Busting the BIGGEST Bicycle Touring Myths (...and Learn How to Prepare More Effectively!) 

Bycicle touring depends only on one thing: The will

Good sensible information. No matter how many years and miles you have toured, it does not hurt to do a weekend close to home to try out new ideas and updated your equipment. Start at your home. Bike to a place a day's ride away traveling on a wide range of surfaces and return to you home by the same route or make a loop. To the young riders wanting to get started. Don't be intimidated by the cost. When, I started touring 53 years ago I started collecting good equipment one piece at a time, and I am still using most of that equipment today. Everything I bought I could also use on a backpacking or a kayak trip. I have only one bike at a time, and it has to be able to travel on all types of surfaces. Today so many people think they need a different kind of bike to ride on every type of surface. I have worn out a lot of bikes over the years but only had one at a time. Just today a local news magazine interviewed me as why an 81-year-old man would bike touring. My answer was, I have because that is what I do. 50 years ago, the local newspaper asked me why I bike toured instead of car camping. It still brings joy to my heart to see and smell the Fall colors and the V's of geese flying south on their grand tour.

I always love your videos. You guys are my favorite cycling couple.

I agree with you. But want to add (to the last myth): if you never rode a bicycle and then you decide to go bicycle-touring, I think you need to do some training. Get your bicycle some weeks before you want to start your tour and do some daily riding. Every day a little longer. Try out riding with your panniers and other gear too, to get used to it. That's all.

Great video! The one thing that can ruin a tour is mechanical failures. So I would emphasis the part that you should at least know basic bike repairs (gears, brakes and wheels) before going on that epic tour around the world. Personally being a tinkerer, I always build my bikes complete up from scratch, so that I know every part used. To me this is an important part so that I don't worry while being out in the middle of nowhere.

Many good points and well presented. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Take care, Al

Excellent

Very beautiful landscape shoots ❤

Good video and great information!

I always learn something new on every video. Thank you.

Very nice video 👍 Greetz from Belgium.

Thanks for the great info you did a good job explaining it all

Great video, myself i love doing bicycle tours on the rail trails in my area. They have crushed stone dust, like riding on pavement, no traffic worries :)

You guyz are best ! keep travelling . im setting up / plan of my tour now. Mabuhay ! From Philippines

great advice

Thank you 🌻

Always fun vids Eric,great tips that I relate too! Where are you guyz currently?loved the Morocco content,fascinating country! Stay safe &happy!!😊👋

Hi😊 i am from Brazil. Congratulations

mooie vlog 😉

👌👍good info 👌

Mooie filmpje.

I found that all the peddling kept ruining my adventures 😮 so I put a motor on my bicycle 😅😅😅

I always look forward to your videos and you never disappoint. Take care you two. Where next for you? Have you done the Americas yet? I will check back can't remember. Forgive me, age effects the memory.

I really like your videos! Any comments about tadpole trikes? I’m thinking about buying one. I’m 77 years old, and can no longer walk long distances due to hip and ankle arthritis, but I can bicycle all day on my 2 wheel recumbent. My only problem is hill climbing. Steep hills require walking. Sometimes I veer dangerously toward traffic to keep balance on uphills. I know you’re not trike people, but you might have some extra trike knowledge.

1:30 from wich episode are this encounters?

Cool

Thank you for this very informative video. Do you have any tips on how to choose the best roads when travelling? Do you have an app which is good for something like that which you could recommend? I am still a novice and am not sure how to plan routes and avoid dangerous roads. I only know that I should avoid highways.

Was just wondering what type of bike is the best to tour with..i was building one from an old 26inch mountain bike. But i also have a gravel bike with plenty of brase on attachment points..all the best from Australia

Regarding danger, I'm kind of aware of some risks that come from the fact that I don't have a partner to tour with. An injury due to a crash on a low traffic road or a forest trail could potentially turn into a very bad situation because noone knows that I'm in trouble, or where I am. Yet it's usually preferable to high-traffic roads where I'd certainly be found if I had an accident, but accidents are also way more likely than on quieter roads. Regarding other people who want my stuff, I've done some touring on a 7000 euro carbon fiber bike with DI2 electronic shifting and that's definitely a nerve-wracking thing. When doing it, I never entered any place that didn't allow me to bring the bike with me. Among other things, it limits where I can eat, and where I can buy groceries, which means I'll sometimes have to ride on a very empty stomach. At least I've learned to avoid expensive luxury hotels as they are typically the ones that refuse to let me bring the bike up to my room. I guess this would be a lot easier if I had a partner, so one of us could watch the bikes while the other went shopping. I'm a lot less nervous when touring on my steel bike, which was of course a lot less expensive. Oh, and touring from Stockholm to Amsterdam on 25mm wide road bike slicks also wasn't my best idea. But it was all I had by the time. It worked until it had been raining for a few days and I started having punctures a few times per day, which I of course had to fix in the rain, and nowhere near any kind of shelter. Of course my dad wondered why I didn't check the wind direction before I left off, I had headwinds from Stockholm to somewhere in Germany, and rain more or less until that wind stopped.

I've been wanting to ask for a long time.....what camera do you use to record while paddling?

Funny how the clip accompanying you saying “always wear a helmet”, you’re not actually wearing a helmet.

What happened to the rest of the Morocco series? You left us a month ago in the Sahara without a conclusion. Are you just sprinkling in these latest how-to episodes, and will pick the story back up, or was that it?

hi.... are you still in marocco ?

Great ideas and for sure use a helmet.

Saudi is safe for biking

Wild camping is nice, economical and adventure some but some pre-caution must be noted due to global warming climate change and wildlife shifting areas to look for food. That said, depending on where you are, there are still some economical stays (hostels, etc) that offer a shower, social area and pleasant company.

🇳🇵🇳🇵🇳🇵

Some really good ideas but stay away from Israel at this time

Sorry, bicycle touring does have a higher level of inherent danger, above, say, traveling by car or plane. I suspect statistically this can be proven fairly easily. Your at the mercy of motor vehicles, many of whom, in at least some places, don't like bicyclists. And you stand out more to those with bad intentions. Yes, there's a lot to be done to mitigate these, and other risks. But i don't think it helps to sugar-coat it too much.

Try sitting down and not flailing your arms around so much when you speak. People are suppose to look at your face when you speak and it’s difficult to do that with your hands constantly flitting about.

this is the bicycle touring media, click how to... series for more GBTN content - Gobal Bicycle Touring Network. xD