Thanks for the photos of some great bikes in this thread! I can argue that a circa 1960 road racing bike* with a widened gear range makes a great unloaded "credit-card" tourer.
The double-butted Reynolds 531 Capo Model Campagnolos of that era get way too whippy with a loaded rear rack (been there ... done that), but their straight-gauge cousins are noticeably stiffer.
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* Long fork rake, long stays, 72-degree parallel geometry, ample mudguard and tire clearance
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069