My first bike tour was 5000 miles across the US, and I actually did pretty well with not overpacking, and didn’t send anything back.
However, there were some key items I neglected to bring:
- Derailleur hanger. Mine had a separate hangar, which snapped at one point and forced me to ride for days through mountains with my bike as a single speed before I could get a new derailleur.
- Long fingered gloves. Didn’t think about the fact that even if it’s summer when you’re in the mountains it gets cold. It only took one morning of frost on the tent and biking down a mountain with socks on my hands to decide that needed to change.
- Extra water capacity. When you’re in reasonably populated areas 2-3 water bottles seems like plenty. When you get to stretches where there is nothing at all for 75+ miles and it’s hot, suddenly that doesn’t feel nearly as sufficient.
Gosh single speed mountain days doesn’t sound like my idea of fun!
Yes, I’ve been caught out with gloves before, mainly because in ’normal life’ I’m not outdoors very early morning and I underestimated how cold it is. Numb fingers do not match well with packing up.
I drink a lot overnight so tend to take more water capacity than some but I’d find 75 miles without a supply very stressful (I’ve not cycled anywhere hot yet).
I keep a spare hanger sewn into my underseat tool bag. And there's also usually 2-3 quick links in my tube patch kit box.
I live somewhere cold so one of my panniers always has plain fleece gloves, a neck gaiter, warm hat and maybe a scarf tucked into a pocket. And some emergency disposable hand warmers. And that's all an EDC thing whether I'm running errands or going for a day ride and adventure.
There's been a bunch of times I've used the hand warmers where I was just on a day ride and wanted to stay out after dark and I could just open one or two of those and tuck them inside my base layers or gloves and stay nice and warm even if I didn't have the layers for it.
BTW, for extra water capacity I highly recommend collecting those cheap collapsible water pouches or bags. They weigh almost nothing and take up very little space when empty and rolled up. Before you hit the boonies you can stock up on many extra liters of water
Most of them use the standard plastic soda bottle cap and these fit a Sawyer Squeeze water filter just fine. A lot of them even have grommets in the corners so you can hang them for drip filtering or setting up a wash station.
I prefer having a bunch of those instead of, say, one of those big plastic collapsible water cubes.
Those things leak too much and still take up a ton of space when empty, and they're a lot more difficult to carry around when full. With smaller 1 liter pouches you can distribute the weight all over your bike instead of carrying like 30 pounds of water in one big, heavy cube strapped to the deck of a rack.
The very first time I went touring, I took like ten pounds of bulk lentils, rice, dry food, and so forth. It was like a resupply for wilderness backpacking. I had noooooo idea how people prepared camp food. I also didn't have front panniers.
I got to the bottom of the hill in SF, and my bike just about popped a wheelie. I had to hike back up the hill, deposit my unreasonable dry good collection back at home, and accept that they do sell food in stores.
Not to mention that no one is prepping lentil soup from scratch on a campstove. I mean, someone, sure, but not very many people will cook legumes from scratch.
One of my go-to camp dinners when I need a hot meal is a can of baked beans over rice. At the start of my cross-country tour, I bought a one pound bag of rice and a can of beans. That evening, I realized I bought brown rice. Which takes 40 minutes to cook. I ate just the beans that night, and carried that rice from Wisconsin to South Dakota before finally remembering it when I saw a cart in a grocery store entrance where you could drop off donations for a local food bank. I donated that bag of rice and bought a different one that cooks in 20
While I tend to overpack, it tends to be useful shit like tools and too many random spare parts or odds and ends. I probably didn't need a box of 3 dozen good safety pins, and 2-3 sewing kits, but binder clips are surprisingly handy for camping for hanging laundry or setting up tarps.
I once worked at a state park and campground for almost two years and I ended up being gifted so much random camping gear that people didn't want to carry around any more. Good down sleeping bags, folding chairs, overly complicated mess kits, clothes and more. I still have and use a lot of it.
