Earl Bollinger writes:

When you go for a lightweight road bike, you will be sacrificing the
ability to carry stuff with you. But on the "credit card" touring,
the riders basically ride from hotel to hotel and have a support
vehicle with them too maybe. Thus they get to travel light. One
can use a backpack or even one of the hydration systems backpacks to
good advantage too.

I disagree. A backpack may work in the flats but if you climb hills,
sweat will run down your back into your shorts. The backpack can
generate good back sores. The bicyclists are not good beasts of
burden. Carry things on the bicycle. That's why touring equipment is
all about saddlebags and rack bags.

As for hotel overnights, they are far more pleasant than camping,
especially in the Alps where it can snow any day of the year. I have
met many bicyclists who did not believe this and had to discover it
first hand.

I have no follow car and have taken many tours of the alps. I learned
form my first long mountain tour that hotel/motel overnights are far
superior to camping if you want to enjoy long days on the road.

http://www.bicyclinglife.com/Recreat...erraSpring.htm
http://tinyurl.com/adls

On a long ride the seat may be an issue, thus you may want to get a
really good seat that gives you your best comfort. On really long
rides it may even be best to have a sprung seat like a Brooks
American Flyer, etc. Comes in handy when you are tired and not
paying attention all that much and hit some bumps, etc.

I disagree. The most important feature of a seat is that it doesn't
develop raw skin on the sit bones. For that one needs to put in a lot
of miles on a regular basis. Springs are for the hypothetical rider.
I got to understand that in 50 years of touring the Alps with others,
none having sprung bicycles or saddles. My first rides were in the
days when many of the major passes were yet unpaved or at best paving
stones.

I would expect that a lightweight aluminum frame with carbon fibre
fork, carbon fibre seat stays, and a carbon fibre seatpost would
give a really good ride too. There are just so many choices in
bikes to pick from too.

A good steel frame will do and all that materials research is for the
mind. The baggage you carry will overshadow any materials weight
savings you can imagine.

Ride bike!

Jobst Brandt