Pam Emerson – Page 6 – PM Cycle Touring

How to Dress for a Bicycle Tour

What should you wear on your tour? I know that when I started thinking about touring, this was a big concern. I didn’t know how much or what kind of clothing to pack. After experimenting a little bit, here’s what I’ve found that works for me.

Shorts. If you’re new to bicycling, you’ve most likely noticed that cyclists generally wear close-fitting, spandex, padded shorts. Why is this? Well, I’ve got one word for you: chafing. When I started riding, I was too embarrassed to wear cycling shorts, and I wound up with painful, raw patches of skin. It was terrible! So, I bit the bullet and bought a pair of women’s specific bicycling shorts and let me tell you! No more rubbing. And the padded butt, well, let’s just say that it made a huge difference. If you’re planning on riding for many hours a day, many days in a row (aka, a bicycle tour) you’ll need to be comfortable and you need to take care of your skin. Bicycling shorts (and pants) are essential for long distance comfort and after several days on the road you don’t care what anyone thinks about how you look. (Also think about getting a chamois cream or stick to help minimize friction. We recommend Bodyglide Original Anti-Chafe Balm.)

Shirts. If you go into a shop that sells bicycling clothing, you’ll see many different types of jerseys. The two most popular material choices are polyester/lycra blends and wool. In my experience, wool jerseys are the way to go. I’ll tell you why: smell. Polyester (like most man-made fibers) tends absorb and retain your body odor after just a short time. Even after washing it has a funky smell*. On the other hand, you can wear a wool jersey for a few days before it starts to hold onto body odor. It dries quickly, is super durable, and feels great on. I like to take two short-sleeved jerseys and one long-sleeved.

Armwarmers and Legwarmers. One of the amazing things about being on a bicycle all day is the immense range of temperatures you cycle into. It can be literally freezing in the morning when you wake up and sweltering by noon. I prefer shorts to leggings and wear leg warmers in the morning, and remove the leg warmers as it gets warmer. Same with arm warmers. Another advantage of layering up is the fact that your body will warm up as you exert yourself. If you start out with a big climb first thing in the morning, chances are you’ll be wanting to shed a few layers before you reach the top.

Rain gear. Unless you are cycling through Death Valley, you will probably get rained on at some point during your tour. This is a cause of great concern to new cyclists, but very quickly you realize that it is not a big deal. While good waterproof gear will help keep you dry on the outside, even the most expensive gear won’t keep you from sweating on the inside. Realistically the main purpose of rain gear is to keep you from getting too cold and to block the wind. If you are riding through warm rain, it oftentimes is easiest to just ride in it and enjoy it; you will dry off shortly after it passes. Windproof/waterproof gloves are a must if you are riding in cooler temps. Also, a good rain jacket will be one of your most valuable tools. It should have many zippers for venting and if it is truly made for cycling will have a long tail to keep your back dry as you lean over pedaling. Most importantly it will block the wind which does wonders for making cycling more bearable.

“Camp” clothes. After a long day on the bike, there’s nothing better than showering and changing into regular clothing. We typically bring one extra set of clothing with us on tour. This includes a pair of long pants and a long sleeve merino wool shirt. I also bring at least 2 pairs (one to wash, one to wear) of travel underwear (like Exofficio), and one normal bra (I bring two sports bras for riding). For cool evenings we like to bring lightweight down vests that double as a pillow cover for Matt, and use our rain jackets as windbreakers around camp. Other must haves include a beanie and a lightweight pair of shoes, in case we want to go for a walk in the evening or explore town on a rest day.

Clothing on a bicycle tour is about balancing comfort and weight. Using clothing that has multiple uses will cut down on the weight of the clothing that you have to carry. Careful planning will see you out there as comfortable as possible, ready for any weather situation.

One last hint: Got some funky smelling clothing? Try Nathan Penguin Sport wash. A small capful and your clothes come out clean and smelling fresher than other detergents.

Wondering what a packing list for a bicycle tour might look like? Check out this post with a rundown from our latest tour.

Disclaimer:

All opinions about any products mentioned in this article are my own. I have not been compensated in any way by anyone. I will, however, receive a small commission if you choose to purchase the item from Amazon after clicking the link I provide. Use your own discretion.

How to avoid dog bites

You’re out there on the bike, enjoying the freedom of the road, when you see it. The movement catches your eye and you hear the growl, or even a bark. You know it’s coming. Like a bullet the dog begins chasing after you and your tires. Gotta get it. Gotta get it! Kill the bike! What do you do?

