different touring
#1
Thread Starter
Banned.
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 2,077
Likes: 1
different touring
I've been here a few days. I'm a crossover from the hiker forum.
I'm an ex-road racer. I've done some road touring in the past. I've never ridden a mountain bike. But from hiking want to explore that option.
So my big question is why is there only 1 bicycle touring forum , instead of dirt touring, gravel touring, road touring separate?
Just asking.
I'm an ex-road racer. I've done some road touring in the past. I've never ridden a mountain bike. But from hiking want to explore that option.
So my big question is why is there only 1 bicycle touring forum , instead of dirt touring, gravel touring, road touring separate?
Just asking.
#2
Senior Member

Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 3,814
Likes: 434
From: Thailand..........currently Nakhon Ricefield, moving to the beach soon.
Bikes: inferior steel....alas....noodly aluminium assploded
most tours will include some of all of the above.
touring community is too small to segregate into subspecies.
....well, except for "those guys"....
touring community is too small to segregate into subspecies.
....well, except for "those guys"....
#3
Senior Member
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 335
Likes: 0
From: east bay area,CA
Bikes: Salsa Fargo commuter,Litespeed Ocoee titanium mountain bike cannondale caad9 105 road bike
There are other forums such as Bikepacking and Bike Expedition - Mtbr.com among others to explore such subsets of the hobby.
*not sure if that was taboo to post a link to another forum but it's not one we have here so, there it is.
*not sure if that was taboo to post a link to another forum but it's not one we have here so, there it is.
#4
Hooked on Touring


Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 3,022
Likes: 356
From: Wyoming
I've probably got about 100,000 miles touring - and I do a chunk of dirt combined with hiking on my longer tours.
There are endless possibilities when you add dirt - especially in the West.
Also, some parks allow you to ride fire roads - esp. Canadian National Parks.
I've biked into Yosemite, gotten the concession company to run my bike up to Tuolumne, then hiked up the John Muir.
There's a shuttle service that will take your bike to the other side of the Grand Canyon, I've hiked it 6 times.
It's all up to you.
There are endless possibilities when you add dirt - especially in the West.
Also, some parks allow you to ride fire roads - esp. Canadian National Parks.
I've biked into Yosemite, gotten the concession company to run my bike up to Tuolumne, then hiked up the John Muir.
There's a shuttle service that will take your bike to the other side of the Grand Canyon, I've hiked it 6 times.
It's all up to you.
#5
I've been here a few days. I'm a crossover from the hiker forum.
I'm an ex-road racer. I've done some road touring in the past. I've never ridden a mountain bike. But from hiking want to explore that option.
So my big question is why is there only 1 bicycle touring forum , instead of dirt touring, gravel touring, road touring separate?
Just asking.
I'm an ex-road racer. I've done some road touring in the past. I've never ridden a mountain bike. But from hiking want to explore that option.
So my big question is why is there only 1 bicycle touring forum , instead of dirt touring, gravel touring, road touring separate?
Just asking.
Aside from which ... I suspect that most of us do a combination of that on a tour.
I can say from experience that when I spent 3 months touring Australia a few years ago, I cycled main roads, back roads, gravel roads, trails, and all sorts. We also stopped and hiked several times.
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My fave photo threads on BF
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My fave photo threads on BF
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#6
Every day a winding road
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 6,538
Likes: 63
From: Pittsburgh, PA
Bikes: 2005 Cannondale SR500, 2008 Trek 7.3 FX, Jamis Aurora
Too much division. It is actually better to have larger forums that are more active than a whole bunch of mini-forums which have very little activity.
Aside from which ... I suspect that most of us do a combination of that on a tour.
I can say from experience that when I spent 3 months touring Australia a few years ago, I cycled main roads, back roads, gravel roads, trails, and all sorts. We also stopped and hiked several times.
Aside from which ... I suspect that most of us do a combination of that on a tour.
I can say from experience that when I spent 3 months touring Australia a few years ago, I cycled main roads, back roads, gravel roads, trails, and all sorts. We also stopped and hiked several times.
#7
Senior Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 8,896
Likes: 7
From: Raleigh, NC
Bikes: Waterford RST-22, Bob Jackson World Tour, Ritchey Breakaway Cross, Soma Saga, De Bernardi SL, Specialized Sequoia
The touring forum isn't very active as it is. If they added subcategories, it would be dead. Besides, many tourers do rides on roads, gravel and trails.
#8
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 3,275
Likes: 1
I've probably got about 100,000 miles touring - and I do a chunk of dirt combined with hiking on my longer tours.
There are endless possibilities when you add dirt - especially in the West.
Also, some parks allow you to ride fire roads - esp. Canadian National Parks.
I've biked into Yosemite, gotten the concession company to run my bike up to Tuolumne, then hiked up the John Muir.
There's a shuttle service that will take your bike to the other side of the Grand Canyon, I've hiked it 6 times.
It's all up to you.

There are endless possibilities when you add dirt - especially in the West.
Also, some parks allow you to ride fire roads - esp. Canadian National Parks.
I've biked into Yosemite, gotten the concession company to run my bike up to Tuolumne, then hiked up the John Muir.
There's a shuttle service that will take your bike to the other side of the Grand Canyon, I've hiked it 6 times.
It's all up to you.

