Category: Advice and thoughts on bike touring

The New Route Werks Handlebar Bag: right for Bike Tourists?

With bike touring, you are always learning and looking for better ways of doing things. 

One persistent niggle on previous tours and day trips has been my lack of easy access to my wallet and iPhone. Sure, you can stuff them in your bike jacket, but what about when it is too hot to wear the jacket or raining so hard that you risk getting water in them? (And this actually happened to me three years ago and led to my buying my latest iPhone.)

The obvious solution is a handlebar bag, but frankly up to now, I have not been impressed with what is on offer. I tried an Ortlieb handlebar bag for a few months but it came with a very heavy and rigid mount that could only be fixed – once – onto one bicycle, and the bag itself left no space for bike GPS, video camera or any of the modern paraphernalia of cycling. It was not very easy to release and was held shut with a magnet, which often gave way, flinging the bag and its contents everywhere. I took it on precisely one bike tour before removing the mount and throwing it away. 

Since then, I have stuck all my valuables in the backrack at the back of my bike, guessing that no one is going to nab an innocent looking bag but still annoying to have to stop the bike, dismount and search through the bag for my phone every time I see a good photo or want to check something on my iPhone and still vaguely nervous about the whole thing.

About nine months ago, my Google Newsfeed alerted me to a story about an American start-up called Route Werks who had just got crowdfunding for a new handlebar bag with a hard flat front with a dedicated mount for GPS and plenty of other neat ideas. I mentally noted it as a potential solution, but since it was not yet on the market, there was not much I could do.

In March, again the newsfeed reported that the bags were now on sale but selling out quickly. I went for it, found their website and duly ordered one. There was a big delay because of production problems so it finally arrived only a few weeks ago.

The bag

The bag comes in two colours: black and khaki green though the CEO is clearly thinking of more colours.

My rough measurement is that it is 24cm wide across the handlebars, 13cm long and 14cm deep, though the bag tapers down to about 20×10.

It comes with a sturdy metal lid with a circular insert in the middle into which you can install the mounts for a bike GPS or phone. The bag itself is rough waterproof fabric similar to that used on some bike panniers.

It has four pockets on the inside. One appears to be designed for a phone, one in the top is apparently for batteries, and the other two small ones at the front? Well I am stuffing my AirPods in one and keys in another. There are two small pockets on the outside, held shut with small hooks. I have stuffed my multitool into one and my emergency small bike lights into the other.

Across the inside and outside of the lid, they have criss-crossed bungee cord, allowing you to stuff things in there such as bike gloves or arm warmers though these can get in the way of the GPS.

It comes with a mount that needs to be fixed onto the handlebars and screwed into place. This is good: very unobtrusive and relative easy to unscrew if you need to pack the bike for travel or decide to use on another bike (though I bought a second for one of my other bikes and that makes things easier). You really do not notice it when you are riding the bike without the bag.

To use a GPS, you have to buy the relevant mount. A little fiddly to screw on so really not a question of being able to switch mounts easily. It sounds as though they are working on a variant which would allow you to fix more than one object on top: a phone and a video camera for instance.

They also sell a mount to fix on the side for a bike light (see below).

Is it any good?

I have not yet taken it on a bike tour so these are early days, but so far, I have to report that it is GREAT, and I am getting some very envious looks. There is a good chance that I am the only person in Belgium with one.

For a start, it does exactly what I wanted: a bag with enough space for wallet, phone, passport if I need, AirPods, keys, my multitool, sunglass shades and dear God, sanitiser gel, tissues and a face mask. And with my GPS on top and plenty of space for a bell and GoPro mount. It is one of those bags that you keep on seeing if you can fit more in. Indeed I am now using it alone for day rides, packing in a spare inner tube, pump, tyre levers, and my very small emergency lock.

The lid locks down securely, so no chance of things coming apart when moving it around, though occasionally I have had to press it shut (see below). It is easy to put on the mount and take off for a quick trip to the shops or a bite to eat.

And I can testify that it is waterproof, having ridden 20 minutes through a thunderstorm the other night on my way home from dinner at a friend’s house and not a drop inside when I got home.

The negatives? Well in truth, when it arrived, it was a lot smaller than I was expecting. It is designed for mountain bikers, road bikers and gravel bikers rather than the comfy bike tourist or even the bikepacker. It can fit an iPad mini at a pinch, but diagonally and with not that much space for other things. It wouldn’t hurt to be a few inches bigger. As the actress said to the bishop. Perhaps a larger touring version in the future?

And on gravel, cobbles or even on a downhill, there is an annoying rattle. I tried to sort it out by sticking on felt adhesive shock absorbers… only to find that I could no longer shut it. Not the end of the world, but a little annoying. And either because of that or because it fell off the bed, the lid no longer automatically clicks into place. I can close it, but really bike bags need to be designed to take wear and tear, so we will see.

It comes with a carrying strap which you cannot remove and which rather gets in the way. I tried stuffing it in the lid but that made it difficult to close. Again, not the end of the world, but rather annoying. 

With that heavy top, the bag is inevitably a bit unstable and falls over easily. Fine for having it beside you while stopping for a coffee or a bite to eat but not something I would want to take out with me to dinner when off the bike. I will stick with my fine Bulgarian man bag.

And you really do need to buy the separate light mount because otherwise it completely gets in the way of any light. Or have a bike light that you mount on your helmet. A short term solution if you have to go through a tunnel or have a short night ride would be to remove the bag and sling it round your shoulder and back, but not ideal.

Over all though, I love it. It is a thing of beauty. I want to show it to everyone…

My only regret? Not buying the light mount and not buying a third mount for my road bike. I will wait until they release more accessories later in the year and then buy some more goodies. Boys and their toys…

A question of price

So at this point, you are probably thinking “Great! Where can I buy it?”. But there is one final thing that you need to know that might slightly shock you and put you off. The price.

What were you thinking? $60? $100? Well it is actually $180 and that is before you add the cost of extra bike mounts, adapters and the like, and the shipping cost.

That is not cheap. This is a quality piece of equipment designed to look cool and appeal to the booming bike market. If I were setting out on a first bike tour or kitting out a new bike, I would probably hesitate. You certainly don’t need it for a happy bike tour or riding.

But if you have the money, are sure that you will use it, and feel like a treat, then go for it. And in these dark days, why not treat yourself?

Finally, a professional reason. My job is about supporting entrepreneurs, start-ups and small companies. I absolutely love the spirit and mindset of entrepreneurs. Googling the Route Werks handlebar bag, I came across the podcast below in which the CEO explains how it came about and all the thinking that went into it. If you have time, listen in from about the eight minute mark as he explains his passion for cycling and the different aspects of production. It is quite a long interview but really worth it. 

Episode 111: Route Werks Handlebar Bag

Verdict

So my verdict so far is: great.

But let’s see how it handles the rigours of bike touring… I will update this post when I come back.

Update: 29 August 2021

I promised to update this post after my next bike tour, which took place in July and which I am busy writing up the notes from. The truth is that the handlebar bag proved to be an excellent addition: it meant that I could carry around pretty much all my valuables with me when I stepped off the bike for any reason or when checking in to a hotel, the only exceptions being my iPad mini and Kindle without all the stress and worry. I also started packing a small HipLok lock in it, which again meant that I could quickly lock up my bike for a few minutes without having to rummage to the bottom of the backrack for my heavy U-lock.

