Gather Your Bike, Your Gear, Your Group
and Get Out and Ride!
Most of us have a room full of camping gear and at least one bicycle. Chances are you already have nearly everything it takes to give bicycle touring a try. Within a few minutes of riding from your home, you can be experiencing the very stuff touring dreams are made of. If you like to ride and you love to be outdoors, bicycle touring is a guaranteed good time.
Bicycle touring appeals to a broad spectrum of people, and there are many ways to go about it. It can be done individually, with friends, or with a commercial tour operator. People of all ages, from all backgrounds, and from all around the world choose the bicycle as their favorite means of travel. They are drawn to bicycle touring as a great way to explore our nation’s geography and culture, to achieve physical fitness, to rise to physical and mental challenges, to meet new people, to have fun and recreate, to clear the mind, and to achieve a sense of accomplishment.
Consider bicycle touring to be a combination of bicycling and backpacking. You can head out for a couple nights with the same camping gear you’d have in your backpack. If you don’t have camping gear and a way to carry it, or you prefer indoor accommodations, find a motel near your destination. Staying in motels means you’ll only need to carry some extra clothes, toiletries, and snacks and water to consume along the way, along with a few bicycle-specific items like a pump and spare tube — the stuff you bring with you during regular day rides.
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What Gear do I Need?
Photo credit: Aaron Teasdale