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12-17-23 | 10:54 PM

#42

sbrudno

Old age cyclist

Joined: Oct 2021

Posts: 195

Likes: 105

From: Great Falls Virginia

Bikes: Motobecane Grand Record, Motobecane Super Mirage (3x5 speeds), Motobecane Mirage, Atala (unknown model), Peugeot mixte frame Tourist. A bunch more kids bikes. Most recently a Trek Verve One, tricked up for semi-serious touring.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JustaJoe

If there was any recent threads on this, I am sorry I missed them.

I am curious how you got started touring. Not in terms of which bike, what equipment, etc. but rather:

Did you just decide to tour, pack up and leave one day?
Fully supported first tour?
Credit card tour?
Ease into by doing short trips?
Classes/experiences like ACA's Intro to Touring?
Jumped right into bikepacking?
Or a methodical approach of increasing fitness, accumulating gear, extensive planning?
Other?

I've been increasing my fitness so I can tour and have the bike I believe will be great for my needs. I don't have specialized touring/bikepacking equipment: A 5lb 2-person tent, Exped Synmat, MSR Whisperlite and some other stuff from car camping. I am thinking of doing a faux tour - well, a 2 day ride on the forest service roads of Croatan National Forest near coastal NC (flat!). I will drive there in my car, load up the bike, and ride 40-50mi, camp, then ride back to the car the next day. I want to make sure this is something I can do and want to do before going all-in (e.g. not spending $1k on gear before going on my 1st real tour, then finding out I hate it). Also planning some over-nighters from my house to the 2 state parks within reasonable riding distance.

My goal is to do some of the common routes in 2024 - GAP/C&O, maybe Ohio to Erie (I have family at both ends, huge help), etc. I'm still working for a paycheck, so time away is limited + my wife and I are planning a big vacation in 2024.

Let's hear your stories...

I had ridden a bike since a kid in the 1950s but did not do a tour until I was a fellow in pediatrics in Washington, DC in 1982. I rode from Georgetown up the C&O canal to Shepherdstown, WV to Front Royal, VA, up the Skyline Drive to camping at Big Meadows. Great trip except my head set blew just short of the end. A nice "old" couple (younger than I am now) stopped their Mercedes-Benz sedan and drove me the last 5 miles of the trip. The bike was NOT a touring bike but a Motobecane Grand Record road bike with gearing for much flatter rides. I stayed at a friend's house the first night and a hotel the second. I had camping equipment but did not use them until the camping spot. My wife drove our car up to meet me and the trip was definitely exhilarating! There were saddle bags but definitely NOT bikepacking.

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