Quote Originally Posted by Stronglight99 View Post
6) brakes- sidepulls are just fine unless you're heavy, the bike is over 50 lbs, or you intend to go offroad all the time. If you intend to go offroad a lot, you need a mountain bike not a touring bike.
Real touring bikes are meant to go off road plenty- if by off-road you mean off of paved roads and onto dirt and rough gravel roads, fireroads, cowpaths or tractorpaths across fields, etc. Touring bikes are meant to be country distance bikes after all, with nice sturdy tires (perhaps 700x38's?) to handle their share of rough surfaces, and usually fenders for mud and rain conditions. I would not suggest a mountain bike for any kind of long distance touring, but maybe you didn't mean to 'recommend' one.