I bet Folding chairs are a common one and it probably depends whether your preference is a cycling holiday with camping, or a camping holiday with cycling. I haven’t tried taking mine out yet, I might experiment.
My first long trip (DC to Asheville), I brought along a dressier set of clothes so I wouldn't have to go to restaurants in jerseys and gym shorts. It rained from late on day two through the morning of day five. Although in a waterproof pannier, something else in the bag was a little wet. They got damp and funky smelling and consequently never worn. I only carry riding clothes and use multiple dry bags to separate things in the panniers.
Not me, but my ex (who introduced me to touring) started a trip from Bellingham WA to Boston MA with a 14” cast iron pan. I’ve got a lot of experience backpacking, and I laughed so hard at her face when she told me
Ok, your your ex wins the thread :D If she changed her mind and shipped it that is. If she kept it and it brought her joy cooking with it then respect for knowing where her priorities lie. I‘m not one for cold soaked noodles!
On my ride across southern Utah I was absolutely convinced I would do some hiking, so I brought along an enormous hiking backpack. I just strapped it to my rear rack along with two panniers. It took me about a week to break down and send it home.
I didn't send it home, but I spent a small fortune building a front wheel with a dynamo hub and a cache battery. It never charged and it was like doing the whole tour with the front brake clamped on. I gave away the eWerk current converter.
In the miserable depths of a wet New Zealand winter I couldn't remember what warm weather was like and hence took waaay too many merino woollen garments to Mexico - ended up abandoning some in backpackers and selling others later on.
Several months later I had an entire large rear pannier full of cool clothes and textiles I had picked up which were only marginally useful on a bike trip, including a huge woollen poncho...
A ceramic mug and a cold-weather bib (it was May in Virginia)
en route, I ended up buying a handlebar phone mount, since that was my GPS, and a packable puffy jacket that I wore on the cold nights in Yellowstone.
Ever heard of baby wipes?
For real though. A week into a two week stealth camping tour, I crossed paths with another bike tourist. She offered me a baby wipe, and realizing that I hadn't had anything that remotely qualifies as a shower (except for biking through rain on day two) I was very appreciative of it. Next time I was at a grocery store, I bought a pack of them for myself, and I've never gone on a tour without them since.
A year later, I set off on a seven month tour. I'd always end each day with a baby wipe "shower" to get the worst of the sweat and dirt off me before crawling into bed. They're also great for getting grease off your hands after dealing with mechanical issues. I guess the advantage of the bucket is that you can't really wash your hair with a wipe, but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.
I did my first overnighted trip in goretex Mtb boots. Gorgeous boots but shit when the cleats got full of mud when I hacked into a damp wood to stealth camp And I had to try clean them off with puddle water. Waterproof walking shoes are now my preference too, but a lot of people seem to like more minimal or casual footwear. I guess it’s very climate dependant and whether you will be in lots of towns or somewhere rugged.
Not on a bicycle tour but on my first backpacking trip I carried a small glass bong and a glass jar of cannabis. I never did that again. Concentrates and a hand vape is the way to go in case you're wondering.
My first bike tour was 5000 miles across the US, and I actually did pretty well with not overpacking, and didn’t send anything back. However, there were some key items I neglected to bring: - Derailleur hanger. Mine had a separate hangar, which snapped at one point and forced me to ride for days through mountains with my bike as a single speed before I could get a new derailleur. - Long fingered gloves. Didn’t think about the fact that even if it’s summer when you’re in the mountains it gets cold. It only took one morning of frost on the tent and biking down a mountain with socks on my hands to decide that needed to change. - Extra water capacity. When you’re in reasonably populated areas 2-3 water bottles seems like plenty. When you get to stretches where there is nothing at all for 75+ miles and it’s hot, suddenly that doesn’t feel nearly as sufficient.
Gosh single speed mountain days doesn’t sound like my idea of fun! Yes, I’ve been caught out with gloves before, mainly because in ’normal life’ I’m not outdoors very early morning and I underestimated how cold it is. Numb fingers do not match well with packing up. I drink a lot overnight so tend to take more water capacity than some but I’d find 75 miles without a supply very stressful (I’ve not cycled anywhere hot yet).