More importantly, I felt secure when cycling through cities or taking the bike through four train stations and when loading the bike onto trains. I had my keys, my phone, my wallet, my passport all right in front of me. (And sadly also my facemask, my disinfectant and my tissues.)

And just as importantly, it encouraged me to stop and take more photos or take more notes while I was on the road without the annoyance of having to get off my bike and again rummage around in my backrack for my phone or notebook. And I even stuffed some sweeties in there to refuel on the go.

And that annoying rattle? I inadvertently found a solution. It turns out that it goes away when the bag is absolutely stuffed full to the gills with all the stuff that I wanted in front of me.

I still do not like that strap and did not feel comfortable that it would not snap under pressure. I still think that the bag could be slightly bigger. And yes, one really does need a light mount. When cycling back through Brussels at midnight at the end of my trip, I ended up tying my small emergency front light round my GoPro. It sort of worked and would be enough for tunnels or emergencies, but not for night rides or winter rides, so worth shelling out for that light mount.

And one further mini-gripe: the iPhone pocket at the back of the bag is not very practical as the phone is hard to get at when stopping briefly. I ended up using the space for my passport and vaccination papers, and putting the phone on top of everything else.

But overall, I found myself wondering how I had managed without it and discovering that my backrack had magically managed to fill itself up with other things instead… So well worth it for bike touring and I have seen from the company’s website that I am not the only person who had the idea.

CrispLeave a comment

Planning a comfy bike trip in eight easy steps

Now that there is hope that this awful pandemic might end, and we can start to plan the joys of travel again, a friend asked me to post about how I organise my bike trips. I feel that I am still learning, and on each bike trip, I realise that I have made mistakes. That is all part of the learning experience. But here is how I plan my trips. It takes time, but I once read that 50% of the pleasure of the holiday is in the planning and anticipation. So enjoy even before you pedal that first nervous stroke…

At the time of writing, I am planning a bike trip, so in italics I have explained how I applied my approach to my forthcoming trip and so my decision-making process.

1. How long have you got? When will you be going?

First you need to decide when and how long you would like to go for.

Entirely up to you, but if I were starting from scratch, I would go for a two-week trip: enough time to build your legs up and get a decent taste: not so long that if you hate it, you suffer.

When? Usually you will have little control over this as it will be whenever you can take some holiday. If you have a choice, I have one firm recommendation that will be good for most of Europe: May. May is really delightful to ride in. April and September are also great months though the latter can be surprisingly hot as I discovered in central Italy last year.

My immediate boss tells me that she would like to take her summer holiday in August so I have to work around that. I am feeling pretty tired, so I would like a holiday before then, but I only want to do it when fully vaccinated. With my second jab due on 30 June, and allowing two further weeks before I can travel under the COVID passport, that gives me a window of two and a half weeks in the second half of July.

2. Where do you want to go?

When you will be going matters a huge amount to what is feasible and will narrow things down. Believe me, I have had to learn this the hard way. I shivered in freezing rain and sleet in late March in Alsace and the Ardennes. I boiled in 40C heat in August in Slovakia and along the Hungarian Danube, the sweat pouring down my face so hard that I could hardly see. If I had to plan those trips again and had no choice over the date, I would have gone a lot further south in March and a lot further north or west in August…

Within these parameters, there are still a lot of options, so how do you decide? Well how do you decide about where you go on a non-cycling holiday? Maybe you hear from friends, maybe you read an article in a newspaper, or maybe you read a book. Something catches your eye and you think “That could be interesting…”

Some ideas:

  • Following a river such as the Rhine or Danube;
  • Following a Roman or historical road;
  • Following a Eurovelo route or other established bike route;
  • Exploring a particular area that is rich in an area of history that you are interested in such as World War One battlefields;
  • Following the route taken by an author or writer;
  • Visiting a region that you have heard a lot about or even visited by car and thought “That would be great to cycle in”;
  • Cycling from your home to a major city such as Paris or Berlin.
Why not?

For my first bike tour in 1993, a friend and I knew nothing other than that we wanted to start in Ostend and go East. We ended up doing a semi-loop before my friend became too sick to continue. On that tour, we reached Aachen, which gave me the idea to go back a few years later and travel across Europe in stages.

OK, so not too far south or east or I will be broiled like a lobster… Maybe the Alps? Or how about the Jura? I had tentatively explored the idea of a ride there a few years ago.

3. Would it be good for cycling?

This is where you need to do some research, either using [famous algorithm-based search engine] or buying a few travel books. What is the terrain like? Do other people ride there? (Always a good recommendation.) What do they say about it? Is it compatible with what you like and your experience level? I am OK on main roads, but maybe you want a route on bike paths. Is it too hilly for you or too flat?

A good sign is if you come across lots of companies organising bike tours there. Take a look at their routes and the towns they stop in.

I do my research and there are lots of bike routes in the Jura and along the Rhone, and lots of people saying how great it is.

4. A to B or a loop?

Logistically this is a no-brainer: doing a loop will simplify things for you no end. Cheaper return train or plane ticket, possibility to travel with a bike box and packing materials that you can use on the way back. There can indeed be a sense of satisfaction in returning to your starting point after many kilometres and many adventures. Last summer, I did such a loop from Milan and I felt like a conqueror returning to the city with 1,500 km under my belt, and the knowledge that my kind host had kept my bike box ready for me.

But… Well, at least to me, there is something that little bit more satisfying about doing an A to B. The line looks nicer on the map and is more impressive when you tell friends. I feel that you get to see more terrain and have a wider experience.

Honestly, I do both, though probably more A to B than loops.

A very nice compromise would be to do an A to B but with the possibility of taking the train from B to A at the end.

If only I had thought of that… I guess that I am just a sucker for long lines… The idea comes to me of going from Basel to Lyon, right through the Jura and then along the Rhone. Anyway, there’s no direct train from Lyon to Basel…

5. Is it actually viable?

Yes, this is a mistake that I have made too many times. You get excited at the possibilities and already in your head, you are cycling through the foothills in glorious evening sunshine… What can possibly go wrong?

Well what can go wrong is that when you actually get to plan it, it can involve a level of logistics so complicated that it would make a military commander’s head spin… You can discover that to get from your home in Sprotsburgh to your intended starting point in Paradiseville means a day and a half of mixed transport, including a six-hour donkey ride over rough terrain… Difficult enough on your own, but with a fragile bike to transport and protect?

Very occasionally it is worth it. I was determined to start my ride from the southernmost town of Europe in… the southernmost town. That meant a flight to Athens, a two-hour layover, a flight to Heraklion in Crete, renting a car, driving two hours with the bike in its travel box, dropping the bike at my hotel, driving back to the airport and returning the rental car, and then taking a three-hour bus back to the hotel… It was fine: I spent a day in the rental car, touring the hills of Crete. But not something I would do every day.

So my advice is to look at the arrival and departure logistics early on. Not just can you get there without too much hassle, but can you get you and your bike there without too much hassle? And for the arrival, can you get your bike there in a state that you can unpack it without too much hassle? (For the departure, can you pack your bike without too much hassle? This might mean procuring a cardboard box.)

And here is the odd thing, because usually it is much easier to go by plane than by train. Why? Because airlines are used to taking boxed cargo and lots of luggage whereas trains are much more restrictive.

So take a look. How easy is it to get there? By plane, ideally you want to get there in one go, but if not, you want a decent layover between flights so that there is no danger of your bike getting lost/delayed. (On the flight to Crete, I fretted, only for my bike to make it to the arrivals hall before I did.)

