Before embarking on your first large-scale cycling tour, you should undertake a “test tour” for a few days. To familiarise yourself with the bicycle touring and bike-packing lifestyle.
This list is intended to shorten your learning curve and prevent you from making these errors so that you can improve your bicycle tour experience tenfold.
1. Carrying far too much baggage!
It is necessary to prepare only the necessities. The items that will serve a significant function during your excursion. There is no reason to carry around items that you will never use.
2. Not considering ‘gear distribution’.
This concept stems from carrying too much luggage. And that is to evaluate the distribution of your bike’s cargo carefully. For instance, you may currently have only rear panniers and no additional bike luggage.
This configuration appears to accelerate the deterioration of the rear tyres. And the bike’s handling is more problematic.
Consider purchasing additional bike packs to redistribute some of the weight on your cycle to other locations. Ideally, having some weight in a frame bag and a handlebar bag will give your bicycle a reduced centre of gravity, resulting in improved stability and control.
3. Ignore the daily mileage target.
This is a matter of personal preference.
Depending on whether or not such objectives are attainable and not so lofty that you will never ride the 130 km intended for the day.
The reasons for this may again diminish your enjoyment of the tour.
Now you may also require a daily average target if you are on a limited timetable and have exactly 30 days to reach an airport before your flight. Yes, that makes perfect logic, but you must plan it carefully.
4. When a cool local invite you, you should accept.
When bicycle touring, you encounter some of the most extraordinary individuals with interesting personalities. Most often than not, travellers are so generous. They may invite you to go somewhere or participate in an activity.
These occasions are what create the most extraordinary and memorable experiences. You will recall these experiences years from now as some of the greatest times you’ve ever had.
5. Not prepping adequately.
A great piece of advice is to feign for a week before embarking on the excursion that you are currently touring. For example, while you are at home, you could rely solely on your bicycle. Pack all your supplies on your bike. And remove it as needed, as you would on tour. For example, when brushing your teeth, remove the toothbrush from your cycle and practise travelling the globe.
Even to the point of cooking your supper on your camp stove, sleeping in a tent, and acting as if you are touring.
This method of living will help you develop patterns and behaviours. Everything should be repacked in the exact same manner as it was unpacked. This will assist you in staying organised and knowing exactly where everything is.
If you believe you are not physically fit to ride on tour, you may wish to engage in some form of training.
Practise pedalling your bicycle with a heavy burden. Utilising it to commute to work or go shopping will assist you in becoming acclimated to your bike’s handling.
