having to worry about the price of gasoline, the sense of an accomplishment. The thrill of crossing a state or country line, meeting unique people, and countless other personal rewards that are unique to every person.

To me, is bike touring worth it? Yes it is. Would I want to be touring 365 days a year? No I wouldn't. If you dream of doing a tour, go for it, as the only failure is failing to try something you dream of doing.