Originally Posted by
Takara
Good God, just get a bike that you like because it feels good to be riding it.
I'm seriously starting to to think that bikeforums.net does more harm than good. A touring bike is a bike that you like to ride because you feel good riding it and it doesn't make you feel bad. That's the entire definition of what a touring bike is. There's no subsection of the definition where you learn that it must cost $1,000 or have a particular wheel diameter or special brazed-on threaded parts.
Just obtain a bike that feels good to your wrists, back, and bum, and ride it around with a grin on your face. That's touring.
Huh? Touring is what? I guess I have a different opinion. To me, touring is going on a bicycle trip that involves an overnight stay somewhere. Within that definition are sub-categories: self-supported, supported, and credit-card touring. What do others think?
For my definition of touring, especially if one is going to be carrying a load, a bike with certain capabilities is preferable. This Raleigh doesn't seem to have many of the specs I would look for. That said, you can tour on just about any bike, and when I first started out it was on a Raleigh that wasn't that much different from this.