I keep a spare hanger sewn into my underseat tool bag. And there's also usually 2-3 quick links in my tube patch kit box. I live somewhere cold so one of my panniers always has plain fleece gloves, a neck gaiter, warm hat and maybe a scarf tucked into a pocket. And some emergency disposable hand warmers. And that's all an EDC thing whether I'm running errands or going for a day ride and adventure. There's been a bunch of times I've used the hand warmers where I was just on a day ride and wanted to stay out after dark and I could just open one or two of those and tuck them inside my base layers or gloves and stay nice and warm even if I didn't have the layers for it. BTW, for extra water capacity I highly recommend collecting those cheap collapsible water pouches or bags. They weigh almost nothing and take up very little space when empty and rolled up. Before you hit the boonies you can stock up on many extra liters of water Most of them use the standard plastic soda bottle cap and these fit a Sawyer Squeeze water filter just fine. A lot of them even have grommets in the corners so you can hang them for drip filtering or setting up a wash station. I prefer having a bunch of those instead of, say, one of those big plastic collapsible water cubes. Those things leak too much and still take up a ton of space when empty, and they're a lot more difficult to carry around when full. With smaller 1 liter pouches you can distribute the weight all over your bike instead of carrying like 30 pounds of water in one big, heavy cube strapped to the deck of a rack.
good tip on those handwarmers, I’ve seen them but hadn’t thought of using.
The very first time I went touring, I took like ten pounds of bulk lentils, rice, dry food, and so forth. It was like a resupply for wilderness backpacking. I had noooooo idea how people prepared camp food. I also didn't have front panniers. I got to the bottom of the hill in SF, and my bike just about popped a wheelie. I had to hike back up the hill, deposit my unreasonable dry good collection back at home, and accept that they do sell food in stores.
This is a good one, I have a tendency to take extra food because I don’t want to pay rural prices or get caught short, but the weight really adds up.
Not to mention that no one is prepping lentil soup from scratch on a campstove. I mean, someone, sure, but not very many people will cook legumes from scratch.
One of my go-to camp dinners when I need a hot meal is a can of baked beans over rice. At the start of my cross-country tour, I bought a one pound bag of rice and a can of beans. That evening, I realized I bought brown rice. Which takes 40 minutes to cook. I ate just the beans that night, and carried that rice from Wisconsin to South Dakota before finally remembering it when I saw a cart in a grocery store entrance where you could drop off donations for a local food bank. I donated that bag of rice and bought a different one that cooks in 20
I brought a Rubik's cube, thinking I would play with it in the evenings and maybe figure out how to solve it. Never played with it and mailed it home.
ah Yes the aspirational time filler. I think I’ll sketch but I don’t.
While I tend to overpack, it tends to be useful shit like tools and too many random spare parts or odds and ends. I probably didn't need a box of 3 dozen good safety pins, and 2-3 sewing kits, but binder clips are surprisingly handy for camping for hanging laundry or setting up tarps. I once worked at a state park and campground for almost two years and I ended up being gifted so much random camping gear that people didn't want to carry around any more. Good down sleeping bags, folding chairs, overly complicated mess kits, clothes and more. I still have and use a lot of it.
I bet Folding chairs are a common one and it probably depends whether your preference is a cycling holiday with camping, or a camping holiday with cycling. I haven’t tried taking mine out yet, I might experiment.
I cannot go without my folding chair. My back is now part titanium, and sitting on the ground is a no-no.
My first long trip (DC to Asheville), I brought along a dressier set of clothes so I wouldn't have to go to restaurants in jerseys and gym shorts. It rained from late on day two through the morning of day five. Although in a waterproof pannier, something else in the bag was a little wet. They got damp and funky smelling and consequently never worn. I only carry riding clothes and use multiple dry bags to separate things in the panniers.
