Originally Posted by
bikemig
But what if you're not a minimalist in terms of weight and you like the idea of doing a gravel road from time to time?
The old standard for touring was 700 x 32c (or 27 x 1 and 1/4). Road racing tires have been getting fatter and so have touring tires. Some very good touring frames can't handle much fatter than a 32c and fenders, some can.
I'm thinking that a touring bike that can handle a 700 x 38c-40c tire (or the 26 inch equivalent) and fenders is probably optimal if you're not a minimalist in terms of weight and you like the idea of touring on gravel roads.
The answer depends on load and road surface. I can see a 150lb person with 20lbs of load being very happy on 32-40mm tires for dirt roads. 225lb person with same load might want more cushion for off road.