Easier than it looks

By train, you need to see whether it is possible to take your bike at all and if so in what form. Here in Europe, international ICE Trains ban bikes altogether, TGV allow them subject to being partially dismantled, and Eurostar has a decent system for paying a bit more and having the bike delivered separately.

A slight trick that I have discovered and now use. Often the difference in cost between second class and first class is not that much. But in first class, there tends to be a bit more space for luggage, and conductors tend to be a lot less sniffy about someone taking a disassembled bike in a bag… Just saying…

Changing trains? This can work but only if on one of the legs, you can carry the bicycle in its ordinary state. So for instance, I would consider a journey that involved taking the TGV for the first leg, having a solid hour to put my bike back together, and then taking a regional TER train. What I would not consider is having to take said bike on one TGV to Paris-Nord, getting it across Paris to Paris-Gare de Lyon, and then loading it fully packed onto another TGV.

My initial search results are a horror: nothing from Brussels to Basel in early July. So I try on another website, that of the French SNCF and see that yes, it is possible to catch an early morning train from Brussels to Strasbourg and then a regional TER train to Basel just under an hour later. Perfect! More than enough time to put my bike back together.  I also check and see that there is a direct train back from Lyon. Slight complication is that the rules on bike bags are not very clear… So let’s hope that the First Class trick works…

6. Sketch out a general route

OK? That all look good? Now it is time to sketch out a route and see how feasible it is for the time you have available, the effort you want to put in.

Sometimes what I do is to print out a map of the area that I want to ride through and mark on it all the interesting places that I would like to go through. Sometimes what becomes clear is that I will immediately have to rule many of them out. Usually, I can see a general outline.

So then I go online and use a bit of bike route-mapping software like RideWithGPS and sketch out the route, putting my starting point and end point and then pulling the route this way and that, adding ‘control points’: the towns or bike routes I want to follow.

Catalonia? Why not?

Very quickly, I get an estimation of the rough total distance and total climb.

How does it look?  Suppose you want to ride 50km a day, and take a day off every 3 days. That means for a 15-day trip, allowing for a day to get there and a day back, you are looking at a rough total distance of 500 km. If anything, it should be closer to 475k or so because inevitably you will have to tweak the route to take you to hotels and sights of interest. Or avoid real bastard climbs…

This is the next figure that you should look at: how much you will be climbing.  I like a mix of rolling countryside, the odd solid climb, and a bit of flat, so I operate by a rough rule of thumb that for every 10km of distance, I should be doing about 100m of climbing. Above that, I will be doing more climbing than flat and below that, I will be more on the flat than in the hills. Up to you but I find the 1:10 to be a good ratio.

At this point, as long as the distance and climbing are not wildly out, I recommend saving your route and then playing around a bit with the route to tweak the distance/ climbing to your liking.  I often save a number of variants of the general route, making them ‘standard’, ‘easy’ and so on…

One thing that you should think about is the direction of your route. If you are doing a loop, is it better going clockwise or anti-clockwise? If you are going A to B is it better going north to south, south to north, east to west… A factor here might be the prevailing wind… I once rode south from Tallinn to Vilnius only to be told halfway by a bike mechanic in Latvia that 9 out of 10 bike tourists went the ‘right’ way: south to north, with the wind behind them.

So I sketch out my route from Basel to Lyon via Geneva based on the two long routes that I have found: the Jura mountain route and the Eurovelo 17. I figure it better to go from Basel because that means that I will be slightly downhill over the distance…

My first sketch comes to 511k and 6367m of climbing. The first figure is fine because I am happy to average at 60. The second?  Well could be OK but I need to look at the map. The first 260k contain 4800m of climbing. Oofff!  Time to save the route and test out a route with less climbing. I do so, hogging the lakes and quickly end with a route that comes to 484k and 3544m: quite a difference! OK, so my trip is definitely ‘on’. I can probably mix a bit of the two to get a nice balance.

7. Are the individual stages doable?

OK, so you do this and it looks OK. One final thing to check before you commit: are there towns and villages with accommodation reasonably spread along the route? If you are travelling in the thick of Western or central Europe, the chances are almost certainly yes, though if you are booking your trip last minute and in high season, you might want to check on [nameless popular online booking website] that some of the smaller towns are not booked up. In more sparsely populated territory like the Baltic countries, Scandinavia, and the Balkans, you should definitely do this. It might mean doing a really long ride one day and a relatively short the next. This was the case in Albania, where I ended up riding 115k from Gjirokaster to Fier and then 40k from Fier to Berat. Sometimes you just have to do it. The only time I was really out of options was riding through European Turkey when my trip depended on a small town with only one hotel and making a jink to the coast.

I do a rough breakdown of my days from beginning to end, including rest days.  It does not need to be exact: just a rough estimation.

To do this, I go to my overall route and I ‘select’ bits of it in turn, starting from the beginning. What I am looking for are towns and villages along the route at reasonable intervals. Using the main map, I can get an idea of whether a place has a few hotels – and if necessary, I can confirm on a hotel booking site (see below) – and places to eat. I then ‘select’ the part of my route between the town I am starting from that day, and the town I have in mind. What you will then see is a more detailed profile of that part, with the distance, climbing and other details. Does it look reasonable to you? If not, can the route be tweaked a bit, or do you need to find a town closer to your starting point?

So, starting in Basel using my ‘easy’ route, I spot the town of Balsthal, and select that part of the route. It gives me 44.5km and a climb of 622m: a hilly ride but OK given that my distance is not that much. To check, I go on the booking site and confirm that there is indeed a hotel there that has vacancies for that night, though only one, so I book it with free cancellation.

I do this day by day, with a rough eye on towns where I can take a day off every 3-5 days. These need to be towns with something to do: exploring the old town or hiking. When I have done this, more or less for the whole trip, I then plot it against my planned dates. Does it all work or am I trying to squeeze too much in? Are there too many hard days – long rides or heavy climbing – in a row? Will I have enough time to actually appreciate the towns and landscape that I am riding through? In other words: will it be a fun holiday?

Actually I end up with one day spare: good to have in hand to either fit in another destination or come home a day early. I can see when I look at the train prices for the return from Lyon. The first days of my trip look like this:

Friday BrusselsBasel0
SaturdayBaselBalsthal44622
SundayBalsthalTramelan561251
MondayTramelanLa Chaux en Fonds34560
TuesdayLa Chaux en FondsPontarlier64938
WednesdayPontarlier

The climbing is a bit tough, especially on Day Three, but I will have a shorter ride on Day Four to compensate, and the second half of the trip is much easier.

One final check at this point before you go ahead and commit: take a look at all the small towns or heavily touristed destinations on your route and do a very quick check on a hotel booking site that something is available on the night that you plan to stay there. If things look tight and the reservations are cancellable, go ahead and book.

Balsthal and Tramelan only have one or two hotels so I lock them down quickly.

8. Go for it…

Now is the time for action and no regrets. Book the travel tickets… Get the bike reservations if necessary…

Then go and book the hotels, starting with the smaller places and leaving the big cities until last. For my advice on how to book hotels… you will just have to wait…

Then go and plan individual day routes. Here I start to pay more attention to the details of each route, making sure that I am not being sent along some muddy trail or along the side of a dual carriageway – though occasionally you have to do these. I send the yellow Google Street View guy on several parachute drops to spy out the terrain for me.

OK, so it looks like that..

Then start to get your gear together…

That’s it. That is really all there is.

