Preparing for a Bike Tour: A Simple Guide to Overnight Bike and Camp Travel

On behalf of my upcoming birthday, I've decided to plan something different and treat myself to a little adventure. The idea that I came up with was a five day round-trip tour, starting from Portland and heading to Eugene, Oregon by way of the Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway. I thought this would be a great opportunity to chronicle my trip as well as share my process of how I go about preparing for a bike tour.

Last summer, I toured from Aalborg, in the north of Denmark, to Berlin, Germany, a seven day trip that covered about 470 miles (760 km). At the time, I had very little money and managed to successfully navigate my way on a shoestring budget. The trip wasn't the most comfortable, nevertheless, I successfully completed the tour, had an amazing time, and didn't break the bank in the process. With that being said, I wouldn't recommend touring bare-bones like that.

My equipment was very minimal. Besides finding a cheap bike on the Danish equivalent of Craigslist, I purchased a rear rack, a cheap tent and most importantly, a tarp to throw over the tent in case it rained (which it did. A LOT). I already had a sleeping bag so I brought that along, as well as my backpack that I had been using to travel with. I emptied everything out of it and used it to store food and water. The few clothes that I brought along were thrown in an old purse that I borrowed from my girlfriend. I then bought some bungee chords and strapped everything down to the rear rack. The set up wasn't pretty or perfect, but it got the job done.

I definitely learned a lot from that experience and have applied some of my lessons to this upcoming trip. So here is a quick breakdown of how I prepared.

Equipment

The Bike

You obviously can't complete a cycle tour without a bike. If you're like me, you probably can't afford to spend over $1,000 on a brand new, top-of-the-line tour bike. Many forums and sites suggest that you go out and spend a little on a bike, but I disagree here. The old, rusty bike pictured above cost me $60 USD and I bought it off of a farm in the middle Denmark. I was even able to resell it for the same amount I paid. It wasn't the fastest or most comfortable, but I still managed to travel almost 500 miles on it and didn't have any problems, not even a flat tire. I didn't even get it tuned up. Bottom line, all you need is a working bike. I heard this story about a girl who bought a bike from a junk yard for $10 and used it to cycle across multiple countries. You don't have to get super fancy for this.

Pictured below is the bike that I'll be using for this upcoming tour. I found it on Craigslist for about $220 and it's the bike that I use to get around everyday. It's the right size for my height and has 15 speeds which makes any hill conquerable. I prefer to ride older, steel-frame road bikes because I like the style, they're sturdy, durable and have some speed to them. This bike probably came out in the 80's and it still runs well today. Plus, they're cheaper than the newer carbon-fiber bikes.

Rear Rack

The next most important piece of equipment is the rear rack. I prefer to only use a rear rack because I try to carry a lighter load. The rack is the basis for everything. All gear and equipment is strapped down to it.

I'm using a rack made by Cannondale. It cost about $30 at REI. There were cheaper rear racks and more expensive ones. Just depends on what you decide. This one is durable, can hold about 30 lbs (13.6 kg), which should be more than enough and it's not too bulky, like some of the cheaper ones. 

Panniers

So this is one of the upgrades I've made from my previous ride. Last time, I simply strapped everything down to my rear rack and wore a backpack. No matter how light the backpack is, it's going to alter your riding position and posture which can cause your neck and shoulders some discomfort. It puts a lot of strain and sweat on your back as well. I tried being ultra cheap, but I find panniers necessary to carry your supplies. 

I went ahead and purchased these Back Roller City panniers by Ortlieb for $99 at Bike Gallery, here in Portland. To my understanding, these are sort of an entry-level version of some of their higher quality panniers but after comparing them in stores, the difference wasn't significant enough to me. Ortlieb is the premier brand in panniers. They easily just clip onto your rear rack. Ortlieb is a German-engineered brand, so you can expect top quality. They don't say waterproof on the logo for no reason.

