Bicycle Touring Guide for Beginners: Everything You Need To Know

The idea of planning and preparing for your first-ever bike tour might seem a little intimidating at first. I completely understand — I was very intimidated when I left for my first-ever tour (from London to Istanbul), but I quickly discovered that I needn’t have been worried!

In this bicycle touring guide, I’ll cover everything you need to know in order to plan and prepare for your first cycle tour, including how to choose a bike for touring, what gear you’ll need, how to budget, ideas on where to go, tips for life on the road and more.

I’ll also be responding to worries that novice cycle tourists often have, such as whether you need to be really fit and whether you need to know a lot about bikes in order to tour.

Let’s dive in!

What is bicycle touring?

Simply put, bicycle touring is travelling by bicycle.

It’s a type of adventure travel that combines cycling with backpacking. You’ll cycle for days, weeks, months or even years, with your luggage attached to your bike. In doing so, you are self-sufficient and your journey is self-powered.

Cycle touring vs bikepacking

The phrases “cycle touring” and “bikepacking” are often used interchangeably. Both refer to travelling by bike, but it’s the terrain and type of bike used that sets them apart.

Cycle touring is typically done on-road or along bike paths, using a touring, hybrid, or even a road bike.

Bikepacking refers to off-road adventures along dirt roads and/or in the mountains, on a bike with fatter tyres, such as a mountain or fat bike.

For the purpose of this guide, we will focus on cycle touring, but a lot of the information here will also be useful to those who are interested in bikepacking.

Why should you go on a bicycle tour?

There are few better ways to explore the world than by bicycle.

Most tourists will travel from hotspot to hotspot, but on a bike, you’ll get to uncover things that most people miss. You’ll really connect with your surroundings and notice the fine details of the region you’re travelling through.

In a car, you see so much yet experience so little. There’s no real connection to what’s just outside of your window; you’ll see but a timelapse of the world around you. On foot, you soak up each individual step, but with this comes confinement and small distances covered each day.

That’s where bicycle touring, for me, wins every time. On a bicycle, you’ll cover substantial distances, yet you’ll still be slow enough to really see and experience everything around you. If it’s raining, you’re soaked. If it’s hot, you’re sweating. There’s no AC to turn on, no roof over your head. Dirt, dust and insects will stick to your sweat-clad skin. You must grind up the hills, but then you’ll have the joy of coasting down them.

Not only this but bicycle touring is a cheap way and eco-friendly way to travel!

READ MORE: 10 Reasons Why You Should Try Bicycle Touring

How to choose a bike for touring

Touring bikes are specifically designed for long-distance, weight-bearing cycling. They have a longer wheelbase than regular bikes, providing more stability and comfort while carrying a load, and have several attachment points for racks and bags.

When choosing a touring bike, think about the demands of your ride:

Duration: For short tours — perhaps a week or two — just about any bike will do. If you’re planning a longer trip, there’s a stronger case for using a higher quality bike that won’t fail under strain.

Location: If you are touring in a remote location, where access to bike repair is infrequent, it’s a good idea to invest in a quality bike that is unlikely to break down and leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Terrain: If you’ll be sticking mostly to roads, you can really use any bike, although skinnier tyres will enable you to go faster. If you’re planning on going off-road and riding over dirt paths and mountainous terrain, you’ll want a bike with wide tyres and good suspension.

That being said, you don’t need a touring bike. A nice bike is just that: nice but not essential. People have toured great distances on bikes that didn’t look up to the job. I cycled across Europe using a second-hand bike from a charity shop, and Thomas Stevens cycled the world on a penny-farthing in the 1800s!

Your budget needn’t hold you back. You really don’t need to splurge on an expensive new bike, unless you want to. As long as your bike has fitment points so you can attach a rack and panniers, decent gears and tyres and a comfortable saddle, there’s no reason why you can’t tour on it. Just keep in mind that long rides over challenging terrain may be a strain on your cheaper, older bike.

If you’re planning on a long tour over challenging terrain and want to invest in something designed for such an expedition, take a look at the following touring bikes:

• Fuji Touring
• Cube Touring Bike
• Trek 520 Disc
• Kona Sutra Adventure Road Bike
• Ridgeback Panorama

What gear and equipment do you need for a bicycle tour?

At its heart, bike touring is all about minimalism and simplicity. The mantra of “it’s better to have it and not need it” is not the way to go. You need to be selective with what you bring as you’re the one who must grind the weight of your luggage up those hills!