Have fun…

I will let you know how it went. To be continued…

Crisp1 Comment

How to be comfortable cycling in each season

A question that I am asked by a lot of friends restarting cycling is what to wear and how to adapt to the changing seasons. Giving a precise answer is difficult because it all comes down to our individual thermostat settings and assessing the weather on a given day, including wind and humidity.  I have sometimes seen people out with their legs showing in the middle of a freezing day: a bit nuts to me but great if it works for them. What is essential is that you should be comfortable: not too cold but not sweating too much.  

Below I have simply set out what works for me. I have organised according to how hot or cold it is with a rough guess about temperature in Celsius.  This is just a ballpark figure.  

One word of caution: weather can change suddenly especially in spring and autumn so I tend to pack small changes of clothing just in case: a spare pair of woolly socks in winter, a rain jacket and/or fleece in spring and summer and maybe a change of gloves for those days when it is warm but not that warm and you hesitate between fingerless and full finger gloves. If you plan to stop for lunch or a bite to eat outside, also worth bringing an extra layer because you will cool down quickly.

Final caveat: I have written this based on my experience as a man. If you are a woman, you will need to factor in things like a sports bra.

20C and above

The minimum. Sleeveless bike jersey, ideally Lycra to let you sweat, and ideally with some pockets at the back for keys, money etc. Fingerless but padded gloves. Padded Lycra shorts. Thin cycling socks.  Cotton sports socks will do but cycling socks will fit better and dry off quicker from rain. A pair of trainers. I recently switched to elastic laces, which was a great improvement as there is no longer any risk of the lace getting snarled in the pedals/crank.

Sometimes you just gotta sweat…

13-20 C (mid-spring, mid-autumn)

The above plus arm warmers. I was initially a bit suspicious of arm warmers but they really help during spring and autumn for those days when it is a little chillier than the sun would suggest. Also worth packing a pair of light full finger gloves just in case and a light rain jacket.

7-12 C (early spring, late autumn)

The above plus thicker rain jacket, thicker padded gloves, leggings, thicker socks and possibly a muff or bandana.  Jogging leggings will be fine here, provided that they are full length. Again, Lycra is the answer so that they fit tightly and dry quicky from rain.  I wear them over my Lycra shorts. I tend to move to thicker socks at this point while still using my trainers. For gloves, I alternate between thicker padded gloves and simple full length gloves, seeing how my fingers feel. If it is chilly when I set out, I also wear a muff for my neck.

3-6 C

Rain jacket, muff, fleece, full length jersey or insulated running top, thicker padded gloves, shorts, leggings, thicker socks, “non-breathable” shoes.

Time for the lightweight fleece and to swap the bike jersey for an insulated running top or such like.  Depending on the humidity, you might also want to go for even thicker gloves (see below). At these temperatures, your feet are going to get seriously cold and those breathable bits below the laces are going to do you more harm than good especially if you go through a puddle… At this point, I switch to an old pair of casual leather shoes with flat bottoms. No need to invest in anything sophisticated: just an old pair of weatherproof shoes that fit comfortably when you pedal. Depending on how humid it is, I sometimes put some rubber coverings over my shoes (see below).

-2 – 2 C

Yes, you should still be out riding in this weather provided that the roads are not too icy. 

At this point, I add three things to my kit: a bandana for my head and ears, a thick pair of padded gloves and some rubber shoe coverings.

A woolly hat will also do. The important thing is to cover your poor ears.

Ski gloves will also do, though gloves with a little bit of wrist padding are better for you.

The rubber shoe coverings are essential. You can pick them up easily at [major French sports retailer] and they really work. What you must do is to try them on: you will probably find that you need a few sizes bigger than your shoe size. Why? Because they are designed for bike shoes. What you want is a covering that can be squeezed round the outside of your shoe with not too big an effort and then sits snugly, insulating and not letting in too much water.

It is also possible to find non-rubber coverings but I found them less insulating and waterproof. 

The drawback of the rubber coverings is getting them on. I put my feet through them before the shoe, draw them up a bit on my legs with my feet going through the big open part of the covering, then put my feet into my shoes, tie the laces and then squeeze the coverings over, trying to not pinch my fingers. 

Once you have them on, you will not want to play around with them, but just in case I get cold, I also pack a pair of ski socks (see below).

-3 and below…

Mel, nice and toasty in minus 3

What’s stopping you? If the roads have been de-iced, you could be out for a memorable experience. Finnish children cycle to school even in the thick of winter.

At this point, it is a question of forgetting aerodynamism and simply getting out. This means raiding your ski wardrobe for a balaclava, ski or puffa jacket, ski trousers or jeans, and ski socks. I also wear a large luminous vest over the jacket.

In the days before I learned how to protect my feet.

A final word…

Riding in the different seasons is not just about clothes: it is also about your bike and carrying the right equipment.

In the summer, your bike tires should be pumped to the maximum, you should carry loads of water – around one 750ml bottle per 20 km – and consider taking a small towel or flannel to deal with the sweat.

In the spring and autumn, worth packing lights just in case you get home later than expected.

In the winter, you can let your tires be a bit softer but you need them to be grooved rather than bald, so this is the time to think of replacing them. You also want to check your brakes. I also take with me a thermos or thermal water bottle of hot tea to stay warm.

If you live somewhere that gets a lot of snow in winter – I envy you, living here in rainy Belgium – then snow tires are the answer.

Crisp1 Comment

A simple guide to Packing (and unpacking) a touring bike for a flight

The most stressful part of bike touring is getting the bike there and back. At the time of writing, I estimate that I have taken my bike on 28 flights and through 15 airports, all within Europe. I’ve taken a bike with rim brakes and one with disc brakes.  And I’m still learning…

With the experience of taking my bike to Oslo and back last month fresh in my mind, I thought that I would give some tips on how to pack and unpack, based on what I have learnt over the years, and the mistakes I made along the way.

If you Google, you will see lots of different and contradictory pieces of advice – and I have looked at most of them for inspiration over the years – but this is what seems to work for me.

Obviously one way of avoiding the hassle is to rent a bike at your destination, but that might not be practical if you plan to return from a different city and personally I prefer to ride my own bike where I know how everything works.

What follows is a bit long but don’t worry: it doesn’t actually take too much time and is not very hard to do. It just involves a bit of planning and preparation beforehand.

Before your trip

When planning, the first thing that you need to do is to look at the possible flights. I try to get a direct flight to minimise the chances of the bike getting lost en route, though the one time I had to do a transfer (in Athens), it was fine. Whilst for many cities, there is just one big airport, be aware that for some – London, Brussels, and yes, Milan – there are multiple airports. It will be tempting to go for the cheapest and most direct flight but before you do, check how close the airport is to where you want to start your trip and what the transport from the airport is like. 

Many cyclists put their bikes together at the airport and cycle from there/ take the bike on a train.  This can be fine as long as everything arrives in a good state, you have plenty of time, can work undisturbed and you do not need the bike box again.

For sheer convenience, I have tended to take a taxi from the airport and quietly unpack at my starting hotel. With both options, be aware that the choice of arrival airport can make a big difference to the cost/viability. Modern airports tend to be far away from the city and with only fast roads around them, which can make setting off by bike an unnerving proposition. Equally, some airports are over an hour’s drive from the city centre, which makes for a very expensive taxi and might have poor or non-existent public transport. For instance, in Belgium, Zaventem (the main airport) is reasonably close to the centre and there are good and regular trains, but Charleroi, the alternative is basically in another city with only bus connections.  Check it out: it might be worth paying more to fly to a closer and more convenient airport. (I made this mistake going out to Milan, flying to Malpensa when I should have found a flight to the much more central Linate. It cost me a whopping 95 Euros compared to 25 to go to Linate on the way back.)

