Advice for a Newbie Tourer

[bikerwaser]

I wouldn't start by flying somewhere with your bike.

I'd go from your door.

I've cycled down though France and Spain a few times.

Most times I've taken the ferry from Portsmouth to St. Malo. They do a ferry from Plymouth too.
On a couple of occasions i've cycled down to Northern Spain , which is a great ride through the Basque country and back via the Santander to Portsmouth ferry. Again, they also go to plymouth.

Those rides were about 3 weeks or more depeneding on how relaxed my time table was.

Here's my blog of some of the trips i've done :

http://biker-waser.blogspot.co.uk/2014/

[yutkoxpo]

Hi,

So I'm planning on doing my first ever cycle tour this summer

Hi,
It's a pity you haven't come back to answer any questions that were asked such as if you plan on camping, cooking etc. That information itself will have a big impact on the utility of the advice you receive here. (Camping tends to be slower and cooking for yourself also takes up time, unless you can cook while cycling!)

What others have mentioned about daily distance is very valid. Big difference in going for a ride and using a loaded bike to travel.

Very useful too, is the distinction between travelling and touring.

Most important are the multiple suggestions to do a few overnight trips to test yourself, the bike and the gear.

You don't mention how you plan to navigate. Do you plan to use well posted cycle routes, navigate with maps, gps etc? Is your preference for road, off road, cycle path?

Your plan could set you up for the adventure of a lifetime! You might not come back, but stay on the road for as long as you can!
It could also end in terrible failure with a damaged bike on arrival, an unlucky accident or just bad planning and you may never want to get on a bike again!

Most likely it'll be something between the two - A good trip with a few moments of "what the hell am I doing to myself?"

Proper prep will make the first outcome far more likely.

There's a huge risk in flying somewhere & cycling back within a limited time without ever testing yourself if you can do those distances in those conditions.

Personally, I find it not to be pleasant to pass places or people I meet because I do not have the time to slow down. I've seen those people - stressing every moment about where they are, where they're supposed to be. I don't envy them. I'm hardly ever lost, because to me, being lost, means that you're not where you're supposed to be when you're supposed to be there. I often have no idea where I am, but I reckon that I'm supposed to be there.

Putting a bike on a plane can be risky. Damage can stall or end your trip. Even a little damage that needs to be sorted must be done where you are....in a foreign country. How are your language skills? How are your mechanical skills? Not saying you need to have either of these, but you do need a plan in case you need to use them! And what will that do to your timeframe?

There are a lot of circular routes you could do, in the UK, or if you prefer foreign, in Belgium/France/Holland (accessible by ferry). Well posted routes, minimal language issues, good services for cyclists and better weather

My personal experience:
My first bike tour was a river route in Europe, through a company that carried my bags from hotel to hotel
The following year I took my own bike, panniers and biked a tourist route in Germany, self supported, staying in hotels.
My third tour was camping and 6,500 kms to Spain & back. What I learned on trips 1 and 2 as well as several overnight trips to learn (again!) how to camp meant that the big tour was a success.

For comparison, I met 2 guys in Spain, on day 1 of their tour. They had the best of bikes & gear (I felt rather embarrassed standing beside them) but the rain was stumping them. They were calling a minivan taxi, taking their bikes to the next city to catch a train to the airport to take them home. After 1 day!! Ironically, that day cycling through mini-lakes on the paths, mud, warm rain and regular stops for coffee & tapas is one of my more memorable days

Don't give up on the idea..... but do your prep!

[burnley822]

Hi

Cheers for all the responses, I have read them but only just got around to replying thanks to a very busy month.

Based on what people here and a couple of mates from my cycling club have said I've changed my plan slightly, I'm now cycling to Portsmouth, ferry to Santander, cycling to Roscoff (approx 1100km), ferry to Plymouth and then ride home. Ferries and time off work are booked and I'll be departing in just under 3 weeks. I've accounted for a daily distance of approx 50miles/80km. Should be easily doable as a lot of the route is flat as a pancake, allowing for some diversions if I feel like it. And if the going does get tough that's fine by me as I'm quite durable and some of my fondest memories are of type 2 fun .