Here is what I recommend you bring with you on your bicycle tour:

(A side note: you don’t need all of this stuff. You can pick and choose what would provide comfort and value to you during your tour.)

READ MORE: A Complete Bike Touring Gear Guide and Kit List

How do I carry all my gear?

Panniers are a type of bag that sit on your bike and store all your stuff. They’ll mount over your wheels, either at the front, back, or both. You’ll need to fit racks onto your bike, and then clip the panniers onto these racks.

Pannier racks

Choosing a pannier rack for your bicycle is about as exciting as watching paint dry, but strong racks are essential when preparing for a long-distance bicycle tour. You’ll be clipping your panniers and bike bags onto them so they need to be hard-wearing and capable of carrying your luggage.

Every bike is different and there are many variables to consider when choosing your racks:

• Does your bike have disc brakes or rim brakes? Your rack might need extra clearance if you have disc brakes.
• Does your bike have mounts to attach the back rack to, or will you need to use clips?
• Does the rack give you plenty of heel clearance? Essential if you actually want to be able to pedal when the panniers are attached!

You’ll also want to consider the material your racks are made from:

• Aluminium: very lightweight but less durable.
• Chromoly: heavier than aluminium but durable and strong.
• Steel: heavier than chromoly but very durable and can be welded if they break.
• Titanium: lightweight but expensive.

Make sure to check your wheel size and dimensions to get the one best suited to your bike. If you don’t know much about bikes, I’d advise getting racks fitted at your local bicycle shop.

Panniers and bike bags

Panniers/bike bags are where you’re going to store all your gear, and they’ll clip onto your pannier racks.

Ortlieb is one of the most popular panniers and bike bag brands as their bags are known for being waterproof and durable. That being said, Ortlieb isn’t the cheapest at £100+. You certainly don’t need to fork out for Ortliebs, unless you want a really great pair that’ll last you a long time, but it’s worth getting good quality, waterproof panniers that will last.

If you’ll be camping on your tour, you’ll likely need front panniers as well as back panniers, as camping and cooking gear can take up a lot of space. If you’ll be staying in hotels or similar on your tour, you may well be able to get away with back panniers only. It all depends on how much gear you’ll be carrying!

I use these back panniers from BTWIN and they serve me very well. They’re waterproof, durable and have plenty of space.

I had some cheap front panniers which, quite frankly, sucked, and they broke quickly. This is why I advise investing in some good quality panniers.

Some great options for panniers include:

• Ortlieb 20L Back Roller Classic
• Arkel 22.5L Panniers
• Thule Shield 25L Pannier Pair

READ MORE: The 8 Best Panniers For Touring in 2022

How to pick a destination for your first bike trip

It seems that many people think that travelling by bike needs to be adventurous. Sure, there are particularly intrepid individuals out there who are enthused about navigating the steppes of Central Asia or sweating their way across the Sahara desert, but these are far and few between.

Bicycle touring can be thought of as a “cycling holiday” — you’re doing this to enjoy yourself, after all!

When deciding where to go for a bicycle tour, you’ll want to consider the following:

Time: Most of us can only take a short while out of work at a time, or have commitments that can’t be abandoned for too long. If you don’t have much time, why not start local? Just get out of your house and start cycling — a weekend tour can still be a great adventure! If you have two weeks or longer, you have a lot more choice on where to go.

Season: The weather can have a massive impact on how much you enjoy your tour. Choosing to cycle across Asia during the monsoon season or northern Canada during winter could be miserable.

Style: Does your chosen destination fit your cycling and travel style? Think about what you want to get out of your cycle tour, what sights you want to see and how comfortable you are cycling in remote places.

Experience: When planning a bike tour, you should use your previous riding experience to figure out how much distance and how much incline you’re capable of covering. For example, if you’re not in the best shape, touring the steep inclines of the Pyrenees might not be such a fun experience for you.

Ideas on where to go bicycle touring

Here are some great destination ideas for first-time bike tourers:

Western Europe

Many first-time bike tourers select Europe as their first adventure. It’s a great continent to cycle in: bike paths are decent, amenities are great and distances between cities and towns are much smaller than in other parts of the world. Not only this, but Europe is diverse with beautiful scenery and fascinating cultures, and is home to a great community of cycle tourists.

There’s a huge network of dedicated bicycle routes that span across Europe, known as the EuroVelo routes. These are perfect for first-time cycle tourists, as they make planning easy. Just pick a route and follow it!

