Originally Posted by
bikemig
That guy in the NC mtns with a lot of bikes is a pretty good place to look for a touring bike in your size esp. since you don't know quite what you're looking for. The features Thrifty Bill talks about in post no. 6 is pretty much what you are looking for (triple crank, cantilever brakes, etc.) Here's the problem, touring bikes don't pop often and it has to be in your size or it's no good to you. You're best bet may be to find a vintage mtb (one with a rigid fork). Those can make darn good touring bikes with a bit of tweaking and they can be found (unlike vintage touring bikes) at a reasonable price (again unlike vintage touring bikes which tend to command a premium). Personally if I were looking for a touring bike in your area, I'd talk to that guy in the NC mtns with the vintage touring bikes.
Actually, I already have a MTB type touring bike, a Novara Safari, and it works fine. However, since it is built to haul heavy loads and go on unpaved roads and partially civilized trails, it simply weighs a bit more than I would prefer for strictly paved road touring. I also have light steel sport bikes, one of which I could convert, after a fashion, either with light racks or a trailer to make a paved road tourer. So I have spent most of the day doing CL searches and googling touring bikes.