In answer to some questions, the plan is to camp as much as possible, not a problem for me as I camp regularly. For navigation I'm going to be using my garmin /google maps for the most part, although I will obviously be tempering what they say with some common sense.

Any other comments/questions are still very welcome and I promise to respond quicker than I did this time.

Cheers

Burnley

[mjr]

I wouldn't start by flying somewhere with your bike.

I'd go from your door.

That's great for people who don't have to fit the bike tour into holidays from work, or who can take their work with them, but it's not great for many people, as the two long hard days to reach a port from the Midlands is unlikely to be the best bit of any tour and it seems a shame for that to be the first and last bits... but as mentioned, I have so far let trains and boats convey me rather than flying.

[meejozzz]

As a lot of others have said really. I’ve been following the TDF for 7 days every summer, and have taken to camping in for the past 3 years. I can honestly say the days on which we did 60 miles per day (30 in the morning, 30 in the afternoon!) were the best and most memorable.

The least enjoyable were the days when we banged out consecutive 100 mile days. Exhausted and no down time is just no fun. It’s nog really touring, it’s like a commute but hotter. No real time to enjoy the experience. And certainly no venturing into that little village and watching the last hour of the TDF in a tiny bar tabac, shooting the breeze in pigeon French with the locals.

My advice would generally be: If Google Maps says it’s 50 miles, it really means 65, because something always happens and you will get lost. But that’s part of the adventure.

Whatever happens, enjoy yourself.

[foxyrider]

Having done the 'long slog' a time too many on tour i've seriously cut back what I expect I can cover in a day - the flat road on the map will inevitably have a stupid climb on it, the coffee stop will be 30 moins not 15 and each photo stop adds 5 mins!

An easy way to help sort this is to forget miles, use kilometres - no not convert the distance just the unit! So 100 miles becomes a more manageable 100km and anyway Jonny Furrener only uses KM on his signs!

Personally I prefer to get the bulk of a days distance done before lunch then a relatively short stint to the campsite/hotel so i'm installed by about 5, 6 at the latest. Plenty of time then to explore locally on foot, get showered, get fed, have a beer (or whatever tickles your fancy) before bedding down as it gets dark.

I also try to incorporate at least one off bike day each 7 day period. I've done 2 week tours moving on every day and I end up dizzy! Pick a town with stuff to visit and stop a couple of nights, you'll feel more relaxed for sure.

The other thing I do to add to the enjoyment is give my tours some sort of theme, stuff to look out for / visit. Depending on region i've collected mountain passes, windmills, motor museums, castles, archaeology, breweries, local dishes, railway museums etc etc. Even the 1:100000 Michelin maps have a lot of these things shown so there's no excuse for not looking out stuff that may interest you.

I'd agree on at least doing a kit pack and going for maybe just a short ride. Put your tent and bed up, make sure everything is packed suitably in case it's wet on set up or breakdown. It's quite easy to miss the peg bag or mallet or gas or underwear etc. You will almost certainly end up toting around a bunch of stuff that doesn't get used - some will be essentials like a rain jacket but others could be the radio or book that seem a good idea but you never get to. It takes a few trips to determine your 'optimum' set up. (on my first tour I had spare everything, cables, bar tape, bag fittings and more that quickly got removed from the tour kit list.)

One thing I always do now, after one particular day 1 disaster is carry at least one dried meal, not every campsite is near a restaurant, the shops are closed on Sundays and a problem could mean a late arrival and no food available. Mark my words, a hot day, night without food and another long hot day to follow is not fun,

The most important thing is that you enjoy yourself.

[crazydave789]

good luck and have fun.

personally I'd train it to the ferry as you can take more food with you to save forking out on ferry prices and allow you to settle in at the other end for a few days but that's just me being a tight yorkshireman.

[yutkoxpo]

Having done the 'long slog' a time too many on tour i've seriously cut back what I expect I can cover in a day - the flat road on the map will inevitably have a stupid climb on it, the coffee stop will be 30 moins not 15 and each photo stop adds 5 mins!

