TransitGeek

A bit late here I realize, but do a trial tour if you haven't already. Pick a weekend to try it out close to home; that way if everything fails you can always have a friend come get you.

One thing that's very important on any tour is to have some sort of backup plan. It doesn't have to be complex, just something, so you can have fun and not be worried about anything. I did a three-week tour of southern Ontario last year, staying only at hostels (unprepared to camp), on my old Specialized Globe. I carried my cell phone as well as phone numbers for all my friends (on paper, just in case) and regional taxi companies for emergencies. If it ever became necessary I have a few friends who would have driven up from Boston if absolutely necessary. Of course I never needed any help.

Bottom line is, have a basic contingency plan. You shouldn't need it but that way you can enjoy the tour and not be worried.

benajah

I take it you are young enough that you don't have a job or financial obligations that prevent you from going for so long, nor kids....a chance like this will not present itself until you retire. The most I can get are about 1 week long trips, simply because I get a week more than my wife does of vacation or I wouldn't even get that, just long weekends occasionally.
I would not waste a chance like this because it will be 40 years before you get it again.

MassiveD

Fear is normal for a number of reasons, so don't let it affect your underlying judgement.

Be careful though of entirely arbitrary challenge based experiences if you want to have a pleasant and low resistence kind of trip. Why six months for instance, like the ridiculous trend in climbing at one time to force entirely straight routes that followed the path of a falling drop of water. Consider the difference between some kind of challenge based trip for self growth, history (not in this case), embracing difficulties, building up self-image. The kind of thing that succeeds only if there is a fair amount of resistence overcome. And a trip that is intended to flow, and not consist of fighting the current, in general an unhealthy, and unprofitable activity. Decide what it is you want from the trip and then go after it. Often what people seak is a little bit of everything, rather muddy, rather that truly identifying what they want to do. When you think about your objectives, who is in the frame. How much of what you think about has to do with how it will be seen rather than what it is you want.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myYV4...eature=related

Check out Abraham-Hicks. I am not into this stuff, but it represents almost the opposite of the way I live, and so the ideas of illignment are at least a window for me into a different way of seeing things. So having been exposed to their tapes by a friend, I do at least identify when I am trying to swim upstream. I will still do it, but at least I am aware of it.

MassiveD

The ride is going to be worth it, but only if it is YOU who says so...

`https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGxZn...eature=related

Igo

What?

Lou Skannon

Go for it, you don't get chances like this very often.

If I do really long-time on the road tours, I often split them up with a plane journey.
ie: 6 weeks round Ireland tour then Ryanair down to Bordeaux and then the Camino to Santiago.
With six months, you might want to go to the Southern Hemisphere [NZ or Oz] for the winter months.

fietsbob

if flying to the start , the date and time of that is fixed. on the ticket

claire

Just came back from a 6-weeks trip in France and Basque Country with my boyfriend, nice to see all these answers!
I really feel that now is the right time, because I'm 34, I don't have too much responsabilities at work yet, and no children yet, but all that might change quite soon!
I do have some experience in travelling, both with my boyfriend and alone. If I count all the trips I've done over 2 weeks, I think in total I've travelled by bike for about 10 months. Last night me and my boyfriend sat in front of a map of Europe and we talked about my itinerary. So far it stands like this: I would leave from home in the beginning of April and go towards Spain. He would then meet me at the border and we'd go to Santiago together. Then he would go back to Paris and I would keep going on my own, back to south of France and the Alps, towards Greece. (either going down Italy or going down Slovenia/Croatia/Montenegro). Then we would meet again in July in Bulgaria and come back towards Germany together. And to finish I would go around Denmark, Norway and UK on my own, and back at home in october or something like that.
Now I just need to officially ask for my leave, then I will have a fixed date to go!
As for the bike, though I love the recumbent, I would probably go with the usual tourer. Mostly because it's easier to fix in case of problem and also more discrete!

scrapser

I want to go on a cross-country tour but my job is a major factor on deciding to do it. I would need 10 weeks to make the trip. I'm in my mid-fifties and my job is the best job I have ever had in my life. With the economy and unemployment the way it is, I simply cannot risk losing it. It's easier to drop everything and just go when you are younger (I've done it)...you have more time to make up for having done so. The HR department where I work asked the question to my supervisor, "If he can be away for that long, why do we need him?" Unless I get some sort of guarantee about my job I think I will have to wait until I have the time out of circumstance. No point shooting myself in the foot.

wicki

Somebody famous said" a journey of a thousand miles starts with just one step"

Open the door take the step....I don't plan (it drives others mad) i have a vague idea ill go uuuummmmmm thata way...turn back when i have had enough

Just googled it

Ahh its Chinese might have guessed.

Although this is the popular form of this quotation, a more correct translation from the original Chinese would be "The journey of a thousand miles begins beneath one's feet." Rather than emphasizing the first step, Lau Tzu regarded action as something that arises naturally from stillness. Another potential phrasing would be "Even the longest journey must begin where you stand."

YokeyDokey

No one lays on their deathbed saying "I wish I had spent more time in the office."
You can always find excuses NOT to do something. Load it up and go.

nancy sv

I've often said that THE most difficult part of our three-year journey from Alaska to Argentina was making the decision to take it. Once the decision was made, it was a piece of cake. I've got a page on our website where I talk about making the decision - all the top articles are more geared toward family travel, but scroll down to the box at the bottom and I've got 10 or 15 links to other long-term travelers where they talk about making the decision to head out. https://familyonbikes.org/resources/decision.htm

manapua_man

Buy an expensive plane ticket. Then you've almost got no choice.

irwin7638

I haven't had the opportunity yet,bit I think this is it. Don't overthink it or it won't happen.

Marc

hukapits

I'm jealous with you all for having faith and go out touring even bring family along for years. I still have trouble in making decision on "when" and most of all "why". Anyway I'm still building my bike for this purpose and collecting appropriate gears to be taken along. For scrapser thank you very much for giving me a different perspective, I really appreciate it. I may take a one~three days touring as a start maybe just during week-end or maybe one/two weeks of touring someday as I take my annual leave out of work n off course a permit from my family. I wish I could be as brave as you are folks...