Need company: first tour, in Europe in 2015, but not on my own
 

Short version:
Have - time, money, legs, enthusiasm for route design, pedaling, blogging.
Lack - company, bike&equipment, touring experience.

Long version:
I'm a 32yo telecom engineer, patent examiner, game designer, and sports addict. Having spent most of my life in the saddle, and fortunate enough to have gone on 3-month long holidays once before (see Burczymucha's Traveler Profile - TravelPod), I'd love to try some touring now. The only condition is that I have zero interest in doing it alone, and while I love my friends to bits, none of them would ever find the time. Thus need some company.

That being said, I'm very flexible on the exact time (spring-autumn 2015), the duration (1-3 months), the size of the group (2-infinity), the pace (50-150km daily), the style (camping+cooking or hotels+restaurants), and even the route.

I live in the Hague, but love climbing and the history of professional cycling, so the no-brainer default would be to go south from here via Delta Works, experience parts of Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix, then join Eurovelo 3 to Lourdes, climb le Tourmalet, and finish off with the classical Camino de Santiago. But if you insist on travelling from Lisbon to Athens, or have just designed your very own Giro d'Italia, I could be very easily talked into either!

Now I'm well aware sane people do not usually plan so far in advance, but like I said, company is key here. So I'm posting this all over the planet hoping some people like the idea, even if they can't/won't commit 12 months in advance. (Hell, maybe by this time next year I'll be going out with Natalie Portman, in which case screw you losers!) But in principle: the bigger the group, the bigger the chances of this actually happening (or maybe even meeting in advance to see if we can stand each other's company), which would then give me plenty of time to buy the bike/tent/GoPro, inform the boss, agree on a route etc.

Please react via email: kazaniecki.daniel@gmail.com
Any feedback/advice/encouragement welcome!
Feel free to write in Spanish/German/Polish, or Dutch/French if you must.

You don't have a bike? You're Dutch!

I took two fully supported trips in Europe with tour companies that provided everything except the helmet and clothing. They had a van and trailer to haul luggage to hotels and a tour guide or two on bikes with the customers. Trips were only 6 days, not weeks or months, but that would be an excellent way to start. Skill level of the customers varied greatly but we all got along and had a great time.

I have done several self supported loaded touring trips (with camping gear) in USA with a former co-worker. The first one was 4 days, the last one was 39 days. It is best to start out short, work up from there. I also took one loaded self supported trip in USA with Adventure Cycling, but that type of trip assumed you knew what you were doing and had some experience.

To be honest with you, I can't imagine anyone wanting to commit to doing a long trip with an novice that they do not know. Even if it is someone you know well, still it is best to start out short in case you find too many incompatibilities.

Since you have some funds available, talk to some tour companies and see what they say about the best way to get started.

Update: if there's going to be a tour (and it's starting to look like a big IF), it'll prolly be The Hague - Zagreb via Belgium, north France, Germany, Switzerland, maybe Austria, Italy, and Slovenia. Sometime around July 25 - August 28. Still no bike or company found, and the latter remains the ultimate decider.


I'm not Dutch, and I have three bikes. Just not a touring bike just yet :)


Thanks for the advice, but those tour companies aren't what I have in mind. And I have done a zillion 1-week tours, just never a really long one, so I hope others won't see me as a complete novice :)

I really like these folks . . . And will be doing two weeks with them this summer:

Cycling France: Cyclomundo is a France-based Tour Operator that specializes in guided and self-guided bicycle trips

Have you tried advertising on college notice boards in the Hague. Strikes me it'll be either retired people or people in education who'll have the time for a month+ cycle tour.

All failing you could try this in September next. Only twelve days but better than nothing. Group Cycling Holidays in france, Guided Bicycle Tours in France Breton Bikes is a small company run by an English family in Brittany, France who supply everything plus a heap of good advice. This is their end of season wind down group tour. Book early as places are limited. Great website too.

I started touring with Breton Bikes back in 2000 when I did a self guided two week tour with a group of people who'd never met before. Don't think they do that type any more but they're still a great low cost alternative to the more expensive all-in led tours.