There are many different strategies to dealing with dog chases. Ask any bicycle tourist and they’ll each give you a different idea for the best way to defend yourself. We’ve tried a few different ways but there may be others, and you have to find the way that’s right for you. I call my strategies the 4 S’s.

Speed. The simplest way to deal with a chasing dog is to out-ride it if you can. Dogs can be fast, but if you have a head start you may be able to stay ahead of them. Most dogs have a clearly defined territory and they’ll stop chasing once you cross their invisible boundary. Of course, if you’re climbing a steep hill or are already maxed out on speed, this won’t help you. Also, sometimes the dogs can get a head start or will be quite fast, and you can’t outrun them.

Shout. One of my favorite ways to deal with a dog chase is to simply shout “No! Stay! Bad Dog!” I am always surprised at how effective this method is. It works probably 50% of the time. The key is to wait until the dog is close to you before you shout in a clear, loud voice. Keep the words short. The majority of dogs seem to chase bicycles because they have no idea what the bicycle is. They don’t realize that humans are on the bike, but once you shout at them it snaps them out of the chase mentality and they stop, stunned. This could at least slow them down and you can out-ride them.

Stop. If shouting doesn’t work, and you can’t out-ride them, the next thing to try is the stop. That’s right, stop your bike. Put your foot down. Now you look like a human and the dog will probably stop and stare at you. I have found this method to work 100% of the time and I’ve heard the same from many other cyclists. While it can be a scary thought, particularly if you are already afraid of dogs, once the dog sees that you are no longer something to chase they get disinterested quite quickly. Also, if you feel threatened, once you’re stopped, you can place your bicycle between you and the dog, which will probably make you feel safer. The biggest downside to this method is that it slows you down and takes time out of your day. One other problem is that the dog may resume chasing you the second you decide to proceed down the road again.

Spray. Finally if the dog is still threatening you, get your pepper spray ready. Pepper spray should be used as a last resort. The best kind is the stream kind, since the spray variety puts out a fine mist and has a tendency to get blown back to the sprayer if there’s a slight wind, and the only thing worse than getting bitten by an angry dog is to get bitten by an extremely angry dog after you’ve just pepper-sprayed yourself. So, use the pepper spray sparingly, only as a last resort, and while the dog is confused, get back on the bike and get yourself out of there. Also be aware that the dogs owners may be less than thrilled that you just sprayed their pet. If you are looking for a pepper spray recommendation we use Fox Labs because of its high potency and stream spray. Be careful if crossing international borders, pepper sprays may be considered a weapon.

Unfortunately, dog chases are all too common while bicycle touring. Many dog chases are of the “hey, what are you?” variety, and those dogs can be easily outrun or are not a threat. A very small percentage of dog chases are actually angry dogs that want to harm the bicyclist. But, either way, when a dog comes running toward you, it can be scary. Keep your head, stay calm, don’t forget about other road traffic, and you will do fine. Don’t let your fear of dogs keep you from enjoying your ride.

Places to Carbon Fiber Tour

Carbon fiber touring can be very fun and rewarding. As we’ve said before, an ultra-lightweight bicycle frame has many advantages. But before you plan your tour through the mountains of Mongolia with your Carbon Fiber bicycle, you’ll want to think about the following:

Types of road surface
Amount of services available

First, don’t think you’ll be doing a lot of off-roading on your carbon fiber bicycle (unless it is a mountain bike). A gravel road for a short distance is fine, but dirt trails in far off remote locations? Forget about it! I found myself riding a rugged 1 mile trail to a campsite on my last tour and it was awful! I pretty much had to walk the bike the whole way. My tires couldn’t handle the mud, leaves, and huge rocks that I came across. While Carbon Fiber frames are super hard, it would be awful to crack your frame on a bump out in the middle of the mountains. So, proceed with caution when encountering non-paved roads with carbon fiber.

One of the appeals of steel framed bicycles is the ease with which they can be repaired. This is not the case with carbon fiber. If something happens to the frame, you are done, there is nothing to repair. While touring on carbon fiber, in the unlikely event that something happens to you or your bicycle, you’ll want to be traveling through areas that have more services available. Several hundreds of miles between services would not be ideal if you’re on Carbon Fiber, just due to the fact that once the frame is done, it’s done.