Tent

Besides taking in all the beautiful scenery from the seat of a bike, one of the most enjoyable parts of a cycle tour is camping. Sometimes it's nice to disconnect from daily attachments and surround yourself in nature. I believe it's a necessary experience to live a little uncomfortable temporarily.

A solid tent is fundamental for your camping arrangement. It honestly all depends on your budget. I personally prefer something more lightweight and compact. You're going to be carrying this load on the back of your bike. I also didn't want to spend a great deal of money, so I had to find the right balance. 

I selected a tent that was on sale at Next Adventure for $50. It's a two person tent weighing in at 5 lbs. You can definitely find lighter tents, but this was cheap and is supposedly waterproof, so we'll see how it holds up. 

Tent and sleep system.

Sleep System

The "sleep system" often refers to your sleeping bag and sleeping mat. It's essential to have a decent sleeping arrangement so that you're able to wake up well rested and ready to tackle a long day of riding. I've had my sleeping bag for over a year now. I purchased it on sale while I was in Australia. It weighs in at 2.5 lbs (1.1 kg), which isn't too light, but it folds up kind of compact and is designed to keep me warm at 41 F (5 C). I don't plan on camping during the middle of a snow storm, so it's sufficient. 

I was hesitant on buying a sleeping pad and in the past have just roughed it out without one, but Next Adventure had yoga mats on sale for $10 so I figured I could kill two birds with one stone. The mat can double as a sleeping pad and as a mat for yoga. That sounds like a nice way to start the morning before hitting the trail again.

Clothing

This area is all about preference. You want to be comfortable and prepared for whatever type of weather you may face. If there's one lesson that I learned, it's that bike seats aren't comfortable for long rides. I will never, EVER tour without padded biking shorts again. Not only are bike seats uncomfortable for long rides, they can harm you. I won't go into details but I will say that I may have had an accident on myself after completing my seven day tour because that muscle used to hold your urine (kegel muscle) was weakened from sitting on an uncomfortable bike seat for 12+ hours a day. So I went ahead and bought some padded shorts.

I also checked the weather reports and there is expected to be some rain during my tour. Again, I don't have an unlimited bank account, so I decided to cut back on the rain gear and instead, purchased a big poncho. I think this will get the job done and if not, then I have room for improvement next time. 

Food

My key for bike tours is to pack food that won't spoil without refrigeration. I am not a fan of canned food and junk food snacks are not going to provide me with the energy needed to bike 80 miles a day. My food pack contains the following:

-three packs of crackers

-aged gouda cheese: to spread on crackers. It should be able to last without being refrigerated

-cherry tomatoes: to eat with the cheese and crackers or to snack on by themselves

-crunchy peanut butter: I can live off of this. Another spread for crackers

-trail mix

-walnuts

-muesli: for breakfast, rationed out in four baggies for each day. Removes the need to carry a bowl

-hemp milk: delicious milk-alternative that should be fine without a refrigerator.

-two bottles of water: Can be refilled

Another thing to keep in mind is that I will be passing through towns, so if need be, I can stop at a restaurant or cafe to eat. I won't starve.

Navigation

While I do expect the bikeway to have signs, I don't want to rely on that. Smartphones are so useful and I'll have my iPhone with me for assistance. A very handy app that I use is Motion-X GPS. I believe I paid less than $3 for it. This app allows you to download maps to your phone so that you don't have to use data and drain your battery while you tour. I don't know if/ when I'll be able to charge my phone and in order to conserve the battery, I will keep it on airplane mode for the duration of the ride. You can zoom in as far as you want to get more detailed maps. You can also import the directions for your ride using Google Maps so you'll have a nice line displaying the route to follow. 

Miscellaneous Gear

It's up to you to decide what you want to bring. Some other necessary items to pack are:

-a helmet 

-front and rear bike lights

-spare tubes

-hex wrench set

-set of tire levers

-book to read

-journal and pen to write

The Final Product

Stay Tuned!!

When I return from my tour, I will share how my experience went.