Since you can take a walking tour of the fancy houses in some towns, or a museum tour, I think the word 'tour' implies going somewhere new and seeing something unfamiliar. Bike touring implies doing it by bike. You could tour Martha's Vinyard in a day, and it would still be a bike tour.

A ride is about riding, a tour is about seeing. And I like them both.

Unfortunately, when I have time for a tour, I only have a certain amount of time; and I've already seen everything I can see in a day ride from home. So my goal, when I tour, is always to do as many miles as possible, at least until I get someplace unfamiliar.

Have I really seen everything I can see on a day ride from my home? No, of course not. But I've seen enough of it that I become curious about places farther off.

I think that Zoltani has the right idea. Intent when you leave the door should be a defining characteristic. Some might question whether or not a day ride is a tour, but I still think the intent defines the naming of the act if one so cares.
I imagine many of my training rides when I was young and racing were longer than his day tours, yet I never once thought of what I was doing as touring. I carried minimal gear; two water bottles, extra tubes and patches, some allen wrenches and cash for food or emergencies. Most of my Tuesdays and Thursdays averaged 65 and 80 miles resptively and non-racing weekend days were always over 100 miles, involving an out and back route with a lunch or snack stop somewhere. These rides were always on PCH between Santa Monica and Ventura, with lengthy side trips into the mountains. Mostly I rode them alone too. To me they were training rides, to others on the same routes they would be tours.
Now when I ride to San Diego for the day, or up to Ventura for lunch and back, I might think of it more as a tour, and since I am not racing and I might even carry more with me, but not much. And the intent is different. Now I move at a slower pace, and stop if something interests me or beckons. The mileage is no longer a driving factor, it has been replaced by enjoyment and destination.

Nice point, I think I was trying to say something similar.

brilliant point i'll admit defeat ,ah at the end of the day it's all cycling call it what you will.
but i guess at a slower pace takeing in all around must be regarded as touring.ah well can't win them all.

I consider any multi-day ride a tour. Albeit, the 2-3 day trips I normally consider a mini-tour or a micro-tour. I think is somewhat to do what the frame of mind as well. Knowing that you have everything you need to survive for an 'X' amount of miles, time, places seen.

What I have trouble doing is considering the Races "tours", actual tours. Personally I think touring is all about being Self Sufficient and carrying all of your own stuff. Whenever there are vehicles involved carrying all your stuff, to me, that is just a very long ride.

Tours are when you carry your bicycle on your back. People who insist on riding theirs are wussies. I have spoken.

And I would say "yes". It's called a supported tour, but it is still a cycling tour.

I've done that a few times!! Or at least, I've carried my bicycle on a tour. In one of my tour stories on my website, I recommend building up the upper body strength before going on a tour because of the number of times I've had to carry my bicycle and gear.

It usually starts right from when I arrive at the airport to go somewhere ... carts are getting harder to find at many airports, or they cost a fortune, and so there have been times when I've had to drag/carry my bicycle and gear across the airport to the check-in area. Then I drag/carry my bicycle through various airport/flight changes. And more dragging/carrying from the airport to the hostel. And up or down the hostel stairs. And down or up the hostel stairs the next day ... repeat for as many days as I use a hostel. And from hostels to train stations, and across train platforms. And onto trains, and off of trains. And onto ferries and off of ferries ...........

last year in france we stayed in a hotel because of the bad weather and also i was feeling sick ,i tryed carrying the panniers up three flights of stairs but was struggling ,the young receptionist lovely girl only a slip of a thing grabbed me and my panniers and hauled me to my room .made me feel like a complete wussie.

Thanks all for your comments, it seems it's pretty much the way I think, I too would call overnighters/weekenders, a mini-tour and the multi-day rides "tours" but it's still touring! :) Yep, we will be "smell the roses" tourer's for sure, speed is not our thing, just want to get out there, off the normal Path's and Street's of our 1st. season of riding. Again thanks!

LOL, I love this: [
Tours are when you carry your bicycle on your back. People who insist on riding theirs are wussies. I have spoken.] Well then I did a LOT of touring when my son and I raced Novice level NORBA races back in the early to mid-80's, there were MANY times I carried my MTB over all kinds of obsticals!

:)

Bicycle touring is the combination of tourist activities and a bicycle. Could be a few minutes or years. That said there is a secondary meaning which implies all the stuff necesarry to do it for an extended period of time. Realistically, if anyone here bought a Bicycle Touring book, sight unseen, there would be a limit to the discusion of one hour lunchtime rideabouts one would want to see chapters devoted to, unless there was a subtitle with the appropriate warning.

When it comes to a forum, there is a tendency for the subject mater to be reduced somewat. This forum tends to cover gear and tactics that are to some extent specialized, and to which the answer is not immediately obvious to everyone. A discusion of paniers, waterproof vs non-waterproof, is something that as a 40 year user I can still benefit from the input of others on. That doesn't define what touring is all about, it just arises from the fact I don't need to ask questions about outfitting for a 5 minute ride around the block.

One way to determine if you're carrying too much stuff with you on a tour is whether or not you can haul it up three flights of stairs!! :D

good point machka but not that particular day, i never felt so week thought i was going to meet my maker
im still working on as light as possible.

touring, to me, is going to any destination you would normaly go using a car but using a bicycle instead. say you want to go the next town over, use your bike instead of the car. camping? same deal. maybe im wrong, but thats how i view it. going places by bike that people would normaly go by car.

Touring is going the distance by bicycle for sightseeing at my own leisurely pace.