Hi,
I am going with Allee Dunham's recommendation for 20 gear inches or lower, if possible. TBH I'be been touring on good quality road bikes with triples on them- sorta blasphemy I guess considering that I was underbiked, but no one yelled at me including finicky french bike mechanics in the alps..
I think if I sat on the road, I am basically just shortening the life of those bikes using them for light touring, an dI realise it's stupid, but it was either that or stay home, so...
The other things I am adressing is this feeling every time I set out from my apartment to the train station with the bike fully loaded: it have sinking feeling that I'm asking it too much. I'd LOVE to get on a Fairlight or whatever which is purposefully designed and NOT feel that sinking feeling- feel trust, worry free, etc.. I also want to go down farm roads and moutain acfdess roads with said loads. Tires could be 45 -50 I guess, I have zero experience with these widths except on my beloved cheapo city bike.
On the road bikes I tour on, I put 28's on which are max.
Peter