A good place to carbon fiber tour would be a place where the roads are smooth and there is lots of support along the way. People passing by on a nearby road is always a plus because you can flag down a ride if you need it. If you’re going to be mainly riding on US highways and byways, carbon fiber touring can be perfect. In the USA all of the paved Adventure Cycling routes are great choices to enjoy long distance touring while also enjoying the thrill of using a lightweight carbon fiber bike to tour.

How to make your Carbon Fiber bicycle ready for touring

Bicycle manufacturers are coming out with “light” touring bicycles. The Jamis Xenith Endura Sport Femme I purchased came with 25mm tires, three chain rings on front, and rack mounts on the rear. It was almost, but not quite, ready to tour right out of the box. Here are a few adjustments that I made to my bike to make it tour worthy. It’s not an all-inclusive list; you may have to do more or less before your carbon fiber is ready to tour.

Gearing. A good touring bike will have 3 chainrings on the front. Especially if you’re planning on hauling gear, you will appreciate the ability to drop down into lower gears as you cross continental divides and summit several thousand foot mountain passes. There are very few places in the world that are perfectly flat; you WILL have to climb hills on your tour. That small chainring on the front will make a huge difference. If the bike you’re considering doesn’t have a triple front chainring, see if you can order it with one from the manufacturer, or if the bike shop can order just the frame and install proper gearing. For my bike I have a 30 tooth ring on the front and a 34 tooth ring on the rear.

Mounts. How are you going to carry your gear? Some carbon fibers are coming with eyelets for mounting racks and fenders. Check to see if yours has them. If there are no mounts, look into attaching clip on racks or pulling a trailer. But, be aware that attaching anything to the carbon fiber posts which involves tightening a clamp could damage the carbon fiber if tightened too hard. The 2012 Jamis Endura Sport Femme came with mounting eyelets on the rear, newer Jamis Endura models now come with a removable rack mounting system. In addition I considered getting a front rack that clipped on (similar to the Thule Tour Rack) but ultimately decided against it. I wanted to keep my weight as low as possible, and I was able to fit everything I needed into the rear panniers I carried.

Fenders. Most Carbon Fiber road bikes don’t come with fenders, as this adds weight to the bicycle. I decided against fenders on my first tour, and ended up regretting it. While on wet roads the water splashed up on me and the frame, and dirt roads were much the same by splattering mud everywhere including my drivetrain. For my next tour, I plan on installing fenders. This will help keep my gear cleaner, as well as my clothing, when riding on wet, dirty roads.

Tires. Most Carbon Fiber bikes will come with skinny tires, more suited for road cycling. See what the widest tire it is rated for and consider putting it on. Generally 28-35mm tires are used for pavement touring to allow for variable conditions and give a more comfortable ride than narrower higher pressure tires.

Brakes. My Carbon Fiber came with standard rim brakes. Before I left, I upgraded the brakes to a higher quality. This eased my mind about being able to stop with the added weight I was planning to put on the bike. I had no problems throughout my tour however I did miss the disc brakes from my previous touring bike.

I was very satisfied with my Carbon Fiber bike on tour. The decrease in weight from my Raleigh Sojourn steel-framed touring bike meant that I had much more energy at the end of the day. I felt like I could ride many more miles each day, which made the ride more enjoyable. It only took a few minor adjustments to turn it into the ideal cycle for my tour. I look forward to many more carbon fiber bicycle tours!

Pros and Cons of Carbon Fiber Touring

For long distance touring you might think that heavy, steel framed bikes are the only way to go. Not so! I recently completed a 2500 mile bicycle tour on a carbon fiber “light touring” bicycle. I want to share why I chose a carbon fiber bike and my experience riding 2500 miles of the Southern Tier. Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons:

Pros.

Speed. I could go so much faster!
Exertion. I was not as tired at the end of the day.
Weight. I was forced to choose lighter gear

Cons.

Limited on how much I could carry.
Worried about durability
Repairabliliy

Weight Limit. Let’s address the cons first. My Jamis Xenith Endura Sport Femme was rated to carry ~40 pounds of gear. Most of the gear I had from previous tours was heavy so I was concerned about putting too much weight on the bike. To address this concern, I purchased new, lighter, more compact gear.

Durability. Additionally I was worried about the durability of carbon fiber. I rode 2500 miles over various road surfaces. This including about 1,000 miles of rough Texas chipseal! If any surface was going to vibrate my bike to pieces it would have been the rough Texas roads, which are some of the roughest surfaces in the United States! I even did a little bit of off-roading, riding on dirt, mud, and gravel.

