Touring - Risks of cycle touring?

This just came up in the other thread, but I thought it could make an interesting discussion.

What do you perceive the main risks of cycle touring to be? Traffic? Bad people? Animals? Something else?

Traffic

In the cities or on the open road? Would touring be more risky than commuting? Would it be "safer" if you spent six hours per day riding around your own city or touring in unknown parts? What is it about traffic that makes it risky?

Traffic---Highest risk to my body

Thieves---Highest risk to my morale

Thieves---Highest risk to my morale

Love that - very true! Whenever I've been ripped off I feel like I've been raped - like someone violated my innermost being. It's not fun.

I have had close calls with traffic just commuting so the problem gets compounded by the multiple hours and days when touring.

I have had close calls with traffic just commuting so the problem gets compounded by the multiple hours and days when touring.

Let me see if I understand this as you say it: Are you saying that you have had X close calls while commuting Y minutes, so you multiply by the number of hours you'll be on the road and come up with the number of close calls you would expect?

I have had close calls with traffic just commuting so the problem gets compounded by the multiple hours and days when touring.

Well, yes and no. I had fewer "close calls" with traffic in four weeks of touring in Japan than I did in four seconds of riding back on the Gold Coast after my return (that's right, four seconds.). I'd say that most of the time when you're touring, you're probably riding on quieter roads than when you're commuting (or in my case, you're dealing with more competent and considerate drivers when you're touring). When you're touring you also have more leeway to pick the hours you're on the road, which may not be an option when you're commuting, or trying to fit in "training rides" around the rest of your life.

Personally, I tend to fret more about missing transport connections or flights, and being stranded somewhere. I also worry about being robbed, although it's never actually happened to me. There have been occasions where I've worried about certain types of people visiting my campsite uninvited, but I have to admit that on some of those occasions I was camping in places I probably shouldn't have been. Other times, I guess it's just the usual basic annoyances like getting lost in an unfamilar town or city, or having some idiot in a commerical campground making noise late into the night when I'm trying to sleep.

Sure, things can happen and sometimes problems occur during a tour, but it's easy to compensate for many of the potential risks.

• Bad traffic — A little planning can usually put me onto a safer route. The traffic problems, with few exceptions, are in urban areas and there are always alternate routes there.

• Mechanical breakdowns — Most breakdowns are annoyances, nothing more serious than flat tires or the occasional broken spoke or broken chain. All are easily fixed. The most serious mechanical failures I've encountered have been brakes which failed in an urban area and a crank malfunction. The brakes were fixed with a minor adjustment. I managed to cobble the crank together until I reached the nearest bike shop, where I had it fixed quickly.

• Wildlife — Bears are the most dangerous wildlife I can expect to encounter when I'm touring and yes, I have encountered a few black bears along the way. Common sense is important here.

• Dehydration — Yes, it's a risk on a hot summer day, but it's also possible to carry a bit of extra water. No problem.

• Weather-related problems — I can't control the weather, but I can ensure I've got the clothing and camping equipment I need.

• Thieves and vandals — When I'm on a tour, I spend almost all my time on the bike or close to it, with the bike in sight and locked.

Sure, things can happen and sometimes problems occur during a tour, but it's easy to compensate for many of the potential risks.



Maybe you just hit on the reason I'm so puzzled by the whole "it's so dangerous" thing! Maybe it's just that I've been bike touring for so long and have encountered so many situations and managed to figure out a way to deal with them, that I no longer see them as a threat.

Yes, we could get dehydrated, but we know how much water to take with us and we know the questions to ask to figure out where the next possible water supply will be. We know that if it's 110 degrees we'll have to strap on a whole lot more water. We know because we've been there and done that.

We've dealt with nearly everything Mother Nature can dish out and we know we're prepared for it all - so it's not so scary.

Yep - I think that's the issue here. Once you've faced all those things and you know how to prepare for them, they lose their fear factor. But for the people back home, they're SCARY!!

Love that - very true! Whenever I've been ripped off I feel like I've been raped - like someone violated my innermost being. It's not fun.

"Ma'am what was is like being raped?"
"...<sniff><sniff> Have you ever had a bike stolen? IT was almost that bad!"

Love that - very true! Whenever I've been ripped off I feel like I've been raped - like someone violated my innermost being. It's not fun.

No, I'm pretty sure that if you were raped, you'd feel far, far worse. More hyperbole.

