Preparing for a Bicycle Touring Holiday
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Cycle Touring Overview
Whether your are planning a coast to coast or an around the world adventure to a few days camping and cycling, going on a cycle tour holiday can be one
of the most enjoyable things you do on a bike. Cycling enables you go at a pace to take in the sights of the world but still cover a fair distance in a day. After you have a few cycle tours under your belt, planning and knowing what to pack and leave out becomes easy. However, for beginners to having a holiday cycle touring there is a bewildering choice of needed equipment.
Cycle Tour Equipment
When cycle touring, you have to select the best equipment for your needs be it on weight, cost, size, reliability. As you research more into cycle touring you soon discover, there are a lot of equipment to choose from and to fit on that bicycle. The following hubs give insights into various pieces of equipment on offer.
Accommodation & Hygiene
Depending if you cycle tour holiday mainly involves camping or staying in a bed and breakfast then you will need the following equipment
- Camping Tent - Essential if you are following an unplanned cycle route
- Hammock - A great lightweight alternative to a tent and camping mat
- sleeping bag - Choose a sleeping bag suitable for your cycle tour climate
- sleeping bag liner - Extend the life of your sleeping bag
- Self inflating camping mat - Sleep on a comfy, well insulated camping mat
- Thermarest Prolite - A leading brand of self inflating camping mat
- Microfiber Towel - A lightweight, small, quick drying towel for hiking and cycle touring
Cooking & Water
- Camping stove
- Trangia Camping Stove
- water filters
- Katadyn Pocket Water Filter
- Platypus Water Bottles
- Camelbak Packs
Logistics & Planning
- Pannier Rack
- Panniers
- Bicycle Trailer
- Bicycle Saddle bags
- Maps
- Bike computers
- GPS computers
- Cycle touring insurance
Clothing & Protection
Bicycle & Accessories
Cycle Touring Locations
Now you are fully equipped for your cycle tour, all you need to do is select your destination. Here are a few hubs from fellow hubbers to inspire you before you hit the road.
West Coast Cycle Tour in Pictures
Bike Tour across Europe: Some Memories
Bicycle Touring: 5 European towns to base yourself
CommentsLoading...
Thanks for the link. I have not came across his touring reports before, I expect I will get a lot of tour envy as I read them over the weekend
I see you have bicycle touring well covered here. I wrote about my perimeter bicycle tour (9,000+ miles) over at that "other site" - will probably not write it here. Won't drop the link here; ask me if you want to read it.
Thanks for the comment, I will visit the other place to read about your cycle tour.
Micky Dee Level 4 Commenter 2 years ago
Hi Doc. You're very informative. I'll be reading more of your blogs. You might check out Mark Boyd and his touring as well. He rides Europe or somewhere every year:
http://www.cs.unca.edu/~boyd/bicycling.html
He has thousands of pics. He has unique ways of mounting cameras, etc. You probably know already. Keppe hubbing!