Yeah I toured with some of those road bike guys, Talked them into a trip, and they were just wieght weenies who only toured so they could do jumping jacks while I lugged the ----ing gear up the hill to them. after two days they both bailed.
But I do tour on a light bike in the summer, a godawfull heavy purpose built tourer in colder weather. I notice no difference at the top of the hills, honestly. The bike just a tool, and I pick the right one for the job at hand.