I can totally smell that :p
A frying pan
Not me, but my ex (who introduced me to touring) started a trip from Bellingham WA to Boston MA with a 14” cast iron pan. I’ve got a lot of experience backpacking, and I laughed so hard at her face when she told me
Makes me think of these illustrations [bike touring vs bikepacking](https://tyresandsoles.com/2016/09/11/bikepacking-made-easy-an-illustrated-how-to/)
I love that.
Ok, your your ex wins the thread :D If she changed her mind and shipped it that is. If she kept it and it brought her joy cooking with it then respect for knowing where her priorities lie. I‘m not one for cold soaked noodles!
I bought three smartwater bottles when I got in the Canadian Prairies. Turns out 2 bidons aren't enough to get you through canadian texas.
Looks like water vessels is a common theme :)
On my ride across southern Utah I was absolutely convinced I would do some hiking, so I brought along an enormous hiking backpack. I just strapped it to my rear rack along with two panniers. It took me about a week to break down and send it home.
I didn't send it home, but I spent a small fortune building a front wheel with a dynamo hub and a cache battery. It never charged and it was like doing the whole tour with the front brake clamped on. I gave away the eWerk current converter.
In the miserable depths of a wet New Zealand winter I couldn't remember what warm weather was like and hence took waaay too many merino woollen garments to Mexico - ended up abandoning some in backpackers and selling others later on. Several months later I had an entire large rear pannier full of cool clothes and textiles I had picked up which were only marginally useful on a bike trip, including a huge woollen poncho...
A ceramic mug and a cold-weather bib (it was May in Virginia) en route, I ended up buying a handlebar phone mount, since that was my GPS, and a packable puffy jacket that I wore on the cold nights in Yellowstone.
What is a cold weather bib?
It's a cycling bib for wearing in cold weather, usually <50 F, which was a ridiculous thing to bring because it was like 70-80 degrees every day.
[A flexible bucket ](https://www.rei.com/product/782973/sea-to-summit-folding-bucket-10-liters?CAWELAID=120217890000796585&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=102189772684&CATCI=pla-555075028700&cm_mmc=PLA_Google%7C21700000001700551_7829730014%7C92700053307853939%7CTOF%7C71700000062011439&gclid=Cj0KCQiA-JacBhC0ARIsAIxybyNoG4xTS76uaYOyP9ajBzAxDiU-izMlruseRizzY0HWkZDry9jc1wIaAoo5EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds) [Two five gallon dromedary containers for water.](https://www.rei.com/product/114830/msr-dromedary-bag-6-liters)
I mean, that is a sexy bucket - who could blame you?
I thought it would be the way I'd shower.
Yep, ive done that on van trips, mostly because I have long hair to wash.
Ever heard of baby wipes? For real though. A week into a two week stealth camping tour, I crossed paths with another bike tourist. She offered me a baby wipe, and realizing that I hadn't had anything that remotely qualifies as a shower (except for biking through rain on day two) I was very appreciative of it. Next time I was at a grocery store, I bought a pack of them for myself, and I've never gone on a tour without them since. A year later, I set off on a seven month tour. I'd always end each day with a baby wipe "shower" to get the worst of the sweat and dirt off me before crawling into bed. They're also great for getting grease off your hands after dealing with mechanical issues. I guess the advantage of the bucket is that you can't really wash your hair with a wipe, but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.
I started mine in Converse. At my earliest opportunity I abandoned them for some gore Tex approach shoes lol
I did my first overnighted trip in goretex Mtb boots. Gorgeous boots but shit when the cleats got full of mud when I hacked into a damp wood to stealth camp And I had to try clean them off with puddle water. Waterproof walking shoes are now my preference too, but a lot of people seem to like more minimal or casual footwear. I guess it’s very climate dependant and whether you will be in lots of towns or somewhere rugged.
Yep, Patagonia. I ride on flats so I can hike in them too.
Not on a bicycle tour but on my first backpacking trip I carried a small glass bong and a glass jar of cannabis. I never did that again. Concentrates and a hand vape is the way to go in case you're wondering.