Touring - Going back

How many posters here have enjoyed a region or route on a cycling tour so much that they have returned for a second experience?

Or maybe there was unfinished business?

Or is there somewhere you have toured by another means and you now want to do it by bicycle?

i passed through Wales last year by train heading to Worcester, and it looked from where i was sitting great cycling country so i would like to give it a go maybe this year.
i played golf in Kerry many moons ago and it always stuck in my head as a really beautiful part of Ireland,so that's on the list as well.

In my case, I spent many years traveling by motorcycle. Now I'm in the process of going back to many of the places I passed through, too quickly, and seeing them by bicycle.

But there's also a lot of places I haven't been to that I need to go see.

Ireland three times (gradually working my way up the west coast)
Slovenia twice (West then the East)
Pyrenees twice (middle bit then east)

Its a bit strange touring the same place twice, things change usually with more development and not always for the better for us cyclists. Sometimes there is a bit of overlap in my tours but I try to see new parts of the country.

I rode the Great Southern Randonnee, a 1200K randonnee, in 2004 (Rowan rode it too, but not with me), and along the way I noticed a few places where I thought I'd like to spend a bit more time.

So, now that I've moved to Australia, Rowan and I have spent a long weekend in the Grampians doing a hub-and-spoke tour, and a long-long weekend at Port Fairy doing a hub-and-spoke tour, and we've been in the Anglesea area doing a 150 km ride in the daylight along the Great Ocean Road ... all places along the route of the Great Southern Randonnee. It was really nice to see those areas again, in daylight, at a more relaxed pace.


When I toured Australia in 2004, before and after the Great Southern, it was rather a high-speed tour ... not much time for lingering anywhere. But there were areas I wanted to see again.

So when I came back to Australia in 2008 to visit Rowan, we did an 8-day tour down to Wilson's Prom and back ... that was one of the places I wanted to see again. We've been down in that general area several times now for hub-and-spoke tours, Audax Australia events, etc. And I've been eyeing that vicinity for a weekend trip sometime before the end of summer. :D It's a beautiful area. :)

3 weeks of the 2004 tour were spent in Tasmania ... and not long after I got here in 2009, Rowan and I returned to Tasmania for 3 weeks and travelled to many of the places I'd cycled (and a lot more). The 2009 tour, however, was all done by van ... I was recovering from a serious case of DVT which had landed me in hospital for 2 weeks, and walking slowly for short distances was about all I could manage. But it was interesting driving somewhere rather than cycling ... we covered a lot more distance ... and some of the hills didn't seem quite as challenging as they seemed when I cycled it! I think it can be good to see an area via different methods of transportation.

Those are all Australian examples ... I could go on about Canadian examples too. :)

I liked the Colorado GDMBR section of my last tour so much, and disliked Northern Utah so much, that I'm going to ride the Kokopelli trail from Colorado to Southern Utah this spring.

I went back for a second helping of Icefields Parkway.

I liked CO so much when I toured here that I moved here, and have done a few more tours here since.

I'll go back to New Zealand someday.

Did ACA's Northern Tier route in '99. Returned the following year to do the Seattle to Glacier N.P. portion as part of a tour ending in Cortez, CO. The original plan was to continue across the country, but I let my heart talk my head into going to see a young vixen who would be working at Mesa Verde N.P. I should have taken that left turn at Fairplay, CO and stuck to my original plan. Definitely have some unfinished business there.

I did some train travel in Andalucia and thought it looked like a great place to explore by bike. I was correct.

I went to Tuscany in 2006, Sicily in 2008. Not sure if that really constitutes "going back", those are two rather different parts of the same country. I'm going back to Italy in 2012, or at least that's the plan. I'll be doing a second, somewhat longer stay in Florence, and exploring more of northern Tuscany this time.

I've had two attempts at the TransAM Trail....the third attempt (2012) is a start over from Yorktown. And a Thousand miles I have already seen. I have a couple of ride partners in 2012, it wouldn't be fair to them to not start at Yorktown...besides, I'm sure there is a ton I missed in the miles already ridden! Namely, I'm positive I wasn't chased by all the dogs in Kentucky!! :)

OH! I forgot RAGBRAI. This year I'm registering (as always) but I'm going to bag it. I'm taking my Surly LHT instead of my Aegis, and riding with full panniers, tent, cooking gear etc. The route will be announced in a few days, so I'll be able to see how much "hurt" I'm in for.

