Category: Technology
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No Stupid Question: Best Panniers For A Road/Gravel Tour-Commute?
A reader writes: I am going to order in September a new Oxford Bikes Expedition — what panniers would you suggest? I really only need to carry clothes, a very small tool kit and a lap top. Basically, I want to ride to my office down various gravel tracks and roads — my office is 550 miles from home! Thanks for the question! And congratulations on your excellent choice of bike – not that I’m biased or anything… Anyhow. Along with a few other factors such as budget, pannier choice has a lot to do with what the contents will be. And… Continue reading →
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No Stupid Questions: Is E‑bike Touring Possible? (If So, How?)
Several readers have written in with some version of the following question: I want to go cycle touring on an e‑bike, but there are obstacles. Firstly, nobody makes electric touring bikes. Secondly, other types of e‑bikes are too heavy to fly with, and airlines won’t carry e‑bike batteries. And finally, how can I possibly keep an e‑bike charged on a cycle tour? Help! Thanks for all the questions! Straight up: I have never toured on an e‑bike, and I don’t own an e‑bike, so the following advice is theoretical. That said, I’ve received enough similar-sounding questions to make it worth looking… Continue reading →
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Game-Changing Headphones For Safe Listening While Cycle Touring Or Bikepacking (Video)
As an inherently DIY-oriented bicycle traveller, I don’t normally post about new commercial products in the context of cycle touring and bikepacking. But I do want to highlight a development in the personal entertainment industry that has changed the way I engage with digital audio on the road for the better, and which I think would benefit a great many more riders. Continue reading →
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No Stupid Questions: What’s The Future Of Cycle Touring Electronics?
A reader writes: [What is] the future of cycle electrics? Dynamos vs power banks. Lights are becoming much more efficient, but there’s more and more requirements for charging eg: mobile phones and navigation. Any thoughts? Thanks for the question! I’ve had a fair few questions about tech and cycle touring, specifically about getting the best out of smartphones on bike trips – but none about what the future might hold in terms of electronics and their ever-increasing demands for power. It’s an interesting one! Continue reading →
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No Stupid Questions: How Can I Use My Smartphone As A Bike GPS?
A reader writes: I would like up to date information on integrating my iPhone to my bikes as a GPS. Everything from safe phone mounting through power supply (I have built a usb feed into my elekky bike’s battery shoes) and route planning and following on the phone. I was raised on 1” OS and Bartholomew’s half inch maps. The half inch are unusable nowadays and the OS 1: 50,000 are too large but when folded into a map clip not big enough. I can read OS maps and like to see the Historical and Landscape information that may make a… Continue reading →
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No Stupid Questions: Where To Buy Cycle Touring Maps Of Europe & Morocco?
A reader writes: Thanks for the questions! This fits into the more general topic of route planning for cycle touring. I don’t get as many questions as you might imagine on this subject, so there’s actually plenty to say here. 1. Where Can I Buy Cycle Touring Maps Of Europe & Morocco? Honestly, it has been quite a long time since I used paper maps for navigation while cycle touring! Even before the rise of the incredibly accurate and detailed digital maps we nowadays take for granted, paper maps at a level of detail needed for turn-by-turn navigating were never big… Continue reading →
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No Stupid Questions: What’s The Best Route Planning & Campsite Finder App For Cycle Touring In The USA?
A reader writes: Are you familiar with [the Great American Rail Trail] at all? The route is currently about 55% off road and more complete in the east but there is an almost 1,000 [mile] gap through Montana and Wyoming. So my question is what app do you use when riding to find the best on-road [but] safe cycling conditions on the gap sections between trails? And do you have a favorite app to find accommodations: camping (preferred) or hotels on the route every few days? Thanks for the question! Let’s start with what might be called “dynamic” route planning for… Continue reading →
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No Stupid Questions: How To Plan Cycle Tours In Unusual Places (Like Jamaica)?
A reader writes: I am a new subscriber to your mailing list as I hope to get into travelling by bike. I was wondering if you have any insights about biking in Jamaica? While being there I will able to do both short and very long rides. So my questions are: Is it safe? Is Jamaica friendly to cyclists? I have a gravel bike and wondering what kind of wheels I may need in that country. Any route suggestions? Anything that you can provide I will greatly appreciate it. This is an interesting question for a couple of reasons. First,… Continue reading →
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Oxford Bike Works Expedition: New Upgrades For 2023
Before my recent Australia tour, I took Tom’s Expedition Bike back to its birthplace in the UK for a tune-up and a few experimental upgrades. This post details what’s changed, explores the thinking behind the upgrades, and goes deep into the specifics of why they were made. (Warning: it’s a 5,000-word long read, so maybe put the kettle on.) Continue reading →
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27 Cycle Touring & Bikepacking Apps For Every Imaginable Purpose
While I’m a big advocate of low-tech bike tours, almost every long-distance rider today is bringing along their smartphone for the ride. But what exactly are the best apps for cycle touring and bikepacking? It’s a tricky question. To my knowledge, there is no single app that does everything an cycle tourer or bikepacker wants when exploring the world by bicycle. And that’s probably because the cycle touring or bikepacking lifestyle is a complex, multi-faceted thing, taking in a diverse range of activities that go way beyond route planning and navigation. No one app could possibly serve all of them! This… Continue reading →