Cycling

Planning a cycling trip

What this page covers

This page gathers stories about travelling by bicycle: loaded touring on roads, bikepacking on gravel and trails, and multi-day rides of every length. The headlines come from cycling blogs and travel publishers, and each links back to the original.

Touring or bikepacking

Traditional touring bikes carry panniers on racks and suit paved roads and long distances. Bikepacking uses frame, seat and handlebar bags on a lighter setup that handles rough tracks better but carries less. Neither is better; choose by the surface you will spend most of your time on. Long-distance route networks such as EuroVelo in Europe are a good starting point for a first trip.

Getting the bike there

Airlines usually treat a bike as special baggage, often in a box or bag, with fees and size limits that differ between carriers. Trains vary even more: some carry bikes freely, some need a reservation, and some high-speed services only take a bike that is boxed or folded. Check the rules for each leg before you book, not at the platform.

Distance, weather and repairs

Plan days by climbing and surface as well as distance; a short day in the mountains can take longer than a long one on the flat. Prevailing winds and seasonal weather make a large difference over a multi-week ride. Carry the tools and spares to fix a puncture, a broken chain and a snapped spoke, and practise the repairs at home.

Where to sleep

Cycle tourists mix campsites, wild camping where it is allowed, hostels and guesthouses. Rules on wild camping vary widely between countries and even between regions, so check before you pitch a tent. Hospitality networks for touring cyclists, where hosts offer a bed or a patch of garden to passing riders, are popular in many countries and a good way to meet local riders.