Hi all. I'm hoping to go on a leisurely bike tour from Santa Cruz to somewhere South of Monterey, CA with my parents this summer. I'm rebuilding my Schwinn Super Sport as a tourer/commuter, and would like some advice on the build. First off, I need to get a new fork. Would putting a 700c fork on a bike originally intended for 27" wheels throw the geometry way off? I'm already running 700c wheels, so this might make it easier to find a fork. Second, I don't have rack braze ons, but the dropouts are threaded for rack/fender screws. Would a rack used with the metal brackets for this purpose be strong enough to support panniers?

For a first-time tourist, what pace would you reccomend? I've heard about 10 mph, but I'd like to know approximately miles/day. I ride at least 6 miles on a fixed gear everyday just around town, but have done 20+ milers geared and a few 12/13 milers fixed. My parents are both in pretty good shape but don't ride much. My dad rides my old hybrid with a 28/34 granny gear (chainring/cog), and my mom rides a MTB with knobby tires. We'd take it slow and have plenty of rest stops, and I was hoping for at least 30 mi/day. Is this practical? We will do training rides (8-20 miles) before and a few loaded trips (I'll have panniers and a messenger bag, my parents will each have a small back pack).

For a credit card tour, how much food/water/clothing should we pack? I've heard water should be the most weight. Would a bottle on eack bike, a camel back, and several extra waters in bags be suitable for us? For clothes, I'd bring two jerseys (1 wool, 1 synthetic and a base layer (synthetic), two shorts (synthetic), a pair of cut off pants (shants, as we fixed riders like to call them), and a t-shirt or two. This includes what I'd be wearing. My parents own no cycling clothes, but they would buy some shorts (I told them they won't believe how uncomfortabe they'd get).

Thanks.