On biking in general – A Touring Bike, a Comfy Bed, and a Glass of Wine

Cycling across a map of Tiny Perfect Moments

A few months ago, I read a review of a new film called “The Map of Tiny Perfect Things”. Judging by the review and the trailer, it appears to be about two teens who find themselves reliving the same day again and again, Groundhog Day-style. In an allusion to the conclusion of the earlier film, they start looking for Tiny Perfect Things: moments of serendipity or quiet beauty in the course of an average day.

Now I confess that I have not actually seen the film, so maybe I am reading the wrong thing into it, but the idea of Tiny Perfect Things or more specifically Tiny Perfect Moments resonated with me.

Because there are these moments in almost every day that can be appreciated.

They can be moments of physical beauty: mist rising from a field or lake, the play of sunlight through leaves, a beautiful house, a pretty woman walking along, the sight of poppies, forget-me-nots, daisies or cornflowers, an old barn with a red roof, a church spire.

They can be moments of sensory beauty: the unexpected smell of a log fire, the waft of freshly ground coffee, the sound of birds in the trees or a cockerel on a farm, the taste of fresh cherries, the feel of wind in your hair.

Or even moments of near silence: floating through a cool forest on a spring morning; the meditation of riding up a long hill, listening to your breath and the spinning of the pedals; the silence of a lonely farm road.

But they can also be strange and sudden moments of companionship from strangers: the words of encouragement as you ride up a hill “Allez! Allez!”; a dog bounding up to you and the friendly smiles with its owner; the often unspoken bond with other bikers, joggers, hikers out on a beautiful day.

Just a few weeks ago, I went out on a 50 k ride – a completely improvised and slightly random connection of different segments of rides I had done before – and stopped after about 15 k for a drink of water. Across the street, I noticed a couple also out riding and also stopped for a drink, the girl in a bright pink top. We all moved on. About 10 k later, I passed them by the side of the road and again kept on my random route. Then about 15 k further along and many turns later, they passed me again. “Wow! Them again” And then five minutes later, as I was riding up a hill, I saw them coming down the other way, and the girl laughed and said “Hey!”. They had also noticed me…

Now this was a tiny moment and I am pretty sure that I will never see that couple again or if I do that we will not recognise each other, but that moment of companionship had me buzzing for a week and still makes me smile.

And this is part of why I ride a bike week in, week out. Because my rides through the Belgian countryside may not be filled with stunning landscapes or architectural marvels (and my photographs are usually underwhelming), but they are populated with tiny perfect moments that keep me going for the rest of the week and sustain me through these exhausting times.

There is something about the pace of cycling that makes these moments come: fast enough to see a range of sights and experiences but slow enough to appreciate them and stop to take them in.

So please be alive and alert to these moments. Don’t look for them. Let them find you by getting out and seeing the world beyond your front door. “The Doorstep Mile” as Al Humphreys calls it.

You can help engineer them, by being spontaneous, creative or just fun. creating a space or a moment for yourself or others. On Friday, in the middle of our weekly walk through the forest, my friend E pulled out three glasses and some cans of Jupiler beer and three of us sat there at a wooden table in the fading evening light, laughing, chatting and being in the moment.

But above all, watch the world around you and to be alert for the beauty. Stop. Watch. Appreciate. It is so easy to miss these tiny perfect moments when we are hurrying along or engrossed in a conversation or ruminating on our own lives.

And when you put those tiny perfect moments together? A few hours of blessed escape, of sanity, of freedom in these troubled times.

Live your life. Live your life. Live your life.

July 11, 2021July 11, 2021

CrispLeave a 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.

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…

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.

January 3, 2021January 3, 2021

Crisp1 Comment

Living in the fierce urgency of now: Martin Luther King, 2020, and bike touring…

What connects Dr Martin Luther King Jr., the year 2020, and bike touring?

At first sight, asking this question must put me in contention for the so far non-existent prize of “Most Blatant Demonstration of Bathos 2020”.

Two very serious subjects – Martin Luther King and the year 2020 – followed by a trite one: bike touring. Bathos at its purest and most pathetic.

But let me make my case.

Let’s start with 2020, a year like no other.

As we do in December of any year, we can focus on the ‘what happened?’, the ‘what did I do?’, and the ‘what should I do next year?’.

But what is more interesting in this year is ‘what did I learn?’.

