Bicycle Touring and Bikepacking

It was much slower than I usually go due to a lot of wind, some "barely a path" roads along the way, the bike being a citybike meant for daily shopping, as well as the fact that I was carrying 50kg (110lbs) of luggage on my back the whole way 😄

Excuses for being a slowpoke aside, it was a good challenge for my general health and fitness journey, and a very pleasant ride 😁

I have few thoughts about bikepacking on recumbent bike.

Because of the weight distribution I don't see any difference in the ridability and handling. The issue with flexing bike when loaded with bags isn't noticeable when riding only when you need to push it.

But the hills are killing me it isn't ideal without the bags but with them it is brutal.

#bikepacking #biketouring #bikeTooter #regel17 @bicycle_touring

Went really well, had some folks new bikepacking and they did a good job.

Hi,

I'm looking to get back into cycling after about a ten year break. I used to cycle everywhere but travel, injury and moving to the suburbs basically stopped me.

The main rides I'll be doing:

• 36km (22mi) between my place and my girlfriends - little bit of road, mostly bike path, a little bit of gravel.

• 8km (5mi) to JiuJitsu class - road/pavement/path.

With at least one loaded pannier, possibly two.

I'm 110kg (~242lb) with a fairly solid build, the steel frames are appealing.

I may do a little touring, I haven't done it before but Australia has some great off road tour options. It might just be a nice idea that I never get around to. I like camping and being alone which is what appeals about touring.

Being in Australia, I'm pretty limited on what bikes are actually available.

I was recommended the Kona Sutra LTD ($4k) (by a sales guy) but I feel that the wide tires aren't a great choice for the commuting and it's a bit more than I was planning to spend. I don't mind spending more on getting the right bike for me but I'm also pretty frugal so would prefer to spend less if I can find the right bike for less.

I've also been considering the Marin Nicasio plus ($1.3K), Nicasio 2 ($2.2k), Surly Preamble ($2.9k), Salsa Cutthroat ($4.9k) or maybe a Bombtrack Hook ($3.6k).

Plus about $1000 for fenders, racks and a big fat lock to lock it up.

Thanks for any input.

Bit of conversational question. I have 2 plans and still don't know which one I will choose, maybe you will help me decide.

One is to ride to Spain for solar eclipse, that is 12.7. and ride home. So probably through Austria, northern Italy, France and along Mediterranean coast to Spain.

Other is through Poland, Baltic's towards Finland. I still don't know what next if it would be possible to go to Sweden and Norway and then cross to Denmark...

I will have about 2 months for that so I will probably use some trains and stuff to shortcut it here and there.

So what are your plans, where would you want to go this year?

Graf, too, was “hungry for an adventure”. “I wanted to chase some mountains and meet people. And I’ve always felt drawn to self-propelled ways of travel. I wanted to be independent and free,” he says. He considered walking, inspired by The Longest Walk by George Meegan, who trekked across the Americas in the late 70s. He settled on cycling so he could cover more distance while still travelling slowly.

The people doing all the beginning research & work from decades ago should have skipped automobiles-motorcycles & such, as they should phased-out or at worse- replaced with 1 per 10,000 of people or more with: solar panels on bodies, flying & self-driving versions of automobiles, with storage & room for many people. Gone right to our species (the normally used term is sexist) powered cycles, more or less than just two-wheels.

What you think?

I dislike the laziness & getting in the way & on non-motored pedestrians ways of motorized cycles, scooters & Etc..

With the above in consideration, do you consider:

Motorized cycles, scooters & Etc. actually cycles, scooters & Etc. or just different type of automobiles? After all they did exist extremely early on, before motorcycles,

&

Self-driving cycles, scooters & Etc. actually cycles, scooters & Etc. or not?
&
If not, then what do you consider them?

Hub to hub exploration of America's Appalachian region for people 18-22

Hey. I'm planning some trips in the spring time in Europe, with my gravelbike. What do you wear and what manufacturer do you recommend. I really don't know what is best, to have a jacket that is windprooforver a short Jersey, or a long jersey with a rainjacket? I really want to go for race fit style.

This after several weeks of bikepacking (literally: see photo), roughly following the coast from Alicante to Gibraltar, with a couple of short legs by train.

Surprise: it turns out that cycle touring in winter is generally more pleasant than in summer, at least in southern Europe. No need to organize the day around avoiding the midday sun and heat, and accommodation is (slightly) more affordable.

The pedelec motor helps with hills (very welcome when there are cars around). On the flat it changes precisely nothing from traditional touring. The dual suspension made the seat miraculously comfortable from day one, which was a genuine surprise and revelation.

Now in Morocco, accessible in 1 hour by a ferry which takes bikes for free.

