In recent years, the number of people taking bicycle trips has increased.
The desire to relax, to enjoy nature, to find unique places, the desire to feel freedom and the spirit of adventure have been decisive for this evolution.
The development of bicycles, routes and even mobile phones / app have also helped.
This year, for reasons related to COVID, there are still more people with this desire.
With the experience I have, from the testimonies I have read and seen, here are 6 tips that may be useful for you:
1 - Practice close to home.
If you are not used to doing bike tours, if you don’t cycle often, start by cycling close to home and try a 2/3-day bike trip. With that you’ll win or recover experience, test and improve your physical / resistance levels and help you to know your limits.
2 - Choose if you are going to travel alone or accompanied.
This is an important choice and can be a great help in choosing your destination. Traveling with a partner or alone is completely different, in terms of socialization, there is the possibility of not meeting people for long periods, as well as in safety.
3 - Choose the destination, the number of days and the route (s).
Something important for a bike ride to go well is to choose the destination (s) in advance, the distance you will be taking in total, the approximate number of stages and the kilometers of each one.
When choosing a destination, it is important to assess issues such as security, local languages, the population densities, the weather conditions (hot / cold / rain / wind), the type of support you can find, such as the existence of villages, restaurants, bicycle workshops, overnight stays, etc.
4 - Choose your bike.
This is another very important issue. Each of us has our preference, the most important thing is that you take the ride on a strong bike and on a bike that makes you feel comfortable. It is important to bear in mind, if your choice is for more isolated and / or less developed places, the more sophisticated the bike, the more difficult it can be to repair it.
In this matter there are also two more possibilities that you should think about - take your bicycle or rent one in the country or region where you are going to take your tour.
If you choose to take your bike with you, you should have it checked before departure, this will minimize the risk of breakdowns.
5 - Transporting the bicycle.
Another question that you should study if you want to transport your bicycle by plane, train or bus. In all of these cases, you should make sure in advance if you can do it and how.
6 - What you should take.
This is one of the biggest "headaches".
Everyone who takes this type of travel has to balance between taking the lightest weight possible and taking everything that could be essential, such as safety and bicycle repair material, clothes, etc.
What you should never miss for your bike and safety:
- Mobile phone, Application with maps / location and Power Bang,
- Air bomb,
- Patches and tools for removing the tire,
- 1 inner tube,
- Substitute link for the chain,
- Hexagon Set,
- Switchblade,
- Flashlight,
- Lighter / Matches,
- Small pliers,
- 6 dozen plastic clamps,
- Front Light,
- Rear light and reflector,
- Helmet,
- Small first aid kit, preferably with thermal blanket,
- Bottle (s) for water;
- Bicycle lock.
Clothes for bike trip:
We should always keep in mind, very importantly, the expected weather forecasts and go prepared for that.
You should take the minimum of minimums, but we have never been able to forget something hotter, it is very dangerous to be outdoors on a cold night with nothing to warm us up.
These tips are focused in case you want to take a trip “on your own”, but nowadays, there are many companies, organizations and guides, all over the world, that organize bicycle trips.
For this reason, your choice may be to join one of these groups, something that may be more expensive, but which is safer, easier, makes it possible to meet other people and get to the most interesting places more easily.
If this is your option and it will be excellent, especially if you are a beginner.
Just search on google, you'll find great experiences and incredible destinations!
