Steel can be repaired in the field. Genesis Bikes. Shimano still offers touring-specific groupsets. Dynamo lights can be invaluable on a touring bike. Andy Lloyd. Mudguards are a must-have for a touring bike. Mechanical and even hydraulic disc brakes are an increasingly common sight on touring bikes.
Paul Components. Touring bikes favour an upright comfortable riding position. Stanforth Bikes. Touring bikes can carry large loads comfortably. Gravel bikes are increasingly popular, and with good reason. Clearances are typically much more generous on gravel bikes. Robert Smith. Costing pennies to run with zero tax or insurance, electric bikes could be the newest green, clean and most efficient form of transport.
Explore the full offering of electric bikes. Designed purely for efficiency and pace, they are extremely light and aerodynamic on tarmac, but unforgiving when it comes to rough or unmetalled roads. Dubbed the best way to ride long distances quickly, these will certainly ensure a quick commute — although be weary that their fast-rolling tyres are susceptible to punctures, so you might want to swap to a sturdier tyre for the journey to work.
Check out our super speedy road bikes. For commuters who need to use public transport on their way to work, or take their bike into the office, life is made much simpler with a folding bike.
Especially lightweight and super portable, these nifty bikes double down into easily transportable packages, making them simple to store pretty much anywhere. You can find folding bikes with larger wheels, but these face the issue of being less compact, so some trains or buses might have a problem with allowing them onboard!
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Fixed gear bikes are the ultimate in both durability and simplicity! With no gears to go wrong with and less moving parts, these bikes are cheap to buy and maintain. With one chainring and one rear cog, you choose a gear which enables you to cover the terrain on your upcoming journey. Often favoured by couriers, hip city lovers and flat road commuters, their appeal is understandable.
Largely fuss-free and low maintenance, they are the ideal companion for flat journeys to work. This is where one side has a fixed gear sprocket, and the other has a freewheel — giving you the option to switch between the two. My goal as the "Bicycle Touring Pro" is to give you the confidence and inspiration you need to travel by bicycle anywhere in the world.
I'm here to help you plan, prepare for, and execute your first bike tour and remove all the guesswork, wasted time and frustration that plagues so many first-time bicycle travelers.
I have been thinking about doing a tour of the pacific northwest, but my bicycle is a bit old. I want a new touring bike before I commit to a tour of that magnitude. I will carry mountaineering equipments for climbing mountains on my way and some music instruments to earn money with for my journey. I think with such heavy things I have to use trailer right? I will be using front and rear panniers and hope to complete the trip in a few weeks. It seems like it will be mostly paved roads, not sure of the condition.
Would my Scott hold up to this? Quite a bit. I intend to get a trailer for my bike. Road types? And have since been saving up for a touring bike. One can tour on anything. Camping and cooking, probably most of the time — when needs must. Hi Jack… and thanks for your comment. You can tour on practically any bicycle. Use that bike for a couple short tours and see how you do. If you discover that you enjoy bicycle touring and think that you might benefit from a more comfortable, more powerful, easier to pedal and better designed bicycle for your touring needs, then you can upgrade at that time.
Start with what you have… and then work your way up from there. Good luck… and please send me a picture of you on your first bike tour! I have a Specialized Tricross sport I am planning to tour around england with and use on roads and trials with panniers on the front and rear it has alloy frame and carbon forks, is this bike ok. I appreciate any advice you can offer. It will be fully supported and on paved roads I think almost exclusively so the issue is the long sometimes steep western mountain climbs.
I am a recreational rider who has dome a handful of centuries but this will be my first tour. I have a Trek Madone 4. The tour operator seems to strongly recommend a triple. However there appears to be the option of changing out the cassette for a more of a mountain bike gearing. I forget the specifics, but my understanding from my local bike shop is that it would get me reasonably close to the low end of the gearing that a triple crankshaft would offer.
I agree with your tour operator By the way, what company are you doing this with? Would you have to buy a new front derailleur as well? I think that if you can make that swap for a couple hundred bucks, it might be the best thing to do. But if you are going to do more tours like this in the future or maybe conduct some other guided or self-supported bicycle tours , it might be worth it for you to simply invest in a proper bicycle with the three chain-rings that you need.
I am just getting started with touring. Roads: bad, camping: yes, probably looking at carrying approx 20kg of load. My budget is tight though and I am not sure if the expense is justified. I know a decent touring bike should last many future tours. Have a specialized crossroads comp I picked up while living in the UK. I am now back in the US and use it for day trips. Firstly, its really slow and i average say 12 mph or so and 15 jn an intense mode. This is with a light 10 lbs pannier bag but not heavily loaded.
