Is touring actually enjoyable?

[gbnz]

The touring reality , Having not been on "tour" for 3 years, felt fantastic to head off on the second, thought about, but unplanned, tour (Nb. 3-5days, haven't had 8-9 months on tour since 2008). Everything looked fantastic, but........

A continuous, blasting headwind, knocking 10-12mph off the downhill speed. A slogging 9-11 hours on the bike to try and cover 70 miles! (4 Hr's on a decent ride). Arrive at locations, to find the campsites closed, the campsite only hosts "static" caravans, though some farmer will charge you £20, to sleep in a boggy field without any facilities, other than a semi operating toilet. Diet and meals, whatever can be carried. Had enough on both occasions to jump on a train home, after no more than three days, the Dales & Lakes may be scenic, but it wasn't enjoyable.

But having got two road bikes out after 8 years on a tourer. Incredible, I'd totally, utterly "forgotten" how light, fast, incredible handling a road bike has, spinning through a corner at 30mph, the bike at a 30 degree angle. Doing a quick 100 miles just happens.. And purely by chance, had a new approach to "touring" this year, where jumping on the train with the road bike, gives a decent 100-140 mile ride through different terrain. Perhaps a two day tour, doing 250 miles back home at the end of a train ride, is an alternative approach

Anyone else find cycle touring can be a hard, expensive (Nb. If camping in the Lakes), unpleasant experience?

[mattheus]

A slogging 9-11 hours on the bike to try and cover 70 miles! (4 Hr's on a decent ride).

I think you need a new watch.

[mjr]

I find touring enjoyable: 40-50 miles most days (to allow for bad weather and mechanical trouble, or visiting things if neither of those happens; but a long hop first or preferably last day is acceptable to avoid spending a whole day in my usual riding area), no camping, café and restaurant food or picnics, picking wimps-style routes through hilly areas like the Dales or Peaks, always with bailout/catchup train/taxibus options vaguely available.

I've done 60+ mile mid-tour days on a touring bike. I saw quite a bit of good stuff along the way but then didn't have time to see much of the city I stayed in... and when I turned onto a cobbled street just before the overnight stop, I was about ready to throw the bike in the hedge. I'm not doing that again, so now 40 is the aim.

So-called credit-card touring on a road bike is OK but something different for me IMO. If I'm going that fast, I'm concentrating on the road too much to really be a tourist looking around. That seems like it's more for when you want to get there rather than get full value out of the journey... and if you're that keen to get there, why not use the bike to link trains and get there faster, possibly faster than a car can and definitely greener? Still fun and probably more impressive to the casual bystander than usual tourism.

[al_yrpal]

Headwinds can be horrid on any ride, doesnt have to be a tour.

Nothing wrong with credit card touring, a bit more civilized than camping and a lot less weight to drag along.

Every tour I have done has been fun, some more than others. Getting soaked on 7 out of 9 days was still fun.

Al

[gbnz]

to avoid spending a whole day in my usual riding area),

Think that's the main reason for my touring :wink. : .

Purely by chance I tried "credit card" touring this year (February) I.e. A supercheap £5.60 train 100 miles away, for a decent ride back. It is about the ride, but seeing the landscape, post glacial plains, stunning avenue of beech tree's in a desolate environment, with an unanticipated memorial garden to 1st world war dead (Nb. In an empty pastoral landscape.). As was hitting 40.5mph on an empty "A" Road, superb road finish, sightlines, miles covered at speed, with the hills dominating the horizon.

Much better than slogging against gale force head wind yesterday, steep gradients, pot holed road, farmer effectively wanting £20 for use of a toilet overnight (Nb. If he'd thrown in drinking water for that price, it may of seemed better value)

[gbnz]

A slogging 9-11 hours on the bike to try and cover 70 miles! (4 Hr's on a decent ride).

I think you need a new watch.

A Watch? I've heard about those, weren't they around in the last century. Apparently people used to wear them on their wrist and years ago, they used to wind them up

[simonineaston]

It's a challenge.

[ossie]

I've had many occasions when I've "struggled" but its one of those hobbies where you tend to look back and reminisce about the good bits and forget about the bad bits (of which there are plenty).

I've met people on tour who look like they're having a nightmare but still have a smile on their face. You get good days and bad days.

Wind, rain, mechanicals, cycling all day to a specific camp site and find it closed years ago (France is littered with these). Borderline hyperthermia going over the Pyrenees in June, yet a lovely day followed cycling down to Limoux to a fabulous campsite and suddenly the cold and pain is forgotten, just an example of many.

As I get older I'm slowing down, picking less hilly routes and do a little more research into campsites or that nights destination. Also I won't hesitate in staying in a B&B / Hotel after a week or so on tour if the weathers bad just to sort myself out and remind myself its meant to be 'a holiday '.

What I do find after several weeks away in a tent is how much I appreciate home comforts, my bed mainly

[simonineaston]

As I've pointed out before, I'm a middle-class and modestly well-off guy from the UK, conscious more than ever of the fact that - for the present, at least, I've pretty much 'drawn first prize in the lottery of life'.
I read this story just now and had difficulty controlling my emotions... in some ways, it reminds me of my own experience of "touring", but in other ways, it's unimaginably different.