I would say that Western Europe is more beginner-friendly than Eastern Europe, as (typically) bike paths are better maintained, infrastructure is more set up for cyclists and campsites are everywhere.

I personally cycled EuroVelo 6 one summer and had a fantastic time pedalling along rivers and visiting capital cities. If you’d like to cycle along the Mediterranean coast, taking in Spanish beaches, the canals of Venice, beautiful Croatia and more, have a look into EuroVelo 8.

If you’ve got a week for your cycle tour, Passau to Vienna is a great choice.

If you have 2-3 weeks, I would recommend following the Loire River in France (the Loire a Velo), or the EuroVelo 15, which follows the Rhine River through Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands.

South Korea

The South Korean government has invested massively in cycling, meaning the country now has thousands of kilometres of dedicated bicycle paths. The most famous of their bike routes is the 4 Rivers Path, a 633 km-long path connecting the major Korean cities of Seoul and Busan. It’s an ideal option for a beginner’s bicycle tour.

If you want to see more of the country, you could even make up your own route, as South Korea has an excellent road network with many secondary roads that usually see little traffic.

Camping culture in South Korea is huge and there are lots of free campsites scattered everywhere, usually in scenic areas, such as by the beach or a lake. South Korea is also one of the safest countries in Asia, making it ideal for solo cyclists who might worry about cycling alone.

Japan

Japan is a dream destination for many, but many people are put off from visiting due to the high costs. However, there is a budget way to explore Japan, and this is — you guessed it — by bicycle touring.

Wild camping is legal in Japan, meaning you can pitch your tent for free as your travel around the country. Public baths are everywhere and cheap, meaning you can wash easily on the road, too.

Roads in Japan are generally well-maintained, aside from the occasional pothole. Long cycling paths are not as common as in South Korea, but it’s possible to cycle on minor roads, which are usually very beautiful and not too heavily trafficked.

Like South Korea, Japan is also incredibly safe, making it a great option for solo cyclists.

Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia is a very popular destination for cycle tourists; it has a warm climate, there’s so much to see and do, and it’s very budget-friendly. It’s feasible for you to eat out every day and stay in guesthouses, rather than camp and cook your own meals. With this in mind, you could think of Southeast Asia as a luxury destination for touring!

The landscapes are spectacular in this part of the world. You could cycle down the coast of Vietnam, tour through peaceful Laos or pedal along the mighty Mekong River.

How to budget for a bicycle tour

One of the perks of cycle touring is that it’s typically cheaper than your average getaway. Your cooking and camping gear have you covered for food and accommodation, and your bicycle is your transport.

That being said, your daily bicycle touring costs will vary massively depending on your touring style and which part of the world you’re in.

Cycle touring is doable on any budget, but if you’re cycling on a shoestring, it may require a strong sense of adventure and the will to adapt to some discomfort.

If you choose to wild camp, cook your own meals and skip paid attractions, you could potentially tour on a mere $5-10 per day.

On the other hand, you could easily burn through over $100 a day if you choose to eat out and stay in hotels while touring expensive places like West Europe, North America and Australia.

Most tourers’ daily budget falls somewhere in the middle. For example, I prefer to tour by staying at campsites and cooking my own meals. This way, I always have a place to pitch my tent with access to toilet and shower facilities. I also allow myself some luxuries, such as the occasional meal out, fancy coffee from cafes, and some paid attractions. Touring this way, I spent roughly €30 per day while cycling across Europe.

If you’re someone who doesn’t want to camp but is worried about the costs of staying in hotels, consider touring somewhere like Southeast Asia, where accommodation and eating out are super cheap. You could expect to pay roughly $20-30 per day in Southeast Asia by eating delicious street food and staying in budget guesthouses.

As well as your daily touring costs of food, accommodation etc, you’ll want to factor in potential bike repairs and kit replacements. Leave yourself a buffer, in case a hole rips into your tent or your bike needs professional repair.

Finding bike-friendly accommodation

Unless you’re planning a short trip, it’s not practical to plan accommodation in advance. Weather, equipment, your energy levels and other factors can all influence the distance you cover each day. You might also find an unexpectedly nice town and want to spend some time there. With this in mind, it’s best to remain as flexible as possible when it comes to where you lay your head at night.

Campgrounds

Campgrounds offer a safe place to pitch your tent, along with a toilet and shower, and usually WiFi and electrical outlets, too. They’ll even sometimes have laundry facilities, cooking stations and more. Campgrounds can be a great place to stay at a really reasonable price.