An easy way to help sort this is to forget miles, use kilometres - no not convert the distance just the unit! So 100 miles becomes a more manageable 100km and anyway Jonny Furrener only uses KM on his signs!

Personally I prefer to get the bulk of a days distance done before lunch then a relatively short stint to the campsite/hotel so i'm installed by about 5, 6 at the latest. Plenty of time then to explore locally on foot, get showered, get fed, have a beer (or whatever tickles your fancy) before bedding down as it gets dark.

I also try to incorporate at least one off bike day each 7 day period. I've done 2 week tours moving on every day and I end up dizzy! Pick a town with stuff to visit and stop a couple of nights, you'll feel more relaxed for sure.

The other thing I do to add to the enjoyment is give my tours some sort of theme, stuff to look out for / visit. Depending on region i've collected mountain passes, windmills, motor museums, castles, archaeology, breweries, local dishes, railway museums etc etc. Even the 1:100000 Michelin maps have a lot of these things shown so there's no excuse for not looking out stuff that may interest you.

I'd agree on at least doing a kit pack and going for maybe just a short ride. Put your tent and bed up, make sure everything is packed suitably in case it's wet on set up or breakdown. It's quite easy to miss the peg bag or mallet or gas or underwear etc. You will almost certainly end up toting around a bunch of stuff that doesn't get used - some will be essentials like a rain jacket but others could be the radio or book that seem a good idea but you never get to. It takes a few trips to determine your 'optimum' set up. (on my first tour I had spare everything, cables, bar tape, bag fittings and more that quickly got removed from the tour kit list.)

One thing I always do now, after one particular day 1 disaster is carry at least one dried meal, not every campsite is near a restaurant, the shops are closed on Sundays and a problem could mean a late arrival and no food available. Mark my words, a hot day, night without food and another long hot day to follow is not fun,

The most important thing is that you enjoy yourself.

Great advice! Especially the last line!

Once you cross the border into France you can follow the Velodyssey the whole way. Great signposting, easy to follow & lots of bike facilities.
You can catch a train across the Spanish/French border if you want to avoid the mountains. If not, pick your route there carefully.

Have a great trip!

[whoof]

Hi

Cheers for all the responses, I have read them but only just got around to replying thanks to a very busy month.

Based on what people here and a couple of mates from my cycling club have said I've changed my plan slightly, I'm now cycling to Portsmouth, ferry to Santander, cycling to Roscoff (approx 1100km), ferry to Plymouth and then ride home. Ferries and time off work are booked and I'll be departing in just under 3 weeks. I've accounted for a daily distance of approx 50miles/80km. Should be easily doable as a lot of the route is flat as a pancake, allowing for some diversions if I feel like it. And if the going does get tough that's fine by me as I'm quite durable and some of my fondest memories are of type 2 fun .

In answer to some questions, the plan is to camp as much as possible, not a problem for me as I camp regularly. For navigation I'm going to be using my garmin /google maps for the most part, although I will obviously be tempering what they say with some common sense.

Any other comments/questions are still very welcome and I promise to respond quicker than I did this time.

Cheers

Burnley

Sounds like it will be a really good ride.

One observation about a lot of the route being pan flat, the first chunk isn't.

A suggested route Santander to Irun from Cycletravel 250 km 3000m climbing, if you follow the coast 260 km and 4200 km. I've ridden in this area and it's up one hill, over the top, descend and straight back up again. With a loaded tourer I'm plodding along as soon as the road goes up on these often pretty steep climbs.
It's still a lovely place to ride just don't think the first 250 km or so will be a doodle. The campsite at Mundaka (near Bermeo) has great views out over the estuary.

[MrsHJ]

as some have already said you need to go on some mini tours to get a feel for what it is like carting a lot of gear on your bike day in day out, you might revise your mileage

I didn't do this for my first touR and even now I can remember the sudden sensation of leaden bike! I flew down to Nice to join a friend who'd been at a conference there and was going to cycle home. Four of us did the trip and it was pretty mind blowing for the inexperienced cyclist that I was. Climbing out of nice really hurt but a couple of days later we cycled the gorges of verdun after traversing the gorgeous Var region and it all started to make sense.