Touring forces one to take roads of a sort that can be avoided if cycling around home. Also, one can avoid riding in inclement weather if one isn't compelled to keep moving. Mud besmerched windshields, fog, and low light; narrow winding roads populated with poorly maintained vehicles driven by the drink-addled and reckless. Trucks bearing down in both directions. Thats what's dangerous about cycle touring. There doesn't need to be a long list of "scary" things - this suffices. I rather doubt if any experienced person would dispute this. We've all been there - many times.

Since I live in a crime-infested city with some bad drivers and mosty tour in less populated areas with less dangerous people and less traffic, I probably face less risk while touring. Indeed, the only place I have ever had a bike stolen is from my house when I was home.

Only once did someone try to steal anyhing from me on tour. In Dubois, WY I left my stove out near my tent, which was pitched in an area of a campground that bordered a dirt road leading to a trailer park so something like that. Two kids driving a beater stationwagon saw the stove, stopped and were eyeing it up. I was sitting outside the laundy room reading about 50 yards away. The passenger opened his door, got out and started walking to the low fence that bordered the campground. I sprung up and started jogging towards my site. The kid jumped back in the car and the two sped off.

Still, I refuse to live my life with the irrational fear that everyone is out to steal something of mine or harm me.

Depending on the road-I feel far safer riding out in the middle of nowhere than I do riding in city traffic.

Touring forces one to take roads of a sort that can be avoided if cycling around home. Also, one can avoid riding in inclement weather if one isn't compelled to keep moving. Mud besmerched windshields, fog, and low light; narrow winding roads populated with poorly maintained vehicles driven by the drink-addled and reckless. Trucks bearing down in both directions. Thats what's dangerous about cycle touring. There doesn't need to be a long list of "scary" things - this suffices. I rather doubt if any experienced person would dispute this. We've all been there - many times.
I'm experienced and I dispute what you wrote. My close calls have typically been within an hour's cycling distance from my home. I've found that there are a lot more aggressive drivers in my own urban backyard than in the typically quiet rural roads I deliberately seek out when touring.

Depending on the road-I feel far safer riding out in the middle of nowhere than I do riding in city traffic.

Agreed. And I think most of us as cycle tourists spend way more time out on the open road in the middle of nowhere than we do battling city traffic. We try to time our entries and exits from big cities to happen on Sundays - way less traffic on Sunday than any other day of the week.

I'm experienced and I dispute what you wrote. My close calls have typically been within an hour's cycling distance from my home. I've found that there are a lot more aggressive drivers in my own urban backyard than in the typically quiet rural roads I deliberately seek out when touring.

How can you dispute what I wrote when choose to miss the obvious point of my post. Touring forces one to take roads of a sort that can be avoided around home. If you disagree with that, then you don't have as much experience as you think you do...

How can you dispute what I wrote when choose to miss the obvious point of my post. Touring forces one to take roads of a sort that can be avoided around home. If you disagree with that, then you don't have as much experience as you think you do...
IMO, if you choose your touring regions and roads intelligently, you greatly reduce your risk. I have found that in urban areas, you are much more exposed to aggressive drivers, people talking on cell phones, clueless teenagers, and the like. As for experience, I've toured in over 30 countries and on every continent except Antarctica. Collectively, my tours have added up to several years of my life, including one tour which lasted 14 months. My close calls have mostly come on the urban roads near my home on the east coast of the US. FWIW, when I lived in northern California I found that drivers there are both more competent and more polite than drivers on the east coast.

You seem to have a serious issue if someone reaches a different conclusion from your own.

Touring forces one to take roads of a sort that can be avoided around home.

I agree. At home I know about the roads - width of shoulder, amount of traffic, etc. - and I chose my routes accordingly. On a tour I either look at a road map or use some sort of guide. This is one reason I like Adventure Cycling Maps. Their routes take you on nice roads whenever possible. They're not perfect - I've had some days when I strongly questioned their choice. I've also had some times when I missed one of their turns and ended up on a busy highway with no shoulder (my error - I should have paid more attention to mileage for turns. You have to do a little math, because their mileages are from their matchlines, not from the campground where you start your ride in the morning. On my last tour I was more diligent and didn't miss a turn.)

I had good luck, twice, following the route outlined in "Bicycling the Pacific Coast" by Kirkendall/Spring. Granted, it's mostly on Highway 101 and Highway 1, but there were a few places where it took us off the highway onto bucolic backroads - nice.

There are lots of touring books that have routes outlined. I've only used a couple.

Still, I refuse to live my life with the irrational fear that everyone is out to steal something of mine or harm me.

Amen to that.