In Europe, Australia and New Zealand, you’ll find that campgrounds are everywhere and usually good value for money. In Japan and South Korea, there are many free campgrounds where you can stay.

Watch out for privately-run campsites in the US, as they can charge a lot of money for a small patch of grass. They usually prioritise RVs and may even turn cyclists away!

You won’t really find campgrounds in developing countries, such as in the Middle East or South Asia.

Hostels

Sometimes you just need a break from camping! Hostels are generally the cheapest way to get a bed for the night, if you don’t mind sharing a room with other people. They’re most commonly found in cities or larger tourist towns — it’s unlikely you’ll find hostels in super rural areas.

In expensive places, such as West Europe or Australia, hostels can be as low as $10, although they’re usually closer to $20. In cheaper places, like Southeast Asia, they can be as low as $4 per night (yes, really)!

Hotels

If you’re touring in places like Western Europe, the USA or Australia, then nothing will blow your budget faster than staying in hotels. However, if you’re sick or have been riding in bad weather for a few days, a hotel room with an actual bed and a private bathroom can be a real morale booster.

If you do stay in hotels, make sure there is somewhere secure to lock your bike up. Cycle tourists are not usually well catered for at hotels — I had to lock my bike to the fence in a hotel garden in Austria as there was nowhere else to put it.

In continental Europe, you might spot a type of hotel called a pension. Pensions are usually much more budget-friendly than a full-scale hotel and are more like a guesthouse or bed and breakfast. Pensions near bike paths in Germany and Austria often have signs outside to let cyclists know their bikes are welcome: “Radfahrer Wilkommen.”

In less expensive places, such as India or Southeast Asia, it’s affordable to stay in budget hotels every night.

Wild camping

Wild camping is a great way to save money and enjoy nature. It also offers complete flexibility, as you can pitch your tent just about anywhere — a real lifesaver in areas where tourism isn’t common.

You’ll want to find a secluded spot if you choose to wild camp, away from roads and out of sight of people.

Bear in mind that wild camping is prohibited in many countries, although many cyclists do it anyway and don’t get caught. Most people have a relatively relaxed attitude to wild campers, and so may or may not ask you to move on if you’re caught. Just make sure to be discrete: find a secluded spot, wait until dusk to set up camp and be gone by early morning.

If you’re new to wild camping, it’s normal to have some worries at first. I used to be afraid that an unpleasant stranger would come by or the police would show up to ask me to move on. However, as long as you remain hidden and are discrete, it’s unlikely you’ll encounter any problems.

WarmShowers

If you’re not familiar, Warm Showers is a free worldwide hospitality exchange for touring cyclists. It’s a fantastic community — cyclists offer to host other cyclists for a night. You’ll be given a place to sleep and a shower, but it’s likely you’ll also be given food and a beer. Warm Showers states that they have hosts in over 160 countries!

Unconventional options

Churches, police stations, gas stations, farmer’s fields and more are often viable options when looking for somewhere to spend the night. It depends on the country and the laws they have on camping, but in many places, people will be happy to help cyclists and provide somewhere for them to pitch their tent.

People across the world are hospitable and kind — particularly when they see a weary-looking cyclist with lots of gear strapped to their bike!

As an example, myself and two other cyclists pitched our tents next to a gas station in Turkey one night. The security guard gave us coffee and snacks, and a passing farmer even gifted us some watermelon and tomatoes.

Overcoming worries and doubts

If you’ve never been on a cycle tour, you may feel overwhelmed and have doubts about whether you’re capable or not.

Let me tell you: if I can do it, then so can you. With no touring experience, little knowledge of bike mechanics and a not-so-great level of fitness, I cycled from London to Istanbul over the course of 3 months.

I am not particularly brave or strong-willed. I just took it one day at a time.

What if I know NOTHING about bike mechanics?

Don’t worry! I didn’t know much about bike mechanics before committing to my first 3-month cycle tour.

That being said, it would be extremely helpful to know a few basics in case of a breakdown. At a minimum, you should know how to pump your tyres and how to repair a flat tyre.

If you really do know nothing about bike repair, it would be wise to choose a destination where you’re not going to become stuck if your bike breaks down. A popular route like the western part of EuroVelo 6 is dotted with bike repair shops, as well as other bike tourists who would probably be happy to help if you’re in a tough spot.

How do I train for a bicycle tour? Do I need to be really fit?

As the saying goes, “train for the tour or let the tour train you.”