Repairablility. I was pretty nervous that something would happen to my bicycle along the way. If any damage were to happen to the frame, it would involve a new bike instead of a simple weld like with steel-framed bikes. However, I had no issues in over 2500 miles of loaded touring and the bike is still going strong.

Speed. Now for the pros. My bike weighed in around 17 pounds and my gear weighed 25, my total weight came in just over the unloaded weight of my steel-framed Raleigh Sojourn. By reducing my overall weight, I was able to travel much faster and my average speed went through the roof!

Enjoyable. At the end of the day I wasn’t nearly as tired because I wasn’t pushing as much weight. While I had less space to pack gear, this is also a benefit, because you can’t over pack if you don’t have room. If you sum all of this up I found that with my carbon fiber touring bike, self-supported touring was much more enjoyable. My days felt lighter and easier allowing me to enjoy the views and travel much more.

Some bike manufacturers are experimenting with creating carbon bicycles which are definitely suitable for touring: the rims can take wider tires, the gearing is better suited for climbing hills, the rack mounts are already there. When you’re planning your next tour, don’t discount the carbon. You could find your next favorite touring bike, just watch out for the price tag!

How I fell in love with my touring bike and what to look for in yours

Halfway through my last tour, I realized something: I love my touring bike. I thought this was something I would never achieve. In fact, I had resigned myself to the fact that I would enjoy touring, but not necessarily my bicycle. But, it happened. I found a bicycle that I enjoy riding for days on end. I don’t get tired of riding this bicycle!

How can you make sure that you will love your touring bicycle? Here’s a few things that I considered when purchasing my latest bike.

Fit: My first touring bicycle was not designed for me. A quick look at me and the bike shop ordered what they thought was the right size. It was ok for short rides but 500 miles down the road I was experiencing real pain, on and off the bike. I was able to make some adjustments to it, which helped, but it never did fit me well. A professional can measure you to give you a starting point for a bicycle; this will typically give you a better starting point than someone glancing at you.

One big problem I faced was not riding the bike for several long days in a row to know if it fit well for touring. I should have practiced with a short multiple-day tour to ensure I had proper fit. Additionally riding a loaded bike is different than unloaded, and puts different stress on your body. You should practice with weight, and make the necessary adjustments before you even begin your tour. Even millimeters of adjustments can make big differences in your comfort. Try to get it right before you leave and mark the proper heights/angles on the bike.

Function: I was lucky enough to find a carbon fiber, lightweight, touring bicycle. This was everything that I wanted in a bicycle, both for touring and for riding around. Un-weighted, I can keep up with much faster riders. Weighted, I can go for long distances. Being both lightweight and able to carry gear was important to me. If you are looking to go to remote and distant places on the world you will be looking at 26” wheels with wide tires, steel-tubed, rugged bike. If you are looking to riding around on well paved roads you may find more enjoyment from a lighter weight touring bike. Get an idea for where you want to go.

Form: My bike is beautiful. To me, it looks pretty. This makes me happy. I like to look good while I’m riding, and my touring bike definitely helps me feel that way. So while this may be of less importance to some I feel that is important to me.

Bicycle manufacturers are producing more and more off the shelf touring bikes all the time. If possible, take a bunch out for a test ride. Find a shop that has a sample, and try it out for yourself. If they don’t carry the right size for you try to find a bike with similar geometry/dimensions. Take it for test ride before you order and get it set up the way you want it.

Here’s a few models that we’ve tried (or wish to try). There’s many many more out there:

Raleigh Sojourn
Surly Long Haul Trucker
Kona Sutra
Jamis Endura Sport Femme
Co-motion Pangaea

Your perfect bike is out there, waiting for you. For now, just get out there and ride!

Cycle Touring Expenses

When you’re thinking of starting a bicycle tour, one of the things to consider is how much money you want to spend. A bicycle tourist can end up spending as much or as little as he or she wants. You don’t have to be rich to tour; here are some tips to keep your costs down.

Bicycles. Bicycles come in many shapes and sizes, as well as material type. A great touring bicycle doesn’t have to be brand new or expensive. Check the classifieds or Craigslist to find a new-to-you bicycle. Also, your local bike shop might have the perfect second-hand bicycle. Ask your friends: maybe someone has a bike you can borrow. The bottom line is you need a bicycle to get you down the road, you don’t need anything fancy to get started. A simple bike with rack mounts and plenty of gearing will get you from point A to B as well as a custom built Co-Motion.