Touring forces one to take roads of a sort that can be avoided if cycling around home. Also, one can avoid riding in inclement weather if one isn't compelled to keep moving. Mud besmerched windshields, fog, and low light; narrow winding roads populated with poorly maintained vehicles driven by the drink-addled and reckless. Trucks bearing down in both directions. Thats what's dangerous about cycle touring. There doesn't need to be a long list of "scary" things - this suffices. I rather doubt if any experienced person would dispute this. We've all been there - many times.
I've toured in four countries, in many weather conditions and on roads which range from immaculate to brutal.

The inclement weather isn't a problem if you dress for it. In fact, some of my happiest memories touring have been when I've been caught in heavy rains. At those times, I'm happy not to be in a car.

The bad motorists might exist, but so far I haven't encountered them. In my experiences, the worst have been the seniors in motorhomes. Their driving skills are not all that great anymore, but they are far from reckless.

And as far as riding on roads that can be avoided at home, well, that's part of the charm of touring. If I didn't want to experience those roads, I'd either stay home or I'd drive or fly to vacation spots.

spending time in a country that has it's citizens better taken care of ,
like many European ones ,do, then back to the one I was born in.

which cannot stop starting wars. and hating their citizens that are not rich. :notamused:

My close calls have typically been within an hour's cycling distance from my home.

I wonder if our familiarity with those roads close to home isn't part of the problem? I've been hit once by a car - only once in all the miles I've cycled through a whole lot of countries - and it was four miles from my home. I attribute it to the very fact that I knew that particular corner very well.

That day I was on my way home from work. This particular corner is one of those older roads that was built for two lanes, but they squeezed a third turn lane in there. That left ZERO space on the right side of the road - no shoulder whatsoever. The cars get right up next to the edge of the road and not even a cyclist can get through.

That day the interstate had closed down (turned out a bank robber ran out into the interstate and ended up shooting himself) so traffic was backed up. Had I been touring and not known the layout of the corner, I would have simply stayed behind the cars in the flow of traffic once I figured out I couldn't get by on the right. But - I knew this intersection well and knew there was no way I was going to get through on the right, so I pulled out into the turn lane to go around the cars. Just then a woman decided she would pull out into the turn lane too - and hit me.

So - in my case anyway - my familiarity with the local roads was what led to my accident. In other places I am much more cautious and don't take shortcuts. They always say that the vast majority of accidents happen within a few miles of your own home. I always thought that made sense seeing as how the vast majority of our miles will be within those few miles. But maybe the whole familiarity thing has something to do with it??

I have to ride some pretty bad roads to get out of my neighborhood. I seldom ride anything that bad when on tour. The good news is that once I have gone a few miles on those bad roads there are some great rural roads near home.

I have to ride some pretty bad roads to get out of my neighborhood. I seldom ride anything that bad when on tour.

Me too. When on tour, we tend to avoid cities like the plague, so are rarely in heavy traffic. But I live in a city and deal with heavy traffic a lot while commuting.

Left out of this discussion so far are the peculiar dangers associated with aging. Slower reflexes, poorer eyesight and hearing, cardiovascular compromises. They sort of creep up on us, then boom, can get you.

This was brought to my attention recently when I allowed myself to become dehydrated. In combo with a couple of other conditions of age, caused me to pass out while riding. Would not have happened maybe even 5 years ago.

No reason to stop touring for sure. Just reason to be more careful and more aware of your limitations.

Left out of this discussion so far are the peculiar dangers associated with aging.

No reason to stop touring for sure. Just reason to be more careful and more aware of your limitations.

Very good point - even though I wish it weren't so!

This just came up in the other thread, but I thought it could make an interesting discussion.

What do you perceive the main risks of cycle touring to be? Traffic? Bad people? Animals? Something else?

ENjoying it so much that I don't want to come home. ;-)

Seriously though - life is full of risk. When I'm touring I'm just trading one common set of risks for another. It all balances out in the end.

ENjoying it so much that I don't want to come home. ;-)

Seriously though - life is full of risk. When I'm touring I'm just trading one common set of risks for another. It all balances out in the end.

What typically throws off the balance--and thereby creates the greatest threat while touring--is poor judgement, often the product of vanity.

What typically throws off the balance--and thereby creates the greatest threat while touring--is poor judgement, often the product of vanity.


Possibly, though in my ( admittedly limited ) experience with bike tourists, they tend to be relatively level-headed people. Or maybe I'm just old and boring, and so are they. ;-)

Inattentive drivers is number 1. Texting and web-browsing from cell phones has increased risk to cyclists imo.