For my recent trip to Oslo, I found out that taxis are ruinously expensive and that the best way is to take a direct train. Given that I needed the bike box for the return flight, unpacking at the airport was not an option. So I stored a lightweight and easily portable trolley in my suitcase and used it when navigating from Oslo Central station to my hotel 10 minutes away. It was a bit clunky with both the bike box and the suitcase but it just about worked.

Secondly and again before you pay for the ticket, check that the airline that you propose to fly with is OK with bikes and what their rules are.  Most are fine, but some have some awkward rules (see below). I usually reserve beforehand either by phone or by email, usually paying in advance.  Be ready to answer questions on the weight of your bike and dimensions of the bike/box that you are taking it in.  You do not need to be ultra-precise on the former – I quoted 12kg but when checking in, it was closer to 19 and they did not care – and on the latter, unless you have a specially big bike, I would tend to quote 135x75x20cm, which is the standard size of a bike box.  Don’t worry: they are unlikely to check.

Next, book your starting accommodation. One factor in my choice is that the place is reasonably close to a bike shop, just in case anything has gone wrong. If I am doing a round trip, I book the same place for the return.  I tried this with Milan and asked the owner if I could leave the bike box with him while I was cycling, and he was great. This made life much simpler. In Oslo, they were initially sceptical, but agreed that if I flattened the box to save space, they would look after it. All this meant was using an extra bit of duct tape (see below).

If returning from a different city, it can be a good idea to identify a bike shop there and ask them if they can reserve a bike box for you. I recently did this for a trip ending in Ljubljana, contacting a bike shop that had good reviews about ten days before I needed it, and they were happy to keep one for me (and said that they did this all the time). On the day, I simply walked up, picked up the folded box and reassemble it with duct tape. The only city I had difficulties with was Prague, where several bike shops did not even reply, and the one that did, charged me about 10 Euros for the privilege and had forgotten about it when I finally turned up. Luckily, they rustled one up and I spent ten very amusing minutes walking through central Prague with an empty bike box.

The risk if you don’t is that you find that no one has anything. At worst, you could make a box from other cardboard boxes, but it is a lot more tricky.

A month or so before you go

A few weeks before you go, approach a local bike shop and ask them if you can take an old cardboard bike box. As with Ljubljana, most bike shops are very happy to do this for free or ‘coffee money’, as all they do when they have received new bikes and assembled them is to chuck the boxes away. Try to get one that is ‘standard’ size – 135-140 cm in length, 75cm in height, 20 cm in depth or close to that, so that your bike fits tightly.  You might want to bring a tape measure to be sure. By the way, it is not a bad idea to take your bike for a check-up about a month before you go unless it is new or was repaired recently. They should check the chain, spokes, brakes and tire treads.

While you are at the bike shop, you could also ask them whether they have other protective materials left over for packing. Of particular value is a derailleur protector/ shield. They will know what to give you.

If you have rim brakes, you should ask them whether they have a plastic spacer for the front forks. This is to stop them bending or getting twisted. If you have disc brakes, you should ask them for a protective padding for the disc brakes and a spacer/mount. It is a different type – see below. When I am using the bike with rim brakes, I take the spacer, remove the skewer from the front wheel and use that.

The latter two look like this: 

One thing to avoid

When I started touring, I used a reusable transparent bike bag, having read on the Internet that this would actually lead to better treatment of the bike because baggage handlers would see that it was a bike and take better care of it. In my experience, this is, to be frank, bollocks.  After nearly having had my trip from Sofia to Istanbul jeopardised by a crushed derailleur (and only saved by an extremely nice bike mechanic), I switched to bike boxes and have not looked back (though note my comments below.)

A week before you go

Finally, also a week or two before you go, head to your local hardware/DIY store and pick up the following:

  • A roll of bubble wrap
  • A few lengths of foam pipe cladding
  • A bag of plastic cable/ zip ties of a decent length
  • A roll of electrical tape
  • A roll of duct tape
  • A small length of bungee cord

(And if you do not have already, make sure that you have a full set of Allen keys/ a multi-tool, some grease and some lube.)

Packing the bike

Finally! I recommend that you pack your bike at least a few days before you travel and ideally at a time when shops are still open – and especially bike shops – just in case you need to run out and get something or have a mechanic help in an emergency. If you have recently had your bike fixed or checked, you might find that they have over-tightened the pedals.

I also recommend setting aside about 2-3 hours. This is something that you want to do slowly and carefully.

As well as all the above materials, you will need: your phone/camera, a knife, some scissors, some freezer bags and a marker pen.  Important rule here: if you use a tool or material when packing your bike, you will need to have it (or a substitute) with you when you unpack it at the other side and when you repack at the end of your trip (or be sure that your hotel will have one). It does not need to be the same tool but close enough, so for instance, when I pack at home, I use kitchen scissors and a Stanley knife, but when on my trip, I substitute with a small pair of medical scissors and a penknife. I use the camera to record every major move and for instance, the position of the saddle, handlebars and other adjustables.

Ready to go?

1. Lower your gears to the minimum on both sides

Simple reason for this: it means that the derailleurs – gear changers – are as protected as possible (see below).

2. If your bike has disc brakes: loosen the skewers

The reason why I suggest doing this now is that sometimes, you will find that they get stuck or have been over-tightened by the shop. Best to find this out now before you dismantle everything else or go travelling. I had this happen the last time that I dismantled the bike. Luckily, squirting some WD40 and leaving it for 10 minutes to soak in allowed me to unscrew the skewer. If not, you need to find your nearest bike shop and get them to unscrew. I would check both wheels, but not actually unscrew them. You will not be removing the rear wheel but it is best to check this before you head out on the road as you don’t want to have this problem when you are trying to fix a flat tire.

3. Remove the pedals

Here is an interesting thing that I did not know until a few years ago: you don’t – usually – need a spanner to remove pedals… All you need is a big Allen key. I don’t know for sure whether all bike cranks and pedals are the same size but for my bikes, we are talking 6mm and it comes as part of my multi-tool.

Why? Because if you look at the crank – that is the ‘arm’ sticking out from the big chainwheel at bottom centre of your bike – you will see that the hole that the pedal screws into is completely open, so you can in fact unscrew the pedals from the side furthest away from you rather than using a spanner on the near side. (If you want to use a spanner, don’t let me stop you, but I don’t as it is unnecessary extra weight)

A simple rule with screwing and unscrewing pedals: you tighten by screwing in the direction that you pedal and you loosen by screwing in the reverse direction. So for the pedal on the left hand side of the bike, you loosen by turning clockwise, and on the right by turning anticlockwise. 

A quick warning here: as with wheel bolts, it has been known for overzealous bike mechanics to over-tighten pedals by using a massive torque wrench, making them near impossible to budge. This is one reason why I pack the bike at a time when bike shops are open just in case, though these days, I specify with the bike mechanic when I pick up the bike from its service.

Having removed the pedals, I wrap them in bubble wrap, and put them in a plastic bag. Out of caution, I used to take them with me as part of my hand luggage, pulling them out when I go through the airport X-ray machines. These days, I tend to tie them to the top bar right at the end of my packing. If anything is going to fall out, it will more likely be the seat.

