Give me some inspiration. Tell me about your cycle tours : Experiences, ups, downs, routes, costs,kit.
I've been thinking about doing a 3 - 6 month cycle tour for a while now. I'd love to cycle from the UK to Nepal and see Everest.
Has anyone here quit their job and gone on a 1 year + tour?
5,000 km
73 kph top speed (45mph)
0 punctures
0 mechanicals
Average speed about 21 kph (will do maths later)
Average distance about 80 km per riding day.
65 days riding out of 75 ish.
dirtygirlonabike and mustard from STW-land are currently on tour for about a month... http://pescetarianrevolutions.wordpress.com/
Not sure I could handle being away from home for 3 months or more.
I recognise the Cathedral at Santiago do Compostela there, did you do the Camino de Santiago? I quite fancy doing that on bikes, from home through France to Pau (where I lived) then along the Camino to Santiago (where I also lived) but would need to use B&Bs as I'm too soft to camp 
Mcmoonter has just done the Trans America.
this is my blog of Vancouver to Mexico this time last year.
we followed the camino route a little bit back from santiago going east (against the flow) as far as Logrono, but it was only a short part of the whole route which went:
Santander, north coast west to fisterra, back across to Logrono, down west side of pyreness to Berga, over pyreness at Prats de Mollo, med coast at Collioure, round to Quillian for R&R, then across to Millau, north to Le Blanc, some time on the Loire, east to Sancerre, north to Normandy beaches and home.
I like abit of touring myself. Only 2 weeks at a time recently tho. Touring by bike can be tieing - you have to find somewhere secure for the bike and luggage when you park - makes going into museums and stuff a little tricky sometimes.
I like a mountainbike hybridised for touring - like the riding position and the gear range. Good luggage adn a well sorted comfy bike help greatly
2 weeks in the Netherlands
http://www.flickr.com//photos/25846484@N04/sets/72157624977918769/show/
a week around the highlands offroad
http://www.flickr.com//photos/25846484@N04/sets/72157605318858779/show/
Had a Dutch bloke called Peter stay here last year. He hadn't been home in 6 years. When I asked where he was headed next, he said Italy but it was via, the Lake District, the Highlands, Ireland, South coast of England and France ... reckoned he'd make Italy sometime within 18 months.
He had a budget of £5 per day which included everything. Obviously when he travelled in the poorer parts of the world he didn't spend £5 a day so was able to spend a bit more when in the 'West'.
I've never met a happier, more content person.
Danish section of the North Sea Cycle Route
Would love to do the whole thing in one go but will have to settle for doing it in sections a week or so at a time.
Tried to cycle round Iceland in June, taking in as much off road stuff as possible. Snow stopped us heading north, and ash put a stop on the anti-clockwise route. Still, got to spend 2 weeks taking in all of the South West... some pics here:
http://www.flickr.com/leedsvegas
also did 5000km on a pompino last year (but with gears....) from Oxford to the Black Sea. Check out crazyguyonabike site too, lots of cool inpirational stories on there (inc. mine, Botleytotheblacksea...)
looks good ollie - will read that later.
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=1r4vFZo&page_id=162034&v=Np
Crazyguyonabike for inspirational stories indeed!
I did about 5 weeks over to Budapest from the UK last summer. There is something magic about being self sufficient on a bike. Carrying your tent and possesions with you and setting up home every night after traveling under your own steam is very rewarding.
I'd have gone further but I thought I better get a job again, although I'm fighting the urge to go off again further, on a daily basis...
Something I always say when these threads come up, pack light. If you wanted luxury you wouldn't be traveling on a bike. Go light, go faster, go further, see more!
fourbanger. how much is light?
How heavy was your tent? Do ppl get away with a tarp and bivi or does that get a bit much if you're off for 3 months?
Tricky
Never been away much more than 3 weeks,but for me ,
comfort was the key thing on the long days,so whatever bike you are going to use ,get it well set up and tested out on local rides.