And for me, the Number One answer is: to understand and obey the fierce urgency of now.

This year, above all others, has demonstrated the importance of living in the now rather than deferring to tomorrow. It has shown that what you take for granted now can be precious or unattainable tomorrow.

Let me give a small example. For years since moving back to Europe, I have taken it for granted that I could visit my parents for the weekend. I could be at their place in four and half hours door-to-door.

And what did I do with that opportunity? Did I visit every fortnight, every month like a dutiful and grateful son?

No of course I didn’t. I made excuses. I ‘got on with my life’. I managed to go there two or three times a year.

Until I couldn’t.

Until that bastard little bug stopped me and screwed up every aspect of our lives.

The Duracell Bunny. Anything really than show another picture of that evil bastard virus. (c) Duracell

And borders were closed and trains were cancelled. And stay indoors.

What did I do when the borders re-opened in late June? Did I seize the moment and book the next ticket to London and get as close as social distancing rules and a face mask would allow?

No of course I didn’t. I glibly told my parents that I would come in early August (and booked the train ticket). Because it was only six weeks away and what could possibly go wrong? I had other things to do: a bike trip to Brittany…

And then suddenly it was all too late. My train ticket rendered redundant by new UK restrictions less than 48 hours before I was due to travel. To protect the UK from Belgian infections… Quarantine requirements.

I have been kicking myself and cursing myself ever since.

And you?

Because this year has been about all the things that you could do at any time. Until you couldn’t.

The museums you could visit, the holidays you could take, the friends you could see, the family you could visit, the air you could breathe without a mask, the trains you could use without thinking, the borders you could pass through without blinking. Until you couldn’t.

The thousand things that you found yourself pining to do during the fifty days of the hard lockdown yet you had never found time to do during the previous five thousand.

And during that brief summer lull as life edged back to semi-normal, did we go? Did we run out of the house before anyone changed their mind?

No of course we didn’t. We planned it for tomorrow. We took a lie in, because we could leave the house whenever.

Week upon week, new restrictions, new alarms. So we are going back to the pining.

If there is one thing – one thing – that this testing year has taught us, it is the importance of living in the now, doing what you can do now rather than postponing to tomorrow.

So let’s turn to Dr King.

In 1967, in a sermon on the Vietnam War, Dr King stressed that:

We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted
with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history
there is such a thing as being too late. Procrastination is still the thief of
time. Life often leaves us standing bare, naked and dejected with a lost
opportunity. […] We may cry out desperately for time to pause in her passage,
but time is deaf to every plea and rushes on.

Yes, he was talking about Vietnam and civil rights, but is not the same message true for our lives right now?

For many, this year has been a desperate crawl. I salute you and hope for a better 2021.

But for many others, this year has rushed past. I can never remember a year that seemed such a blur. I can remember the intensity of March, but what else?

Life is rushing past so we need to seize it with both hands.

We must live, live, live with the fierce urgency of now, not knowing what comes tomorrow.

You might have 10,000 days left to live; you might have one.

The friends and family that we care about can be suddenly ripped from us without a chance to say goodbye.

Not just from COVID but from the thousands of other ways that we manage to die: cancer, leukaemia, pneumonia, road accidents, house fires…

Buildings get brought down, forests get destroyed, landscapes ruined, peoples go to war.

So don’t wait.

Seize the opportunities as they come.

Live within the here and now.

We are gifted with dawns that others do not live to see.

Tell her you love her even if she doesn’t back.

Give your kids a kiss.

Call up an old friend.

Pick up a musical instrument and play. Badly. Who cares?

Pick up a pen and write. Badly. Who cares?

Write trite and bathetic blog posts. Who cares?

But live, live, live in the fierce urgency of now.

And so I come to bike touring. Sorry.

Because.

Because to be out there on a laden bike in an alien landscape is to be alive.

To feel your heart, your lungs, your legs, your arms, your sweating skin. Alive.

To see, to hear, to smell new sensations. Often sublime. Sometimes mediocre. But all of them telling you a story about the world you live in.

To meet or see new people, to hear their stories, to imagine their lives.

To live in the now. Because you might have 10,000 days left to live but you might have one.

So buy that touring bike and get out touring. You might never have another chance to see that landscape, admire that building, sit peacefully with those people.

You might even find love…

So don’t postpone a moment longer. As the precious liberties return, get out there, kiss the fresh air and do it.

