The Nuts and Bolts of Traveling by Bicycle

Sharon and I have been enjoying different outdoor activities almost from the day we met. We’ve spent enough time camping using different human powered modes of travel, that we don’t think much about it. It is just what we do for fun. These are “normal” activities. On our recent bike trip, I was reminded that not everyone has the same perspective. When folks saw us in cycling clothes, riding with oddly shaped bags hanging from our bikes – I’m really not sure what they thought. I do know that from the odd looks and many questions – touring by bicycle was a completely foreign concept. It occurred to me that the nuts and bolts of bicycle touring might be a foreign concept to others as well. I thought I’d do a quick info piece on how one goes about touring our country – or the world – by bicycle. 

Why?

Why ride a bicycle when getting from point A to point B is easier, faster and more comfortable in a car? Maybe that’s the point. To me it seems that a car is about the destination, while a bike is much more about the journey. You could travel 700 miles in a long day of driving…and at the end you’d be tired, cranky, and most of those miles would be a forgotten blur. We spent 3 1/2 weeks covering that distance, and I can remember something about almost every one of those 700 miles. A bicycle travels slowly enough (some of us more slowly than others) to allow you to really see and experience the landscape. The pace of travel also lends itself to meeting and interacting the curious, the colorful, and the kindred spirits.

Gear

There are endless debates in the cycling world about the best bike, the best gear, the best way to transport that gear…blah, blah, blah, blah. You could have a great time riding a basic Walmart bike with some gear thrown in a backpack. Of course, depending on the bike and conditions, that could also invite a special level of misery. Obviously a purpose built modern touring bike will be more comfortable and efficient. Lightweight camping gear carried in waterproof bags securely attached to one’s bike also makes life more comfortable and efficient. The sophisticated graph below conveys an important lesson about gear. You need enough gear to be safe and comfortable in the conditions in which you will be traveling. Beyond that, I refer to the graph below as I ponder whether additional pieces of gear are necessary or not. All that being said, here is a general gear list.

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• Bikes: Kona Sutra. Sharon’s has been heavily modified for fit and comfort.
• Racks. Kona supplied rear. Tubus Tara low riders in front.
• Bags: Ortlieb all around. Basically dry bags with clever mounting apparatus. German engineering. Water proof. Functional. They just work!
• Front Left Pannier: Medium weight down jacket, hat, gloves. KB rain pants and rain jacket.
• Front Right Pannier: Civilized pants and button shirt. Two short sleeve T’s with arm warmer arm sleeves. Long sleeve heavy shirt. Medium weight tights. Two pairs lycra bike shorts. Regular shorts. Socks and underwear. Windshirt.
• Left Rear Pannier: This was my junk drawer. A bag with charging cables, battery bank, headlight, and portable keyboard. Stove (MSR Windburner – by far best I’ve ever had). A book. A bag with contacts, solution, rechargeable hair trimmer. A bag with some bike tools and parts.  Two quart collapsible water container. Deck of cards and travel backgammon. Extra food as necessary.
• Right Rear Pannier: Sleeping Pad (Big Agnes Q-Core insulated) Down Quilt (Enlightened Equipment – Revelation 10 degree) Lightweight camp chair (luxury).
• Rear Rack: Tent (REI Half-Dome 2 Plus)
• Handlebar Bag: Phone, baseball cap, wallet. Sunglasses. Snacks. Bike lock. Misc.

Lodging

When we’re touring, our intent is always to camp – preferably in some beautiful, remote (free) location. To us, that kind of seems to be the point of traveling…and we’re cheap. Next choice is camping for free in some unusual places. We’ve camped on porches (warmshowers.com), behind church offices (with permission), and in spooky Alabama backwoods. At one point we contemplated camping on the edge of a country cemetery…on Friday the 13th no less. Many years ago we slept under an Interstate highway bridge. Wild camping in the south and east is definitely more challenging without the easy access to public lands that we enjoy in the west.

