So just split up with my longterm girlfriend, so what better time to plan an adventure she would of hated for next summer; a bike tour.

I’ve got a 35mm tyred, 3×9 geared pompetamine I use for commuting which would be ideal for touring, some panniers and a small light tent. I’m practically fully set for a tour gear wise I think.

Inspired by that Camino thread; pass on your tales of warm touring, local cheap red wine and camping in remote beautiful locations.

Over to you…

Your’e being far too sensible. Go to Thailand & get laid by loads of scratters. Don’t forget the blobs.

North sea cycle route – if you like beer and Belgian waffles, you’ll have a great time. Really popular route too, so even if you’re on your tod, there’s always some fellow nomads to chat to at campsites.

‘Blobs’ , just sprayed my ovaltine over the iPad! Haven’t heard that for years!
If I was single, kid less and 20 years younger I’d jack my job and bike round the world scruff, why not give it a pop!

I spent a couple of weeks touring round central Sweden years ago. It was the summer, warm days, relaxed locals quiet roads, lakes to swim in that were warm. The only problem was the price of the booze and coming out of a youth hostel to discover the front of my bike had been nicked over night. So like anywhere don’t leave posh bikes on display. Common sense
Oh and the beers well expensive!

I did some touring in Peru last year. Was too roady for me, waaaay too roady, but it’s a stunning country with a lot of scope for road/gravel touring.

Coast to coast USA?

I’ve just come back from a week of riding through hungary, serbia and Bulgaria…I was going fast and light so didn’t do much sampling of the ride wine etc but it was definitely warm and super cheap.

Not the most inspiring riding in serbia if I’m honest but some pretty cool stuff over in bulgaria if you’ve got slightly fatter tyres than the 28mm I was riding.

But a much better tour if you’ve got the cash for the flights would be to fly into Mexico and ride down to Panama City. I did that (as part of a much bigger ride) a while ago and it was awesome. Really cheap, people were really friendly and the food is great. Had some funny nights on the mescal too…

Another good one is the west coast of the US. Or…do my current dream ride…The Tour Divide. 2500 miles off road

I toured across europe on a pomp wirh a bodged in alfine. When do you want go? And for how long? My advice, go as light as you can and go far. People are friendly so make friends!

France is fun, friendly and mostly empty.
Like Northumberland with better weather.

So, Bol 2015.
Linky.

We’re hoping to go my mo’bike.
But it could just make the perfect cycle trip.

A mate is moving out to Cyprus in a few weeks so i’ve told him i’m heading out to visit him with my Tripster next April, i was originally going to go for 3 weeks and tour the island but since looking at a map last night i cannot see why i should not tell my work that i will be heading off next April and i will not be back till i manage to cycle home to Scotland – however long that takes.

I’m thinking of following the Medditernian Coastline as close as possible starting off in Cyprus/Turkey/Greece/Albania/Montenegro/Bosnia/Croatia/Slovenia/Round Italy,/France/Round Spain/Portugal/Spain/France/England/Wales/England and finally back across the border to Dumfries & Galloway .

It looks very doable on the map………… 😀

Idaho Hot Springs loop or/& the Pacific coast of the US

Amazing landscape, you are bound to meet other riders on the coast. IHS is mostly on gravel roads but we met guys on touring and CX bikes riding it.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/MCandBoblogoHotSpringingaroundIdaho

Tour Divide without a doubt.
What an adventure that would be.
Might need a different bike though. 🙂

Seems a long time ago now, but Mrs Stoner and I had a wonderful adventure on our ss pompinos.
http://pompinos.blogspot.co.uk

No given it much thought as when to go; I have a couple of marathons booked in for May & June so most likely head off fortnight in July.

Quite used to heading off by myself: I go away sailing solo for a few weeks each year so used to striking up convo’s with other wanderer’s; its part of the appeal and I have met all sorts.

I would love to head off for longer. If I could I would load the boat for a circumnavigation but finances would be tight; not sure I could accumulate enough sustenance money to support myself for a year in space of 6 months. That’s before thinking about my mortgage…

So for the time being it is thinking about 2 week European cycle tour.

This is on my 2015 list: http://viadinarica.com

I’ve done a couple of short trips to Iceland, but would like to go back and ride round the island. I think that’d be more like a good 3 or 4 weeks though?

Met a couple of blokes in E Africa this summer who were doing Cape Town to Cairo in legs over a few years. The day we saw them, they we’re riding through Mikumi NP on their way to Dar…..right through the NP, where from the main road through the car windows you see plenty of BIG wildlife. Looked like a proper adventure!

romania looks alright.

301 Reasons Why You Should Visit Romania

+1 adds Romania onto my trip home from Cyprus……..

Stoner : Holy shit!….was that really 8+ years ago?………..I remember following your blog and posts on here regarding your pompino trip………..right that’s it.. i’ve done sod-all exciting in the past few years so i’m going to tell work t’morn i plan on taking at least a few months off next year to go and play on the bike.

Stoner – Member

Seems a long time ago now, but Mrs Stoner and I had a wonderful adventure on our ss pompinos.
http://pompinos.blogspot.co.uk

One of the first things I remember enjoying on here.