Lodging. Camping equipment costs, such as for tents and sleeping bags, can add up. You might think it would be cheaper to forgo camping for staying cheap motels, but going that route (also known as credit-card touring) can get quite expensive. Typical campsites (in the US) range from $5 a night to $25 a night for bicyclists. Hotels in popular tourist destinations can be more costly than you might expect, and can be in the $100s/night during peak tourist season. Be ready to spend some money on a quality tent, since it will shelter you from Mother Nature, and can actually help save you money in the long run.

Gear. In addition to camping gear, there’s clothing, bicycle repair equipment, and technology. Stay tuned for more posts on these!

Food. Before you leave, think about how you plan to eat out there on the road. You’ll be eating. A lot. You’ll need to think of meals as well as snacks. When I’m out there, I like to snack at least once an hour, or every 15 miles or so. I also make sure to have a nourishing breakfast, a hearty lunch, and a filling dinner. Cereal grains for breakfast keep me full until that first morning snack. Snacks tend to be much more expensive at convenience stores. Try to buy them at grocery store if you can and always be on the lookout for sales to stretch every tour dollar further.

My go-to lunch is PB&J (peanut butter and jelly sandwiches). It’s difficult to find a more filling, inexpensive meal. Neither jelly nor breads needs to be refrigerated if eaten within a couple days. If you save money on lunch, you may be able to afford to try out that local eatery for dinner without breaking the bank. You should definitely sample the local cuisine, after all, bicycle touring is about experiencing the flavor of an area.

To sum up: The four main things you need to tour are a bicycle, lodging, gear, and food. Touring can be done on any budget. Remember that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a great time on your tour. Shop around and find what works for you.

The Perks of Ultralight Touring

Before our latest bicycle tour, I attended a class at a local sporting goods store. The class was all about the ultralight movement as it related to hiking and backpacking. While they didn’t address bicycle touring, the principles taught easily converted to touring. We applied some of those principles on our tour, and here’s what we found to be the best benefits of going ultralight.

Energy. As a bicycle becomes more and more loaded with gear, it becomes more and more challenging to ride. It simply takes more energy to pedal. As you reduce the weight of the bicycle and gear, you reduce the energy required for pushing the bike and increase the amount of energy you have left over at the end of the day. This means you can enjoy your time off the bike even more. For me, it meant I had the energy to explore the campground or the town after the day’s ride. I found my bicycle tour was much more enjoyable because of this.

Pace. Another advantage of ultralight touring is a faster average pace. This might seem like a small thing, but it meant less time overall riding. Which meant I had more time for other things (like sleeping or exploring). Plus, with a higher average speed, I felt like I could take more detours and pause more often without adding a lot of time to the day’s ride. This was key since we were riding while the days were at their shortest and we needed to maximize the daylight we had.

Less Stuff. When you completely convert to the ultralight mindset, this means your gear, all of your gear, becomes lighter and more compact. You reduce the number or size of your panniers. This in turn limits the amount of stuff you can bring, which brings your weight down even more. It self-perpetuates in a very cool way!

Hill climbs. My favorite thing about ultralight touring is how much easier it is to climb the tough hills with less weight. Sure, over time your legs become stronger and hills become less challenging. But starting off with less and lighter gear means those first hills of the trip aren’t your downfall.

Yes, there are some cons to going ultralight. Converting your gear can be costly, since “ultralight” is usually synonymous with “expensive.” But, changing out a few key pieces can get you going in the ultralight direction. Later, we’ll be discussing various ways to go ultralight.

Ultralight touring: how to reduce your gear weight

Bicycle touring historically has involved big heavy bikes with big, heavy gear. But carrying all that weight day after day can really wear you down. An alternative is joining the ultralight touring movement. This is gaining in popularity in many sports such as hiking and backpacking, and now cycle touring. The key to ultralight touring is to minimize the weight or your gear as well as have each item serve multiple purposes. Here’s some ideas to get you headed in the ultralight direction.

Panniers. One of the major areas you can save weight is by reducing the number of panniers and racks. Each pannier and weight of the rack adds up. Removing the front rack and front two panniers from Matt’s touring bike removed over 6 pounds! Plus, the fewer panniers you take means less space to carry stuff which forces you to carry less. Considering that most people over pack this will force you to discard unnecessary items. When we tour as a couple we only require two large panniers on each bike.

