Light & Strong
If you'll be taking a commercial SAG supported tour, all you'll really need to worry about is bringing sufficient bike clothing. That means enough everyday garments for the duration of the trip and additional clothing for bad weather. Your organizer will take care of everything else, including your bikes, and probably give you a list of what clothing items will be needed. And he'll carry it all for you.
Touring without a SAG, however, is all about carrying gear and equipment. The down side of this is that you'll be working a little harder and going a little slower. The upside is that you have complete freedom over your trip - the duration, the route, the nightly accommodations, the dining arrangements. There's a definite feeling of self reliance and a heightened sense of adventure knowing that you're "living off the land" as you ride, pedalling wherever you want to go at any given moment. This is truly the freedom of the open road!
Equipment Starts with the Bike 
You can tour with any bike. You can have fun no matter what gear you carry. But touring with an untuned garage bike and garbage bags filled with clothes is a bit like rolling the dice, betting your equipment won't fail along the way. And if it does, you're going to be u
ncomfortable, one way or another. The ideas on these pages are not rules, but suggestions to make your trip easier, safer and more comfortable.
As a matter of fact, it's really better if you tour a few times on whatever bike you have before spending big bucks on a good touring bike. It will give you a chance to experience typical touring problems and discover for yourself just what you really want in a touring bike.
Once you decide you like touring and are willing to spring for a good bike, there are a lot of factors to be considered and decisions to be made. Check out Adventure Cycling Association's 2009 Tour Book Buying Guide for a good look at the current selection. If you're interested in bicycle touring, you really ought to join this organization; they are a great resource and they do great work in promoting the sport.
Lugging the Load
After choosing a bike, the biggest decision will be how to carry your gear. There are two basic solutions: 1) racks and panniers suspended from your frame and
2) a bike trailer.
There are several reasons a trailer may be better for you. If you're riding with a group, gear can be pooled in the trailer and the trailer time shared among the riders. The longer the ride or the more varied the conditions you'll be riding in, the more gear you'll likely need, and the greater will be the benefit of a trailer. A trailer (single wheel) also seems to work better in rough conditions (mountain bike touring, for example) than a big load of panniers.
That said, the vast majority of tourists opt for panniers.
Racks and Packs
In selecting your ideal touring bike, you've chosen one with plenty of braze-ons to attach racks, so that won't be a problem. You actually should start with the "software," though - the luggage. What you'll want to carry will determine the bags you'll need to carry it in. This, in turn, will dictate what racks you'll need to attach the bags.
How far do you want to go and how long will you be gone? How much clothing and gear will you be carrying? Will you be camping? Cooking? Carrying your own food supply? Make a detailed list of what you want to carry, assemble it and lay it out on your floor and calculate the volume in cubic inches. You can find a bag of predetermined volume and see how many times you fill it up with your gear. If you'll be travelling with a partner, you can share some of the gear to lighten the overall load. Of course, once you make a few tours, you'll have some practical experience and know what kind of trips you want to be making and what gear you'll need. You'll also be thinking about lightening your load to improve speed and range.
Other Bike Gear
Tires You should have relatively wide tires for touring - at least 1.5", without a lot of tread (unless you're going mountain biking - tread is really only helpful for off-road riding). Flats are always a major irritation on tour, so tires which are highly puncture resistant are a good thing. You'll find that tires are rated in terms of speed, grip, puncture resistance and durability, so you can pick the tire which most closely supports your riding concerns.
Fenders You won't like being sprayed with water and mud from the road when it rains. Fenders are a very lightweight insurance policy against discomfort in wet weather.
Lights Occasionally you may not get to your campsite on time and have to ride a bit in the dark. You'll want strong headlights to find your way in unfamiliar territory. Add a couple of strong taillights (Planet Bike superblinkies, for example) to let drivers know where you are.
Locks
If you camp near any other people, you'll want to make sure your bike is totally locked, including frame, both wheels, saddle and seatpost. You'll also want to unload your lights, computer, bags and anything else which can be removed by hand and keep them in the tent with you. You're not necessarily in more danger from theft than you would be in your own neighborhood, but better safe than sorry.
Cyclocomputer A computer which records your distance is very handy when you need to turn left in 5.8 miles in a strange town. It also gives you an idea of your speed and therefore your ETA.
Pump
If your tires are thin and use high pressure (100psi+), you may have trouble filling them adequately and accurately with a mini pump or even a frame pump. Check out something like the Topeak Road Morph with pressure gauge (right), which seems to work well for high pressure tires. Don't forget that the charge from CO2 cannisters doesn't last very long - if you use it you'll need to pump the tire up with regular air at the first opportunity. Always take an extra pump as a backup.
Tools & Spares You'll want to take your riding tool kit. Depending on the length and terrain of your tour, you'll want to take additional tools as the probability of damage or part failure increases. The more challenging your ride, the more you should know about repair, especially if you're riding in the boonies.
Water Bottles Last but not least. Take at least two and refill at every opportunity. Drink often.
Other gear depends on your desire to save weight vs. being comfortable. See the packing list for reasonable suggestions of other common sense items you may want.
