Need advice on planning a bike tour? OK:
- Pick a date. Start saving.
- Get a bike, tent & sleeping bag.
- Choose a direction and start pedalling.
That’s all there is to it. (Length, location and budget make no difference.)
I really mean this. Have another look at the picture above. Maria (left) departed Budapest on a bike she bought for 10 euros from a local scrapyard. After strapping a backpack to it, she spent two months cycling through Eastern Europe to Istanbul. Her life-changing bicycle adventure required less than 24 hours of planning and involved no specialist equipment whatsoever.
Need more reassurance? Think your trip’s going to be different? Right. Let’s see…
First Things First
- What Exactly Is Cycle Touring (aka: Bikepacking/Adventure Cycling)?
- What Kind Of Person Can Go On A Cycling Adventure?
- When’s The Best Time To Go On A Cycling Adventure?
- Where In The World Is It Possible To Travel By Bicycle?
- How Do You Make Space In Your Life For Bicycle Adventures?
How To Plan A Cycle Tour
The Basics
- How To Cycle Around The World In 3 Easy Steps
- Here’s How To Plan Your First Overseas Cycle Tour In 6 Easy Steps
- What’s Really The Difference Between Bikepacking & Cycle Touring?
- Why You Don’t Need Any Of That Expensive Gear
- Planning Your First Big Bike Trip? Ask Yourself These 7 Critical Questions First
Before You Go: Your Concerns Addressed
- What’s The Best Touring Bike?
- How To Train For Long-Distance Cycle Touring (Bicycle Optional)
- A Completely Foolproof Financial Plan For Funding Big Adventures & Travelling The World
- Cycle Touring Insurance: What You Must Understand Before Taking Out Your Policy
- Iranian & Central Asian Visas for Cycle Tourists Riding East
- To Go High Tech Or To Go Low Tech?
- 10 Tips For Planning Your First Off-Road Bikepacking Expedition
- Folding Bike Touring: Possible? Practical? Really?
- A Social Network For Solo Cycle Tourists To Find Partners In Adventure
On The Road: Survival Guides
- How To Wild Camp Anywhere And Not Get Busted
- What & Where To Eat On A Cycle Tour – Options For Every Kind Of Budget
- How To Stay Safe & Secure On A Cycle Tour Of Any Length
- The 27 Most Useful Free Apps For Cycle Touring
- Is Komoot The Most Powerful Route Planning App A Cycle Tourist Could Wish For?
- How To Make The Most Of GPS On A Cycling Trip
- Why It’s Friendliness, Not Defensiveness, That’ll Keep You Safe On The Road
- “What the heck am I supposed to do now?” On Adversity & Problem-Solving
- We Were Not Born Talented, Brave & Fearless
- Everything Will Be Fine. Here’s Proof.
- The Surprising Truth About Cycling Across A Continent
- On The Art Of The Unplanned Journey
- The Deeply Misunderstood Nature Of On-The-Road Hospitality
- 5 Keys To Relationship Preservation As A Couple On Tour
Lifestyle Design for Ambitious Adventurers
- How To Travel Full Time While Working On The Road (Includes Q&A With A Veteran Of 9 Years)
- How To Finance Long-Term Cycle Touring
- How To Travel 100% Money-Free Forever
- How To Get A Free Touring Bike If You Can’t Afford To Buy One
- Stop Bleeding Away Your Travel Money Via Overseas Card Transaction Fees (UK Only)
- Buying A New Touring Bike? Want A Free Business Class Flight With That?
- How to Combine Work & Adventure to Create Freedom
- Save More Money & Have More Fun By WWOOFing Around The World By Bicycle
- How To Get Sponsorship For Your Cycle Tour
- Why You May Not Want To Get Sponsorship For Your Cycle Tour
- Actually, Just Don’t Bother With The Whole Sponsorship Thing
Bikes & Equipment
(A quick word. You don’t need any of this stuff. What you really need is the modern world’s most scarce resource: time. After that, a bicycle and a willingness to see where the road takes you are the only other necessities.)
Advice On Choosing A Touring Or Expedition Bike
- What’s The Best Touring Bike?
- The Best Sub-£1,000 Touring Bikes for Low-Budget Adventures
- How To Convert An Old Mountain Bike For Bikepacking
- The 19 Best UK Bike Shops For Touring & Adventure Bikes
- How To Build The Ultimate Round-The-World Expedition Touring Bike (With Pictures)
- A Massive List Of Expedition Touring Bikes For Worldwide Cycle Touring
FAQs About Touring & Expedition Bikes
- Touring Bike FAQ #1: What Makes A Bike A Touring Bike?
- Touring Bike FAQ #2: 26-inch or 700C Wheel Size?
- Touring Bike FAQ #3: Steel Or Aluminium Frames?
- Touring Bike FAQ #4: Disc Brakes or Rim Brakes?
- Touring Bike FAQ #5: Derailleurs Or Internal Hub Gears?
- Touring Bike FAQ #6: What’s The Best Way To Avoid Buying The Wrong Bike?
- Touring Bike FAQ #7: What Should I Remember Before Handing Over My Cash?
Equipment Choice For Cycle Touring & Bikepacking
- Do You Really Need Ortliebs? A Complete Guide To Panniers For Cycle Tours & Expeditions
- What Are The Best Tents For Cycle Touring & Bikepacking?
- What’s The Best Camping Mattress Or Sleeping Pad For Cycle Touring & Bikepacking?
- How To Choose A Camping Stove For Cycle Touring Or Bikepacking: A Foolproof Guide
- What’s The Best Camping Cookware For Cycle Touring & Bikepacking?
- A Template For Your Complete Fix-Anything Cycle Touring or Bikepacking Toolkit
- Tents, Why They Suck, And Some (Better) Alternatives For Camping On Tour
- Unpacking The Trailers Versus Panniers Debate
- 15 Veteran Cyclists Share Their Favourite Luxury Items On Tour
In-Depth Gear Reviews
- Extrawheel Voyager Single-wheel Bike Trailer Review
- Carradice Super C Rear Pannier Review
- Biologic ReeCharge: A Dynamo-Powered USB Charger for Smartphones & More
- Schwalbe Marathon Supreme Touring Tyre Review
- Vaude Hogan Ultralight 2P Tent Review
- MSR Whisperlite Universal Canister/Multi-Fuel Stove Review
- MSR Dragonfly Multi-Fuel Stove Review
- Therm-A-Rest NeoAir XLite Ultralight Camping Mat Review
- Exped DownMat 7 Pump Camping Mattress Review
Cycle Touring On A Shoestring Budget
- How To Get A Free Touring Bike If You Can’t Afford To Buy One
- How Far Can You Go On A £10 Touring Bike? (Answer: A Surprisingly Long Way)
- How To Turn A Beer Can Into The Only Camping Stove You’ll Ever Need
- Unconventional Sources Of Cheap Cycle Touring Equipment In The UK
Surviving Deep Winter On A Bike
Prefer if I help you out in handy ebook format?
