Hey guys,

I'm a total newbie here. Hello! I'm very new to road biking (I just got my road bike in November, and as I live up north in the snowy regions, haven't had a ton of opportunities to ride). I'm even newer to touring, as I have never done any.

I ride a Specialized Dolce Triple, and I would really like to do some LIGHT touring this summer. Nothing crazy, just shorter trips at first, preferably stopping at a campground, although that depends on some of the answers that you guys give here. First of all, is my bike even appropriate for this kind of touring? I know it's definitely not okay for long tours, as it's an aluminum/carbon frame, but I wondered if it might work for shorter (60 mi.) trips. Do you think it would stand being loaded up with a rack and some gear?

I would love to get a dedicated touring bike, but from what I've seen, they're really expensive, and as a graduate student, I can't really swing that right now. If my bike seems like a bad idea for tours, what would you guys recommend? Are there any budget-friendly touring bikes out there?

Thanks!!!