I don't like carrying masses of stuff ,so rather than going OTT on super light kit ,just have a good think about what you are really going to need ,and pack smart.
I have done the posting stuff ahead on some trips ( road ),and that has worked well for me.
Looking forward to a lot more touring (on and off road)next year.
Ooooowww am all excited now 
I am looking at trailers now 
our two man tent weighed 1.1Kg
What a great thread!
haggis, i got myself a carry freedom trailer this year (recommended by one graham obree no less) and i have to say it was rather brilliant. haven't used it off road tho.
I used a BOB trailer and it was brilliant, managed a top speed of 44.6mph which was a bit alarming met a brilliant couple who were pulling a BOB behind a carbon Cervello.
Got mine for peanuts off fleabay, the bloke was gutted it went so cheap.
If you look up "Home is where the bike is" on Crazyguyonabike you will read my friends amazing adventures.
One rule to bike touring is that there are no rules, I think that is the most important thing I learned.
Oh and yes get the best tent you can afford, tarp wont cut it unless you are utterly fundamental and on a mission.
If you have not toured before, I would recommend doing some short trips (even long weekends) to get a feel for it before embarking on a big expedition. You'll carry pretty much the same gear for 6 months as you will for a 1 week tour. That way you can try out your gear and see what works for you, and what you really need to take with you.
Having said that, while I was cycle-touring around Europe a few years ago, I bumped into this couple:
Banchory to the Bosphorous
They were on their very first cycle-tour (and were not even experienced cyclists) and hoping to get to Turkey. In the end, they enjoyed themselves so much they kept going, and were still riding five years later (in Indonesia). The blog hasn't been updated for a while, so not sure if they have come home yet.
I would recommend travelling as light as possible, starting with a good lightweight tent, sleeping bag and mat. Some cycle-tourists seem to carry ridiculous amounts of gear these days (especially with trailers) but for most people the classic 2 front and 2 rear pannier combination is ideal. If you are going to cycle to Nepal, you will find yourself far away from conventional campsites and accommodation for a lot of the journey, and if you travel light and compact, it is easier to get the bike off the road into quiet and interesting wild camping spots.
As mentioned in previous posts, there are no rules. Give it a go and have fun.
For more long distance inspiration, how about Heinz Stucke? He set off in 1962 and hasn't got home yet.
More Heinz Stucke
Not exactly touring, more an epic, my mate Andy :
I'm formulating a plan to do a lap of the UK...
Great photo's! And I think I'll settle down tonight for some cycle touring blog reading
I've only done week-long UK tours so far, but they've been fab, especially the coastal ones round north Devon and the Llyn Penisula. Would love to do more, but my touring buddies have settled down to family life and my other biking friends are dyed in the wool mtb'ers and wouldn't be seen dead with panniers! So if anyone wants a touring buddy, let me know. Or maybe it's time for a STW get-together cycle tour
re: formulating a plan to do a lap of the UK...
there is a book, cant remember the name of the author, doing exactly this. It looked really cool so I bought a copy for my mum!
I've been writing up some of my shenanigans in a wee blog - and I've included some stuff I did in the past. Feel free to have a nosey around..
I really want to get into this - got a Kaffenback which should do the job though it's a little heavy. Want to build up to one day doing something really silly.
Will check out everyone's pics and blogs later.
trickydisco, my kit list was something like this:
Living:
Tent, I got this (http://www.livefortheoutdoors.com/Gear-Reviews/Search-Results/Tents/Wild-Country-Aspect-2-2010/) which was ace. Not the lightest, I could have shed a kilo here, but it had enough room to cook and would have been fine for 2 people.
3/4 length therma rest
1-2 season sleeping bag
Cotton bag liner
Soap (detol, the bunisness) for cleaning everything, including clothes)
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Tiny travel towel
Head torch
Opinel
Clothes off the bike:
Flipflops
Board shorts
1 Tshirt
Wooly hat
Clothes on the bike:
Cycling shorts 1
Longsleeve 200 weight icebreaker with collar and zip. Good in all conditions and keeps the sun off.