So this year Christmas celebration was pleasantly interrupted by #bikepacker from Japan.

I was half watching new fairy tale from our national TV (which wasn't that good they didn't managed to make good one in some time) and got warmshowers notification.

I didn't told him much but when he just got in the middle of our family gathering he was bit surprised. I think it is the highlight of this year's Christmas for me and my family too.

#bikepacking #biketouring #biketooter @bicycle_touring

This traveler build his cargo bike into a mobile home

Didn't know that there is enough space in an #urbanarrow to sleep there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPfvuqLtq8Y

#cargobike #bicycle #camping #travel #cargobikes
@bicycle_touring

I wanted to explore this rail trail for a while and was finally able to bike most of it. Le Parc du Corridor Aérobique is a 58 km rail trail somewhat isolated from the rest of the cycling network.

As I have no car, I took a train from Montréal to Saint-Jérôme and cycled to the trail head in the village of Morin-Heights, via the very popular P'tit Train du Nord rail trail. Here's my return itinerary and the profile.

The surface quality varies quite a bit. Sometimes it's crushed gravel, sometimes it's dirt with rocks pointing out and painted orange. There's a few bits on roads but the vast majority is a dedicated trail. Wild camping is not permitted in Québec but there are three sites with platforms along the trail, where one can pitch a tent and spend the night.

I just got back and didn't expect such a spectacle of colours. It was glorious. I'll have to go back!

Here are some more pictures.

When the urge became impossible to ignore, Sarah Cook bought a touring bike and an “all-singing, all-dancing four-season tent”, and packed her belongings into 68-litre bike bags.

She was 60, and, having rented out her flat in Cumbria, England, set off alone to pedal the Pacific west coast of the US. As she cycled away from Vancouver airport, “I was like ‘See you in six months!’,” Cook says. “Not having the weight of bricks and mortar and possessions was so liberating.” By the time she arrived in La Paz, Bolivia, 111 days later, she knew, “this is how I want to live my life.” Now 67, she has been itinerant ever since, and has cycled 24,000 miles.

After 17,700 km, Eurasia World Record Attempt comes to a halt 400km from the finish line.

I hope failing the record remains the worst part of the story and he is going to be released soon.

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/26836316

A bit like Forrest Gump, I'm now on a 30-year trip to cycle to every Commonwealth War Grave cemetery in the world," he said.

The Landes is the flat forest region in the far southwest of France. Very easy riding and car traffic is sparse, even in summer. This is on the EuroVelo 3 (AKA the Pilgrim Route) just south of Langon, where the path follows a disaffected railway line for about 20 km. Absolutely ideal conditions for cycling.

Short thread I wrote on Mastodon about the insanity of helping someone move from Zurich to Torino.

Don't want to mess with resizing pictures here so just crossposting it.

First of all sorry I broke my phone and my backup phone can't resize pictures so I can't directly load them here.

So if some of you follow my mastodon account you know that I got to Brussels, damn 2 months not posting here and where I got.

In France I met El and she showed me a bit around the coast, we were riding together for a week there. Each of us wanted to see something bit different so we split in Nantes and I promised that I will join her in CZ to show her around. So that's what's happening now I am in train riding through Germany (not yet) and have spare time pretty much all night (I don't expect that I will get much sleep). If you have any questions about my journey don't hesitate to ask.

Review of my bikepacking gear I brought on a 5-day trip around northern Germany. Starting at the end of March, temps were still kind of low (from 7 to 15 degrees Celsius during the day), no prediction for rain. Weight of the bike was around 10 kg, with gear I hit a total of 23 kg - so 13 kg worth of gear.

Handlebar bag

• Naturehike 2-person tent

The space it gave me was worth the extra size/weight. Especially with it being kind of cold, I rested in the tent quite a bit. Never used any other light tents, so no clear reference there. I was happy with my choice: It's kind of stealthy, has some decent ventilation (which I didn't need), and I can take it down from the inside out (which is nice with rainy days).

Fork bag 1

• Sponge and soap bar
• Air pump (never had to use it)
• Lights
• MSR Fuel bottle

Not much to say here, soap might be replaced with something smaller next time. Never used the lights or the pump, but would always bring them. The fuel bottle was transported with the pump installed; the normal lit stayed at home.

Fork bag 2

• Sea to Summit ultralight sleeping pad

Had to get it for the trip and loved it! Due to space issues, I had to leave my foam sleeping pad at home, which had me concerned about the cold and comfort, but these were no issue whatsoever. Would still like to bring the foam pad next time, to just throw it somewhere on the ground and lay down for a minute.