NOW.

December 29, 2020January 3, 2021

Crisp2 Comments

Seven simple tips to get you back on your bike

OK, so you got the bike and you got the gear. Now what? Here are a few tips for getting you riding again happily.

1. Build it up slowly

A few years ago, I went out riding with a friend who was out of practice. For the first hour, she was sailing along, amazed at her own fitness and ability.

But as we hit the second half of the ride, she started to struggle more and more and by the time we got home, she was exhausted.

This is entirely normal. When you start, your muscles will be unfamiliar. So take it easy for the first few rides, say 10-20 km (6-12 miles). A few hills (see below) and with a low gear (see below). Let your muscles adjust and take at least 3 days between each ride. Very soon, your muscles will feel fine and you can double the distance to around 30-40 km. Again, hover at that for a while until you feel like going for a longer ride. Find out what you enjoy and stick to it. A lot of that will depend on the terrain and how much climbing you do.

After a while you will find that you can easily go much further.

2. Bring plenty of water

This is really a common mistake made by those getting into cycling: underestimating the amount of water that you will need to drink.

Cycling is thirsty work: all those hills and kilometres take a toll and one of the worst experiences is running out of water on a ride.

Make sure that your bike is fitted with two bottle holders. As a rule of thumb, in ordinary conditions, I drink about a 750ml bottle of water for every 20-30km. In hot weather, it is closer to double that. The important thing is to come prepared or be ready to rush into a café or knock on someone’s door to ask to fill up your water bottle.

For those of you brave enough to ride in winter – and I recommend it – you could pack either a thermos of tea/coffee or a thermal water bottle.

Just drink…

3. be happy in low gears

One April, I lent a friend one of my bikes to ride out with me to see the marvellous bluebells in the Bois de Hal. She had a good time… until we reached the not very steep hill that takes you up to the plateau where the wood is. I saw her straining away and getting further and further behind. The following week she complained of muscle pains.

The next time that I rode the bike that I had lent, I found out why. She had switched to the second largest chainring – the big gears you pedal over – for pretty much the whole journey. No wonder it hurt! It would have killed me.

Gears are the most wonderful invention in cycling: use them to the full, especially the lower ones. It is better to ‘dance’ in the lower gears than straining your muscles by pushing in too high a gear. Many is the friend who has surged off ahead of me in a high gear at the start of the hill only to find me dancing past them in a much lower gear half way up the hill and quietly receding into the distance. Don’t be afraid of slipping into low gears when you start: you can always go harder later.

4. Learn to love hills

Pretty much every cyclist begins by hating and fearing hills, and as we saw above, if you approach them in the wrong gear, they will be a torture.

But approach them with the right mindset, the right gear and a decent bike and hills take on a form of pleasure, be they the short and brutal ones, the slow and long ones or those whose characteristic shifts all the time.

Hills are wonderful. Hills are beautiful. Hills can become a form of meditation, concentrating on your breathing and heart rate and not looking up.

Hills are like glasses of hard liquor: the first is a shock, the second is warming, the third, fourth and fifth are quite delightful… and have too many in too short a period of time and you will feel dizzy and sick…

Relax: you will learn to love them. They will show you how far you have come. And occasionally, how far you need to go.

5. Don’t be afraid of the weather… up to a point.

You look at the weather forecast for the weekend: 50% chance of rain showers. Do you plan to go out?

Yes*, though you keep your plans flexible so that you can adjust the time if there is a gap in the showers.

For a start, that’s only 50%, so there’s 50% chance that it won’t rain. Even if the probability is 70%, it is still not certain. One evening, I set out, certain of rain. Not a drop and instead a glorious sunny evening, with no cyclists around.

For a follow-up, that’s showers, rather than a downpour, so even if it does rain, it is not going to be for long. Today I went for a ride and got rained on three times. Thanks to the lycra that I was wearing, I was fine and was dry a few minutes after each shower.

Many beginner cyclists worry that rain will make the roads unstable and dangerous, so you will skid. Yes, there are times when rain will create danger: when it rains after a long period of dry weather, there will be dry oil left on the surface from car exhausts. This will make the road more slippery.

But if it has been raining for a while or has rained in the last days, this gunk will have washed off. Granted, you need to increase your braking distance, but you can still ride safely. If anything, the rain will create more friction with the surface, slowing you down. What is critical in rain is having good tires with good treads that will give you control. Bald tires are dangerous.

