In 1998 I rode from Astoria, OR to San Francisco. This was a supported ride sponsored by the US Navy recreation department. Although I've never been in the military I was allowed to join in. A great tour for the 12 participants but a bit ambitious given are relative inexperience. The first five days we averaged more than 100 miles. The next year I took another supported tour, then began annual self-supported ones.

If nothing else, read the epilogue.

My first trip was an overnight between Quebec City and the town of Magog in 1998. I had started my fisrt "steady" job in the spring and my first major purchase was a touring bike. I had a handlebar bag, a small backpack and a sleeping bag strapped to the rack. I camped under the stars. I'm not sure I even had a sleeping pad, maybe a blue tarp. I remember butt pain and changing saddle mid-trip. I haven't used a backpack since then.

+1

My first overnight was a 5-day trip in the winter of 1995 when my girlfriend and I rode from Phoenix to Tucson via the Apache Trail and Tonto National Monument. I rode a Specialized Hard Rock mtb with two backpacks bungee corded together as rear panniers. The only thing we knew in advance about the route was what we could see on a road map. It had way more vertical than either of us had anticipated. Had a horrendous cold most of the time, got blown over sideways into the mud during a nasty storm, blew out both knees and had to end the trip early. It was a blast.

This summer. From home in Alexandria, VA to Harpers Ferry, WV on the C&O and back on C&O and W&OD. 75 miles each day. This was the weekend when DC's summer heat wave maxed out. 100+ in the sun. 80 degrees at night. Camped out at a hiker biker site near HF. CGOAB journal here:

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/MyFirstOvernighter

Not sure when my next tour, even overnighter, is going to be. Baby coming in April, so I'll probably be busy getting used to the dad thing next summer...

In 1982 as a young gyrene stationed in Okinawa,Japan, we traveled from one end of the island to the other every weekend. We'd tie our ponchos and poncho liners on the frame and off we'd go on our crappy Fuji's. I never thought of it as bike touring, it was more like cheap transportation.

1997, Perth to Adelaide via Esperance in Australia.

Harrogate, England to the Lake District in England... 3 days. 1984 Cold, wet, and windy... Didn't do another for one for 20 years.....

Our first was a 3 day credit card tour on our tandem along the western section of the Erie canal path in NY. No hills, air conditioned hotels, restaurants for dinner and good weather, it assured future tours with the wife.

My first multi-day tour with over-night camping was in 1960 at age 15. We rode from the Fraser Valley in British Columbia, through the Fraser Canyon, and into the Interior, stopping east of Cache Creek because of bicycle breakdown. We had no idea about cycling gear and clothing and only because of youthful exuberance, were able to thoroughly enjoy ourselves dispute equipment shortcomings and the pains associated with wearing cotton jeans and carrying our canvas packs on our backs. My bike was an old rusty 28" CCM my Grandfather donated which had been hanging up in an old shed for many years. My buddy had a new 3-speed 26" Raleigh which was the bike that broke down with a stripped rear cone. When we stopped at a gas station near Spences Bridge for much needed fluids,(didn't pack adequate water supplies) the Old Timer proprietor said we were the first kids he'd seen riding up from the coast. We walked and coasted back 8 miles to Spences Bridge and had to wait 13 hours to catch a train the 160 miles back home. The train fare was $6:25 each for us and our bikes which we didn't have to break down. It was a great adventure, and if, as a youth, I had the chance, I would most certainly do it again.

I did one overnight in the early 70s on a Schwinn Collegiate 5 speed, but my first multi-day trips were in 1979. One was on a borrowed 5 speed Falcon in the west of Ireland from Ballina to Limerick, and then I toured in southern England later that year going from hostel to hostel on a pre-WWII Raleigh 3 speed with roller lever brakes and a totally enclosed chain. Only 2 of the speeds worked (low and high) and I had to push the heavy bike over quite a few hills. Still, I went 40+ miles most days and had a great time.

I should mention that my first three tours were one week long ordeals in the 80s-early 90s.

my first overnighter, was just two summers ago when a bud and I realized how much we miss touring, so we did three individual one-nighters, spring, summer and fall in '09. Our lifestyles don't allow us to go away for multiple days anymore, but the one-nighters are a lot of fun. We just ride 30-50 miles away from home, camp and come home a different route.

It feels like we've been gone longer than over night when we return.

My first overnight was also my first century (and first ride over 30 miles, as well). Rode from downtown PHX to Payson, which if you're not aware, has some serious hills (see: mountains passes) and a strong shortage of places to get water. It was April, and my 40F sleeping bag was far from warm enough, but I had a blast.

