It is true that one may tour any type of bike that exists. I've commuted and toured on five different bikes (two were road bikes, two mountain bikes, and one a "touring" bike). I had trouble with heel strike with narrow panniers on each of the bikes, except the touring bike, using an older Blackburn expedition rack (an old standard). I assume this was due to my large feet and short chain stays. Before moving to the touring bike, the best solution for heel strike I found was the Tubus Logo rack which allowed me to move the panniers further to the rear.
Another thought on that bike -- does it have room for fenders, if you wished to add those?