You are correct. I am friends with a man that toured (coast to coast, I think) on a Raleigh DL-1! I cannot even imagine doing that, but it really proves that all you need is a bike, any bike. All those old pictures of stone faced men, on top of some mountain with some ancient chunk of iron that they rode there. Heck, you could walk coast to coast, you don't even need a bike. There was a recent sketch where a couple spent so much time getting special gear, that they never made it outside to actually use it.
I like my touring bikes, despite the fact that I don't tour. I use them for commuting and pulling a trailer, so yes, overkill. Isn't most of the stuff on this forum overkill? Pro level racing bikes, super special touring bikes, over-kill custom frames and an entire fleet of bikes for one person. I like to indulge in the overkill.
Originally Posted by
noglider
Sorry, but I'm not that much of a fan. They're great looking and well thought out. They're truly nice, but how many touring miles do we put on per year? I haven't taken an overnight bike trip since 1983, though I hope to get back into it this summer.
Cyclo-cross and sport-touring bikes are just a bit shorter and lighter. They don't feel heavy when they're not laden. Full touring bikes do, so if I do end up touring, I'll probably do it on a cyclo-cross bike. I've determined that the chainstays are long enough to prevent heel-scrape.
I took a three-month tour on a 1980 PX-10 with a very short wheelbase. I had to modify my pedal stroke to clear my heels of the panniers. On all my tours, I used a handlebar bag rather than a front rack. The PX-10 was far from ideal, but it worked, and it refutes the idea that you need a specialized bike. I had to hang on really tight going down mountains, but I managed, and I didn't have to slow down. I was even foolish enough to use racing tubular tires. Now, that was stupid. I got a lot of flats!
I also took a several-day tour on my McLean racing bike. Same kind of setup but with clinchers.
I should wander over into the touring section of bikeforums so I get psyched to take tours again. Maybe it will get me into gear (pun intended) and start the planning.