Like most everyone else, I carried too much clothing on my beginning tours and eventually discovered I could get by with less. Aside from a few basic snacks, I have gravitated toward not carrying food and only on rare occasions do I carry cooking gear.
I used to carry too much camera gear....camera body and additional lenses. I discovered I didn't use my heavy telephoto lenses enough to warrant lugging them around. Now I carry a credit card size digital with built in telephoto. It's not as powerful as my original telephotos, but plenty sufficient for a bike tour. Also, I stopped carrying a flashlight because my detachable headlight - little used because I rarely ride at night when on tour - serves the same purpose.