Jeraimee

Some of the things I learned on my first bike tour:

1) SPD pedals (specifically mine [PD-A530]) make perfect beer bottle openers.

2) Spend a few extra bucks on a good tent, it's worth it.

3) If you can't enjoy the ride, at least enjoy the company.

4) Never underestimate how chilly it can get at night or in the morning dew.

5) When ending for the day, setup your tent, lay out anything wet and go right into the shower.

6) Did I mention SPD pedals make great beer bottle openers?

7) Bring a CO2 inflation system, it really does make a difference when you get that one flat near the very end of the day/ride.

8) Spend a few extra bucks on a good pump, it's worth it.

9) Don't pack your panniers full, pack them mostly full so you can carry group/shared gear.

10) Get an inflatable mattress/therm-a-rest.

11) Do laundry every night you can (as a group).

12) NEVER think of yourself as an island. Everything you do in a group tour effects everyone else.

13) Really, SPD pedals make amazing beer bottle openers.

14) Bring a headlamp. Flashlights don't cut it.

escii_35

9. Don't pack your bags full, playing packing origami is not fun when the bugs are biting.

A picture response 1,6 and 13

Gravity Aided

2-Spend even more extra bucks on a good, light tent, it's really, really worth it

dengidog

+1

1. In a pinch, socks make acceptable gloves until you can find/buy a pair.

2. Never go to bed "dirty" after a ride if you can help it. Even if you have to stick your head under a park tap and it's cold outside, it's worth the little extra boost.

3. Enjoy the ride!

indyfabz

Why go right into the shower? And what if there is no shower?

Be respectful of the communities you pass though.

Did you do an Adventure Cycling group tour?

antokelly

canned irish stew can taste so so so good after a hard day in the saddle lol.

Tansy

+1 on keeping clean. You thermoregulate much better without a thick layer of oil and sweat. Always try to keep a clean set to clothing to sleep in.

The main lesson I learned on my first tour, four years ago? A 10% chance of rain is 100% wet. Bring raingear.

Booger1

If your expecting rain.....always have a dry set of clothes to change into....

Always fill your water bottles every chance you get.....

Always carry some spare food of some kind.....

Don't beat yourself up.....It's suppose to be fun....

You can have more fun riding 20 miles a day than you can riding 100....80-100 mile days are impressive but it's not exactly fun....unless all of the stars line up just right.....

As much as I hate coming home and rejoining the rat race after touring,it's much easier to ride towards home than away from it for some reason....

Simon Cowbell

• The wife's Big Agnes air mattress is lighter, packs smaller and sleeps worlds away better than my Thermarest.

• Road touring has way less in common with backpacking than does off-road touring.

• In the absence of good company, a Kindle full of books is a wonderful thing.

• The ocean is very noisy to sleep around.

• In daylight, one rear blinker will buy you an extra foot of clearance from traffic. Two blinkers will get you two feet.

mikhalit

Or get up before it gets that cold

* When touring with kids, think if they really like your 60 miles a day as much as you do

Jeraimee

Because the shower will fill up fast & babywipes

Yea, Key West.

indyfabz

Nothing wrong with being the last to shower, IMO. I like to relax at the end of the ride. Never bother with the wipes. I'll wash up in a stream or lake. If need be, I'll warm some water in my large pot and go from there.

Agree that short days can be lots of fun. Our trip in MT this summer had a 33 mile day to the Bike Camp in Twin Bridges, although it took longer than you might think because 20 was on a rough, unpaved road. Its was July 4th. Didn't have to get up early, stopped for breakfast along the way, plenty of time to walk around town, do laundry, and have a relaxed lunch. Lots of energy left to grill up some salmon steaks for dinner.

Something I learned two years ago: Never say "It's only 34 miles. How long can it take?" That 34 miles from Pincher Creek to Waterton Village took at least 6 hrs. thanks in part to killer winds.

Tansy

Lessons learned after four months on the road:

Have goals when you leave, but place them at the lowest priority once you're on the road. A good thing here and now is worth more than something good down the road.

Don't decline invitations.

Don't be stubborn. Making 80 miles in the wind and heat isn't worth spending the next few days weakened. Riding through a beautiful canyon in miserable weather isn't worth missing the beautiful canyon.

Listen to people. Learn about the places you pass through. Be spontaneous. This isn't a day at the office.