I fear this bike will be too slow for any enjoyable weekend touring where the goal is 45 to 60 miles per day. I have averaged up to 30 but really feel it is a workout on this bike.
Hi, my name is Francesco and I am I am planning a one week self supported tour. I have a Lombardo sestriere I am plannig to travel in Sicily, a mix of road and off road. I will be carrying a tent and the necessary for sleeping out but I will also have bed arrangement for a couple of nights.
My questions are: 1 What do I need to do to adapt my bike for this trip and how much approximately will it cost me? I have a Bianchi Volpe LOVE the center-pull brakes and am hoping to make a ride through southern Utah and across Iowa next summer, neither of which will last longer than a week. Any thoughts if this will work? First of all, congratulations for an excellent website. You provide much useful information. I have a Salsa Mamasita that is in excellent condition. I use it for commuting, a few times on trails and a few times on overnight and short multi day bike trips.
I like this bike a lot. The type of touring that I have in mind is a self-supported multi day tour. My initial plan for touring is to try to cover as much of the Philippines as I can I am am Filipino living in the Philippines. However, my dream since I was in college is to bike across Europe sooner than later, hopefully. I do not plan on bringing a whole lot of gear. I will stick with the basic necessities and will try to travel as reasonably light as I can.
I am looking, at the onset, at a setup with two rear pannier bags and a small bag mounted on the handlebars. But I am also very much open to adding front panniers for much longer trips. Since I have a mountain bike, I am contemplating on frame bags by Revelate Designs as options. I do not foresee myself camping or cooking my own food.
I will try to stay in inns or motels as much as possible. I would like to do touring on mostly paved roads although here in the Philippines, one would encounter patches of rough roads every now and then. Lastly, ever since I have been reading about bike touring as you share it, a desire to have a dedicated touring bike has been developing in me. I have my sights on the Salsa Vaya. Ok, I know that this may be the ideal for me and maybe one these days it will come to fruition. But with what I have now, may I be able to go on the tour that I have described?
Can this be used to tour? Thanks very much for your response. More power to you Darren. Stumbled upon your website in researching information for hopefully! The plan is to cycle from Vancouver to Quebec City on pretty much all paved roads in the span of days starting at the end of May to beginning of July.
Will need to be moving at a fairly quick pace as I have a somewhat limited timeline. I plan to pack ultralight hoping to primarily make use of Warmshowers, Couchsurfing and hostels for lodging and cafes for food so tentatively not bringing camping and cooking gear in order to maximize distance covered per day.
I currently have a Trek Madone 3. I have used the Madone for many hours of road riding and triathlon racing over the past 2. I am willing to spend money to purchase components and parts just not another bike , so any recommendations best puncture resistant tires, rack, etc. What you have planned is essentially a race, not a leisurely bicycle tour like most people like to do.
You are going to have to race across Canada in order to cover that amount of distance is that amount of time. It is possible, but it is going to be a lot of cycling… and not much time for anything else.
Not camping is a good idea. I would be prepared to spend your money on lodging and food. Your objective is speed and distance, so you want to pack light. And because you are packing so light, your current bike should work just fine.
Being able to post here is a blessing. I have been searching everywhere to see if my current bike will be ok for touring. Thank you! I know that it does not have eyelets to support a rack. My Bike Tour: I am going to do a bike across Kansas tour. It is a mile vehicle supported tour.
So I will only be carrying my daily essentials with me. I do not have to carry food or food cooking gear. I am not completely sure on the road conditions. This bike will be fine for your supported bicycle tour across Kansas. Your main concern is going to be comfort cycling miles over the course of a few short days.
Just make sure you have your handlebars, pedals and seat adjusted properly before the ride begins and you should be fine! Have fun. Really generous of you to do this — what a lifesaver!
Some relatively big climbs but lots of flats too. First of all, thousand miles in just months is a lot! You can do it, but it will be a LOT of cycling and not a lot of stopping along the way to enjoy the sights. If you are okay with that, continue. If not, you may want to cut out some of your distance in order to enjoy your experience a bit more.
Secondly, the bike you have now is a road racing bicycle. It is not a bike meant to carry weight of any kind. You could put a handlebar bag on it, and maybe a lightweight rack secured to the seatpost, but even then I think you are going to struggle getting your camping gear onto the bike. However, you might consider pulling a trailer behind your bike instead. This is going to slow you down some, but it will be healthier for your bicycle.