I went back for a second helping of Icefields Parkway.


I have returned to the Icefields Parkway, and surrounding area too many times to count. I cycled there as a child and I returned to cycle there as an adult. I've done a several randonneuring events there, day tours, and longer tours.

There are two places I really miss in Canada ... the Rockies and the lakes in Manitoba.

Didn't Thomas Wolfe say that you could never go back again?
And Hericlitus said you could never step into the same river twice??

If you return for the same experience, you are likely to be disappointed.
But if you return simply to enjoy anew, you can be pleasantly surprised.

Didn't Thomas Wolfe say that you could never go back again?
And Hericlitus said you could never step into the same river twice??

If you return for the same experience, you are likely to be disappointed.
But if you return simply to enjoy anew, you can be pleasantly surprised.

For me, it's more about returning to take my time and have a better look at things.

Didn't Thomas Wolfe say that you could never go back again?
And Hericlitus said you could never step into the same river twice??

If you return for the same experience, you are likely to be disappointed.
But if you return simply to enjoy anew, you can be pleasantly surprised.

+1 Generally speaking, it always seems to lose a little "magic" the second time around.

+1 Generally speaking, it always seems to lose a little "magic" the second time around.

I have found the opposite to be true ... I may like an area when I travel through it the first time, but will "fall in love" with an area when I go back again ... and again ... and again.

When I cycle through an area, I see the road I've chosen to cycle and whatever is on either side of that road, and a little bit of the towns I go through. When I return to an area, and especially if I'm doing a hub-and-spoke tour there, I may cycle the same road I cycled before, but I will also cycle roads in all different directions around ... really exploring the area. I will return to the same towns, but I'll explore them rather than just cycling through. And I'll discover all sorts of things I didn't see when I cycled through the first time.

For example, I cycled through Toora in 2004 on the way to Wilson's Prom, and that is a pretty area. But there is absolutely no indication from the road that there is a fairly large beautiful waterfall over the hills just behind Toora. We spent a weekend in Toora last year to explore the area, and discovered that there is more to the place than I would have guessed! :)

Interesting. The one place that I wanted to go back to was Flanders... in fact, the World War One theatre across Northern France and Belgium. It had such an impact on me in 2003 that it seemed natural that in 2007 (the years coinciding with Paris Brest Paris) that I take Machka through so she could experience it, too.

For me, returning is more an enhancement of the previous experience. We've talked recently about going back to the south coast of the state where we live, and there are parts of Tasmania that I would have no trouble revisiting. Likewise Canada, and I would like to go back to the New England area of the US.

I have lost track of the number of times that I have returned to Prince Edward County, Ontario. I first "discovered" the region in the late 1980s or early 1990s. In 2009, I visited three times! It is my idea of a cycling paradise. The magic has never diminished for me.

The area has changed plenty over the years, but mostly for the better: more bicycle lanes on the (so-called) main roads; more accommodation and restaurant options; and more (and better) wineries, farmer's markets, cheese factories, and art galleries.

Interesting. The one place that I wanted to go back to was Flanders... in fact, the World War One theatre across Northern France and Belgium..

I'm feeling the pull to return to the Western Front. When I was 7, my dad took us to Ypres. I think it was where Canadians first saw action in WWl. My Grandfather was gassed and wounded there in April 1915 in the Second Battle of Ypres.

Right now, my thoughts are about returning in April 2015, The Centennial of the Second Battle of Ypres. I could do the whole Western Front by bicycle in a couple of weeks... Ypres, the Somme, Vimy Ridge, Verdun. I'd need to take some decent clothes because touring battlefields and cemetaries in lycra just isn't on.

I've done the Great Allegheny Passage and C & O three times, but each time I've done something differently on the trip. And I like the area so much I'm planning on moving there.

In 2009 I had planned on biking up the north shore of lake superior, then up into the superior national forest and making a big loop back to Minneapolis. Big nasty cold front made me abort plans and head home early.