You need to get out more.
🙂

Did this a few years ago, best thing we’ve ever done.

http://journeysbybike.wordpress.com/

Check these guys out for some off-road inspiration in South America.

These guys have just published loads on European adventures.

http://gypsybytrade.wordpress.com/

Just pick your adventure an go, you’ll never regret it

Sounds like a good reason to get some trip plans in mind..
And this thread needs more pictures!

The easy, no planning needed tour? Maybe something like my first touring trip, done on my MTB with slicks, a bar bag and a rack-pack. Took the European Bike Express to Grenoble. Headed for the Alps to explore. Simple and hugely enjoyable, no plans apart from the Alps and the end point. Rode to the Gorge du Verdon and flew back from Nice. It was hot, I spent most mornings drinking good coffee looking up at amazing peaks while checking a map on where to go that day and I didn’t book any accommodation, just found a BB or Gite d’Etape each evening. Packed a good book and maybe 12-13lbs of basic kit inc a change of clothes. Have loved cycling in France ever since and after riding further afield I still think Europe and the Alps is really hard to beat.
A few pics from the second ride I did like this, just a road bike and a small rucsac with ~10lbs in it, credit-card touring for 8 days –

Ecrins national park

Croix de Fer

Cime de la Bonette

i’m going to tell work t’morn i plan on taking at least a few months off next year to go and play on the bike.

F yeah, that’s the way to do it. Call it and do it : )

i did the baltic countries. Started in Vilnius (cheap flights, old city) and went east along the Russian border to Nida. Crossed over the lagoon and followed the coast into Latvia onto Riga. From there, the trip was cut short and i spent a couple of days in Tallinn before going home to …. Helsinki.

The Baltics had…
– great, hearty food
– cheap prices
– good roads in Lithuania and Estonia
– castles
– breweries everywhere, selling great beer
– beaches full of Russian swimwear models

If i had to do it again, I’d also look at spending some time in Belarus, Sweden, Åland and the Russian Enclave.

Tuscany Trail:

http://www.bikepacking.it/en/event/tuscany-trail

My wife and I are going to do it next year (not part of the event)

somafunk – Member
Holy shit!….was that really 8+ years ago?

Rusty Spanner – Member

You need to get out more.

Dont you two start 😉

TBF that trip did change things. Oddly enough our elder son turns….8….next month 😉

There are two of them now.

We’ve still had our adventures thanks to Clink’s campervan – we must have slept in it over 200 nights in the last 7 years and 70,000 miles.

A new phase is underway, cant say any more just yet, but Im sure I’ll have something to say in the new year 🙂

I think your first priority is to get the ‘sexercism’ over and done with!

For riding in the Americas, excellent photography and gear tips, you can’t beat Cass Gilbert’s blog:

http://www.whileoutriding.com

I’m genuinely sad that his journey is over after following it for 4 years…

i’m going to tell work t’morn i plan on taking at least a few months off next year to go and play on the bike.
F yeah, that’s the way to do it. Call it and do it : )

Let’s see what sort of response I get when I mention it today 😀

F yeah, that’s the way to do it. Call it and do it : )

Yay! for vicarious freedom! 😀

http://richardlldavies.wordpress.com/

My trip from Vancouver to Mexico a few years back

what @jameso did – i did it too!

Why wait until next summer? head to new zealand and do it now, avoid some of winter and go enjoy. NZ is the most beautiful country I’ve ever been to.

I enjoyed the Atlas Mountains, Morocco…

Get a flight to Chiang Rai in Thailand, then head out on your bike in a roughly north easterly direction via Laos until you reach the Chinese border in NE Vietnam. Should be able to do this in maybe three weeks, but two months would be much more of an experience.

Yay! for vicarious freedom!

Nothing vicarious in it, I don’t have kids and have an understanding employer so can generally do the same : )
A friend’s partner said a while ago that he though there are too many gunners in life. ‘Gunners?’
‘yeah, I’m gunna do this, gunna do that, but they never actually do much..’
And a rider I have a lot of respect for told me about BMX rules. ‘If you call it, you do it’. No messing about. Both good points for getting the extra stuff that really means something in life done (when you don’t have kids). Has also meant me biting off more than I could chew at the time and seeing it through 😀

+1 for tonyplym’s suggestion – or something similar. Sappa to Hanoi the long way round is a mind-blowing route doable unsupported in around 8-10 days without busting a gut. No need for a tent as towns are conveniently spaced and locals very hospitable (if a little surprised). Could take the tent as back-up – just watch out for snakes.

Reading this at the moment, it’s not the greatest book in the world (it’s quite noticeably a series of daily blog posts stuck together) but it’s fairly enjoyable and might give you some ideas if you fancy a trip from the UK to Italy:

Just lost over an hour to that http://gypsybytrade.wordpress.com/ blog!

Hoping to do a two-week tour next June with my partner, was thinking something comparatively straightforward like gradually heading down to Italy down the France-Germany border but after reading that blog and some of the posts here, it seems a bit tame…

I went on a 9 month trip of a lifetime with my partner.

We split up when we got back.

Go alone, see what/who you find en-route.