Exurver

I've come up with five categories that I think encompass the type of people I've met while on the road. Just wondering about the demographics of this forum.

Vacationer - you plan a comfortable low-stress trip, don’t overdue the miles, enjoying new locations and experiencing what they have to offer, local attractions/restaurants etc.

Lifestyle – a true bicycle vagabond, travelling for many months at a time, perhaps years or indefinitely.

Expeditionary – you find reward in pushing your mind and body to its limits, travel long distances quickly, prone to scanning the roadside at dusk for a suitable place to lie down.

Backpacker on wheels – you want to explore another part of the world -- what better way to see the countries and meet locals than on a bicycle?

Casual – no strict plans or goals, you just like riding your bike and being outside. Pick a place and start pedaling in that general direction. Also could include those that go on short or weekend trips.

chasm54

All of the above with the exception of lifestyle, given that two months is the longest I've been on the road. For the rest, it varies depending on the tour - and sometimes within a single tour.

imi

Your backpacker definition fits me more or less.
50-80 miles/day, campsites or ninja-camping, cooking all meals.

However I am beginning to change, spending mornings working on a book (not travel related), then riding in the afternoons.

A bit later on in life, I plan to be permanently on the road.

zeppinger

I hit lifestyle before reading what your definition of that word was. After reading those I think I fit more into your backpacker category.

staehpj1

I can't easily pick between those categories as none really fit well. I can eliminate Vacationer as that isn't even close, Lifestyle since 73 days is my longest trip and I really do not want to live in the bike more than a few months at a clip, and Casual since that doesn't fit either.

That leaves Expeditionary and Backpacker on Wheels. Aspects of both fit my style. Since I can only pick one I clicked Expeditionary even though it isn't a perfect fit.

wahoonc

All of the above... with Lifestyle being the most unlikely, followed by Expeditionary though I have done that more than a few times and still stealth camp.

If I had to pick one it would probably be a combination of Vacationer and Casual. I routinely get on my bike and ramble, sometimes for a hour, sometimes for several hours.

Aaron

bradtx

This fits me well also. I voted Casual.

Brad

Bekologist

I like the characterizations. They are quite archetypical.

People will individually fit between the styles, but the prototypical characterizations are spot on.

I have bikes that characterize those styles of touring, that I choose as tools for the job depending on what type of tour I'm doing.

I'll take a casual bike on a car trip to a big city, a vacationing bike on touristy plane trips, a backpacking bike for backpacking style touring, and a fast and light bike for expeditionary style riding.

My lifestyle bike would be a backpacking bike, as it carries the most stuff comfortably.

Machka 

I would select the "All of the Above" option, if one existed. At one time or another, I've done them all.

Our most recent 8-month, Round-the-World tour (which is just tapering off now), fits in the Vacationer, Lifestyle, and Casual categories.

I've been a Randonneur for 13 years, and that (and surrounding tours and training rides) fits into the Expeditionary category.

My 3-month tour of Australia fits into the Backpacker, with touches of Vacationer, Lifestyle, Casual and Expeditionary.


And I've done numerous other tours which would fall into one or more of those categories.

Here's a category for you ...

Eclectic - we do whatever type of tour appeals to us at the moment.

wheelinthai

I do some tenting, but only out of necessity, when no roof-covered can be found. And I don't cook, period. I very much prefer sagged touring, staying in town, enjoying local delicacies. When I ride, its always a challenge against comrades.
So in the morning, Expeditionary is my style, yet at completion of the day ride, I change to Vacationer. I don't need plush accommodation, but hot shower is so soothing, so is a comfortable bed after a filling of delicious supper. I loath pitching tent, particularly at dark, and in heavy drizzle. And breaking camp in the morning with wet tent. I like to start early, about 6am with good breakfast. By 7am, my bag would be in the truck, and I'm off for a good day ride. I do enjoy the scenery when I ride tho.
I like 95-120miles/day so the ride will end by noon, or 1pm at the latest. Ah, I like breaks where they serve hot coffee (which I don't drink back home).