In 2010 I biked across Wisconsin, Michigan, and on the way home decided to retrace the route I never finished, but family problems happened I had to skip it.

One of these years.

I don't have time for a long tour, but the Victoria-California trip I did last year starts right outside my door, so I'm doing it again. It may not be as interesting as most of the others here, but its a damned nice ride that takes not a lot of time.

Originally posted by: jamawani

Didn't Thomas Wolfe say that you could never go back again?
And Hericlitus said you could never step into the same river twice??

If you return for the same experience, you are likely to be disappointed.
But if you return simply to enjoy anew, you can be pleasantly surprised.

I think you hit it exactly right. My wife and I have talked about this quite a bit and decided that you could take the same route, the same time of year, and with the same equipment; and have a completely different trip.

We do find ourselves revisting the Puget Sound areas, San Juan Islands, Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands and the Sunshine Coast of BC.

gulfislander, It is ironic that you come our way on your tours, and one of our favorite spots is in your neighborhood. It just shows that we are all really blessed to be living in the Pacific Northwest-- even including parts of California;)

I don't have time for a long tour, but the Victoria-California trip I did last year starts right outside my door, so I'm doing it again. It may not be as interesting as most of the others here, but its a damned nice ride that takes not a lot of time.

Oh that's an awesome tour!

Reminds me, I've toured through Big Sur 4 times. :)

I liked CO so much when I toured here that I moved here, and have done a few more tours here since.


I liked Australia so much when I toured here that I moved here, and have done a few more tours here since. :D


When I tour, I do entertain the question, "Could I live here" as I'm cycling through an area. There have been several areas where the answer is "Yes".

I rode the Oregon coast 24 years ago and returned last year. I covered a little more ground on the recent trip and enjoyed it as much but probably wouldn't go back due to too many other areas to explore. Definitely more traffic the last time. Another favorite area that I have explored a couple times and would go back to is Door County Wisconsin. There are still many things to see and nice quiet roads to criss cross in different ways.

A lot of the places I've toured have had "unfinished business". One place that I've been particularly keen to return to is the Granite Belt region of Queensland (around Stanthorpe). I did this on my first ever tour, and it was nice, but there were a few areas that I missed along the way because of my lack of touring experience and my (then) fear of straying too far from major roads. I actually wanted to do that a few weeks ago, but some floods stopped me.

Scotland is another place I'd like to return, largely because there are so many roads through the highlands that lead to castles, mountains, lochs and who knows what else. I could probably spend a year exploring that place if I had the time. I'm already planning to return to Japan at some point, but maybe in the spring this time (for the cherry blossoms), and maybe explore the south of the country, and try to get more time to explore Kyoto properly this time.

Then there is New Zealand. I had to bail on some parts of the South Island when I was there because of some extreme weather around Invercargill, and then I ran out of time, so I didn't get to Kaikoura either. Of course, the problem is that with so many new places to visit, it's sometimes hard to find the time to do it. There are some tours I've been putting off for years, just because there were other places I wanted to go at the time. So if you're asking whether I'd like to go back to these places, the answer is "yes". If you're asking when I'm going to do it, the answer is "I really have no idea".

Many WA State tours I've done more than a few times... the Olympics, Cascade Loop... various combinations of both as well as along the Washington Coast and Most of the Eastern side of the State.

One thing I do have that not everyone has is great touring from my door. :) Whidbey Island is pretty great all on it's own.

I've cycled along various portions of the Danube cyclway 3 times now. Each time included Vienna->Budapest.

&

I've cycled through Romania twice, both times included chunks of Transylvania.

All enjoyeable & memorable tours, but each one independently different. I would enjoy going back if time permitted.

Of course, the problem is that with so many new places to visit, it's sometimes hard to find the time to do it. There are some tours I've been putting off for years, just because there were other places I wanted to go at the time. So if you're asking whether I'd like to go back to these places, the answer is "yes". If you're asking when I'm going to do it, the answer is "I really have no idea".
This probably is the kernel of thought behind starting the thread. A region or country might feel "comfortable" and there might be a whole range of things to see or do, but time is a limiting factor on the first tour, and the object of the return journey is to experience some or all of the remaining things.

