Originally Posted by TheSergeant

You can tour on anything--as long as you can ride the bike comfortably for more than a few hours a day. The biggest myth ever is that you need a "touring bike" to tour.

I did my last trip on a 16lbs carbon BH RX1 cyclocross and was blown away how well it worked out. We met and rode with a girl who rode from Vancouver to Los Angeles on an old mountain bike she bought at a police auction for $60. When she went into a bike shop to look for a "touring bike" they told her she couldn't tour on anything less than a Long Haul Trucker or comparable. WHAT?! That's absurd. When I rode her $60 bike I couldn't believe how stable and comfortable it was. First thing I did when I got home? Found a 1990 Novara XR and converted it to a touring bike. I'll use it on the next trip I do where speed/mileage isn't a huge concern.

Do it!

This was the Canadian's $60 ride: Soo awesome.