Originally Posted by
staehpj1
In some ways I feel exactly the opposite way despite agreeing on a lot of those points.
I agree 100% about there being a touring state of mind, having a touring head, and so on, but for me that is mostly because I spend my whole day cycling when on tour. Everything becomes a routine, choices become simple, ride, eat, sleep, ride, repeat... Not much thinking about what to wear, what to do, mostly just the road and the people, places, and things along it. For me that is what touring is primarily about.
If anything reading what you said made me think of my tours as more riding centric, not less. At home I do obsess over gear lists and possible routes and trip logistics (when and where to go), but otherwise don't prep all that much for touring. I don't find I need to do much to "get into my touring head" other than to head out on my bike. Doing stuff like practice trips is not something I do, camping in the back yard definitely isn't, and I never have trained with a loaded bike. Perhaps fool hardy, but I have never even done a test ride with the bike loaded. I just carry a sensible load and trust I can sort out any problems on the road if I have to.
Most of the people I met who were miserable on their tours almost exclusively were the ones who packed far to heavily, were struggling with the weight, and still didn't have the right stuff.
Your whole day cycling could be 100 miles, mine might be twenty. I'm not saying the cycling ability is unimportant, just one factor in the success or enjoyment.
Of course now you'd never practise pitching your tent in the garden - you know what you're doing, but for anybody new to the experience it's a very handy thing to do - especially in foul weather.
We all have our own fears and weaknesses. It's my belief that tackling them head on is what gives us the confidence to make a successful & enjoyable tour. All the better when we can do that in a safe environment rather than on the road far away from home.
When I read a post like the OPs that seems to be focusing on the physical/cycling requirements of touring, I always fear they will ignore the other aspects.
The miserable cyclists you've met (like mine) would have being having a better time with a bit more practise under their belts! :-)