Overall, it is really up to you. You can try and load your road bike with touring gear, but it is a little risky. If I were you I would look into pulling a lightweight trailer and then continuing to try and pack as minimally as you can.
Hope this helps. Hello Darren. I have just signed on for a supported cycle tour from Shanghai to Istanbul on the Silk Route. I will only be carrying my personnel gear for the day, probably a light pack and handlebar bag.
My bike I have recenlty purchased is a Scott Scale , 29er. Is this bike suitable for the trip being a carbon frame? I weigh 58 kgs and wont be carrying much gear. I have an old wrist injury so feel I do need front suspension and not a ridgid frame. Thanks, Caroline. They will have a much better understanding of what kind of bike is appropriate for the tour. They will have a much better answer for you.
Hi Darren. Thanks for your reply. Yes, I will get in touch with the Company to see what they think and if they have had other riders on tour with this type of bike. This is a great site for a newbie and I am sure I am going to learn heaps from all your posts and other information.
Cheers, Caroline. My friend and I are thinking about riding the Greater Allegheny Passage from Pittsburgh to the state line and back in the spring, a three day trip.
I recently purchased a Marin Argenta A6 and was wondering if that would be a capably bike for the trip. I will be packing very light probably a sleeping bag, a change of cloths, repair tools, toiletries, and some first aid supplies on a beam rack. On a 3-day trip you can get away with almost any bike. Just put a rear rack on that Marin Argenta A6 and pack super light. You should be alright. I have a Univega. The point is to mostly get there without fossil fuels so we can hike the PCT back to Canada.
Thank you for your website and for your contributions to educating cyclists. Normally I would tell you to look into getting a used or discounted touring bicycle, because cycling from Seattle to Mexico is a long distance and you will surely benefit from having a bicycle that is built specifically for long-distance bicycle touring. But if you are thinking of just ditching the bike at the end of your tour, you might be okay with another type of bike that is cheaper.
If you have a decent bike that is comfortable to ride and is capable of carrying the gear you are going to need, you might be okay with using that for your tour. But if people are telling you to get a new tire, etc… then it sounds like the bike has some problems that could cause you even bigger problems once you hit the road.
I have a Scott Spark 20 Full carbon. It weights around 22 lbs. I have a good cycling experience. What do you think? There are a couple problems with your bike Alexandre. First of all, carbon is a frame type generally avoided in the bicycle touring world because the extra weight usually carried on long-distance bike tours can easily break carbon frames. Not always, but it is quite common.
But if you are going to pull everything in a trailer, instead of using racks and panniers, you might be okay. The other thing I would say is that your friend with the hardtail mountain bike is probably better suited for this trip than you are.
I would recommend hard tail over full suspension. And consider getting additional grips for your handlebars so you can move your hands around while you ride. Because I talk about all this in the book. I recommend you read it. It might cause you to rethink your choice of bike. This is an aluminium frame, light but strong — I think the bike weighs in at about 24lb. Things I have changed; Removed suspension fork for corrected Kona Project 2 steel rigid. Compact Deda drop bars with Dura Ace 10 spd bar end levers.
Tyres are either 1. I live in the Zillertal Alps in Austria. I would like to be lightly packed, overnight kit but no cooking requirements. Sleeping bag outdoor if possible, with no need for a tent… maybe a small compact and light tent. Have fun out there! Hi Darren, thanks for the reply. Interestingly, I have just seen the Fuji Touring — c wheel, with braze ons for racks and guards — 32mm tyres, 27 spd — low gear of 26 x 34 — for pounds uk price , this seems incredible value given your experience with these machines.
I shall have a look at this and may well just buy it as it pretty much seems ready to go out of the box!! Touring in my country is not as popular compared to US but we do have some great views for touring up and down the peninsula. Hope to hear your views on my touring bike selection. Just mount a rear rack on the bike and go! It might be perfect for terrain you have there in Malaysia.
I live in the south of Italy. The good thing is this made me re-discover cycling! My bike is a new Montague Swissbike X50 foldable mountain bike. I read of a guy who took a coast-to-coast in the Usa on an older model of the same brand, so I hope it will survive the abuse.
Luca, the main thing I would suggest is that you do not use a backpack like you are planning. While backpacks are normal in the hiking world, they are avoided in the bicycle touring world. Good luck on your adventure. I hope you have a wonderful time. Self-supported, traveling alone. Shining MT, 36 spokes.
Setup is 4 panniers and a handlebar bag. All the camping gear is reliable stuff, but relatively heavy. Hi Antonio. For a short, 8-day bike tour where you pack super light and carry only minimal gear, this bike will work. I own a Felt z road bike in good condition. A friend and I are planning a self-supported bike tour from the Canadian border to the Mexican border traveling east of the Cascades so it will be hilly!