You do not need to be really fit. Training can be done on the road, as long as you’re willing to take things slowly at first. You don’t need to cover massive distances each day if you don’t want to, and no one will judge you if you need to get off your bike and push sometimes.

Ignore the self-important types who think you’re not a proper cyclist just because you only cycled 30km and pushed your bike up that hill.

That being said, having good fitness will make your bike tour much more enjoyable.

Try to cycle 3 or 4 times a week, including one whole day of cycling over varied terrain. This will help to improve your fitness, as well as prepare your body for long days in the saddle.

I’m still not sure if bicycle touring is for me…

If you’re nervous about committing to a big tour, why not have a practice run? You could head out somewhere local one morning, camp that night and then head home the next day. This will give you a feel of what bicycle touring is like.

Alternatively, there are companies such as Spice Roads, Grasshopper Adventures and Bike Adventures that offer fully supported, guided cycle tours. All the logistics will be taken care of for you, so you can enjoy cycling without worrying about getting lost or finding places to stay. This is also a great option if you simply don’t feel comfortable touring on your own due to safety concerns.

What’s the best travel insurance for a bicycle tour?

It’s harder than you would expect to find a decent travel insurance policy that covers bicycle touring. And, unfortunately, most policies that do cover bicycle touring do not cover damage to or theft of your bike.

If you’re a UK resident, Adventures Insurance is probably the best option.

As the name would suggest, they specialise in insurance for more adventurous pursuits — including cycle touring. They cover personal liability and medical expenses while cycle touring, and even allow equipment up to £1,000 to be covered, with a single item limit of £600. However, the maximum duration of your cycle tour must be 3 months.

If you’re not a UK resident or will be touring for longer than 3 months on one continent, I would recommend World Nomads, whom I personally use for most backpacking and general long-term trips.

You can read World Nomads’ policy on cycling-related travel here, but here are the basics:

• Cycle touring is covered but the tour must be on one continent only — no cover is available for intercontinental cycle touring.
• You’ll need to tick ‘cycling / biking – independent cycle touring’ when buying your policy. This is an optional extra, so be sure to select it.

READ MORE: 5 Best Cycle Touring Insurance Providers

Tips for life on the road

1) Take every opportunity to refill your water bottles.

2) Drink before you are thirsty and eat before you are hungry.

3) Carrying your own toilet roll is essential. Trust me.

4) Double-check your camping spot before you head off for the day. Cycling back for something you’ve forgotten is the worst!

5) Especially for longer tours, build in a luxury day every so often. A nice hotel room and a warm bath are so welcome after weeks of camping.

6) Be sure to take rest days and make time for sightseeing.

7) Be conservative with the mileage at first; no amount of training can adequately train you for hours in the saddle day after day.

8) Find the little roads. They’re usually much nicer to cycle on than the more direct but busier roads.

9) Stock cubes can add flavour to almost anything and are great to mix into a perhaps otherwise flavourless camp meal.

10) Be prepared to get dirty! Sweat + sunscreen + cycling is an unpleasant combination. Tiny insects and layers of dust/dirt will stick to your skin.

11) Learn the mistakes drivers make, and assume everyone is going to make them every time.

12) Numbness in any part of your body should be treated as a warning sign that something needs to change in your bike fit or cycling posture. Numbness can lead to serious problems and should be treated seriously.

13) It’s not a race. Who cares if you only cycle 10km a day? As long as you’re enjoying yourself, that’s all that matters. As Jimmy Buffett said, “go fast enough to get there but slow enough to see.”

14) A lot of the challenges are mental. The going can get tough at times, but the pros of touring have always outweighed the cons for me.

15) The most important bike touring tip of all: have fun!

READ MORE: 40 Random Yet Helpful Bike Touring Tips

I hope this bicycle touring guide for beginners has been useful and has provided a good foundation of knowledge to help you plan and prepare for your first cycle tour.

Please feel free to post any questions you may have in the comments section below; I’ll be more than happy to answer!

Happy cycling,
Lauren

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Thank you for reading! If you found this post useful, I’d be grateful if you would consider using the affiliate links below when planning your travels. I’ll make a small commission at no extra cost to you. This will help me to keep this blog running. Thanks for your support – Lauren.

Hotels – Booking.com
Hostels – Hostelworld
Cheap flights – Skyscanner
Travel insurance – World Nomads
Outdoor gear – Decathlon / GO Outdoors
Cycling gear – Chain Reaction Cycles

Alternatively, you could buy me a coffee to say thanks!