[horizon]

The OP asks whether "touring" is enjoyable but I think he means "cycle camping". It's not for everyone and there are more comfortable ways of touring by bicycle. You have to be up for the challenge, whether that's dealing with rain and cold (when camping), setting up your tent after a tough day or sitting on the ground. The joy I suppose comes from the satisfaction of getting it right.

Accommodation is getting more expensive and youth hostels are an extinct species so camping is a reasonably cheap alternative. But I wouldn't recommend it to someone who wasn't into the details - you do have to work at making it work.

I did three brief cycle camping trips during the winter months. It is quite astounding just how comfortable you can be. But no, I still wouldn't recommend it to anyone not into the faff of making it all work.

[Ben@Forest]

The OP asks whether "touring" is enjoyable but I think he means "cycle camping". It's not for everyone and there are more comfortable ways of touring by bicycle. You have to be up for the challenge, whether that's dealing with rain and cold (when camping), setting up your tent after a tough day or sitting on the ground. The joy I suppose comes from the satisfaction of getting it right.

Yes, I haven't cycle-camped in this country for many years, though have done so on mainland Europe far more recently. But the probably the best holiday of my life was 5 weeks cycle-touring in France when I was 19, mainly camping, occasional youth hostel. It wasn't the first cycle touring I'd done but the eventual routine of miles in across a new country every day was magical, so it's hard to beat the novelty of that first-time experience.

In the evenings we generally ate a tin of either tuna or ravioli with a tin of ratatouille all heated up together in a dixie, Followed by eating a large bar of dark chocolate and milkless tea. About ten years ago I bought a tin of ravioli and a tin of ratatouille and heated it together to relive that holiday experience - it was revolting! Still happy to drink milkless tea though.

[pwa]

The touring reality , Having not been on "tour" for 3 years, felt fantastic to head off on the second, thought about, but unplanned, tour (Nb. 3-5days, haven't had 8-9 months on tour since 2008). Everything looked fantastic, but........

A continuous, blasting headwind, knocking 10-12mph off the downhill speed. A slogging 9-11 hours on the bike to try and cover 70 miles! (4 Hr's on a decent ride). Arrive at locations, to find the campsites closed, the campsite only hosts "static" caravans, though some farmer will charge you £20, to sleep in a boggy field without any facilities, other than a semi operating toilet. Diet and meals, whatever can be carried. Had enough on both occasions to jump on a train home, after no more than three days, the Dales & Lakes may be scenic, but it wasn't enjoyable.

But having got two road bikes out after 8 years on a tourer. Incredible, I'd totally, utterly "forgotten" how light, fast, incredible handling a road bike has, spinning through a corner at 30mph, the bike at a 30 degree angle. Doing a quick 100 miles just happens.. And purely by chance, had a new approach to "touring" this year, where jumping on the train with the road bike, gives a decent 100-140 mile ride through different terrain. Perhaps a two day tour, doing 250 miles back home at the end of a train ride, is an alternative approach

Anyone else find cycle touring can be a hard, expensive (Nb. If camping in the Lakes), unpleasant experience?

It won't help you with the cost, but we have found B&B touring very pleasant. Find a string of interesting, attractive and characterful B&Bs that make a great dot-to-dot tour, then set off without the camping gear. If your day has a few trials, with rain or whatever, you know you have your nice en-suite waiting at the end of the ride. And you will have thought about where you are going to eat as well. Possibly a nice pub. Yep, it's touring for softies, but who cares?

[gbnz]

but we have found B&B touring very pleasant.. Yep, it's touring for softies, but who cares?
[/quote]

+ 1. Think I may try that approach, a "credit card" type of touring, at least as a temporary change. Apologies for my opening post, think it was the fact that I'd missed the best part of my "tour" on both 3-5 day tours this year - finally hacked off and jumping on the train to get home, rather than having a coast to coast run along Hardian's Wall, on the last day (Nb. Which on reflection, would be an easy 200+ miles over two days on a road bike, if a B & B / Hotel was booked for end of Day 1.)

[bikepacker]

Personally I love cycle touring and until age related problems caught up with me I much preferred cycle camping. Since my wife had a serous illness (she is now in remission) 4 years ago, when we tour together we stay B&B or hotel. On my own it is a mixture of that and camping but I still enjoy touring.

For a few years I toured with a friend who really enjoyed his cycle camping and during one long tour we camped up in the Vercors among the mountains. We were sitting watching the sunset while eating our camp cooked meal when he remarked; "this cycling and camping is the most enjoyable thing I have ever done in my life" and he had led a full life. He happened to be a multi-millionaire who founded a well known company. Unfortunately because of his age and his wife's dementia, he has had to reluctantly give up cycle touring.

[briansnail]

Impressive wish I could do a quick 100 miles without resorting to battery power).Good you mentioned train and accommodation used to do good accommodation and cheap membership for adults.Does anyone know if they still do.No one want to carry or stay in a tent if possible.Does anyone know if they still do?
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