Category: On The Road
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No Stupid Questions: What Are Your Top Wet Weather Cycle Touring Tips & Tricks?
A reader writes: Tom, I always enjoy your updates and reports. No big questions here, but one that does come to mind is what are your tips and tricks for riding in the rain. Most of us just do it, and have learned some ways to make it less than miserable like using a visor to keep drops off of glasses, and opening pit zips to vent. But I’d like to hear what you have learned from your travels. The question of “what do cycle tourers do when it rains?” used to be a frequent one in Q&As about Janapar – and back… Continue reading →
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No Stupid Questions: What’s The Most Likely Thing To Go Wrong On A Bike Tour?
A reader writes: Planning a long tour next year*. Europe mainly right now. What are the most common bicycle parts to repair on such a tour? Not flats, but other problems. * when the question was asked, “next year” referred to 2024. Thanks for the question! It sounded vague at first, but on second reading I realised it was deceptively specific. You already know you’ll be going cycle touring in the near future, and, having got past the basics of planning the trip, you’re keen to understand what the most likely mechanical issues with your bike are going to be, and… Continue reading →
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No Stupid Questions: Can I Emulate Cycle Touring But Without The Bike?
A reader writes: Quick intro: [I] finished school in 2021, cycled around South Africa for a few months in 2022, and currently in Livingstone, Zambia about to start travelling solo around Southern Africa for a few months. Originally I wanted to cycle back home but for various reasons I have decided to hitch-hike instead. And basically I’m thinking of doing it like you would on a bike tour, just without the bike. So like hitch to a spot, wild camp, hitch, wander around, etc. What I’m wondering is practically how do you make it work from day to day? […] I’m good… Continue reading →
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No Stupid Questions: Should You Ask Permission To Wild Camp In Britain?
A reader writes: Hi Tom, Having cycled LEJOG and stayed at Airbnb and a couple of youth hostels, I’m planning on bikepacking/ wildcamping. Cycling until I’m either too tired to continue or where a convenient place appears. Questions are, do you ever get or attempt to get permission to camp or bivvy, and do you plan where to stop in advance? I’m looking to be free from a schedule. Apart from getting the Caledonian sleeper back south from Inverness. Thanks for the question! It’s never a bad time to discuss wild camping on bike trips. Confidence in where you’re going to… Continue reading →
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How To Wild Camp Anywhere For Free And Not Get Busted
Wild camping (aka: stealth camping, free camping, or rough camping) is the practice of sleeping outside in a place of your choosing, rather than on an designated campsite or campground. If you’re on a long journey, wild camping might be a necessity due to budget, the lack of other options, or for the love of sleeping outdoors. It’s not so much fun if you’re confronted and asked to move on in the middle of the night, and this is the biggest fear I hear from those new to the idea – but there are plenty of simple tips and tricks… Continue reading →
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20 Hard-Earned Survival Tips For Cycle Touring & Bikepacking In Winter
It’s been said that “there’s no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing”. I don’t imagine this phrase was uttered after a winter cycle tour or bikepacking trip, but it remains true: there’s nothing stopping you pedalling through darkening days and sub-zero temperatures, as long as you dress for the occasion – and bear a few other key points in mind. I learned this the hard way when I spent a memorable February cycling and camping my way through Norway and Sweden, across the Arctic Circle and into Lapland (click here to watch the 2‑minute short film on Vimeo). After… Continue reading →
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komoot: The Most Powerful Route Planning App For Bikepacking & Cycle Touring?
Full disclosure: komoot provided financial support for my 2018 tour of Armenia, and I published this review as part of that agreement. In 2023 I updated the post to reflect the app’s evolution. Lots of people have been asking about the route planning and navigation apps I’ve been using on my recent bike tours. The app I’ve mostly been using since 2018 is komoot (with a lowercase ‘k’), the creation of a Berlin-based team of developers, which is finding increasing favour with recreational outdoor users – and it also happens to be an excellent route planning and navigation tool for cycle tourists… Continue reading →
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How To Go Ultralight Bikepacking (A Fully Loaded Cycle Tourist’s Perspective)
Ultralight cycle touring – a.k.a. bikepacking – is something I’ve been asked repeatedly to cover on this blog. As luck would have it, lightweight bikepacking is also something I’m getting more and more interested in, especially now I’m based in a place with endless potential for dirt road adventures in the mountains. Exciting plans are brewing for this style of adventure cycling. But a trial run is always a good idea… Luckily, a couple of weeks back, I found myself with the unexpected luxury of an empty week in my calendar, a touring bike in need of a workout, and an appointment to… Continue reading →
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What & Where To Eat On A Cycle Tour – Options For Every Kind Of Budget
One of the great pleasures of cycle touring is that you may eat whatever and as much as you like. You’ll reimagine food as fuel, and the more in the tank, the further you’ll go. You may indeed gain weight, but only in your thigh muscles. Cake lovers rejoice! By the same token, the number one rule of feeding yourself on a bicycle adventure is to listen to your body. Your metabolism will adapt to become a highly-efficient furnace. Misjudge your intake and you will experience hunger like nothing on Earth, and finding the next bakery will be your sole reason for existence. Many… Continue reading →
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How To Stay Safe & Secure On A Cycle Tour Of Any Length
Safety and security is a big concern for inexperienced newcomers to cycle touring – particularly if you’re planning a long trip through ‘scary’ (or at least scary-sounding) places. It’s usually an even bigger concern for your friends and family. So it’s helpful to try and understand the on-the-ground realities of safety and security as they relate to bike touring and bikepacking before you hit the road. Everyone wants to put their mum’s mind at rest, right? Safety 101: Instinct Is Your Friend Before we get into the details and subtopics of cycle touring safety, know that – in general – instinct will play a major role… Continue reading →