Camping Gear. Camping gear is also usually easy to target for weight reduction. Modern sleeping bags and tents come in a wide range of weight classes. The only concern is to strike a balance between lightweight and your warmth requirements. For sleeping bags check out some small manufactures like ZPacks. Matt’s 20F down sleeping bag weighs in at just a hair over 1 pound. When selecting a tent going lightweight can easily shed several pounds. Finally that nice memory foam sleeping pad which weighs 10 pounds can easily be replaced by a new inflatable pad measured in grams. Shave ounces, and sometimes pounds, by choosing the right equipment. The weight of the bike is another key place to reduce weight. Steel is the heaviest. Aluminum is intermediate, and carbon fiber is the lightest. While a lot of emphasis is put on the material of the frame, typically the components of the bike and wheels end up adding more to the total weight of the bike than the just the frame. Trimming down the weight of the bike can start off relatively simple, but can get expensive quickly so make sure there aren’t other areas your money can be better spent.

Cooking equipment. As you get into the ultralight mindset, you are going to have to start looking further into your gear list and instead of shedding pounds at a time you will be working on grams. Cooking equipment is a prime place to look at fine tuning your weight. Titanium pots, pans, and stoves are lightweight and durable components which should last for years. There are a lot of backpacking stoves that are measured in grams, with fuel bottles that are much lighter than the heavy Coleman varieties. For eating utensils plastic can be just as light as titanium and much cheaper.

Multiple uses. Another thing to think about is having multiple uses for each piece of equipment you have. For example, instead of bringing a windbreaker, we just brought our rain jackets and used them as windbreakers on and off the bike. Our rain pants added an extra layer for warmth. Our down vests were used mainly for off-the-bike comfort, but also as an extra layer for on-the-bike warmth. We only brought one extra bowl for meals, using our cooking pot as another bowl. The Schnozzel Bag acted as a storage sack for the air pads and pillows. Our emergency space blanket had many functions. We used it as a ground cover for our tent as well as a picnic blanket. On our coldest night it covered our tent, keeping us even warmer.

Hopefully this gives you a place to get started with pursuing ultra-lightweight touring. We went from an estimated 75lbs of gear to just 40lb on our most recent tour (Check out our packing list). Remember that every pound of weight that you reduce is a pound you don’t have to carry for the duration of the tour.

To get started don’t feel like you have to change out everything you have. By swapping out a few key pieces of gear you can get started in the ultralight direction. Who knows? You might soon be cutting off tags and weighing each item down to the gram (like Matt did before our last tour). Be careful, it can be addicting and expensive!

Disclaimer:
All opinions about any products mentioned in this article are my own. I have not been compensated in any way by anyone. I will, however, receive a small commission if you choose to purchase the item from Amazon after clicking the link I provide. Use your own discretion.

Bicycle Touring: Where do you start?

My very first bicycle tour was a one night tour. My husband and I loaded up our bicycles and rode from our house to a campground 9 miles away, and then back the next day. I wasn’t sure I would like it; however, this wound up being a perfect test. We got to try out our tent and cooking gear, and we got to practice packing everything in our panniers. I had a ton of fun, and this little excursion whetted my appetite for much longer tours. If you’re thinking of going on a tour, but are hesitating, here’s my advice to get you over those hurdles.

Start small. The idea of bicycle touring might seem overwhelming at first. Let me just say that it’s not. It is so simple. That first overnight trip for me was an excellent example. We got to test out our gear in a non-threatening way. So, find a place to camp (or even a hotel) a short distance from your house (25 to 40 miles is great beginning distance). Or, drive yourself and your gear to a reasonable distance from a campground, ride to it, and then ride back. You want to challenge yourself, but don’t overdo it. It’s that easy!

Prepare yourself. Once you’ve tried it out touring, start preparing for a longer tour. You want to get started riding longer distances. If you don’t practice riding long distances don’t assume you will be able to do them on your tour! Make sure you get all your gear together before you go and that you try it out; you don’t want to be setting up the tent for the first time on your tour only to find it is missing pieces. Also ride your bicycle loaded, since it feels so much different than unloaded. Ride for multiple days in a row. If you start noticing pain or numbness on your longer ride consider getting a professional fit on your bike. Plan your route. Adventure Cycling Association maps are a great place to start, and they’re adding new routes all the time!

Get out there and do it. Prove to yourself that you are capable of touring. Long distance bicycle touring is simply a series of small day tours. Put them together, and you will find yourself a long ways from home enjoying the freedom of bicycle touring.