Don’t get me wrong: you don’t want to spend the whole of the ride in a downpour. But a little won’t hurt you.

And don’t get put off by cold weather: just wrap up and consider getting some rubber foot covers for when the temperature gets to around freezing and below. I have had some glorious winter rides in sub-zero temperatures.

No, the four weather conditions that you do need to be careful about are:

Thunderstorms: difficult to completely avoid, but if one breaks near you, start using the distance counting technique and if it gets closer than, say 4-5 km, seek shelter.
Snow/sleet, unless you have appropriate tyres
Extremely high temperatures, say over 35C, which can dehydrate you very quickly
Winds.

And this is where I come to the asterisk. When you look at the weather forecast, don’t just check for rain and temperature: also check for wind speed and direction.

Speed. If the wind speed is below say 10 kph, there may be the odd flutter but basically it is not going to interfere with your ride. If it is in the region of 10-25 kph, it will still be rideable but could be annoying particularly if you ar riding into it.

Above that, and things start to veer towards being dangerous especially once you reach 35kph. Twigs and branches will start to come off and you will be vulnerable to sudden gusts that make it difficult to control the bike.

Personally, when I can, I avoid riding in these conditions. I had to ride in them when touring recently and they made what should have been a lovely ride very very difficult.

If the wind is gusting but acceptable, it is worth looking at the direction and adjusting your ride so that if you do a loop and have to ride into the wind, you do it in the first half of your ride when you are still full of energy, rather than on your way back.

6. Ride with conviction…

A friend once advised me to “Ski with conviction”. What he meant was that if you ski as if you mean it, you are much more likely to take a firm line and avoid accidents. I think that there are many similarities in the attitudes needed for good skiing and those for safe riding: if you are a good skier, think about your rides as a slightly flatter version of pistes and ride accordingly.

Riding through gravel or sand? Go hard and go straight and your momentum should carry you through just as if it were powder snow.

Riding over cobbles/ rutted road? Think of them as tiny moguls and go as fast as you can, with your hands loose on the handlebars but close to the breaks. My hand position often resembles one of the Playmobil people: a slightly cupped U-shape.

Riding downhill? Keep an eye on the slope: if it is a reasonably straight road and see an uphill coming up (or you have followed my advice and bought a GPS which warns you), let it go and use the momentum to get you as far as possible up the hill.

Dealing with dogs? A bit of alpha aggression usually scares the buggers off.

Another area where assertiveness and conviction come in handy is in towns when you are on a narrow street. If you stick too much to the side of the road, there is a risk that cars will see a gap and try to squeeze past you… at the very best a scary experience. Take the centre of the road and if necessary, move around a bit on the road so that there is no temptation for the car. Yes, you might annoy it and delay it, but not as much as a court appearance for dangerous driving. By the way, this approach is totally within the Highway Code in most countries: it amounts to defensive riding.

7. and Finally: Be nice…

This might sound odd and/or patronising but speaking from my own experience, the adrenalin that pumps through your body when you are riding can turn even the nicest person into a raging monster. You can get so fired up in anticipating obstacles and dangers each of which could send you flying off your bike and into a hospital, that you react strongly, especially when riding through cities. The primal response: fight or flight? FIGHT.

And there is a kind of moral righteousness that can come over you: feeling healthier than pedestrians and more environmentally friendly than drivers.

I think that it happens to all of us, but let’s admit: more to the male of the species who can be driven to react to any pedestrian threatening his progress like a caveman being chased by a bear only to be held up by a sheep. Or to a driver bearing down on him like the caveman in a life or death struggle with the bear. Having been held up by the bloody sheep.

I am far from perfect on this front, so do as I say, not as I always do, but try, please try, to stay calm and be nice when you are on a bicycle. Think of yourself as an ambassador for cycling and act accordingly.

Be nice to drivers. If you have a car behind you and you can find somewhere to pull in and let it past, do so. If you are riding with a friend and a car is behind you, go ahead or behind them. Behave predictably: signalling any manoeuvres. And above all, when a car gives you a decent space in taking over, lets you through or is in any way accommodating to you, acknowledge it with a wave of the hand, a thumbs up or at the very least, a nod of the head. This is simple courtesy and it will make the driver happier to do it again.

