Need advice on planning a cycle tour or bikepacking trip?
Okay. Here goes:
- Pick a date. Start saving money.
- Get a bike, tent, sleeping bag, etc.
- Choose a direction and start pedalling.
That’s all there is to it. Details such as duration, location and budget may vary, but you’ll always need a starting line, some basic gear, and a route to follow.
I really mean this. Have another look at the picture above. My friend Maria was backpacking in Budapest when she decided to continue on two wheels. Within 24 hours, she’d bought a bike for €10 from a local scrapyard, strapped a backpack to it, and spent the next two months cycling through Eastern Europe to Istanbul. Her life-changing bicycle adventure required less than a day of planning and no specialist equipment whatsoever.
Need more reassurance? Think your trip’s going to be different? Right. Let’s see…
Cycle Touring 101
- What Exactly Is Cycle Touring (aka: Bikepacking, Adventure Cycling, or whatever else they’re calling it this week)?
- 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?
Detailed Bike Trip Planning Guides
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 & Gear
(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.)
Choosing A Touring Bike
- 3 Critical Questions To Ask Before You Choose A New Touring Bike
- What’s The Best Touring Bike? (Updated Annually)
- A Massive List Of Expedition Touring Bikes For Worldwide Cycle Touring
- How To Build The Ultimate Round-The-World Expedition Touring Bike (With Pictures)
- How To Convert A Mountain Bike For Bikepacking (For Example)
- The 19 Best UK Bike Shops For Touring & Adventure Bikes
FAQs About Touring 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
Getting Cycle Touring Gear On A Shoestring
- 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 this kind of stuff in slightly more organised book format?
