New to Cycle Touring? The common thing everyone of us had to do.
 

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Make that first trek, (easy enough). All the research, purchases, or theory can only help. But your style, set-up and level of enjoyment will be based on experience.
This has been my first winter on the Forum. Some seem to worry (might be the wrong term) more than need be. Got an idea of how it might work for you, try it. Example my first touring tent I loaded my panniers and tent, biked 10km to the edge of town, set it up behind the Community hall on a Saturday. Enjoyed a true heavy rain test on the way back! I added some rings to ease the tension on the fly. But upgraded two of my Panniers after that.
For three months the neighbours got used to me riding each weekend with a bagged out bike. If not a day trip/picnic, then an overnighter on Saturday. I had a month long tour ahead of me. By the time I departed, I had enough experience to know, I would be adding to all my knowledge and experience. This season I will add some more.

Others can add more than me, I'm new enough.

Let's encourage the fresh Tourist's.

"Just-Do-It"

:ride:

-Snuts-

Could we see more of your handlebar setup, please, Snuts?

Learn to carry less stuff.

Gearlist please:innocent:

Impressive. I don't think I'd make ti to the end of the street with that much stuff packed on my bike. :)

In Thunder Bay ON I'd be toting lots of stuff too, better safe than sorry.

Probably the first lesson everyone learns. ;) Now what's the second? :innocent:

Brad

At that point, I had 7,000km of training. Day one of 19day/2450km Holiday (snack time). Averaged 130km/day, I was happy with that.
Let me add, comfortable to.

Let's encourage new trekker's to go ride a bit.

-Snuts-

Research your cell provider.
Across southern Manitoba, I had no cell service for three days. Friends became worried.

-Snuts-

City bars with an inexpensive set of aerobars. Yes, 47kph one handed, I was well balanced and good roads. My hand towel was on my bars almost every afternoon. Hot trip, over 30*C, even 38*C a few afternoon's. Big evening storms. You have to love the Prairies (I do).

At the end of my trip I tried a set of Trekking bars. This is the way that bike is stored at my sisters (Edmonton) to continue to the Pacific. I will try Trekking bars this season (full summer), but could go back to the city bars set-up again. Better than a Jones set-up from my point of view.

Hope this helps.

:commute:

-Snuts-

On my first trip, I'd never heard the words "pannier," "chamois," or even "Shimano." I grew up in Chicago in the 60s and Schwinn (good local company) was the apex of cycle engineering. A book rack and old gym duffel bag held the camping stuff I had. I wore cut-off jeans and a T-shirts. I had no money, but somehow I made my way 1000 miles around Lake Michigan. Plenty of matronly types felt sorry for the poor kid, I guess. There are plenty of ways to get out and do it if you're so driven.

Over the ensuing years, I went to college, the BikeCentennial happened, Schwinn closed the Chicago plant, silnylon was invented, internet forums popped up....

I rode a fully loaded bike one morning for 62 miles about a week before setting out on a nearly 4 month x-country and then some tour. Had I been a bit slower one road I could have been killed when some inattentive kid hit a telephone poll and flipped his car about 100' behind me. Other than that, there wasn't much to it.

Interesting second item, but the same thing happened to me in N. Carolina for about a day. My 'phone was then picked up by another provider, for which I was charged extra fees...maybe that's different now.

Brad

Pedal . . .

The later photos do not include the bucket, did you get a collapsible bucket to use instead?

I cut a large disposable plastic food container into a small "bucket" for my Iceland trip. Weighed almost nothing and the way I packed stuff in the pannier, the "bucket" did not take up much space in my pannier. But I was really happy to have it when I did laundry in it. It is the white thing sitting on the ground in the photo.

The common thing? Probably getting lost, and learning how to a) recognize it before you've gone too far, and b) deal with getting back on track.

That is the one thing that uber research could not educate me on.

No, I left it behind one morning say half way through my trip. Amended my gear list shall we say. I did like it as a chair when I used it though. Depending on your tour location, gear can differ a lot. I would pack a pail again, sure.


Everybody go play with your new bikes, ha-ha.


:ride:


-Snuts-