4. Remove any bells and mounts

OK. This is much simpler. I unscrew my bike bell, handlebar bag mount, GoPro mount and bottle holders so that they don’t get bashed/ get in the way. Again, I put the mounts in a freezer bag and I put the bike bottles in the mounts in the bike box at the last minute as extra padding. 

With the bottle holder screws and any other screws such as for seat post, pannier rack and handlebars, as soon as I have removed the bottle holder, I screw them back in though not too tightly.

5. Fit padding onto frame

This is where those lengths of foam pipe cladding and cable ties come in. They are ideal for wrapping round the frame to protect it. I use a mixture of duct tape and cable ties to secure them in place. With the cable ties, do NOT tighten them as far as they will go. When you unpack the back, you will need a little bit of space to cut them without damaging the frame. And you may be using a Swiss Army knife at that point.

I start with the three core parts of the frame – the top tube, the down tube and the seat tube – and then move to the other parts of the frame though leaving the front forks until I have removed the front wheel. If I can, I mark each part so that I remember which bit I used when I come to repack at the end of my trip.

6. Remove the front wheel

OK, this bit is slightly different according to which type of brake you have.

If you have cantilever rim brakes, start by releasing the wheel release mechanism. 

Then turn the bike upside down. Then flip and unscrew anticlockwise the quick release mechanism: the golf club-shaped lever that sits on the left hand side of the hub of the wheel. For the time being, you don’t need to unscrew it all the way: just enough to loosen the wheel enough that it comes out of the forks. Remove the wheel and unscrew the quick release skewer all the way and pull it out of the wheel, replacing the nut loosely on it and then wrapping in a bit of bubble wrap and packing with the pedals.

If you have a fork spacer, fit it now.

If you have disc brakes, it is even simpler.  Turn the bike upside down, and unscrew the skewer. Gently remove the wheel, which will come out easily.

Then, take the weird brake spacer and plug it in between the brake pads, inserting the narrow bit, with the wider bit sticking out so that you can remove it when you unpack. Screw the skewer back in, and put the spacer block on top of it (so that when you turn the bike up the proper way, it will be sitting underneath the skewer. Use a cable tie to fix it in place. 

[If you have a front mudguard, this is the time to remove it.]

Then wrap the forks (and disc brake if appropriate) with pipe cladding and/or bubble wrap. They can easily get damaged so wrap them nicely. If using disc brakes, wrap the disc in some bubble wrap.

7. remove pannier rack and seat

Sometimes the pannier rack will fit in the box without needing to be removed, but most times it doesn’t.  I unscrew the bolts, remove the pannier rack, and then rescrew the bolts loosely. I wrap the ends of the rack and the top in bubble wrap/cardboard.

With the seat, before removing it, I cut a small bit of cardboard to the length of the gap between the seat fitting to where it fits in the seat tube (see picture). I take a photo and put the cardboard in my wallet or handlebar bag. This allows me to set the seat at the right height when unpacking. While on the road, it also allows me to check whether the seat is slipping or not and if so, to refit it and tighten the bolt.

8. Deflate tires

This is a bit of silliness that most airlines insist on even though it makes little difference. Half-deflate both tires so that they are soft enough that an overzealous airline will be satisfied in the unlikely event that they check. You don’t need to go all the way and you want them to have a little air in them to pad them and to save you some effort when you have to pump them up again.  

9. Remove and turn the handlebars

Now the bit that always makes me nervous because I once screwed it up, even though it should be easy: removing and turning the handlebars.

First, take a few photos, including a side-on view of the handlebars.

Second, cut two small strips of electrical tape and apply them evenly either side of the handlebar clamp (the bit that holds the handlebars onto the front stem of the bike).  Note where the clamp bracket screws on (i.e. where there is a little gap) and mark it with the marker pen on both sides.

Then go and get the small bungee cord and loosely hang it on the top tube – as you will need it quickly.

Then start to unscrew the four screws holding the clamp bracket in place. I tend to loosen each one a little to start before unscrewing them in turn, ending with one of the top ones. Put them in a safe and close place. Then remove the clamp and immediately take the handlebars to the left and hang them on the top tube, using the bungee cord to hold them in place and being careful not to twist the gear cables.  It does not need to be tight at this stage: just enough to hold them and get them out of the way.

Then fix the clamp back on, using the screws. Again, do this by hand: no need to over-tighten: just enough that they do not come off.

At this point, I turn the forks clockwise 180 degrees so that the handlebar holder is turned towards the back of the bike. When you come to fit the handlebars and put the bike into the box, you will find that they turn slightly. See the picture below.

With the handlebars, you will probably find that you need to lift the left hand side over the handlebar holder and then can wedge the right hand side in between the front forks that you just reversed. Keep it loose because in a minute, you will need to fit the front wheel and adjust the handlebars around it. See the picture below.

Nearly there…

10. Wrap derailleur and everything else

If I were really talented, I would remove the rear derailleur, and that is the safest thing to do if you know how, but every time I have looked at a YouTube video on it – and when the friendly Sofian bike mechanic tried to explain – it has looked wayyyy… too complicated and more likely for me to damage the bike than protect it.

So having lowered the gears, I wrap the derailleur with as much bubble wrap and other protection as I can manage so that it is as snug as a bug. If you can, get hold of a protector as seen in the picture. Your bike shop should have some. You attach this to the hole where the wheel skewer fits. It just gives a bit more protection.

I also put more wrapping on anything else that seems vaguely vulnerable, using whatever bubble wrap and pipe cladding I have leftover. You do not want to overdo it or you will never fit the bike in the box, and you run the risk of customs or security officials at the airport not being able to see clearly what is in the box and opening up the box to take a look. Believe me, this has happened a few times.

11. Put bike in box

Enfin. The big moment. Start by using some duct tape to cover the bottom of the bike box so that even if there is some rain while it is being loaded onto the plane, the box still holds together.  I use quite a lot.

Then take the front wheel and fit it on the left hand side of the bike (i.e. the opposite side from the derailleur) between the tubes. I tend to use two short lengths of bungee cord to hold it in place.

If using a disc brake wheel, I would put the side with the disc on the inside of the box so that it is more protected. Please note that I did not do this in the picture below. I am always learning!

Really my advice at this point is to fiddle around a bit and see what works, protecting the sensitive parts of the bike – the derailleur, gear levers, brakes, front forks – as much as possible.

Then gently lower the bike into the box, starting with the rear wheel and then the front forks. You need to fiddle around a little bit including with the handlebars so that they fit, but DO NOT FORCE ANYTHING. This is why I use the bungee cord rather than a cable tie, to give myself a little bit of movement.

Then fit the seat post and rear pannier rack if possible and mudguard if appropriate. I also jam in a bit of extra padding round the rear wheel if possible to give the derailleur extra protection. Don’t overdo it with the padding for reasons set out below.

What about the pedals? Some sites suggest taking them with you in your main/hand luggage just in case your bike box gets ripped. I used to do this – and got some odd looks when going through airport screening – but these days I put them in a tough plastic bag and try to fix them to the top of the bike. If your box is going to get ripped – and so far, I have had only minor tears around the handling holes at the top – your bike seat and everything else is going to drop out too. So far, that has worked.

The last few times that I have travelled, I also dropped in my bike bottles, with two of them in the bottle cages, and my helmet, putting it on the same side as the derailleur. This seemed to work.

Then close the box and seal it with the duct tape. 

