Hey Captenaj! I rode with America by bicycle this summer from Astoria Oregon to Jackson Hole Wyoming on my beloved Ruby Pro. It was almost brand new to me at the time - and what a sweet ride- the frame soaked up lots of rough road. There were two other women with Rubys too, and none of them had any problems either. I had Rolf wheels on mine (very few spokes and tricky wheels to work on) That wasn't the best idea, but the tour company had extra wheels built up for the tour in case people had wheel catastophes. I only weigh 103 lbs, so it wasn't like I was testing the limits of my wheels with crushing weight either. I may find some sturdier and more standard wheels for future touring.I just wore a fanny pack and put a bento type box on the top tube(but the bento box thing kind of scratched my paint a tiny bit) Our ABB tour had great support, so carrying alot wasn't an issue. Next summer, my little Ruby with go with me from Jackson Hole to South Dakota! I'm crossing the US 2 weeks at a time. I can recommend using chamois butter(maybe even carrying those little packets of it sold on TE) and getting out of you sweaty bike shorts ASAP every day to help avoid saddle sores and folliculitis. A helmet that has its own visor is nice too. Have fun! Tokie