Originally Posted by
Machka
When I had under 80 posts, I had a couple 1200K randonnees and some touring under my belt already. I came here as an experienced cyclist. As for searching, I searched on the word "definition".
I had to
look up what a "Randonnees" was!
Originally Posted by
Machka
But my pet peeve with these sorts of threads is that there are some people who want to create a definition of touring in order to determine whether they themselves are real cycle tourists or not, and/or in order to classify other cyclists. It leads to elitism ...
I'm not trying to be elite by any stretch of the imagination. I guess I just assumed touring was an overnight event to a location that won't allow you to get home before nightfall. Like you said, I'm a noob, and I admit it. When I used to tour, I called touring "bicycle camping" because I had no idea there was a term for it. This was years ago when I was a teen.
Originally Posted by
Machka
As I say in one of those links, when someone says they are going on a cycling tour, my first thought is not, "How long is the tour?" or "Does it fit within prescribed touring definitions?" ... my first thought is ... "Where are you going?" ... and I don't care if you go there on a day tour, an overnight tour, a hub-and-spoke tour, a weekend tour, a week-long tour, a month-long tour or whatever. I'm just curious about places ... what did you see, what did you do, etc.
But you see, if you don't ask "does it fit within prescribed touring definitions?", you seem to
know or have some idea what the definition is, and probably quite a solid understanding at that. I don't, I'm learning and that's why I'm here. To get answers to questions, to meet people, to help others in whatever way I can with my limited knowledge. Now, I did wiki "bicycle touring" before posting this thread. I read their information. But I wanted to know what others here considered a "tour". That's all.
I've never asked myself how long someones tour was right off the bat, eventually I may wonder but my first thoughts tend to be where they went, how long they rode each day, what they took and what they learned. That's information my developing touring mind can use!
Originally Posted by
Machka
Maybe a better "definition" of a tour (
if we really want to define a tour) should not include anything about time and length, but rather that we went somewhere we don't usually/often go and saw or did something other than the usual things we see on our usual evening or weekend rides. So perhaps it's not a tour if you ride the same 25 km loop you do after work 3 days a week, but it might be a tour if you look at a map and decide to go visit that lake over there that you've only been to twice. Just an idea.
That makes good sense, I guess I just think the definition is too wide or something. I don't need precise details of what touring is. It just seems strange to consider a ride to a park I never visit in my town, a tour. But when you really think about it, that's exactly what it is for the simple fact that I've never visited it.
It seems odd though, does it not? Maybe I could call it a "Local tour"... But once you start labeling things like that it just gets out of hand. What's local? 15k? 50k? 100k? It's just the same can of worms.
As much as it makes sense to me to assume a ride of whatever distance or time frame it may cover would indeed be a bicycle tour if the place I went was new to me... I just have this nagging sensation that tells me you have to sleep at least once because if you don't, you won't make it home.
Maybe a tour is any ride you'd not want to take any bicycle but your touring bike on! Hmmm! Just an idea.
