Originally Posted by
tandempower
For one, multi-day trips by bike require overnighting. For another, it takes a lot longer to go 100 miles by bike than by car. I can imagine that as car-free living becomes more popular and thus receives more serious social consideration, such problems will get resolved, but it would be interesting to know if others have thought about this topic and what kinds of traveling practices are imagined. What kind of amenities could evolve to support bicycle travel?
Personally, I can picture cycling-hostel chains that sell packages of overnights so people could plan a longer-distance trip affordably. Maybe accommodations as simple as lean-to type structures or user-maintained motels with simple wipe-clean mats, etc. that avoid the costly and environmentally-unfriendly housekeeping practices of fully furnished motel rooms.
Another idea might be to have a robust web app that charts routes, lists amenities, etc. in an integrated way for cycling travel.
Hopefully, the more popular multi-day bike touring becomes, the more dedicated paths and cyclist-oriented amenities and lodging will emerge along the routes. Please respond and share thoughts and ideas you've had along these lines.
1. Go read the Touring Forum ...
http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php/47-Touring
2. Everything you describe exists. You just have to know where to look.
3. A few examples:
a) I spent 3 months cycling around Australia back in 2004, mostly staying in campgrounds and hostels. In addition, the maps my cycling partner and I used were good. But Australia also has cabins in their campgrounds (you'll find them in Europe too) which are much more convenient than motels ... for one thing, you can bring your bicycles inside. Rowan and I frequently spend long weekends in cabins in various locations, and do hub-and-spoke cycling tours from there.
b) Rowan and I spent a month cycling around England, Belgium, and France in 2007, mostly staying in campgrounds plus a few hostels. Getting around Europe by bicycle is quite easy. There are lots of good maps available, and lots of good cycling routes.
c) Rowan and I just recently returned from 8 months travelling around the world. Our first 4 months (mid-June to mid-October) were spent travelling (by bicycle and public transportation) in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, the UK and Europe. We stayed in B&Bs, hotels, cabins (like what you'd find in campgrounds here in Australia), hostels, and campgrounds. All cycling-friendly. We followed the Rhine Route (using a very detailed map book), the Rhone Route (without a map), and the Velodyssey Route (with fairly detailed maps we picked up at Tourist Information Centres along the way).
Have a look at the Velodyssey Route ... it was our favourite:
http://www.velodyssey.com/