Look for the good in everything. Semi trucks passing fast can give a nice little burst of tailwind. Everyone moans about generators in campgrounds, but are they really all the loud? I don't think so. Why complain about noises from kids and pets? It's the sounds of other people nearby, and they're probably friendly. Camping by train tracks mean you get to watch trains pass. Headwinds keep the flies and mosquitoes away. Okay, I admit I've yet to find anything positive to say about obnoxious drivers and locked water spigots. Seriously, who does that?

BigBlueToe

If you have Ortlieb Panniers that are identical left to right, put a big R on the right ones and L on the left.

Make a plan for what goes in which pannier, and try to stick with it. You'll end up spending much less time rummaging around looking for some small item. (Of course, I alter my plan frequently, especially at the beginning of a tour. Usually, after about a week, I've got it figured out. Also, after several tours, my general packing plan is pretty set, and it's only the small details I alter.)

Pack earplugs.

I enjoy tours far more when I don't have to be a certain place by a certain time. Although I like to do a lot of planning (I think it's fun) and usually start a tour with a day-by-day itinerary already planned, I vary it at a drop of a hat. I find an itinerary to be a good starting point, but it seems foolish to be bound by it.

Always have some Ramen in your pannier. It's always nice to start a meal with some Ramen.

Shop at the travel-size rack in grocery and drug stores. Why carry a big bottle of shampoo if you can carry one of those micro versions?

Don't carry tools, spares, etc. for everything that could possibly go wrong. I'm willing to carry things like that if they're light (extra cables, tire boots, a spare bolt or two) but for most things I carry supplies for things that are likely to happen - flats - or things that could possibly occur and could be a real headache. I carry a spare tube and a patch kit, but no spare tire. I carry a couple of spare spokes, some kevlar emergency spokes, and an emergency cassette removal tool. If something happens that I can't fix with my kit, I can always stick out my thumb.

Gravity Aided

Often, you can find little plastic containers at boxstores. These are good for shampoo, liquid soap, mouthwash and other toiletries. Travel tooth brushes are nice also, as are the little squeeze bottles for condiments you know and love. Label well. I don't think any hot dog would be improved by the taste of shampoo. But I could be wrong...

dengidog

If traveling when it's hot, bring a small insulated bag with you (or something that can act as insulation) for a camelback bladder. Fill bag w/ice. As you travel, it'll melt and give you cold water for hours. Whatever is leftover can be used to clean up if a shower isn't available. Yes, it's a bit of weight, but when you're hot and thirsty, it'll be worth it.

Gravity Aided

When it's hot, I also like the drink mixes that come in a powder in single sizes. Just the right size for a water bottle, and hydration formulas are out there too. At least at my grocery store near me .(Kroger/Scott)

john426

Dear Jeramee:

I just did my first self supported tour and the thing I learned was that I brought too many clothes! However I was "credit card camping" so I did not have to cook and if it looked like rain I would stay at a B&B.

John

DW99

One of the things I learned on my first multi-day tour (Katy Trail) was, that I really like doing this and gonna do it again!

Gravity Aided

DW99- That's a beautiful trail- Only seen pictures, myself. When I was in College,over the ways in Carbondale, more rails, less trails. Now I'll have to get on down there. Some of my folks have cycled it. Their pictures are gorgeous.

Thulsadoom

+1 Friggin coyotes...

indyfabz

I don't mind the coyotes. It's the snorers that drive me crazy. We had four really bad ones on our group trip. After the first night they were banished to their own areas of group camping sites or separate sights. When we stayed in hostels or hotels, there were the snoring rooms and the non-snoring rooms.

And you don't have to be in a group. This summer my GF and I stayed at the Twin Bridges, MT Cycle Camp. There was another cyclist there who snored loudly enough to wake me up. A few days later we camped near a couple touring by motorcycle. We could hear the husband snoring about 45' away.

DW99

The Katy is a nice 225+ mile ride mostly thru the countryside. I recommend it for a day or for a week or more. Not much of a challenge, but a fun ride.

Gravity Aided

I hear there's a tunnel, and some wineries as well ?

DW99

Not wanting to high-jack this post but yes, both at Rocheport. There are several other wineries along the trail. You can find out information on such things at BikeKatyTrail. com.

Another thing I found out, in trying to "Be Prepared", I could have left a few things at home, things I didn't use that added weight. It is easy to do.