What's your luxury item on a bike tour?
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What's your luxury item on a bike tour?
I want to share my findings from a survey I sent out.
I asked nine tourers "What's your luxury item", and here are the answers I got. After looking at other forums, I decided this list is pretty complete for non-essential touring items.
EDIT: So as to spare you clicking the link, here are my findings. Thanks for sharing so many below!!
1. Double Kickstand
3. Thermarest/chair
4. Solar Panel
5. Perishables
6. Bluetooth Speakers
7. iPod
8. Film Camera
9. Espresso maker (Back to coffee. So important)
Here are some items that ride that edge between necessary and luxury.
Surly dynamo
Dynamo hub
Physical books
Sketch book
ebook
Tablet/Phablet/iPad/iPhone
Chocolate
Beer/wine
Fresh eggs
Pillow
And, depending on the conditions of your trip, you’ll want to seriously consider:
Extra thermarest
Blanket
Extra jacket
Hot booties
Mosquito net/spray
Electric fan
Hiking boots
Many thanks to the participants of the Tasis Bikes tester survey Jack, Tim, James, Zsolt, Tyler, Dan, Jack, Katherine and Paul! And shout out to Facebook and ****** bike tourers, all legends.
Read my blog "What's Your Luxury Item?"
Please read and let me know if I left any off the list.
Cheers.
I asked nine tourers "What's your luxury item", and here are the answers I got. After looking at other forums, I decided this list is pretty complete for non-essential touring items.
EDIT: So as to spare you clicking the link, here are my findings. Thanks for sharing so many below!!
1. Double Kickstand
3. Thermarest/chair
4. Solar Panel
5. Perishables
6. Bluetooth Speakers
7. iPod
8. Film Camera
9. Espresso maker (Back to coffee. So important)
Here are some items that ride that edge between necessary and luxury.
Surly dynamo
Dynamo hub
Physical books
Sketch book
ebook
Tablet/Phablet/iPad/iPhone
Chocolate
Beer/wine
Fresh eggs
Pillow
And, depending on the conditions of your trip, you’ll want to seriously consider:
Extra thermarest
Blanket
Extra jacket
Hot booties
Mosquito net/spray
Electric fan
Hiking boots
Many thanks to the participants of the Tasis Bikes tester survey Jack, Tim, James, Zsolt, Tyler, Dan, Jack, Katherine and Paul! And shout out to Facebook and ****** bike tourers, all legends.
Read my blog "What's Your Luxury Item?"
Please read and let me know if I left any off the list.
Cheers.
Last edited by the bikelist; 10-14-16 at 10:34 AM.
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Luxury items for me:
Small metal french press for good coffee everyday
Pick up a bottle of wine in town during the day to enjoy at the campsite
Cell phone
Small metal french press for good coffee everyday
Pick up a bottle of wine in town during the day to enjoy at the campsite
Cell phone
#3
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I don't carry any luxury items with me when I go on a tour. I only take what I need and use. Some people could say carrying a laptop is a luxury item. I'm using it everyday for email(either I do or I'll have the cops out all across the nation looking for me), mapping out the route(no preplanned route and I don't carry paper maps, cell phone or gps unit), checking the weather forecast so I can try my best to avoid storms when they are moving in, and in this day and age keeping up on the news so I know where to avoid so I don't end up getting a stupid riot somewhere.
#4
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Skipping your Blog.
I brought along a Pocket mandolin, to sit in at pub jams in Ireland and Scotland on tours ..
the luxury would be bringing the $3000 carbon fiber mandolin , instead..
which I got after I came Back..
..having more money for B&B. eating in Nice restaurants , dating the local Girls..
staying there.
'/,
I brought along a Pocket mandolin, to sit in at pub jams in Ireland and Scotland on tours ..
the luxury would be bringing the $3000 carbon fiber mandolin , instead..
which I got after I came Back..
..having more money for B&B. eating in Nice restaurants , dating the local Girls..
staying there.
'/,
Last edited by fietsbob; 10-04-16 at 04:56 PM.
#5
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#6
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I'm questioning if a Smartphone is a luxury or a mandatory piece of equipment in the 21st century. They save carrying so many other pieces of kit (camera, maps, guidebooks, computer) that I consider it a no brainer for touring. Having a working SIM card with credit is a bit more of a luxury though.
Last tour we carrying a little stainless steel pot for our morning tea. Picked it up as a souvenir but ended up becoming obsessed with it after awhile with our multiple tea breaks per day Still using it at home nearly every day...