On the side of the box that the derailleur is on and on the top of the box, use the marker to write such things as “Fragile: bicycle”, your name and phone number and the flight number and date.

Remember to pack the duct tape, electrical tape and some spare cable ties for the return journey, together with some grease, oil, and the pedals and other parts that you removed from the bike.

12. The day itself

Whenever possible, I try to take the bike to the airport myself using a share car. If not, I try to call a taxi company and tell them that I will need a car or minivan large enough for a bike box. When loading the bike, if it has to be turned on its side, I make sure that the part with the derailleur is on the upside.

When travelling to/from Oslo airport, given the exorbitant cost of taxis, I was forced to take the bike on the airport train, taking a small foldable trolley that I packed in my suitcase for the flight. It just about worked for the five minute haul of my bike from the central station to adjacent hotel, but I certainly would not have wanted to lug it and my suitcase for much further. Still, it saved me about £100 each way, so was worth the inconvenience and odd looks.

At the airport, having navigated round with a trolley and got to the check in desk, I usually find that they weigh it and then tell me to take it to the large baggage desk. When they stick the baggage tag on it, I ask that they put it on the side with the derailleur on, again so that this placed upwards ideally.

One final word here: after you have parted with your precious bike, it will usually go through two sets of baggage handlers and two sets of customs officials. Both tend to be underpaid and overworked… Baggage handlers might not treat your precious bike like Ming china and customs officers when presented with a large box marked “Fragile: bicycle”, often think “Hmmm…. I wonder if that’s really a shipment of cocaine or some explosives. I’d better check”. On a number of occasions, my bike has arrived at the other side with large holes torn into the box as a result of careless treatment/ a customs officer wanting to take a better look at the contents. 

I am sorry to say that there is nothing that you can do about this and it would be difficult to prove that it was the airline’s fault. This is why I try to leave at least half a day spare between arrival and setting off just in case I need to take to a bike mechanic. But please take heart: since I started using bike boxes and worked out how to protect the bike, I have had no damage to my bikes and have found taking it on planes to be considerably simpler than taking on cross-border trains even if it does take more time.

Reassembling your bike

Over the years, I have put my bike back together in airport terminals, car parks both inside and outside, hotel rooms, hotel corridors, hotel luggage rooms and quite often, a quiet part of a hotel lobby. 

A sense of humour, lots of patience and the ability to withstand odd looks and funny comments from passers-by are essential.  I take the bike box, my tools and a rag and bottle of water, and slowly get on with it. Believe me, hotel staff have seen stranger things…

Inflate tires

If you are doing this in a hotel room/airport, then the chances are that you will be using a hand pump. Unless you feel super-strong, I would pump them until they are reasonably hard and then take them to a bike shop when the bike is fully assembled and ask to use a foot pump. Usually bike mechanics grunt a bit but then consent.

Remove padding

Do this gently, so that you can re-use as much as possible. If I am doing an A to B trip, I tend to compress all the packing materials into a bag that I tie with the bungee cord. If not, I shove them in my luggage or the bike box.

This is the point to remove the spacers from the front forks and disc brakes and put them somewhere safe: possibly the bag that you put the bell and mounts in.

Replace front wheel

If you are using rim brakes, now is the point to stick the skewer back through the front wheel. The quick release lever should be on the left of the bike – the opposite side to the gears. With disc brake wheels, you will obviously want to remove the skewer at this point, keeping it in your hand.

If you have a front mudguard, this is the time to refit it.

Turn the bike upside down gently.

A minor but important point is to put the wheel in the right way. With disc brake wheels, this is rather obvious. With wheels that use rim brakes, the way of checking is to look at the markings on the side of the tire. You will see an arrow pointing in the direction that the bike should rotate in when pedalling (so on the left side, it will be pointing anticlockwise and on the right side clockwise). 

Gently slide the wheels in. With disc brake wheels, you will find that they slide in precisely. With rim brakes, a piece of advice given to me by a mechanic is to get them roughly in place and then when the bike is the right way up, loosen them a bit and slightly jog them into place to allow them to find their natural fit, checking by then lifting the front wheel and giving it a spin.  Then tighten the skewer before pressing down the quick release lever. The rule here is that you should tighten the skewer just enough that when you press down the quick release lever, it momentarily leaves an imprint on the palm of your hand.

Turn the bike right way up. If you are using rim brakes, you now need to refix the wheel release mechanism for the brakes so that the conical part slides into the catch. The ribbed rubber covering should be outside this.

Refit handlebars

Start by unscrewing the clamp bracket, again keeping the bracket and bolts in your hand, and then undo the bungee cord and gently slide your handlebars back into the clamp before rescrewing the bracket, being careful not to twist the gear cables. Don’t worry about getting it exactly right at this stage and don’t fully tighten the screws. You can adjust at the end. You just want the handlebars the right way up and fixed inside the clamp.

Refit saddle

Same process here: gently lower the seat post into position and slightly tighten but again don’t worry about getting it exactly right at this stage.

Refit pannier rack

Having removed the screws from the frame, I tend to start by fitting the top part of the frame and rescrewing the two top screws halfway before dealing with the bottom screws, and then tightening up everything.  Get it nice and tight and check regularly as with the jolting of the bike on the road, these often come loose.

Refit bottle holders, mounts and bell

As with the pannier rack, I get everything loosely into place before tightening up.

Refit pedals

Before you put the pedals back in, give both them and the crank a quick clean with some toilet paper/ kitchen paper and then squeeze a bit of grease onto the pedals before screwing in. As above, to screw in, the left pedal should be turned anticlockwise and the right clockwise. Again I use an Allen key for this. You do not need to tighten beyond the point at which you feel resistance and the pedals are screwed all the way in: the act of pedalling will automatically tighten the pedals.

Final checks and adjustments

By this point, everything should be more or less in place. 

This is the point to get the saddle absolutely right, at the right height and with the nose pointing in a straight line along the top tube, before tightening up.

Then I make sure that the handlebars are sitting absolutely right, absolutely aligned between the two pieces of electrical tape and with the gap between the bracket and rest of the clamp absolutely aligned with the markings. Then I tighten everything up.

At this point, it is a good idea to check that the screws holding the gear levers are firmly in place as sometimes they come unscrewed. You do not want them super-tight as otherwise you will not be able to move the levers: just tight enough that the levers do not slip. 

Then time to spin both wheels and check that they are moving freely, check that the gears are working and check the brakes. If you are confident that all is OK at this point, squeeze a bit of grease into the various nuts and even better, run your chain loosely through a bit of rag and apply a bit of lubricant.

Remember to keep the bits of padding, tape and cable ties with you for the return journey or in the bike box if you are leaving the box until your return.  

If you can, take the bike out for a quick ride round the block, just to check that everything is moving nicely.  Happy riding!

Any questions?

