where to start, im new to the forum and touring, iv done a overnight stay of 90 miles total over 2 days but would like some help advice and tips on a longer tour im planning.

im wanthing to go from the east of England to the west (lowerstoft to lands end, going to lizard point on the way, may as well include the most southerly point )

im planning on doing this in the next few months before i go to uni in September

so my questions are

1. how do i plan a route that big? im not liking the idea of carrying about 15 OS maps on me all the time, iv been thinking about a GPS? which is the best? how would i upload my route

2. whats your ideal set up for touring? iv got a back panniers what should be packed in them

3. food, iv heard of people doing tours on £5 a day, what do they buy food wise?

4. washing. what do you do about showers? if your on a £5 budget, camp sites are normally more?

5. any other tips for a noobie?

thanks in advance

You seem to have desire but little to no experience. I'd suggest gathering your gear and taking an overnight ride somewhere just to check out your set up. This will answer some of your questions and present others. The only way to get experience is to do some local bike touring.

For the most part, I find bike touring in the UK to be a lot of up and down but services at a reasonable distance. Keep off the A roads. Seek out the country lanes.

In 2011, I rode much of the way from Land's End in England to Fort William in Scotland. It was a fabulous ride, but I spent far more than £5 a day. You can read my journal of that ride, if your looking for a place to start.

Your specific questions.

1. I used the AAA 3 miles to the inch road atlas and then use your smart phone or local maps for larger towns as the AAA atlas isn't good in the bigger towns.

2. Pack your gear in the rear panniers (is this a trick question?). Or, only take as much gear as you can put in the panniers. This is possible if you don't camp or cook.

3. Eating on tour is something I like to enjoy. Scrimp here if you must but be sure to eat enough food.

4. Use hospitality websites like couchsurfing.org or warmshowers.org and take a shower there.

5. Read journals at crazyguyonabike.com, check out this LEJOG forum: https://www.cyclechat.net/forums/land...roats-lejog.9/ , read the CTC touring forum: https://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewforum.php?f=16 .

thanks , i already did a small over night tour to test some of my gear out i guess the main problem iv come across is planning the route this size and how to navigate it,

i dont have a smart phone... why i was thinking of getting a gps?

You don't need a gps or smart phone to plan and follow a route. All you need are decent local maps. Get in advance or as you go.

I enjoy using Google map service to plan a route. I have transferred that to paper maps which I trimmed and taped together into a managable and convenient size. A gps is a luxury and can mislead you if not used cautiously. I do use one.

All you need to know about touring are at the links Ray referenced. Good luck and have fun.

thanks. =] im having a read through the links, im thinking of going for the gps as i dont want to keep buying OS maps, (the total cost of 15 maps will probs equal the cost of a GPS?)

im currently reading though your link, is https://ridewithgps.com/ a good website for planning a route? when i did a quick search i found that most route planners dont do long routes, and then its linking the GPS to the maps. with the planned route on it, is all this easy? also which device would you recomend? i was looking at garmin etrek 20 or 30. is there a better or cheaper option?

sounds like it'll be a good trip.
Here are some ideas for route planning etc...
1. If you do really want a GPS, look for a cheap one on ebay (Garmin Legend/Vista HCX - I bought mine there, second hand for about £100). The Etrex will be fine for what you want... Actually, I have an old Garmin Legend - it's a bit temperamental and doesn't always turn on in the wet/cold, but works OK most of the time. If GPS is not essential (which it isn't for most journeys), then it is fine. If you would like to buy this off me cheap, PM me... (I'm UK-based) as I've got a new one now.
2. You don't need OS map detail... what about buying a cheap road atlas and tearing out the relevant pages
3. Plan a route on google maps and print off several pages to cover the route
4. Just list some of the towns on the route you want to go (and some road numbers, stick to B roads if - possible) and follow road signs / ask people the way. If you've got time and don't have to follow a fixed route, this can be good to discover new areas.
5. Check out Sustrans - there are many national cycle routes and often they are marked so you could just follow those across the country.
6. If you're after route ideas, ask on CTC forum as they're UK-based.

If you like going off-road, consider the Ridgeway for part of the ride... this was my route across south of England (link to GPS track at end)

You won't be able to travel on £5 a day if you stay at campsites. You could camp wild sometimes and sign-up to warmshowers and arrange to stay with people on route. Oats and pasta are best for cheap food. But don't skimp on eating enough!!

You're in England. OS maps are among the best in the world, and the distances from East Anglia to the Lizard are small enough that you could manage perfectly well with a couple of maps.

Navigation is not really a problem. Look at the maps before you start. Check out the areas you want to avoid - greater London will probably be on that list - and figure out roughly how you are going round them, through Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire for example. Then you have a choice. You can draw up a route in great detail, planning in advance exactly where you are going to stop each night, or you can sketch out roughly how much ground you need to cover in the time you have available, and improvise. The latter is usually my approach, I prefer to have the freedom to spend extra time somewhere I find appealing, or divert to look at something of interest that someone has told me about, or whatever. If you are camping, it is frequently possible to simply ask a farmer if you may camp on the fringes of a field or whatever. If you want to spend a few quid for greater comfort, youth hostels or B&Bs. Hostels have excellent facilities these days, though obviously they aren't going to cost £5.