Be nice to pedestrians. Warn them with your bell in advance that you are coming through and be aware that they may do something odd, especially children. Don’t use the pavement unless absolutely necessary. Slow down.

Be nice to other riders. Give them space. Give them warning, especially when coming round a corner. Offer to help them if you see them broken down at the side of the road.

But don’t be nice to people on scooters. They have it coming and eternity in Hell awaits them in the afterlife.

See you out there!

October 31, 2020October 31, 2020

Crisp1 Comment

Why Autumn is the best season to ride a bike. REALLY.

A few Sundays ago, as I had breakfast, it was cold and the brief glints of sunlight that got me out of bed had been replaced by grey skies and pouring rain… Yet I couldn’t wait to get out on the bike.

Maybe it’s because I was born in Autumn, but it is my absolute favourite season to ride.

Let’s start with the colours. Bit by bit, the monotonous green of summer gives way to yellows, oranges, browns and if you are lucky, spectacular reds, a varied and vibrant palette that transforms the landscape and lights even the dullest of days. Looking out of my dining room window just now, the greyness of the sky was offset by a brilliant splash of colour in the distance. And like Spring, the colours change from week to week. Leaves gently falling to the ground are like a golden snowfall, leaving a magical carpet on the ground.

Then let’s talk about the light. There is something quite wonderful about the sunshine of an Autumn day: a paler gold that strokes the landscape.

And as dusk falls, the light becomes gentler and is complemented by pinpricks of light from houses, shops and inns. There is something magical about the transformation and the emotional warmth coming from those lights, especially in a year as hard as this one. And when one is lucky, a bonfire or the flickers from the fireplace in someone’s home. Don’t be afraid to ride at dusk and night: it can be wonderful.

Which takes us to the smells. Those rain showers liberate the scents from trees, plants and the earth: a gorgeous smell of life amid the slow decomposition. And how lovely to catch the smell of a wood fire as you pass people’s houses. There is an intensity that is hard to beat.

And then the sounds: the crackle and rustle of dry leaves, the swish of wet ones, made more audible by the relative silence around. The crowds of summer have gone, leaving nature to the more determined cyclists and hikers. To cycle through a forest in moist silence is very heaven. It becomes a meditative, contemplative experience in which the senses are sharpened and the mind becalmed.

And finally, the feeling of the air. I love the crisp temperatures of Autumn: the slight chill in the air but with some remnants of the warmth of summer. Autumn is also about mist and fog. Riding on a misty autumn morning with the sunlight caught in the rising mist can be mystical. Afternoon or evening fog can be equally magical.

When you get home, a warming shower and cup of tea, all the better to round off that feeling.

So with the rain lifting, I set off and it was wonderful, whether through the forests or in farmland or small towns. OK so in all honesty, in the final five minutes, a storm came through and I was soaked to bits, but by then I was close to home and could rush indoors, strip off and get under the shower.

Get out there! Treasure every minute, even the rain!

A few practical tips

Autumn and spring are about layers of clothing, being ready to adjust as the day develops. I often start with a long-sleeved jersey or a short one accompanied by arm warmers, covered in a luminous rain jacket. As it gets colder, I also start to wear or pack a lightweight fleece. I wear bike shorts covered in long leggings.

As it gets colder, foot covers can also come in useful. Again, I start with something basic, like luminous rain covers and when it gets really cold, move to full rubber covers which are a torture to get over my shoes, but keep my feet relatively toasty.

I often take different types of gloves and adjust according to how warm or cold I feel: fingerless if it is warm; full if it is cooler. Also good to pack a bandana or muff to protect your neck against the cold.

I also pack different lenses for my sunglasses, able to adjust according to the light. Yellow lenses can be good for dull days.

In terms of the bike, this is a good time to check that your tire treads are sufficiently thick to handle riding over leaves or the wet, and to check the brakes.

Finally, I ride with plenty of water and as it starts to get cold, often pack a thermal water bottle or thermos filled with mint or other herbal teas, great for a mid-ride cup of tea to warm up.

October 28, 2020October 30, 2020

Crisp3 Comments

Five Tips for buying a bike

One of the positive side effects of this awful time has been that a lot of friends have asked me for advice about buying a bike. I have given some advice on why I think that a touring bike is a great buy if you are intending to ride for day trips and want something more forgiving than a road bike or mountain bike.