CrispLeave a comment

Twelve general rules for happy bike touring

  1. It’s a holiday: have fun. It’s a holiday not an endurance test: take it at your pace, do what you enjoy and try not to get too obsessed with the Average Speed on your odometer. OK, a little bit obsessed, but not TOO obsessed… Plan your holiday with fun in mind. You don’t need to prove anything to anyone, especially yourself. Anyone strapping a few bags to their bike and pedalling away to the horizon is automatically amazing, however long or fast they go or how many hills they climb. Amazing and faintly ridiculous as well, so don’t take it too seriously. The test is whether when you come back from holiday, you want to do it again.
  2. Take your time to find out what you enjoy. There is no set rule for how far you have to ride each day or how much to climb: start gently and build up to your comfort level. From time to time, I ride over 100km in a day because I need to connect between good places to sleep or explore, but I have realised that my ideal distance is 60-80km: the extra 20k starts to drag. But you might be different: the only way is to find out. If you don’t enjoy it, put it down as good experience and a good dinner party story (see Rule 3 below). Obey Rule 1 at all times.
  3. Don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone and have a bit of adventure. I know: you could be run over in a tunnel, zapped by a bolt of lightning, bitten repeatedly by rabid dogs, shaven by a crazy driver, robbed by bandits, blown by a freak wind into a ravine where no one will find you for decades. But you won’t be. And if you spend your life worrying about all this, there is a far greater risk that you will miss out on the experiences of a lifetime. And statistically you are at far greater danger closest to home. So chill out and get out there. At best, it can be wonderful, but even the moments that seem awful at the time can later seem quite amusing. There is a mathematical equation showing this: Potentially life-threatening incident + Time + Life not actually ending = Great Dinner Party Story or PLTI + t + LNAE = GDPS. (Or LNAE = GDPS – (PLTI+t) or something and OK it’s not really mathematical but…) And OK, there are some days on the bike which remain awful and things go wrong, but you just have to suck them up as long as for the majority of your trip, Rule 1 above applies.
  4. Mix it up. Sure you can spend two weeks cycling along the Danube with hardly a hill to disturb you and staying at non-descript hotels every night. But where’s the fun? After a few days, you’ll get bored of yet more river and blasé about yet another ruined castle. Mix it up: some days on the flat, some days in the hills, some days on the coast. The same with accommodation: a few super comfortable places especially for the days when you have ridden crazy distances, a few AirBnBs or WarmShowers, a few family-run guest houses. It is these places that can make the trip super-memorable: in Lithuania, I stayed in an apartment in a block of flats on the edge of nowhere, a converted barn on the edge of a farmhouse where I fell asleep to the sound of falling horse chestnuts, and a super chic hotel among others. (Ignore all this if it contravenes Rule 2 and you really are a dullard for whom experience has told you that two weeks of relentless river and repetitive castles floats your monochrome boat.)
  5. Plan your trip around the weather. The Danube in Hungary can be beautiful – for a few days, see Rule 4 above – but in mid-August, with temperatures in the upper thirties celsius and the humidity index going through the roof? I tried it: I could hardly see for the sweat. Parts of me sweated that had never sweated before. It was like being in an outdoors sauna with marginally fewer fat naked men. If you need to travel in August and Rule 2 tells you that you prefer cycling in non-sauna conditions and with fewer fat naked men: go north to Scandinavia, Scotland or the Baltics. If you want to go in April or May, go south to the Med. Weather will always be unpredictable – I got very cold in Crete in late April – but you should maximise your chances of great days of riding. Conversely if you have a region in mind and have some flexibility in the timing of your holiday, adjust the timing to the weather.
  6. Be flexible over your exact route and have options. OK: I book hotels ahead so that I am pretty much fixed into getting from A to B on a given day (though I can use the rest days – see Rule 7 below – as a buffer in case of emergency) but I have learnt to plan for different routes for a given day and to be ready to listen to local advice. Last year in Albania, it didn’t look as though I had much choice of roads to Elbasan: just a dusty cart track for most of the ride. I was staying with a friend who told me to take another route, which didn’t even appear on any maps. I said “But it doesn’t exist.” “Look, you idiot. How do you think I drove here from Tirana? Just turn right at the roundabout outside Kucove.” Sadly the smug git was right: it was a wonderful brand new road. And he hasn’t stopped reminding me since.
  7. Take rest days. Rule 1 applies: it’s a damn holiday. Last year, I met an American cycling from Crete right along the Mediterranean coast to Barcelona. He had to make big distances every day to be there in time for his return flight. And I thought “What a shame.” To pass through great towns and not have the time to appreciate them fully. To feel that you have to be on the go every day. Every 3-5 days, have a day off the bike to sleep, relax and really appreciate a place: be it a beautiful town or a nice stretch of coast or mountains. And have a few glasses of wine for purely medicinal purposes. When you get back on the bike the next day, you will be all the happier.
  8. Embrace the tech: buy a bike GPS to give you turn-by-turn instructions and measure your heartbeat when the doggies chase you. Buy an e-reader to save weight on books. Take your iPhone with all your booking details, the weather forecast and the ability to call people in an emergency. Go wild and get a GoPro to capture your stunningly boring footage of you pedalling slowly up a hill or the bobbing arse of your cycling companion. I know: there are some people out there who still love the feel of paper and the ability to read an Ordnance Survey map and remember what the triangle with a dot in it means. These are the same kinds of losers who still buy cars without an automatic gearbox “because manual is the real driving”. These are the people who I pass during torrential rainstorms, huddled over their disintegrating maps while trying to figure out which way is magnetic North and whether they missed the key turning to their destination. You don’t need this. Any affordable tech that helps meet Rule 1 is a GOOD THING.
  9. Disconnect. Bring your iPhone but don’t be hooked to it. Take a few weeks off Facebook, Instagram, your boss at work and the news: you will feel much better and they will all miraculously survive without you. Live in the moment, not off the screen. If your boss or your family need to contact you in an emergency, they will. If World War 3 starts, you will find out pretty quickly. And don’t worry about missing that cute cat video: there will be another soon.
  10. Pack light but pack comfortably. Yes, you don’t want to be lugging needless weight up hills. But Rule 1 also applies: it’s a holiday so cut yourself a bit of slack especially in the clothes department. Taking three pairs of bike shorts and three bike jerseys will mean that you don’t need to spend every night washing them or fret if they haven’t dried by the morning. The same applies for clothes off the bike: pack something classy that you can wear to a nice restaurant, but also some T-shirts or shorts for that day off at the beach or hiking. After a hard ride getting muddy and sweaty, it will do a wonder for your morale to shower and head out to dinner looking classy. Anything that looks good even after it has spent a day rolled up in a bike bag like a cotton jacket or shirt will be ideal.
  11. Indulge yourself. Your body is a temple. The gods of that temple demand copious offerings of sausages, bacon, chips,  ham, cheese, cheeseburgers, roast chicken, roast lamb, prawns, squid, more chips, crisps, roasted peanuts, chocolate, Haribo – the fuel of champions – toffee, cake, croissants, currant buns, Danish pastries, cinnamon buns, apfel strudel, ice cream, possibly some more chips, why not? mayonnaise, ketchup, pickled gherkins, chips chips chips all washed down with beer, wine, cider, raki, vodka, tsipouro or whatever the local firewater is. You must obey or the gods will be full of wrath. They will send you thunderstorms, torrential rain, floods, wind that is always in your face, sandy tracks, muddy trenches, roads so bumpy that you need a lifetime’s supply of haemorrhoid cream to recover, mosquitoes, horse flies, idiot flies, mad scowling dogs and mad scowling drivers. You have been warned: respect the temple. And eat some more chips. The gods of your temple will be pleased.
  12. Linger. This is the most important. There can be a temptation to simply cycle from place to place without stopping. Yes, the journey is the point, but don’t miss the moment. Remember to stop and take a look and simply appreciate the scenery or watch the world go by from a cafe table. Those will end up being the moments that you will remember the most afterwards. And then eat some chips to celebrate.

What do you think? Sensible or complete nonsense? Let me know.

CrispLeave a comment