I traveled across the US on the ACA Southern Tier route using my Trek 5200 carbon fiber road bike. I just barely cleared the panniers with my heels, but it worked.
Everyone's touring style is different, but I'd focus on reducing your load as much as possible; the less stuff you take, the less weight you need to drag up a hill. Check out this guy's website:
Ultralight bicycle touring He had great tips that I followed
For friends who have been on their first tour with limited budget, I recommend that they borrow a down bag and then use a liner. See if you can do this as well; if it turns out that you love touring you can buy a lightweight bag later.
Have fun!