Last tour we carrying a little stainless steel pot for our morning tea. Picked it up as a souvenir but ended up becoming obsessed with it after awhile with our multiple tea breaks per day Still using it at home nearly every day...
#8
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Hot shower and a motel bed, for sure. We don't carry luxury items with us. Why would we do that? Luxury is found at our destination. Traveling fast and light and getting to a good destination not exhausted is the trick.
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For luxury I brought a book and an IPOD. In the evening I like a good read and to listen to a symphony. In particular recently: The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz and Romeo and Juliet by Tchaikovsky.
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Heavy duty wool socks. Used to travel with a couple pair of lightweight socks but my feet get so cold it wasn't worth it.
Down jacket.
Several pillows. I have a whole sleep system ... definitely not just the basics.
Down jacket.
Several pillows. I have a whole sleep system ... definitely not just the basics.
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#12
Senior Member
always bring some extra cash in small bills,
more than what's in the "official" budget.
never know when one of the villagers will
offer you some of their delicious local snakes!
more than what's in the "official" budget.
never know when one of the villagers will
offer you some of their delicious local snakes!
#13
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This stuff was not inexpensive but we bought it years ago and it has amortized very nicely.
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I think my luxury item would be part of my bedding kit and thats the mattress it's over size in width and 4" thick plus high R rating. One thing I do like is a good mattress now I'm sick of light weight minimalist and because I made that a deliberate purchase I guess for me that's my luxury item.
#15
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Let's see.
One of the things I consider an absolute essential nowdays is the chairs we bought in France. Up to that point we had used camping ground benches, stones or the ground to sit around but the Helinox chair ones we got completely changed the whole camping game for us. Such a good buy and well worth the weight.
Now even though around here for many a pop can stove and a pot folded out of tin foil is more than anyone ever needs, I still thought a full trangia set was nice to have as it allowed us to eat stuff like fondue and dishes which require separate boiling in a separate pot (like pasta dishes, boiled potatoes etc). The fuel for a spirits burner in Europe is extremely cheap when you can find it so we could just boil stuff with abandon (not something that I'd be comfortable doing with a gas burner)
An inflatable pillow, cotton pillowcase, cocoon liner were all pretty essential to have for good nights sleep.
For future luxury items I'm thinking a much larger tent such as the Hilleberg Nallo 3 GT
Making the bike E-powered is a consideration for the future. It'd be nice to climb the alps like they were nothing
One of the things I consider an absolute essential nowdays is the chairs we bought in France. Up to that point we had used camping ground benches, stones or the ground to sit around but the Helinox chair ones we got completely changed the whole camping game for us. Such a good buy and well worth the weight.
Now even though around here for many a pop can stove and a pot folded out of tin foil is more than anyone ever needs, I still thought a full trangia set was nice to have as it allowed us to eat stuff like fondue and dishes which require separate boiling in a separate pot (like pasta dishes, boiled potatoes etc). The fuel for a spirits burner in Europe is extremely cheap when you can find it so we could just boil stuff with abandon (not something that I'd be comfortable doing with a gas burner)
An inflatable pillow, cotton pillowcase, cocoon liner were all pretty essential to have for good nights sleep.
For future luxury items I'm thinking a much larger tent such as the Hilleberg Nallo 3 GT
Making the bike E-powered is a consideration for the future. It'd be nice to climb the alps like they were nothing
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BTW...What type/make of French press are you using? I have an old, plastic one that I want to replace.
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+1. I forgot wool socks last month. Fortunately, I passed a clothing store on Day 3 that had exactly what I was looking for. I hike and walk to work in the winter with wool socks so I wasn't simply buying something that will go to waste.
Last edited by indyfabz; 10-05-16 at 07:27 AM.
#18
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REI Flex Lite collapsible chair. I've toured without one, and with is better 'cause you ain't always on the bike or asleep.
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I guess I don't call wool socks a luxury item. I wear them for biking year round here in NH. Heck I was wearing them last year on my trip even down in the Gulf Coast states in July. Any other sock wear is rather stupid. Wool does it all and it does it the best of anything out there...why you wear anything else for footwear.
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My kindle. For canoeing and cycling. It's great to multiple books for lying in the hammock and reading in the evening.
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Don't complain about the weather and cower in fear. It's all good weather. Just different.
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#21
~>~
It's turned into an outing for a group of friends who book rooms well in advance to arrive by motorcycle or roadster for a weekend of fine food and good companionship.
A moderate dose of luxury when I put out the work to get there at my advanced age is appropriate.
-Bandera
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Nope, not following a link to your blog. Spam much?