Medic Zero

I chose "Vacationer" as it fits what I usually do. I'd love to do "Lifestyle", "Casual" or your "Backpacker" but can't afford to take the time. Someday! The Casual particularly intrigues me, I'm pretty self sufficient when I tour, just needing to stop for water every day and half or so (& can increase that capacity a little if need be), and sometimes able to go several days before replenishing food, so I think it'd be neat to just head out into the depths of America and see where the roads take me.

I'd like to do something like Expeditionary some day when I can afford the N+1 of setting up a bikepacking rig and combine mountain biking with touring. I do sometimes stealth camp when I take my mini-tours that I can get away on right now. In fact, usually my tours these days combine stealth camping some nights, staying in a hotel/motel, and staying with friends.

I don't mind putting in hard miles when I have to, like for instance, if I want to make it to a certain location by the end of the day, or take a rough dirt road for part of the day, but generally I like to take it easy, just cruising along, stoppping to take pictures whenever I want etc. I like to read the roadside markers and visit the little musuems in small towns too. Sometimes I'll go to a wildlife area and do some birdwatching on the way. I like to set my daily mileage goals fairly modest because of all this and the fact that with brewing multiple cups of tea as I wake up, cook and eat breakfast, break down my tent, and sort and pack my gear, and likely pack and light my tobacco pipe, I can sometimes spend a few hours between waking up in the morning and finally rolling out of camp! Especially if I happen to be in a campground that has a shower.

I'm still trying to figure out how much to allot for each days mileage, sometimes breaking up the rides into manageable chunks between decent places to stop for the night* makes for either too short or particularly tough days, although I suppose that is all part of the adventure. My last real mini-tour I had two grueling 45-ish mile days through steep mountains, but my day in the middle of those I only had about 35 miles to go, and a good chunk of that flew by in a long high speed descent with most of the rest being flat nice rides. My cycling day was over by noon! I actually ended up taking my loaded touring rig into town to get some lunch as my hotel room that night wasn't even ready yet!

* Including stealth camping, there are some areas where it is impossible to find a decent place to stealth camp.

Your categories are pretty good. About the only thing I'd perhaps add is some sort of differentiation between short and very short "tours" and the lengthier ones. I know that some foks that don't feel like it is really touring if it isn't something lengthy. I kind of get that, but I'm just as loaded down when I go out for two nights and three days of riding across 150 miles of backroads as I would be if I were actually able to afford to be able to take the time off to do longer tours.

indyfabz

I don't understand why you included "on the cheap" in the description of "Backpacker on wheels." One can use a bike or backpack it to see countries and meet people without necessarily doing it on the cheap.

I did the whole backpack around Europe thing in '85. While it was inexpensive compared to what a similar trip would cost in the U.S., it certainly was not on the cheap compared to how many other people were doing it at the time. I never slept in the train station or stayed in youth hostals and I often ate at decent restaurants. In fact, I averaged about $33/day (not including airfare and Eurail Pass but including the occasional couchette and ferry and train fares to/from/in Morocco), which some people on this subforum would consider a lot today.

In '00 I toured Andalucia for seven weeks in a similar fashion, with a mix of camping, cooking, eating out and staying in hotels and hostals. (Not youth hostals but rather the equivalent of pensiones in Italy.)

staehpj1

I also don't see how expeditionary necessarily equates to ultralight or even travelling quickly for that matter. I tend to go relatively quickly and travel light but I don't think the majority for folks who are doing this travel light at all.

imi

Deleted

jrickards

I chose Vacationer but technically, I haven't even done one tour yet, I'm planning to do a couple of small ones this summer (2-day trips). I can't imagine me being organized or tough enough to do a self-supported tour so my plans and dreams (for future longer tours) are supported tours (Niagara to Quebec City, Vancouver to Inuvik, Vancouver to St John's Newfoundland, Tour d'afrique and Tour of India). I don't mind tenting, I'd actually rather that than hotel/motel/B&B but the occasional comfort rest sounds like it'd be a good idea.

