Originally Posted by tarwheel

Being in shape will make it easier to ride faster and farther, but you don't have to be in great shape to cycle tour. You just might not be able to ride as far every day, or might spend more hours on your bike getting from place to place.

Here's a suggestion if you are new to touring -- sign up for one of the weeklong cross-state tours that occur in just about every state in the USA every summer. Most of these rides are supported, meaning that the tour operators carry your gear from town to town and generally provide sag support if you have a mechanical problem. Many of these tours are very reasonably priced, particularly if you camp out along the way. You won't have to invest a large amount of money in racks, panniers and other gear, but you will get a good taste of cycle touring and whether you like it or not.

I have ridden supported cross-state cycle tours in Georgia, NC, Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin. All of them have been great, and were very inexpensive vacations. Most of them were a week long, with optional shorter routes (eg, 3 days). On every support tour I have ridden there were people riding every day who not in great shape as well as young kids, overweight adults, elderly folks. Most of these tours averaged about 60 miles a day, and most of the people rode the whole distance every day. It's just that some people finished riding by noon every day, and others were riding until 5 pm or so.