I've done a lot of close to home one-week tours here in British Columbia. I've done some of the routes multiple times, but each time, I experience something new. I've also done tours much farther from home, and I can't think of an area I wouldn't want to ride again.

Having completed 4 months of travels now, and having a moment to pause and reflect on the places we've been during the past 4 months ...


I would really like to return to:

-- Hokkaido, Japan ... where I'd like to spend about a month or 6 weeks travelling further afield than we did.

-- Scotland ... where I'd like to spend about a month or 6 weeks doing more cycling and travelling further afield than we did.

-- Switzerland ... I'd like to return to the valley where we stayed as a starting point, and then maybe explore other parts of Switzerland and surrounding countries.

-- and most of all, the west coast of France. I would very much like to spend a whole summer ,or even longer, in that area. If there were a way to move there and work for a year or so, it would be tempting.


Those four places are the highlights of the trip ... but there are other areas it would be nice to visit again, at least as starting points for tours in different directions than we went this time.

Yes, unfinished business ...
In my previous life I travelled and then my wife and I put it on hold because we were dealing with raising kids and a mortgage and her return to graduate school. That is all in the past and bike touring has become a way of travel that has progressed since 2006.

I still have not completed Perth-Sydney, but at least east of Adelaide is done. Last year I cheated by camping in the Grampians, the Flinders, and Lake Eyre by 4X4. In a past attempt we could not go because of incredible headwinds and thus a lack of available time.

OTOH, my camping/travelling companion will hopefully tour Ireland this summer while I bicycle there -like my ex and I had planned in 1981. So finally I'm be able to see the western Emirald Isle by bicycle, and finally do Mallin-to-Mizen Heads and more...

Then of course there are bits and pieces of Europe to see. Good thing that she likes bicycling too, but more the supported style, which is fine by me...

Yup unfinished business -gotta love it :D

Halfway during my second trip to Newfoundland, I was planning a third one.

I went to the Canadian Rockies a few times before, but never while biking, so I toured there this summer and could go again and again.

I've had two attempts at the TransAM Trail....the third attempt (2012) is a start over from Yorktown. And a Thousand miles I have already seen. I have a couple of ride partners in 2012, it wouldn't be fair to them to not start at Yorktown...besides, I'm sure there is a ton I missed in the miles already ridden! Namely, I'm positive I wasn't chased by all the dogs in Kentucky!! :)

OH! I forgot RAGBRAI. This year I'm registering (as always) but I'm going to bag it. I'm taking my Surly LHT instead of my Aegis, and riding with full panniers, tent, cooking gear etc. The route will be announced in a few days, so I'll be able to see how much "hurt" I'm in for.


As stated above, I started in Yorktown on 1 May 2012 but with only one partner and finished 78 days later in Seattle, and solo since Kansas. It was a totally wonderful tour!!

I have reridden short sections of longer routes like the Trans America, Sierra Cascades, Southern Tier, and Pacific Coast. That isn't exactly going back, just a bit of overlap. That said I definitely would definitely go back and do some of the routes I have done again. The Oregon Coast in particular comes to mind as one I would do again.

In early August, 2004, I had planned to cycle to Nelson, B.C. and then north to Kaslo. That section of the road is around 70 kilometres and it's a beautiful road.

When I got to Nelson, I felt an immense sadness. My wife and I had vacationed in that area many times in the past. She had passed on in October, 2003. I was not yet ready to deal with the memories along that part of the road. In Nelson, I turned around and started back for home.

This year, in early July, I was in that area once again. When I started the short tour, I did not know how far I would get or which roads I would take. This time, when I rolled into Nelson, it felt completely different. The memories were still there, but they were much easier to handle. I rode north to Kaslo and then east to New Denver and Nakusp. Along the way, I realized once again why I had enjoyed that area so much.

I will probably go back to that area again, although I have no idea when that might be.

I bicycled 45 of the 50 states this year and when I got home a few weeks ago..... That s how the story goes. Now I am heading back to Western NY and Maine for some real winter trekking. Then in the spring heading back to Montana, Idaho and Eastern Washington to ride the Divide Trail via New Mexico (South to North). Western New York in that Rochester region was an eye opener of how the East could be living versus the city mess.