andrewclaus

Nice list, but tough to choose as others have said. I chose expeditionary only because of the phrase, "prone to scanning the roadside at dusk for a suitable place to lie down." That's me, even though I don't quite understand what that has to do with expeditions.

fietsbob

I, a Veteran of the Viet Nam invasion/Cold War period, wanted to go to Europe
and talk to someone else, right after the Iraq war 1, jingoistic triumphalism.

next trip, I wanted to spend time in Ireland and Scotland, my 50th year..

finished the trip staying in the Findhorn Community through September,

that period including Dodi & Di, crashing in Paris, & The day long Funeral coverage thereafter.

Exurver

Good comments everyone. I know not many people will fit exactly into one of the categories I've made -- I thought about making an "Other" option but then of course everyone would choose that. I've altered the options a little bit in the descriptions based on some of your comments to accommodate more people. My intent with "Expeditionary" was one who travels quickly, riding all day, and primarily camping. I also included those that go on short or weekend tours to the "Casual" option.

tarwheel 

None of the above. Most of my touring is on supported tours or hub-and-spoke tours where we camp or stay at a hotel in a central location with daily loop rides. Our rides range from leisurely to fast, 60-100 miles/day, with no gear except for water bottles and seatbags. Time ranges from 3 days to a week. People on this forum tend to view bike touring strictly in terms of loaded tours, but that is not the only way to do it. For me, bike touring a pleasant way to travel while doing a lot of cycling.

Machka 

Yes, to me, expedition touring is doing something like a trek across Siberia or an end-to-end across South America where your bicycle is built tough and able to endure all sorts of road surfaces, and where you carry everything you might need (and then some) because you might not be able to get it where you're going.

Ultralight touring is something completely different.

Exurver

That's a great point, I probably chose the wrong term for that category. My intention for the category was to describe those for whom getting from A to B is the sole purpose of the ride and usually do so at the sacrifice of comfort, like the sea voyagers of the past intending to expedite trade routes. Maybe "Endurance tourist" or something like that would better describe it.

texasdiver

My style has evolved.

In my early 20s when I was single, poor, and aventuresome my rides were more in the adventure category, stealth camping, riding hard miles, etc.

Now in my late 40s with a wife and kids I'm generally riding with family who aren't so into the adventure aspect of the bike itself and more interested in the destinations. So we do more vacation style riding. Bringing bikes with us to destinations or doing scenic rides, taking advantage of local restaurants and sites and combining camping at nice parks with hotels where there are none.

Papa Tom

In my mind, touring is a lifestyle, but in reality, I still only have time for weekend trips. I guess I'm a "casual" for the time being.

Cougrrcj

I chose 'vacationer' because of what I'm planning to do either late this summer or next, August/September timeframe.

The 1000-mile tour around the perimeter of Ohio I'm planning will be a very relaxed affair - starting off around 8-9 each morning and riding until around noon-ish to early afternoon. Figure 45-65 miles/day, most all on very flat terrain, so 3-4 hours in the saddle. That will leave me the afternoons to check out the town, and asking about good places to eat, seeing any local cultural/historical sites, etc.

Sleeping will be indoors or in city park picnic shelters, with camping being a last resort - I've already started contacting the cities/towns I'll be riding through/stopping at for their recommendations/advice.

Riding only on nice weather days because not only do I hate riding in the rain, but also for safety/visibility reasons to motorists (especially on State highways). Therefore, there is no set schedule. Just enjoying the scenery. Taking the tour a day at a time. The 'plan' is for this whole thing to happen over 3-4 weeks, but time will tell.

Lamabb

"Expeditionary" for me. Up to now I've been more of a 'vacationer', but that is starting to change and I'm finding myself fascinated with touring a little faster than most and really working my body as well as touring. Enjoying the sights, people, and food, sure - but also going to bed sore a lot and often biking until dusk.