6 Tips For Your First Bikepacking Trip
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Published 2023-05-12
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All Comments (21)
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Showering in your kit, and drying it in a towel, I did that for a two week tour...wore the same kit the whole time....great tip to share, and it works
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One thing to take along with you - flexibility. Perhaps there's road works and you can't go where you'd planned, a bridge is out and the diversion is lengthy, or even a ferry isn't running and the diversion is even longer (all happened to me in the past). How you react and deal with this without getting stressed, nervous or panicked will need a flexible mind set. Got to take this along with you!
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Be ready for your evening destination to not have any food or drink available. A lot of small towns have stores that close early, and that are not even open on Monday and Tuesday. Have a plan in case it happens.
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I don't worry about having extra clothes in case I ruin something along the way. There's usually somewhere to pick up clothing along the way. I've finished a tour or 2 wearing a jersey advertising some bike shop I stopped at along the way.
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Regarding cancelling your hotel booking last-minute, there's a hack: usually hotels let you reschedule your stay for free, so you can just call them to postpone to a few days later. And THEN you cancel it.
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Really enjoying "Lucy's First Bikepacking Trip." Nice to see that a cyclist as experienced as Lucy can still experience new things, and a great reminder to just freaking enjoy riding our bikes in as many ways as we can.
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Couple of things; a) a big whack of cash solves any issues and b) no bungie straps! Thanks for the video!
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A friend and me are cycling from Ghent to Strasbourg in 7 days starting in about a month, we both got Tailfins from watching your videos and are more then excited to try them out on this trip! We did book every hotel in advance since this is our first proper trip and didn't want to stress out too much and just enjoy the ride, but we did get cancellation insurance on every booking if things go wrong. thanks for the tips ! :)
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Great macro tips Francis and Lucy. From the comments perhaps drilling down into some specifics would help. 1. Tools: maybe show your basic outfit, including that luxury frame pump. 8:28 2. Personal hygiene/first aid 3. Emergency preparation...aside from first aid, letting someone know your route and checking in. Route sharing via Garmin/Strava/Whahoo... Have fun is the best tip. I did avery long one day event with a friend who was so OCD about preparation that the group's nerves were a bit frayed my the end of the day. 🚴♂️🚴♂️🗿😵💫🚴
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Tip 7 go with someone that has done it before.
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Love the content, Francis! I watch it all although I do really enjoy your bike packing trips. Great to see Lucy in this one! Hi Lucy! 👋
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Booking rooms in advance if you’re cycling through popular vacation areas in season is probably necessary. On your trip if you were able to take the coast highway booking one day in advance, you may find everything already booked leaving you without a room. I did a similar trip in 2019 only on the coast highway.
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Use mtn bike pedals because its easier to walk around in when touring.
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Last year I prebooked the first 6 nights and had planned one 215km day and another 180km, the other days averaged 150km. I soon realised this was a bit extreme for my fitness levels but had to crack on as they were prepaid.... after the 6th day I dropped the average to 100km with three days only doing 60 to 80kms (in the Alps). What I was missing out on was time to relax as there was just no time. This year I'm planning 100kms per day as that's far more reasonable for bikepacking, some days will be 80km. Gear wise I use a tailbag (15L capacity only) and a cyclite aero bag (which is unbelievably good) and lastly a tiny top tube bag for my phone/gels/etc. I take two pairs of bibs & tops, two teeshirts & underwear, a hoodie & shorts, and three pair of socks. I didn't bother with a jacket but will this year as you just cannot predict the weather in the mountains.
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Such good advices, not just the usual boring stuff!
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"Remember to enjoy it" is such good advice. I tend to stress about every last detail to the point that I don't think I take in the fun of it all - just relaxing into the ride would make all the difference. Nice video :)
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My wife and I cycled to our French home in the Dordogne from Bath. It was probably one of the best holidays we've had. Beautiful scenery, chilled ride and just no pressure. The key to it was to just be flexible, but boy did we take too much! 🙄😅
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kit washing and drying ...... genius🤩
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Can't get enough of that beautiful bike.
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Regarding weight distribution I'm a huge fan of frame bags for all the heavy stuff.
