Category: Planning & Logistics
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No Stupid Questions: What Traffic-Free Cycle Touring Routes Exist Beyond Europe & the USA?
A reader writes: My question is (having done two longer bike trips on really nice bike trails in Europe, the Danube and Loire) – is this kind of easy, road-free, relatively level trip available OUTSIDE of Europe? I’m not so interested in the US, I know there’s a couple (the canal trails, etc). But in […] Continue reading →
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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 […] 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 […] 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 […] Continue reading →
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No Stupid Questions: How Best To Pack My Panniers For Cycling Round The World?
A reader writes: I’m keen to streamline my set-up and I’m curious to know what round-the-world pannier set-up you’d recommend… I’m thinking 2 × 12.5l front panniers, 2 × 12.5l rear panniers with an Ortlieb 31l Rack Pack and a 12l frame bag giving me around 93l storage. In addition, my front rack will enable […] Continue reading →
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Cycle Touring & Bikepacking Insurance: All You Need To Know (& Popular Insurers)
This is a detailed introduction to understanding and choosing insurance for cycle touring and bikepacking trips, both short-term and long-term. I get a lot of questions on the topic of insurance for cycle tours, so this article is my attempt to answer all of them in one thoroughly researched, human-written, 100% AI-free post. The following […] Continue reading →
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Do I Really Need Ortliebs? A Buyer’s Guide To Panniers For Cycle Touring
One day in 1884, Thomas Stevens left California on a bicycle, carrying a bag of gold and a pistol rolled up in a blanket, and became the first person in recorded history to cycle round the world. Today’s bicycle travellers pack a little more gear than that! That’s because we want to enjoy seeing the world, rather […] Continue reading →
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Dates Now Live for the 2022 UK Cycle Touring Festival
Good news for those of us looking forward to another year of adventures in the saddle: the dates for the 2022 edition of the UK Cycle Touring Festival have just been announced! In fact, it’s already less than a month until the event kicks off on February 12th 2022. As with previous years, the schedule […] Continue reading →
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What’s The Best Camping Mattress Or Sleeping Pad For Cycle Touring & Bikepacking?
Welcome! It’s time to deep-dive into another thorny topic (no pun intended): how to choose a camping mattress – or, as my North American friends call it, a sleeping pad – to fit the specific needs of cycle tourers and bikepackers. We’ll be looking at the various types of camping mattresses and sleeping pads, which types […] Continue reading →
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There Is No Better Time To Be Planning Your Next Dream Cycling Adventure
Now is probably not the best time to be setting off on a globetrotting bike trip. But as we’ve all discovered over the last few months, upheavals can create the ideal conditions for change – including changing the way you think. Amid much uncertainty and, yes, real hardship and trauma, this year has brought with it a […] Continue reading →