There really is no argument here. The greatest risk to cyclists is always traffic.

There really is no argument here. The greatest risk to cyclists is always traffic.
I think it depends on where you're touring. Many times, traffic will be a serious concern, but there are some beautiful tours along desolate rural roads where wildlife or serious mechanical failures can be serious.

Something else?

Not wanting to go back home :-)

Not wanting to go back home :-)

I hear ya on that one!

I can see a bad situation coming (trucks) when I have a mirror.
I don't use a mirror (or a helmet) around town. STUPID.

In Montana, where they have few shoulders on state highways I learned a trick from some Europeans.
When I see traffic coming up behind me at 60 mph I get out into the center of the lane.
They slow down to alot when I'm in the center of the lane, then I move over to the right and allow them to go around me. This worked great! It prevented cars or trucks from trying to sqeeze by be at 60 mph. Hugging the right side of the road increases the risk of getting clipped.

I can see a bad situation coming (trucks) when I have a mirror.
I don't use a mirror (or a helmet) around town. STUPID.

In Montana, where they have few shoulders on state highways I learned a trick from some Europeans.
When I see traffic coming up behind me at 60 mph I get out into the center of the lane.
They slow down to alot when I'm in the center of the lane, then I move over to the right and allow them to go around me. This worked great! It prevented cars or trucks from trying to sqeeze by be at 60 mph. Hugging the right side of the road increases the risk of getting clipped.


Yes, "taking the lane" on a busy highway is certainly the best way to avoid getting injured.

I imagine that the biggest threat to me in just about any situation is my own stupidity.

I've had all sorts of mishaps on the road. The most serious was running out of water on a hot day on a long climb. Next to that was a brake failure on a rainy day. A few times, motorists were a bit closer to me than I would have liked, but they still gave me some room. There have also been some minor problems. I've had to contend with flat tires, occasional broken spokes, a broken front rack mount on a couple of occasions, a faulty rear pannier, a broken chain once and other similar items. No dangerous wildlife. No urban gangs. No angry farmers with shotguns. No food poisoning. No flash floods or wildfires.

People, for sure. I'm a pretty defensive rider and I have no qualms about pulling off the road if someone is coming up too close. I'm never in so much of a hurry that I can't stop if I feel it would be unsafe to do otherwise. So long as I keep a wary eye on my rear mirror, I don't feel too threatened by inattentive drivers.

Intentionally malicious people worry me the most. I feel too vulnerable on my bike and I react very poorly to outright hostility. I had some rednecks in a truck follow along behind me and call me all sorts of crude unmentionables once, and I was worried they'd stop or throw something at me. As soon as another car approached, they left, but for the rest of the day I'd cringe a bit every time someone drove past. Even someone shouting the more common "get off the road" affects me more than it should, when I have only my own thoughts for company. My confidence in stealth camping faltered for a while after I got caught by a cop, who proceeded to talk down to me, accuse me of vagrancy, and berate me for traveling in such a way, alone.

Of course, for every bad encounter there are a dozen good ones. Even in the case of the ******bag cop, he ended up calling his superior, who told him to go away and let me sleep. He did. After the incident with the truck, I found a free campground with hot showers and was invited to a wonderful dinner with a couple of RVers staying there.

As far as other possible dangers... I've encountered a few black bears, but never felt too threatened by them. I've never been chased by a dog who didn't lose interest when I got off my bike. I carry more water then I need and a heavy duty tarp to protect my tent from hail. When severe weather is expected, I camp somewhere where I can get to shelter if the tornado sirens go off. Cold weather always used to intimidate me, but I have better gear for it this year, so maybe I can strike that off my list. I've gotten sick a couple times on tour, and quickly learned not to ride when I can't get food down, and that I'm not really better until I'm hungry. Catching a longer lasting bug worries me a bit, I imagine that would be pretty miserable.

Here is something I read on a crazyguy journal, which worked well for the author. Any time a vehicle slowed down to harass him, he'd start reading off it's license plate number at the top of his lungs. Pulling out a cellphone or camera would probably have much the same effect.

+1 My jobs are fairly high risk so touring with all it's "hazards" is comparatively relaxing.

It it no more dangerous to tour elsewhere than it is to cycle at home.


This is one of the reasons why I encourage potential cycletourists to ride lots in lots of different conditions at home prior to going on tour. Become familiar with what you might encounter elsewhere ... and deal with it.

This just came up in the other thread, but I thought it could make an interesting discussion.

What do you perceive the main risks of cycle touring to be? Traffic? Bad people? Animals? Something else?

