Road bike with minimal gear credit card touring

katie kookabura has loads of videos on this on YouTube, worth a watch.

ditch the backpack and get a suitably sized saddle pack.

yes, I know, bikepacking etc blah blah blah, but it will make it far more enjoyable, especially in summer

Was thinking of doing 40-50 miles a day, setting off around 7am each morning so im at my destination by midday each day for lunch

By midday? I think you'd be there by 10am.

Each to their own, but I don't really get bikepacking trips with such a minimal amount of cycling.

Research the accommodation and route now! My credit card touring plans took a major hit when I learned just how few and/or expensive accommodation options there were (Scottish Highlands in general, there was a thread about it).

I've now revised plans and have managed to link three hostels together (well, the third one sounds like a bit of a last resort so might become two hostels and a hotel) as my other trip would basically have cost a small fortune and possibly still have required wild camping 🙄

+1 on accomodation being the issue.

Everything else you're in control of - but availability and cost of accomodation you are not.

Cheers for the replies

@Kramer thanks ill take a look

@joB i dont do saddle packs and it wouldnt fit everything in, with a small backpack i can fit everything including my DI2 charger, phone and Garmin charging leads etc.. i do 100 miles a week with backpack so im used to wearing it on the road bike

@Aidy You may be right, i can leave later if i want to or do a little more mileage taking in some more scenery

@13thfloormonk accomodation is no issue, im based in the south so they are tons of Travellodges and Premier Inns around

Im thinking my route would take me through the Southdowns park, North Wessex downs, Cotswolds before looping back via the Chilterns, Surrey hills and back through the Southdowns

i wouldn’t be so sure about that accommodation  - I did KAW last September and 6 weeks prior, there was nothing reasonable availabke at all - ended up a wild camp and a £100 night in Marlborough

Prem inn is only 45 quid on a Sunday, I booked a few nights to do something similar.  Just waiting for cheap train tickets so I can start somewhere different.

Really don’t think accommodation will be an issue

here are all the Travelodge and Premier inns in the area I’m thinking of touring, I’d probably pre book just to be on the safe side

https://flic.kr/p/2pxEoun

https://flic.kr/p/2pxyVr3

For this overnight trip

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/bit-of-a-lakes-adventure-weekend-pictures-addendum/

I just had an Evoc 3L bumbag, 5L drybag on the bars, and a top tube bag for snacks. It was very warm weather though. Had a lightweight compressible puffy jacket but nothing else bulky at all.

YHAs during the week out of school hols can be v. Cheap. For that trip above I think I paid about £20-30 for the bed for the night. Got a whole 8 bed dorm to myself too!

I’ve done this for years with the help from the lovely people at Carradice. The trick to travelling light is mostly the weather. If you can be reasonably confident in not needing loads of layers, then pretty straightforward. Espadrilles have been good for off the bike as they look ok and sit flat in your pack, but with flat pedals you could flip your crocs into sport mode and ride in them!

Will you be able to check in to hotels that early?

@joB i dont do saddle packs and it wouldnt fit everything in, with a small backpack i can fit everything including my DI2 charger, phone and Garmin charging leads etc.. i do 100 miles a week with backpack so im used to wearing it on the road bike

Don't do saddle packs or just don't have one?

Get a saddle pack and/or bar bag and ditch the rucksack for your 100 miles a week, you'll never go back to a rucksack.

Premiere Inns and Travelodges are a bit soulless so I'd look at private hotels with bike storage (or a mixture of the two). More likely to have interesting conversations with the owners/staff and fellow guests IME.

If you have a round seat post, I'd go Topeak MTX Beamrack and bag. Plenty of room for clothes, tools and food. Otherwise a decent Nelson Longflap or Barley and bagman from Carradice. No way would I be taking a backpack on a road bike for touring. Commuting perhaps.

We do this couple of times a year. To be honest, its the booking of bikes onto trains that I find the biggest ball-ache.... (we generally do a linear tour rather than circular)

10L saddle pack containing flip-flops and a change of clothes, 60-80 miles a day (5-6 hours riding), still gives you plenty of spare time.

We've been superlight touring for the past few years. Saddle pack for toothbrush/  evening change of clothes/light duvet jacket, stem cell for grub and one of those little triangular frame jobbies for tools and spares. I carry about 3kg.

In the UK, we default to Premier Inns due to their easy bike in rooms policy but end up using whatever is available hotel/hostel/B&B/AirB&B etc.

We've just booked up to do Route des Grande Alpes from Thon le Bains (south shore of Lake Geneva) to Nice. Drive to the start, dump the car at the hotel, ride to Nice, one way car hire back (to avoid the pesky trains) then drive home. Motley mix of hotels/auberges/B&B's etc. Most expensive is £80 p/p/n most much less.

I do like 'pukka touring' with all the camping clobber but going l/w is a revelation 👍

Have a look at lostlanes.co.uk for route ideas along with various Audax routes to take you on the minor roads.

I'm planning to do this - I'll start with an overnighter. But I want to spend all day riding so I can just check in, crash and order pizza to the room.  That way I don't need a proper change of clothes.  I'll probably take a small frame bag.

I did a 10 day trip like this:

With hindsight I could have travelled quite a bit lighter, but I had spare riding clothes, evening wear (of sorts) and plenty of bits and bobs just in case. Saddle bag was no bother once chugging along. I totally agree with others that (for me) it's preferable to a backpack.