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If free options aren’t available, we are not averse to staying in campgrounds. It is nice to occasionally have access to luxuries like running water, toilets, picnic tables, and showers. It pains us mightily, however, to pay the $20-30 that many places now charge. We also found that many “campgrounds” in the east were more like permanent mobile home parks. (no thanks) Normally our last choice is to look for a hotel. On this trip we used that option more than we’d planned. There were a number of reasons. We spent three days touring Charleston. We got  caught in the cross hairs of two hurricanes (can you say massive quantities of rain?). Since it was late fall, it was getting dark and cold at 5:30pm and not getting light until 7:00am. That makes for long nights. Near the end we tossed in the towel and just planned for hotels the last few nights. On this trip, we camped 13 nights (9 free, 4 paid), and spent 11 nights in hotels. Ultimately there is no right or wrong. We liked our choices. On a different trip, in a different location, we may have different options and make different choices.

Food

Aaaah. Food! One of the joys of bicycle touring is guilt free eating! And unlike backpacking, you don’t have to carry it all with you. We almost always carry with us some bagels, a small jar of peanut butter, some tea and hot chocolate mix, as well as some snack food – Payday bars and such. That way we always have something and can camp without worrying about having to get food. Generally though, we would stop by a grocery at least once a day and pick up food for dinner and breakfast, as well as some snack for the day. We carry the stove mentioned above, a small pot, frying pan, as well as a variety of seasonings.  With some creativity, just about any kind of meal is possible. Our favorite dinner was probably chicken burritos. Sharon makes some pretty amazing oatmeal creations for breakfast and carries the makings for that. Sadly, I can’t stand oatmeal. I’m actually kind of a lazy eater and am happy with a bagel. Of course there is always the option of getting some takeout from local restaurants. This time around we were struck by the lack of food options though. Many of the small towns we passed through had no grocery stores at all. Several times our food choices were limited to whatever we could buy at a Dollar General store!

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A Typical Day

I’ll start by saying there really is no typical day on the road. Some days we had a specific destination in mind, other days we basically flipped a coin at every crossroads and went in whatever direction struck our fancy. Some days we felt strong and just enjoyed biking all day long. Other times we called it quits after a few hours. Some days were low gear grunts up burly mountains, others were rolling, flat rides through forests and farm fields. Our longest day was 63 miles, our shortest was a 13 rugged traverse over steep gravel roads. We had days of T-Shirt warmth, brilliant sunshine, tailwinds and downhills. We had 20 degree mornings and icicles, torrential rain and brutal headwinds. That’s the beauty of biking…no two days are alike. I will try to describe a somewhat typical day. Generally we would get up and break camp at first light. Either eat breakfast, or ride into town and stop after it had warmed a bit. Throughout the day we would ride, stopping every couple of hours to eat, drink, and consult with “Miss Bossy Pants” Google Maps.  Whenever possible we opted for small country roads. This led through beautiful landscapes, past rural mansions and dilapidated shacks. We passed through quaint towns where we had lovely chats with the locals. We passed through ugly towns where miserable looking folks either ignored us or “politely” suggested we get off the F-ing road. There would be endless conversations about food, and the obligatory food stops. At some point during the day we would start thinking about where we were going to spend the night. This involved consulting with locals, looking at Google Maps, or just looking for likely places to camp. Assuming we found a place, first order of business was always to get the tent and sleeping arrangements set. Then it was dinner time. Then it was usually cold and dark, so into the tent we went. We played cards, journaled, read books, watched some downloaded show, or just chatted about the day or made plans for tomorrow. It is a very simple lifestyle where you are very much just in the moment. It also ends up being a very appealing lifestyle.

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I hope this behind the scenes look at bike touring (the way we do it anyway) offers some insight into not only why, but how we do it. One thing is certain. Our recent experience, hardships and all, has only sparked a greater determination to see more of the world on two wheels. Plans are already afoot…  Enjoy! Seize the Carp!