Touring - getting started

Okay, I'm about as ignorant as one could get with regards to touring, and possibly even bicycling in general. I know I love to ride my cheap bike around, but other than that, not too much. However, I absolutely love the idea of touring and would love to try to get started this summer with a few small trips, and maybe even a relatively sizeable one towards the end of summer if time and money permit. I'd love to try a trans-america trip maybe in a year or two, and next year I'm going to be spending about half a year in prague and would love to take a bike with me and do some travelling through the czech republic.

Anyway, I'm basically looking for tips and suggestions as to where and how I should get started. I guess I'm asking what you did to get started, or what you would do if you were in my shoes. Also, what kind of money should I expect to need to have set aside? I'm definitely on a budget, but at the same time I can save up whatever I need to get something, as I don't want to skimp or have to replace an inferior part with the one i should have bought in the first place. Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.

If you read through this forum you can find a lot of info. As far as money, for a decent touring bike like say a trek 520 you can expect to pay somewhere in the neigborhood of 1000 US bucks. For a nice set of bags you can spend anywhere between 100 - 300 dollars depending on brand and size. I like the look of Arkel and have read good things about them on this forum.

Depending on what type of touring you plan on doing (self contained, credit card) you'll need some gear to put in these nice new bags of yours. Sleeping bag 100-200 tent 100-200, sleeping matt 10-75, cookware 25-150.

Anyway you do it, just get a bike that fits you, you are comfortable riding all day, and that can accept racks (fenders are nice also) then get on the bike a ride. If you realize you need something, ether buy it, or get it for next time...

Also try looking used whenever you can to shave down prices.

Good Luck

Ray.

That was good advice from DeafLamb. Just start with short trips and get what you need for the next longer one. My Bianchi Volpe was >$1000 and might be a good choice.

Good luck and habe fun
Joe

I would suggest using your "cheap" bike and trying to hook up with someone or a local group who will lead you through your first tour, as cheaply as possible. With one tour and some of the stuff on this forum I bet you'll have a much better idea of where to start.

Read Ken Kifers bike pages.Good stuff.
http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/

First thing I'd be doing is trying a really short trip, perhaps just an overnighter, not too far from home and camping out. This is just making sure the experience suits you (it doesn't suit everybody), and getting an idea of what equipment you will/won't need. Rest assured, there will always be something, no matter how much reading you do.

To get started, the most important thing is to have fun.

For a less expensive touring bike, don't forget the REI Randonee. Sometimes they're marked down pretty well at year end.

As for your first tours, one of the first trips my wife and I did was the CAM tour (Cycle Across Maryland). This was a relative cheap ($135) week-long tour that involved camping but all gear was carried by truck. Food and hot showers were at the overnight spots.

Starting with a supported camping tour was great because it involved being out with a range of other riders for a good distance, and camping and dealing with the elements, but with all the food and lodging details taken care of. There are a lot of other annual cross-state tours like it (Cycle Oregon, etc.) of varying cost and craziness.

After that, or instead of that, consider doing some credit card touring. We did a great four day tour in the Shenadoah Mountains every year for four years. The cue sheets came out of a "best rides" book for the area, and it was a blast to cycle from motel to motel, eat out a little, and have lightly loaded bikes (two rear panniers). This was great because no camp gear, cook gear was involved. The costs ($40 to $50 a night motels) weren't major at all, considering how nice the vacation was. I'm always amazed how expensive Backroads and similar organized tours can be...

Finally, check out http://www.adventurecycling.org. I love their magazine, and have used the maps many times. They recently had an article about cross-state tours, for example.

Good luck!

My favorite tours have been from B&B to B&B in England. A huge breakfast is supplied, most of the people are very friendly, and the accomodations are fairly comfortable. Lunch is a picnic of bread, cheese, fruit, and hard cider. Dinner can be had at pubs or local joints. 50 miles per day riding over fairly empty country roads on a bike equiped with a rack and paniers, is very relaxing, and leaves a lot of time to socialize with the natives, read the local paper, journal, and explore curious castles, ancient ruins, and intact old buildings. When I have done this, it wasn't very expensive, but the exchange rate might have been more favorable.

I rode a Trek 520 that I brought back and forth, but I was tempted to buy an English tourer when I was there. When visiting my brother in London once, I poked around a few bike shops, but came to the conclusion that I rather do comerce in my own culture. I think that the shop clerks didn't know what to make of a young yank browsing, out of season, in a bike store.

Make sure that you have a decent bike that can handle at least 50 lbs in addition to your weight, and ride away! It realy isn't too complicated, if you plan to make it easy on yourself.

Fuji always seem good value, and make a solid tourer.
You can often get good deals on used bikes.
Start with some local weekend trips, or hostel touring. You will soon find out what you need to carry, and it wont matter too much if you forget things.
You dont have to buy special cycling everything to tour. I use cycling shorts, but Ive ridden in normal clothes for the rest. Even (shock-horror) cotton T shirts. Ive amassed a collection of nice techy fabric stuff over the years, but dont rush to buy.