#9
Senior Member



Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 12,727
Likes: 2,105
From: Madison, WI
Bikes: 1961 Ideor, 1966 Perfekt 3 Speed AB Hub, 1994 Bridgestone MB-6, 2006 Airnimal Joey, 2009 Thorn Sherpa, 2013 Thorn Nomad MkII, 2015 VO Pass Hunter, 2017 Lynskey Backroad, 2017 Raleigh Gran Prix, 1980s Bianchi Mixte on a trainer. Others are now gone.
I've been here a few days. I'm a crossover from the hiker forum.
I'm an ex-road racer. I've done some road touring in the past. I've never ridden a mountain bike. But from hiking want to explore that option.
So my big question is why is there only 1 bicycle touring forum , instead of dirt touring, gravel touring, road touring separate?
Just asking.
I'm an ex-road racer. I've done some road touring in the past. I've never ridden a mountain bike. But from hiking want to explore that option.
So my big question is why is there only 1 bicycle touring forum , instead of dirt touring, gravel touring, road touring separate?
Just asking.
If you are credit card touring, that is essentially road riding with a rack top bag or maybe a pair of light panniers, to many of us that is not really the same as the kind of loaded touring most of us do, thus it gets little mention here. There are occasional threads on credit card touring or fully supported touring or vehicle supported touring, but such information is clearly in the minority and a separate forum for that might be pretty lonesome.
I think it would make sense to have a separate bikepacking forum since the equipment is so different for that, no panniers or racks but instead frame bag and some other things that I do not even know what they are called. Bikepacking is pretty new and rapidly evolving, I would not be surprised if a forum here for that gets added in a few years. Because those bikers travel so light, their camping gear differs from what you typically see most touring bikers use. Many of them use fat bikes or suspension bikes, so there is less common ground with conventional touring bikes. Most of the bike packers I have seen also wear a small backpack whereas the vast majority of conventional touring folks would never wear a backpack. It is a very different style of bike travel.
More on bikepacking here:
Home - Bikepackers Magazine
Bikepacking.net forums - Index
#10
I think it would make sense to have a separate bikepacking forum since the equipment is so different for that, no panniers or racks but instead frame bag and some other things that I do not even know what they are called. Bikepacking is pretty new and rapidly evolving, I would not be surprised if a forum here for that gets added in a few years. Because those bikers travel so light, their camping gear differs from what you typically see most touring bikers use. Many of them use fat bikes or suspension bikes, so there is less common ground with conventional touring bikes. Most of the bike packers I have seen also wear a small backpack whereas the vast majority of conventional touring folks would never wear a backpack. It is a very different style of bike travel.
More on bikepacking here:
Home - Bikepackers Magazine
Bikepacking.net forums - Index
More on bikepacking here:
Home - Bikepackers Magazine
Bikepacking.net forums - Index
Have there even been bikepacking threads started here? Maybe there have been and I just haven't noticed.
__________________
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My fave photo threads on BF
Century A Month Facebook Group
Machka's Website
Photo Gallery
Rowan
My fave photo threads on BF
Century A Month Facebook Group
Machka's Website
Photo Gallery
#11
Senior Member

Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 16,767
Likes: 85
I agree with the others, my gravel tours and road tours differed by using different tires. Otherwise, not much different.
If you are credit card touring, that is essentially road riding with a rack top bag or maybe a pair of light panniers, to many of us that is not really the same as the kind of loaded touring most of us do, thus it gets little mention here. There are occasional threads on credit card touring or fully supported touring or vehicle supported touring, but such information is clearly in the minority and a separate forum for that might be pretty lonesome.
I think it would make sense to have a separate bikepacking forum since the equipment is so different for that, no panniers or racks but instead frame bag and some other things that I do not even know what they are called. Bikepacking is pretty new and rapidly evolving, I would not be surprised if a forum here for that gets added in a few years. Because those bikers travel so light, their camping gear differs from what you typically see most touring bikers use. Many of them use fat bikes or suspension bikes, so there is less common ground with conventional touring bikes. Most of the bike packers I have seen also wear a small backpack whereas the vast majority of conventional touring folks would never wear a backpack. It is a very different style of bike travel.
More on bikepacking here:
Home - Bikepackers Magazine
Bikepacking.net forums - Index
If you are credit card touring, that is essentially road riding with a rack top bag or maybe a pair of light panniers, to many of us that is not really the same as the kind of loaded touring most of us do, thus it gets little mention here. There are occasional threads on credit card touring or fully supported touring or vehicle supported touring, but such information is clearly in the minority and a separate forum for that might be pretty lonesome.
I think it would make sense to have a separate bikepacking forum since the equipment is so different for that, no panniers or racks but instead frame bag and some other things that I do not even know what they are called. Bikepacking is pretty new and rapidly evolving, I would not be surprised if a forum here for that gets added in a few years. Because those bikers travel so light, their camping gear differs from what you typically see most touring bikers use. Many of them use fat bikes or suspension bikes, so there is less common ground with conventional touring bikes. Most of the bike packers I have seen also wear a small backpack whereas the vast majority of conventional touring folks would never wear a backpack. It is a very different style of bike travel.
More on bikepacking here:
Home - Bikepackers Magazine
Bikepacking.net forums - Index
Their bikes were very easy on the angles, and had balloon type tyres and leather saddles. Oh, and I think they were single speed and the roads they travelled, if they existed at all, weren't sealed.
#12
BIKE RIDE


Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 2,215
Likes: 1,004
From: Michigan
Bikes: GUNNAR CrossHairs / Riv RoadUno / TrekBike 950
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/ - seems to cover every type of touring very well. And I think the keeper of that site is closely associated with the keepers of this site.
- and if you're looking to spend lots on bike-packing, this website seems to cater to those with cash: Bikepacking Routes, Gear, Inspiration - BIKEPACKING.com
The images there are really outstanding, I think.
- and if you're looking to spend lots on bike-packing, this website seems to cater to those with cash: Bikepacking Routes, Gear, Inspiration - BIKEPACKING.com
The images there are really outstanding, I think.





