Advice on a touring bike?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

It's kind of a shame. It used to be that most "sport" model bicycles just came with eyelets for racks, but now you almost have to buy a touring bike to get them.

I think that will be rapidly changing as more and more people turn to bikes for transportation as opposed to just for recreational weekend club rides.
"City bikes" are becoming the new rage, and that means people want to use them for practical things and be able to buy stuff on their way home, ride to work, etc. As gas becomes more and more expensive, we will be seeing a slow steady shift in the kind of bikes people are buying. It's great to think about.
Just this month we've had 3 different friends who haven't ridden bikes in many years come to us asking bike shopping advice. Aside from the fun factor of riding, which they are excited about, one of the things they are all wanting is racks so they can buy stuff on errands instead of using their cars. None of these people are interested in going on fast road rides in groups- they expressly make that point to us even though we didn't even ask. They want to ride the lovely countryside for exercise at an easy pace and also use their bikes for errands.
Braze-ons and racks are making a big comeback!
(as are wider tires, fenders, more upright posture, and lights.)