GETTING STARTED BICYCLE TOURING
By Jerry Pearce, RAINBOW JERSEY BICYCLE SHOP, Milwaukee, WI
My first attempt at a bike tour was poorly planned and executed like a novice - had to start somewhere. I've learned a lot about touring and myself since then.
I started cycling as a racer and had little interest in recreational riding until I started a bike shop with my father - who had been my motivater to start bike racing. I spoke with people day in and day out about trips they had done or were planning. It was more of a curiosity than anything else, I suppose I absorbed some knowledge but I was still not a ""tourist"". I needed to get rid of the ""racer"" in me that said touring was for old people. After retiring from racing and collecting a critical mass of touring stories I was ready to try it myself.
My first tour was a 300-mile round trip ride up the shore of Lake Michigan to Door County and back. Even with improper equipment and no planning I had a ball. And I was hooked on bicycle touring.
I hope you will be able to do the research and if you're extremely fortunate to have people who you can ask questions regarding the details of your first bike tour. If not maybe some of these tips that follow will help instead.
I think we all must assess our strengths and weaknesses (physical and emotional) when we plan a trip. If You don't like cold weather don't take a trip where it will be cold. I have a hard time traveling in a place where I don't understand the language so I pick places that accommodate my linguistic skill. If your longest ride on a bike has been 10 miles don't try to go 50 in a day. I think you catch my drift.
Wherever you choose to go make sure that you understand the climate for the region for the period you will be traveling. Today, with all the info on the Internet this chore has been reduced to a minimal amount of effort and time. Do find a store with a good selection of maps. Unfortunately for a bike tour I've found that the scale need to be quite small (1cm = 1 or 2 km - most of my touring has been outside the US so I have quite a collection of Michelin maps) and this will require a small library of maps. Do spend time analyzing the terrain to identify the hilly or mountainous areas and plan your daily distances accordingly. At the same time use this info to calculate where you will stay. I've never reserved a hotel room for the 10 trips I've been on and on only one occasion did I fear that I would be sleeping in a field (I'm a lousy camper so this was a major horror for me). I had never ridden up a hill that took more than a minute and my second bike trip took place in the French Alps. I survived and so can you if you pay attention to your body and make accommodations for bad days and ""learning experiences"".
I think the bike equipment choices would make this too lengthy and possibly could be explored at another time, but suffice to say take a bike that you like to ride. Choose bags that require you to make serious choices as to what you will carry along with you on your trip. Bigger is not better because you will fill them and your bike will weigh more than a small car. People always ask what tools to bring and my reply is ""only ones that you know how to use"". If you travel with other people try to share the load with tools - it's generally the heaviest stuff. At one point I changed nearly all the bolts on my bike so that I could remove them with one tool. Try to incorporate dual purposes for clothing. The new style walking/cycling shoes are a marvelous economy in this regard. Your cycling raincoat is your walking to the restaurant raincoat. Etceteras.
I think now that you've found this web site you are on your way to a great adventure.
Bon courage, bonne route
Coming soon...
We print out this packing list. Peter fills it out, and gives it to Sally. A very simple way to make sure nothing important is forgotten.
Click here for printer friendly packing list.
| Trip Duration |
# Of Washes |
Days between washes |
Very Important stuff |
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Passports |
| Clothing |
Wear on Plane |
Pack for Trip |
Air Tickets |
| Shoes - Normal |
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$$ Cash / ATM |
| Bicycle |
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Pen/Diary |
| Socks - Dress |
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Maps/Books |
| Sport |
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Camera |
| Underwear-Regular |
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Digital with power |
| Bike |
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35mm with film |
| Pants-Long |
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Longie |
| Bike shorts |
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| Regular shorts |
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| Shirts - Long |
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| Polo |
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| Bike |
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| Sweat |
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| Sweater |
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| Jacket - Sport |
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| Rain |
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| Gloves - Bike |
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| Glasses - Regular |
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| Sun/Bike |
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| Hat - Visor |
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| Helmet |
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| Bathing Suit |
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Dobb Kit
Toothbrush/Paste
Deodorant
CombOil/Q-tips
Shampoo
Conditioner/Towel |
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Accessories
Tubes/Patch kit
Mirror/Swiss knife
Sunscreen
spoonBunge |
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Bicycle Toruing 101
This website will help get you started touring.
Biking Southeast Asia with Mr Pumpy
This site contains routes and maps for the Southeast Asia. Everyone who bikes in Asia knows this site.
Ciclismo Classico
Specialist in Italian active vacations and we borrowed their route through Le Marche, Umbria and Tuscany and loved it. There is a very good reason Itlay is #5 on our list.
www.adventurecycling.org/
Official site of Adventure Cycling Association, this is America’s premier organization dedicated to bicycle travel. You will find route maps for crossing the US.
www.backroads.com
Upscale bike tours with a hip clientele. They use Cannondale bikes.
www.bicycletour.com
Directory of profit and non-profit bicycle tours and events. Ability to search for a tour by region, date and tour type.
www.bicycling.about.com
Online magazine with articles about cycling and links to hundreds of other sites.
www.biketour-reviews.com
This excellent site reviews different bicycle touring companies and compares costs.
www.butterfield.com
The ultimate upscale bike tours. They have developed their own bikes for added comfort.
www.ctc.org.uk/
The British Cycling Touring Club. Information, routes and maps for the world. You have to join to get the information from the web. If you bike the world independently it is well worth the investment.
www.footprintbooks.com
We like these guidebooks because they have great recommendations on small hotels.
www.lonelyplanet.com
World wide up to date information. They have a cycling book for Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
www.mikebentley.com
Just about every bike link know to man or computer.
www.moon.com
Excellent guide books especially Chile, Guatemala and Argentina. Look for guides written by Wayne Bernhardson he knows South America.
www.pedaling.com
There are over 1,000 routes (with cue sheets and maps) throughout the US and Canada.
www.travel.state.gov
Visa and health information around the world for Americans.
www.trektravel.com
New to the bicycle touring companies. They offer new Trek bikes on their tours and copy Backroads and Butterfield.
www.veloasia.com
Information on cycling in Vietnam and Asia.
People we have met traveling who have websites:
Jean Beliveau’s site
Jean Beliveau’s site, he is walking around the world for twelve years. He started August 18, 2000. We met him in Uruguay March 2003.
To purchase Biking on Bike Trails Between Chicago & Milwaukee by Peter Blommer, updated in 2006, go to the
"Contact" page.
We need your name, address and phone number. We will mail you the book and send you a bill for $14.95.