Some of us were fortunate enough to be taught how to ride a bicycle, camp, and be independant when we were kids.

Times have changed. Not everyone grew up this way. We should be honoured if someone asks us old codgers about our experiences of bicycle touring and for any advice that will help them get out on the road.
There’s a magical wonderful world out there.

You have a point. I would question one thing though. Plenty of folks weren't taught that stuff in the past either. I am 72 and plenty of folks my age never were same with many from generations between mine and now. Also some kids are lucky enough to be taught that stuff now.

You have a point too 😊 I feel that those of us that were teenagers in the sixties and seventies had an easier time getting out on the road than generations before and after us… and if there’s any way I can pay that forward, then it’s a privilege to do so.

edit: This is a just a response to people saying "just strap your bag onto a bike and go". Yes, that can still be done of course, but I don't think it's as easy now as then for many reasons. If "overthinking it" is necessary for someone to get out there, then overthink it! Then strap your bags to your bike and go :)

Yup. I learned a lot of that stuff in Boy Scouts. I do not have kids, but my nephew's son is also learning that stuff in Boy Scouts now. But I suspect that the majority of kids are not learning how to camp as pre-teenagers now.

It is a lot easier to start bike touring if you already have the camping knowledge and skills. It is possible if you don't have that background but then there is a greater chance of having a bad day and calling it quits forever.

Ya know, thinking back I really wasn't technically taught the woodsy and camping stuff so much as it came to me because I was a feral child who ran off into the woods any time I saw a chance to escape. I did have brothers and friends who I learned some of it from. Also I was a voracious consumer of any kind of info on wood craft or other woodsy stuff. So books, magazines or whatever on the subject were devoured. Taking to canoe camping, backpacking, hunting and fishing was just kind of automatic.

Biking... Well I was born into a bicycling family. Everyone rode for utilitarian and recreational purposes. There wasn't any avoiding that.

I raised my own kid to know how to do outdoor stuff and have basic skills in other things that folks often don't these days. She started her kids the same way as toddlers hiking, biking and so on. Kids raised to love the outdoors are likely to raise their kids to do the same. The link can be broken though if it isn't passed on or the kid just doesn't take to it.

If you don't agree with the premise of this thread, why don't you just ignore it? It's a big world and not everyone thinks like you do

I think that is expected of youth in rural areas.

I grew up in Minneapolis in the middle of an urban area. There was a swimming beach nearby, learned to swim there but my mother was instrumental in that. I have to credit Boy Scouts for learning how to tie knots other than my shoe laces, build a fire, put up a tent, map and compass, etc. My family did some camping, but that was pretty minimal and included minimal instruction.

Except Yan is correct to a certain degree that at some point you need to stop worrying and researching and just go do it. That’s ultimately the only way to learn how to tour. Do it and find out what works for you.

OP asks a simple question that's resulted in people sharing some cool stories about the start of their touring journey.

To throw a bomb ("you're overthinking things") into page 2 of what could grow into a helpful and entertaining thread is not just self-centered, it's exceedingly unfriendly and antisocial. It's done nothing but derail an otherwise good thread.

My take is Yans comment is on the 5 or so follow up posts by the OP. I too had the thought that you can stress out and overthink the process.

It's a fair point. It just seemed needlessly antagonistic in its delivery.

You expected something different? :lol:

This video was quite literally the only thing that inspired me to start riding my bike more than around the block. I thought it looked neat, and it was in my backyard, so I went for it.

Not sure it's a helpful guide, but my story:

I don't bike tour. It hasn't cracked the priorities with spouse, 3 kids, job, and limited vacation time. I live vicariously by dropping in on the forum. :)

I did one tour when I was 16, a three week 1000mile tour around Lake Michigan organized by a YMCA. It was guided but unsupported. We carried all our camping gear, stoves and fuel, and basically bought food once per day.

They sent out a 5-week training plan, going from 5-miles on alternate days to 25 miles every day, then welcome to the trip with loaded days of 45, 55, etc. Biggest scheduled day was 93ish miles.

I had camped, packed for backpacking, and camp cooked (&cleaned, the harder part) as a Boy Scout, so that aspect was smooth and fun. And the training was enough, there were harder days but I was never suffering.

Unfortunately, of the original 2 guides, five boys, and five girls, two of the girls hadn't trained enough (and perhaps had a very wrong idea what the trip entailed, language barrier?) and decide to quit and bus back to the YMCA site.

I dreamed of being a CIT or something on future trips, but the next summer I worked all summer. Then we moved, there was nothing (organized) that seemed similar.

And time got devoted to other interests.

Maybe when I retire!

Welcome to internet forums

My first tour was four days long before I retired. While working, I had difficulty taking more than one week off from the job. That said, I did a lot of camping, mostly canoe trips before retirement.

Second and all subsequent tours, done after I retired. So, keep dropping in on the forum so you are ready for retirement.

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.

Thanks!

I finished a year of graduate work at Oregon State, and decided to ride my bike back home to New England. Threw away a massive amount of stuff, packed the rest in UPS and sent it home. Hopped on my bike June 1st and got to New England at foliage time early October, following the trans-Am trail with "Side trips" to Jasper Alberta, and North Carolina to pick up the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Was hooked, and did about 20 other tours, including a world tour, over the next few decades.