But then the question comes: how to actually go about it. I am no expert on buying bikes, but I recently bought a new touring bike and have been trying to guide those friends so here are a few tips from a total amateur that I hope will come in useful. I do so on the basis of many years of riding and touring rather than any technical know how.

The bottom line though is that this is YOUR decision. You must do what is right for you. So feel free to ignore any or all of these tips if you feel right. (But great if you send me some feedback explaining why: I am open to ideas and persuasion.

1. Don’t be cheap

You may well be tempted to start cheap on the basis that you want to see whether you really ride the bike and enjoy riding before committing to a more expensive bike. Why lay out lots of money for a bike that will sit there rusting?

The problem with this logic is that if you do buy cheap, you will almost certainly end up with a bike that is so unpleasant to ride that it puts you off riding and ends up rusting. Heavy. Unwieldy. Small range of gears, forcing you to walk up hills. You will hate it and associate riding with it.

Now I don’t know how much you are earning and if I went back in time, I would certainly not advise my 20-year old student self to splash out, but if you are earning more than to pay the bills, I would really advise paying a little bit extra for a bike that gives you real pleasure.

What about second hand? Nothing wrong with it if you can be sure that the quality is guaranteed or can test it with a friend who knows what to look for. I am the very happy owner of a carbon-fibre road bike that I would certainly have not bought for new, but when the chance came to buy it off a friend for $1000, I leapt at it. It was a bit rusted but otherwise perfect.

What is a little more? It depends on the bike but I reckon that anything in the 1000-1200 dollar/ Euro range will give you real pleasure. No need to fork out more than that unless you want a decent road bike.

Put it this way: how much is that as a percentage of what you would spend on a good holiday? And yet properly maintained, it will give you rides for a good decade at least. Think of how much pleasure you will get over that time.

But that does not mean paying over the odds for a bike or accepting anything just because it is available.

2. Don’t go to the nearest bike shop and ask them what they have in stock…

This is a bad idea at the best of times. Writing in 2020, this is a horrendous idea. Right now, there is huge demand for bikes and bike shops can pretty much sell all their stock and get a fat margin on top. At best, they are trying to do their best but are overworked. Some of them however will be tempted to talk customers into whatever they can make most profit from. They have so much custom that they have little incentive to be nice or scrupulous. You could easily end up with an overpriced bike that is not what you want.

3. Do a bit of research

Don’t rush: this is an investment not an impulse buy.

First, decide what kind of bike you will need. There are an ever wider range of bikes available, but basically your choice will usually be one of the following:

Road bike: lightweight with thin wheels, designed to go fast on roads
Mountain bike: heavy with thick wheels and tires, designed to handle rocks and rough trails
Hybrid/commuter bike: medium-weight bike designed to handle urban roads and bike paths
Touring bike: medium-light bike with more upright frame, designed to carry lots of luggage over long distances
“Fixies” or Dutch bikes: limited to one or two gears and designed for stylish riding in flat areas

OK. There are loads more categories but this is the basics. See my post about why you might want to consider a touring bike.

One thing that you ought to think about at this stage is the type of handlebars you will need. If you only ever intend to use the bike for short distances, rubber flat or ‘trek’ handlebars will be fine. But if you want to go more than say 20km or go up and down hills, your wrists and fingers will need more protection and you will want the option of being able to hunch a bit so drop handlebars get more interesting, and if you plan to tour, you will want slightly more upright drop handlebars that will give you a choice of positions. Do some research.

Do some research online to find some bikes that you might like and then start seeing if any bike shops in your area have them in stock. When I was looking for a new touring bike, I Googled “best touring bikes” and read through the various reviews until I was clear which model I wanted to try. I then looked for distributors on the company website and started emailing those shops to see whether they had any in stock. What was reassuring was that the shop that got back to me asked me the right questions: my height to determine whether they had one the right size.

And yes, you do need the bike to be the right size.

4. Be patient

Suppose that you do all this and they don’t get back to you or don’t have any the right size. First, consider asking them whether they intend to get any in stock in the near future. Usually, providing that the bike is a recent model, they should be thinking of it. The current bike wave will ease off in the coming months once the weather gets miserable again. Ironically, that moment can often give you your best riding. Be patient and persistent: better to wait a few more months and get something that gives you real pleasure.

This doesn’t mean waiting years for the right bike: of course you want to get riding soon. What it does mean is finding something that is right for you rather than settling for something that you don’t enjoy and therefore won’t ride.