Mavic cycling Jacket
Cheap Aussie cotton brimmed hat. Sunnies.
Buff
Cycling shoes
Gloves
Short socks 2 pairs (the luxury!)
Tools/Spares:
Spokes, front/rear
Spoke key
Park multitool
Small pair of pliers
8mm allenkey bought route (useless square taper!)
Wheel spanner
Everything was chossen to be of use on and off the bike. The Aussie hat kept the sun off, rain off and you can soak it to keep cool. I don't like suncream or sunburn so I keep covered up. The long sleve icebreaker kept the sun off my arms and neck, could be undone to cool off or done right up to keep warm and didn't need (too much!) washing!
If I got cold, the merino went on, the T shirt went on, the jacket went on as did the hat and buff. I was still in shorts and flipflops mind but my legs are tough from years on the bike!
To be fair I was in europe in the summer, but we did get a few cold days and a few days of rain. Going further afield you'd need more, but probably only shoes, trousers and fleece.
Started with a stove, but that soon went back. You can generally find food anywhere, just keep some spares incase you run short. You can go a long way on nuts and chocolate though!
Thats the minimum I think you can get away with without being a cycling tramp. Proably 10 - 15kg max. I got all that in 2 small rear panniers and a bar bag, nothing on the rack apart from the odd bottle of wine or BBQ!
Anyway, ramble over. You go away to get away from it all, so leave all the clutter at home and free yourself!
TSY - there's a book called "Cycling Around Scotland" which covers a fair part of what you're planning. Let me know if you'd like to borrow my copy.
Kcr
Some cycle-tourists seem to carry ridiculous amounts of gear these days (especially with trailers) but for most people the classic 2 front and 2 rear pannier combination is ideal.
Yup, I get what you are saying,and have seen the 'everything and the kitchen sink brigade' ,creeping along the roads.
The reason ( and just shout at me if you think this is daft )that I have started thinking about trailers(even though I have not used one),is that I feel if I need 4 panniers worth of gear,then I would rather tow it. My thinking is that there may be less punctures and it will feel more comfortable riding with everything 'off the bike'.
I am going to borrow a friends trailer for a weekender soon, and see how it goes 
I used an extrawheel (old style no longer made) trailer with nothing on the bike. I'd do the same for any future tours.
With the trailer I was still conscious of not overdoing it on the weight, but didn't have to worry quite so much about the bulk. So I carried the fairly light but bulky stuff (2 thermarests, 2 sleeping bags, tent, trangia and cooking stuff but not food)
Excellent thread! I've just been reading through some of the blogs
I can't match some of the epics above, but a good couple of weeks tour, as unplanned as possible, is my idea of a good holiday.
This year was 14 days in Tuscany, pointing myself at whatever looked interesting, camping, wild camping and treating myself to the odd hotel or B and B now and then. Covered 1000km in the time and loved every minute!
I did post a few blogs and photos if anyone is interested.
I'd thoroughly recommend it as a place for a bike tour; there's not many times in my life I'll wake up to a view like this from a roadside camping pitch
My girlfriend and I rode the TransAm this summer. 4300 miles across ten states. I had never been on more than a two week ride before. Self supported touring is huge fun. You see stuff and meet people you'd never encounter by car. Camping for the most part on our trip was free. We also stayed in fire stations, city parks, churches and on the homes of random people who took us in.
We thought our ride was epic until we visited the Adventure Cycling Association HQ in Missoula MT. They take a mugshot of you and pin it to a board with details of your route. There was a guy from Glenrothes (ten miles from where I stay in Fife) who was riding from Vancouver to Argentina who had been in the day before.
Go for it.
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/myphotos
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/8912
Hoosier Pass 11500 feet in Colorado
Done the Colorado trail back in the day.
Few road tours in uk and europe too.
some truly inspring stories there *thumbs up*
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