Sunburn.

Speedo

What do you perceive the main risks of cycle touring to be?

chipmunks in the oatmeal, or equivalent. Carrier mosquitos. Sunburn is pretty pernicious though.

the risk of traffic is always there. Sometimes traffic or road conditions makes your tour like riding amidst a cloud of angry hornets and one just soldiers on thru.

I'm always more worried about the securing the oatmeal, or the mosquitos.

I imagine that the biggest threat to me in just about any situation is my own stupidity.

HA! I hear ya there!

It it no more dangerous to tour elsewhere than it is to cycle at home.


((sigh)) Why don't more people get that???

((sigh)) Why don't more people get that???

I think one of the things that people don't get is the idea that my "foreign place" is your "home" ... your "foreign place" is my "home".

In other words, I live in a particular part of Australia. To me, this is "home" and I'm comfortable here. I'm comfortable going out for long bicycle rides, with buying food at the grocery stores around here, etc., etc. Meanwhile, you live in a particular part of the US. That's "home" for you and you're comfortable there.

If I were to pack up and fly across to your part of the US, that would be a trip to a foreign country for me ... a potentially scary foreign country. But if I were to tell you that your part of the US was a potentially scary foreign place, you'd probably laugh because it's your home ... you feel safe and comfortable there.

Same with people coming here to this part of Australia from a foreign country like the US ... they might feel that Australia is a potentially scary foreign country, and I'd laugh because it's my home and I feel safe and comfortable here.

Most places I have travelled or want to travel are someone else's home where they feel safe and comfortable, where they ride their bicycles, get groceries, go camping on the weekends, take in the attractions etc. etc. ... just like I want to do when I'm there.

And the thing is, with forums like this, many places I travel are places where people on this forum live and cycle. If people on this forum feel comfortable living and riding their bicycles around their homes, why shouldn't I feel comfortable riding my bicycle when I visit their areas?

If people on this forum feel comfortable living and riding their bicycles around their homes, why shouldn't I feel comfortable riding my bicycle when I visit their areas?

I dunno... I honestly don't understand why people feel riding a bike somewhere other than "my" home is dangerous, even though those places are someone's home. And the funniest part is when people move and their new home suddenly becomes safe and comfortable to ride around whereas 6 months ago it would have been dangerous. I don't get it.

I dunno... I honestly don't understand why people feel riding a bike somewhere other than "my" home is dangerous, even though those places are someone's home. And the funniest part is when people move and their new home suddenly becomes safe and comfortable to ride around whereas 6 months ago it would have been dangerous. I don't get it.

Many people, even in this day and age, are born, grow up, and remain in the same area all their lives.

I have a coworker here who is about my age and who has done just that. She has never lived anywhere else but this town, and aside from one trip up to Queensland once long ago, she has not gone anywhere. Camping trips for her quite literally involve packing up the stuff, driving about 500 metres up the road from where they live, and pitching the tent by the river for the weekend.

She asked me about the bears in Canada. She watches TV and has apparently seen shows where people get attacked by bears ... and came to the conclusion that Canada is crawling with bears and any encounter with a bear would end in death. So she wanted to know if I'd ever seen a bear, and how common they were. Obviously I'm alive so therefore, somehow I must not have encountered one. I told her that I've seen several bears in my life, some quite close up, and I did not feel that any of the encounters were dangerous.

Still, she made the comment that she was glad I was here in Australia now where I'd be safe. So I told her that the impression of Australia in Canada is that it is crawling with poisonous snakes and spiders, and that you can't go a day without encountering one and being in a life threatening situation. She thought about it a moment and then laughed.


When I lived in Manitoba, I encountered numerous people who were born, raised, and remained in Manitoba all their lives. It seemed that was a very common trait of many Manitobans. If they went anywhere it was to the cottage at the lake 50 or 100 km away, and that's as far as they went. When I talked to someone there, I could usually tell within minutes whether they were born-and-bred Manitobans or were like me (imported) based on their view of the world. The born-and-bred ones exhibited a certain degree of negativity and apprehension about anywhere outside of Manitoba.

The extent of this really surprised me when one of my older coworkers and I were talking about my upcoming first trip to the UK. He was very worried about me going there and didn't think I should because ......... of the war going on over there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! War?? In the UK in 2002????

But that's the sort of perspective many of them had about the world ... whatever little bit of information they got from TV, newspapers, old books, or whatever, and quite often that information tends to be a bit frightening.


We have a completely different perspective because we've lived and travelled in various places.