Frame bag

• MSR whisperlite burner
• Repair stuff (for: tube, cooker, sleeping pad. Some rope)
• E-reader
• Zip-ties
• Folding lock
• Socks
• Toiletries
• First aid kit

The MSR whisperlite multifuel is totally overkill (for where I was at least) - I could save quite some space and weight here, but I love it! It just works; I don't have to buy tanks that get trashed after they are empty; it's cheap to run, and I love the thought that it will last me a lifetime (hopefully). Repair stuff speaks for itself, wish I had brought some tape though. E-reader instead of carrying 2 books. The folding lock might be replaced by something lighter later on. It's a fine lock, but it never gave me a feeling of safety when I left my bike and all my stuff somewhere. Something that really allows the bike to be locked around a pole might be better. I don't expect people to cut a lock in broad daylight here, and if they want my stuff or carry the bike away, a beefier lock is not stopping them. Thin socks were never used due to the cold. I wore some merino socks all the time and loved it. Had two pairs and might have gotten away with one. Toiletries and first aid kit.

Top tube and phone

• Phone for navigation
• Cables and charger
• Powerbank
• Cash

Photo of the top tube pack is missing, it's some random waterproof with a zipper. I don't love the access the zipper gives, but perfect for the price. For navigation, I only used my phone mounted with a Nite Ize squeeze. Great holder, no extra case or stuff you have to add; I never feared that my phone could come off. OSMand was the navigation software of my choice and it worked very well. Awesome because I could use what I had and did not have to buy some new tech that gets outdated in 2 years. Trip recording also worked fine. Some voice instructions got confusing, but I turned the screen on in cities, which helped a lot. Never used Google Maps or a bike computer for navigation, so no reference here. I made the conscious decision to not bring headphones, and it was fine with the speakers just turned up. Don't forget your coins when you end up on a German camping ground ;)

Seat pack

(filthy clothes not shown)

• Rain pants
• Rain jacket
• Shoe covers
• Sleeping bag (not compressed on the photo ;))
• 3 Shirts
• 2 pairs of socks
• Sweatpants
• Merino long sleeve

No rain on the trip, but the rain gear was used on the cold last day. The sleeping bag is a Cumulus 350 quilt. First time quilt and I had no issues with it whatsoever. One shirt for sleeping, two for riding. I could've gotten away with my one Merino shirt for riding maybe. Too much underwear as well. Was always riding with my bike shorts and showered before changing clothes, one or two pairs of underwear would be sufficient. Always wore shorts above the bike shorts as well, which I prefer when getting off the bike and walking around places. There was a hoodie I was wearing most of the time, as well as two buffs. Very important for comfort, even while sleeping.

Backpack / on top of seat pack

• Dry bag
• Adiletten
• Fork and spoon
• Toaks 1100 ml pot with bail handle
• Dishwashing detergent
• Spices
• Swiss army knife
• Tea
• Instant coffee
• Rain jacket

Due to space issues, all of this ended up in a backpack and later on in a dry bag strapped to the seat pack. Not fun, make sure everything fits before you take off! Some shoes to use while showering/the day is over. Bulky but a must have for me. Foldable fork and spoon, the SAK was the only knife I brought but never needed it. The Toaks titanium pot was something I had to buy and I am very happy with it. Perfect for some pasta, also used it as a cup multiple times a day. The instant coffee is something that might make me bring a mocka pot on the next trip. If you need coffee: bring it along. If you enjoy coffee: don't. Grab coffee somewhere or bring a dedicated setup. Tea became the warm beverage of my choice and it was very nice to sit on some bench in the forest and enjoy a nice warm cup of tea.

Bags

The bags were rented, which was an awesome opportunity to check it out without spending hundreds of euros on bags. And I am happy I did it that way! I guess it was a combination of my gear selection, packing skills and the weather, but space got super tight. And I know you are meant to squeeze the seat pack, but I just didn't like the packing and unpacking process and trying to get everything to fit. Panniers seem much more to my liking. Still, all the Apidura bags felt very well-made, sturdy, the zippers were good, and I am sure they could deal with some rain!

Final thoughts

For the gear, I tried to go with what I had and add as needed. Very happy with my selection all around and I don't see the need for any drastic changes (apart from the panniers!). Even without washing I could cut down on some clothing. On my next (warmer) trip, I will just bring some soap. Stove situation is also kind of bulky, but like I said: I just love it. Before departing on the trip, I made sure to take a long ride with cleats and decided against them. They caused me some knee pain, so I just went with normal shoes, which worked out perfect. Before the next trip I will get some bike fitting done, but even then I might just do my bikepacking with normal shoes!

That's about it, maybe this helps someone with their setup. It felt great to stop thinking and start riding!