We plan to carry everything we need for the hopefully two month journey, and buy food along the way. We intend to pack light of course in panniers.
We certainly plan on camping and cooking our own food on the tour. We should be along paved roads the entire way not sure what the roads into Yosemite or Joshua Tree look like. My cyclocross bike is a Norco Threshold Carbon with disc brakes. My idea was to get a frame pack for the main triangle, a seat post rack for a larger bag, a handlebar bag, and finally a small bento box style bag for behind the stem.
The bike is certainly strong and beefed up for the rigors of cyclocross. It has become my do all bike and I ride road, some mountain biking and through just about all conditions.
Oh and I would carry my Osprey mountain bike backpack for hydration needs. For both of these tours I would do a combination of camping and hotel stays, so I would think I could get by with the setup I described.
For the food part, I will cook food in campgrounds, but it would most likely be minimal and I would be sure to be close to grocery stores for replenishing supplies. And for your last question, the road surface would be paved the entire duration, but I could be tempted to do some light off roading to snap some good photos or to camp.
It would most likely just be dirt roads and nothing major. In regard to your questions about your bicycle, I usually tell people to avoid riding with carbon anything on your bike. If you pack super light with just a frame pack and maybe just a rear rack with a very light amount of gear on the back, then yes, I think you can use the bike that you have. You will need a totally different type of bicycle for that.
So pack super light… kind of like you see my friend Kevin doing in these photos from our bike tour around Taiwan together. This is how you need to pack! I plan to camp and carry my own food, may 40ish lbs of weight.
I am willing to sell my bike to invest in a touring bike, any recommendations? Is it possible to take the avail on a trip like this? The Avail is a road bike… made of aluminum… and not really made for touring. Does it have the capability of adding a rear rack? You might be able to use this bike on your tour if you decide to pull a trailer instead of using racks and a set of panniers.
My two main concerns with this are: will my feet hit the panniers on a mountain bike and if so can this be dealt with in some way, and will 29inch parts be available in the region I intend to travel should I have problems with the bike?
Little else in the way of luxuries. Because that book explains all these issues you might run into if you decide to use a mountain bike for a long-distance tour like the one you are planning. I would think twice before using a mountain bike on such a tour. It could be kinda painful over the long-run. Hi Darren! BTW I absolutely love your touring video for beginners!
I dream of touring long distances by bike… The only thing that hinders me from doing this is that touring specific bikes are so expensive! I really want a Norco Cabot 2. I would probably have 2 bags on the back panier and a small tent or sleeping bag in the middle of the panier. What do you think about this bike? Do you think my bike handle this trip? Yeah, if you keep your weight light, then yes, you could do your trip on that bicycle.
A touring-specific bike is not necessary all the time. I have a vintage ladies sun solo bike. I would like to do a bike tour for about three weeks through Zimbabwe and Zambia. Do you think the bike would be suitable? I currently have a Trek Series One 1. I was wondering if this would fair well or if you recommend a touring bike. Obviously, if I could avoid buying a touring bike that would be optimal, but I realize that the bike I have now is a road bike. Most of the roads would be paved but there are a few occurrences on the ECG where there are non-paved routes.
Also, if I did use my current bike, would a trailer be better than trying to outfit it with panniers? Thanks for all your help! The Trek Series 1. This will not be a technical mountain bike trip but more of the gravel parts from what I understand.
I have ridden it over longer distances but never loaded it up for a tour. I am considering tweaking it up a bit and using it for this ride. Am I dreaming here? Should I consider something different? Thanks… Jim. But since the trip is only 7 days long, you might be able to pull it off. It just depends on the condition of your bike… and the amount of pain you are willing to tolerate by not riding a touring-specific bicycle for such a long period of time over bumpy, difficult terrain.
I am quickly getting excited just of the idea of bike touring. I do have a Schwinn gtx3 ? I was wondering about a fully self-supporting tour.
Maybe less than 2, miles. I had about lbs in the rear panniers and it seemed to hold up just fine then, but 25 miles and miles are two different stories, right? My suggestion is that you conduct some short overnight bike tours near where you live… before you go off on your longer bike tour.
Make sure you read the section about handlebars, gearing, frame design, etc inside The Essential Guide To Touring Bicycles, because that book explains why all these little things are so very important on a long-distance bike tour like the one you are planning. I would really like to get into bike touring, but was wondering if it is okay to use my bike.
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