Three weeks ago.
https://myson1lt.blogspot.com/2011/10...ight-ride.html

My 1st over-nighter was a two week solo 1200 miler from Panama City, Florida to Waterloo, Iowa in 1976. I was 18 years old and rode a Raleigh Grand Prix. I am now 53 and still love to tour. I wrote about that original trip on CrazyGuyOnABike here: https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?...doc_id=497&v=5

First overnight was a ride from Philly out to a lake in the Jersey pine barrens and back. Not much of a tour, but the riding in the forest sections was real nice and the camping was most excellent even though I discovered at dinnertime that I forgot to bring anything to light my stove with...graham crackers for dinner? Yum. It also poured down rain the next day.

Around 1970, me and a friend loaded up our bikes with camping gear and rode out and spent the night at a gravel pit along the 294 Tollroad up by Lake Bluff, IL. I rode a Stingray and it was a b#tch carrying tent, sleeping bag, food, water, fishing pole, etc. I'm sure the distance was less than 10 miles but it sure took a long time to get there and back.

My first tour was March of this year. Drove up to Benton, AR to see my parents, and the last 2 days I did an overnite. Got up early and rode out to Pinnacle Mountain and met my family. I also climbed Pinnacle Mountain with my sister and niece. Then I rode to an RV park near a lake to spend the night. It looked like a short distance, but I didn't check the elevation and had to contend with Wye Mountain. I walked up most of that. I was maybe 8 miles from the campground but the sun was going down too fast and it was on a 2 lane country road. As it was a Wednesday nite I stopped at a church and asked to set up my tent after church was over. Instead, a family drove me to the campground after church. The next day I ate breakfast with a Harley rider and we both commented on the powerful crosswinds. I figured if he was affected by it I was doing good to maintain it. With the hills I was either going 5 mph or 30. I never had to walk the bike for the remainder of the trip. Within 6 miles of Benton I called it quits. I think I ran out of food. After climbing a hill and seeing another I just couldn't do anymore mentally. A case of the body is willing but the spirit is week. You can see some pics here.... https://www.facebook.com/#!/media/se...8160035&type=3

Me 'n Waldo ,,,we done rode south our first tour, here in Utah. We camped by a creek right next to the deserted high way that got real busy about mid-night,,, except for the noisy cars at night, I LOVED it so much, I been bugging him to go every year since, he hates hills real bad and he seems to be loosing interest in the camping thing.
My First Tour was an overnighter, and I LOVED it.

went from monterey to sacramento a little over a year ago, in the middle of summer first day was cold, rest were hot. Rode a 58cm SR semipro with a trailer also brought every tool imaginable in case of the worst, worst that happened was a flat on my trailer tire, which i patched.

Such great memories.

September, 1970. I had been at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay for a few weeks as a freshman. I decided to spend a weekend riding to Potawatomi State Park up the Door Peninsula. I was riding a mid-1960s Schwinn Racer with 2 speed Bendix Automatic and wire saddle baskets. Gear was packed in stuff sacks with plastic bag liners.

I started out on Friday after my last class and made about 15 miles to Bayshore County Park. Saturday I did about 35 miles to the state park. Sunday was 45-50 miles home by a different route.

Wonderful county roads, beautiful fall weather and colors. I was hooked. I did many tours on that bike up to 10 days long. In 1977, I got a very nice Zebrakenko Storm, some real panniers and covered much more territory.

Vancouver to Smithers and back: Got rained on the whole way, lit myself on fire with an alcohol stove the first night, hitched a ride from Williams Lake to Prince George, got free weed, traded it for boiled duck eggs, had my food stolen, rode the ferry to the island, got sideswiped by a truck, spent the morning with driver, rode the ferry back to Vancouver, ate Souvlaki and slept.

1988 or 89. Montreal down to Lake Champlain and into NY, and then into southern Vermont and thereabouts before heading back to Montreal. About a week long or a bit more. On a 12 speed something or other that later got stolen on Ste Catherine street. Borrowed a single person "coffin" tent which I really didnt like and wouldnt never want to sleep in one again, was able to plan the route so I spent most nights in Youth Hostels. Fun trip all in all, very pretty area to bike in but could have had lower gearing, had to walk a few times.

My first tour was an overnight credit-card tour from home to Brattleboro, Vermont, and back in the summer of 2009. Actually, so far all my tours (Ireland in 2010 and the Netherlands in 2011) have been credit-card tours; it's how I persuade my wife to come along!

First overnighter was a credit-card ride to the New Jersey shore and back home. We learned a lot:

• Online maps are misleading; paper maps, less so. (This was before I had a GPS. I love my Garmin but still carry paper maps.)
• Packed dirt park trails are not great with loaded bicycles, particularly after it's been raining.
• Discuss, ahead of time with your touring partner, how tightly you want to control the toute. One guy winging it on a rough route with the other wanting to follow a precise turn-by-turn makes for a rough day.

I rode a mountain bike with all my stuff on the rear rack, the guy I was riding with had a Trek Navigator with a similar setup.