Bear in mind that you are on a bike and can cover a lot of ground. If you miss a turn or get lost for a half-hour, that is not a disaster. The worst that is likely to happen is that you have to ride an extra twenty miles that day to get where you wanted to go. That's pretty trivial. As your confidence increases you may even forget about having a detailed route, and just head off in the general direction that you want to go. This is especially easy to do in England, where there is such a dense network of minor roads signposting is pretty good, and nowhere is very far from the next settlement.

Sounds like a great adventure. Do it and don't be too worried about a lack of experience or expensive kit.

Take a paper map of the South of England for general route planning. You can't carry a full series of OS maps, they are too big and expensive. You could do it on google maps or if you have a GPS.
Your best bet is to use some of the Sustrans routes. These are designed with local knowledge of all the small lanes and trails and the maps are more economical, ie they follow your route.

My basic route planning system is to identify pinch points I have to take, id roads or features I have to avoid, then fill in the details with a local map. I often start the day with only a general direction and no firm route, maybe with the idea of crossing a particular bridge or hitting a small market town for lunch or to visit a tourist site. Sometimes I only start to consider the evening's sleeping arrangements after mid-afternoon.
Cyclist Touring Club (CTC) website is always good for advice as are local tourist info offices and local libraries.

Camping in the UK can be expensive. Commercial sites are usually min £5/day sometimes up to £12 and you have food on top of that. There are websites of small campsites that are usually cheaper. All commercial campsites have showers.
Wildcamping is technically illegal but many people try it. Pick a site that is safe and hidden, arrive late, leave early and be quiet and discreet. You can use bathroom sinks in garages and supermarkets but carry a universal plug.

If you need a good, cheap tent, check out the Gelhert Solo. It is tiny and cheap and should last the journey. Change the steel pegs to aluminium and carry. A big camping store such as Go Outdoors is good value. The Norwich store has almost everything you need in no-name brands.
Cooking will save you money. Avoid the specialist camping dinners except for emergencies. You can use quick cook rice, couscous, noodles and buy tins or fresh veg along the way as you need. You can pick up lightweight cooking kit fairly cheaply or even make your own such as a cat stove. Alcohol stoves are fine for camping and you can pick up methelated spirits anywhere. I use Trangia which is a bit big and heavy by modern standards.

You should be able to manage on 2 rear panniers. A front barbag is good for small bits and as a map holder.
There are plenty of packing lists on the web. Carry enough for a cool, wet evening but be ruthless about excess weight and think dual purpose for your kit. Footwear, tools, cooking stuff, bulk foods all add weight.
Nylon drybags are recommended both for lining cheeper panniers and for racktop carry of sleeping bags. Welded drybags are tougher but more expensive and heavier.
Quick-drying synthetics are your best bet. Polyester T shirts do triple duty for riding, sleeping and everything inbetween. I take 3 pairs of padded shorts because drying can be slow in the UK.
My footwear choice would be a tough running shoe like Silver Shadows and a pair of trekking sandals. Clipless pedals users should opt for a leisure/touring MTB shoe.

ok, thanks for all the help and advice, im going to borrow my mums smart phone for a gps but mainly use a road atlas until i get lost/need more details (its got a poor battery.)

heres my kit list so far. im planning on setting off on Monday the 1st of july

cooking

butane gas bottle x2
screw on burner x1
flint strike x1
pots and pans (2 pots 2 pans, its a billy set)
knife and fork set
tin opener

washing up
sponge x1
tea towel x1
small pot of washing up liquid

personal hygiene

soap or shower gel?
fabric detergent? or could i use showergel? or washing up liquid?
deodorant
wet wipes
toothpaste
tooth brush
nail clippers or scissors?
loo roll
microfiber towel

sleeping

pillow
sleeping bag
carry mat
tent

cloths

t-shirt/cycling top x3
shorts x2
long trousers x1
underwear x5?
pairs of socks x5?
flipflops
trainers (for on the bike)
waterproof trousers
rain coat
warm top

navigation

UK AA road atlas scale 1:250k
smartphone with GPS
compass?

misc

penknife
fishing line
duct tape
pen/pencil
tweezers
sewing kit (needle, thread, scissors (from before))
phone
wallet
radio
spare batteries
ipod
phone chargers
ipod charger
water bottles x2 in cages on bike (need to buy anyone recommend a shop? to get them cheap bottles not cages) for during the day
water bottle 2L (empty, to fill before i stop for wild camping)
camera + lead to link to computers
freezer bags
bin bags
dry-bag (containing clothes and sleeping bag)
food
books
para-cord

bike

tools (Allen keys, multi tool, puncture repair kit)
spare innertubes
lights
bike computer
pump
panniers
bungee cord

is there anything im missing, and things with a ? next to them id like some advice on

all of these things i already own (i used to be a scout)

also on the note of wild camping, iv done my fair share before, just never for a long time or off a bike

thanks in advance

at the moment my route is rough besides the first few days i was going to plan in the morning/ evening with a rough line of where i want to go to

at the moment its

nothwasham (my house)- lowerstoft
lowerstoft-bury st edmunds
bury st edmunds -cambidge
cambridge-oxford
oxford-swindon
swindon-cheddar (its near bristol)via bath
cheddar-bude
bude-truro
truro-lands end
lands end-lizard point
lizard point- truro


this route is not where im planning on staying each night, its just a rough plan of where to head to, thoughts?

and back (either via train or biking, which i might plan the main points later, depends on how my money is holding up (im on a budget of £350)