Inexperienced Cyclist

Good luck. The link is no longer up but if I'm remembering what I saw IMO that's not the ideal bike to be doing 50 miles a day on. Especially if you have panniers with gear. It could be done, but at the very least I'd put some faster rolling tires on. 50 miles is a good distance, even for an experienced cyclist, on a road bike. On a bike w/knobbies it's going to be a labor. Try to make sure you are in decent shape, riding at least 3 or 4 times a week and hour or two a day for the couple weeks before you leave so you are in ok shape, otherwise you'll just be exhausted the whole time. I did a trip with some friends across France and England in high school and we aimed to do 50 miles a day too. In the end what actually happened was completely different, much more eating and socializing than intended. We met some girls in Arromanche and needless to say we didn't end up riding the bikes much that week. My point is if deviating from the plan means some unplanned fun, do it!

Personally, if I'd already bought the bike I'd just make sure I was set up right with the proper saddle height, get some faster tires and a pump and a patch kit and learn how to change a tire. Even if you ride 20% on dirt roads, just some regular tough tires would be a better choice than the dirt track tires. If you can get some toe straps and clips it'll make the long hauls easier. Everyone falls over at their first stop light - don't worry about that. Patch kits, maps, snacks, plenty of H2O, and some spare cash all go without saying. Some suntan lotion too - the summer sun is strong in those parts.

Bon Voyage!

why not buy/re-sel or rent there ? What you 'found " is way heavy