5. Go for a test ride

Hooray! They got back to you and they have the bike that you want in stock. Time to plan a test ride. They will usually ask you to provide some form of ID or credit card to keep behind the counter while you go off.

I would bring with you a multi tool or set of Allen keys. When I went recently, they set the saddle at an uncomfortable height to ride, so after riding it for 100m or so, I got off the bike, unscrewed the seat post and lowered the saddle.

If you can, take it for a ride with as many different types of terrain or road that you can find – though this might not be possible. Ideally, you want to test it along roads, bike path, perhaps a bit of track and on both the flat and on hills.

You want to test out the brakes first and see how comfortable you are with them.

Then it is time to go through the gears: how easy is it to change them? How smoothly do they change? And of course, you want to see just how low the bottom gear is. Will it be enough to get you up a steep hill with a bit of luggage in your panniers?

Then you want to see how comfortable you are pedalling in general, though don’t worry too much about the pedals as you can easily change them. How comfortable is the seat? How much suspension is there? In general, is the bike fun and intuitive to ride? All bikes take a while to get used to so don’t be put off if the gears work differently to what you are used to.

What it all comes down to is does it do what YOU want it to do? This is a big purchase. Does it give you pleasure? Does it make you want to ride it?

Take your time and don’t let them bounce you into buying. If the bike is sold by the time you decide to buy it, that is THEIR problem because at this point you have the option of ordering it direct from the manufacturer and the bike shop loses the commission.

If you don’t feel absolutely right, try out a few different models.

If you decide to buy

Congratulations! Arrange with the shop when the best time is to pick it up. Be aware that most bike shops will not sell it with pedals.

This sounds a bit weird right? Here is the thinking of the bike mechanic: imagine buying a suit and having the shoes come with it whether you want them or not or have a perfectly decent pair of your own, yet still having them factored into the price. You’d find that a bit weird.

Pedals are perfectly easy to buy and obviously if you already have a pair of your own from an older bike, you can use those.

The bike shop will try to flog you a lot of other stuff to go with the bike. The only things that you really need are a few spare inner tubes and ideally some spare spokes.

You should also ask the shop to give you as many of the packing materials that the bike was packed with and specifically any front fork or disc brake spacers in case you need to pack the bike for travel.

That’s it! Enjoy!

September 30, 2020September 30, 2020

CrispLeave a comment

Getting started (again) with bike riding? Here’s what you need and how much you should pay…

Clockwise from top left: GPS, lights, sunglasses, multitool, bell

If you are wisely using the constraints of this summer to get (back) on the bike – but confused about how to go about it, here is a quick guide to the kit you will need to get going and have a happy time. It needn’t cost much to put together but sometimes a little upfront investment can save you a lot down the road (and make for a better experience).

Below I have listed gear that (a) absolutely need; and (b) I strongly recommend even though not absolutely essential. For each, I give my view on what quality/price to go for if you can afford. Obviously if you don’t have the budget, then you can always get something cheap now and replace it later if circumstances change. I started off that way as a student cyclist. The most important thing is that you get out riding…

These are my personal views based on riding a lot over the years. If you want a more authoritative view, use a search engine. I have given indicative prices in Euros based on a quick search of suppliers.

Essentials

The bike.

Obviously. See my post on why you should consider a touring bike and how to go about it.

How much should I pay?

Depending on the type of bike, anywhere from €700-800 up will get you a genuinely nice bike, though if you can afford it €1000 – €1500 will get you something really joyful that you will want to ride as much as possible. Beyond that, unless you are looking at a road bike, you gain less for your money.

The lock.

I’ve read a lot of theories about this and how much it should cost. Apparently, Derbyshire Police recommend that you pay 10% of the cost of your bike on a lock.

I am a bit sceptical. Ultimately if your bike is valuable enough and is parked in a place where thieves can get to it without being disturbed for long enough, it will disappear.

And then there is the weight. You have gone to all the expense of buying a super-light bike. Now do you really want to be carrying around a super heavy lock? When I travel, the lock is the heaviest piece of kit I have and mine is not that heavy.

How much should I pay?

To me, the best protection is a reasonably sturdy yet also sufficiently lightweight lock that will deter the casual thief, locked securely through the frame and ideally front wheel in a very public spot with not much leverage to get a bolt-cutter through, and with the bike looking dirty and worn enough to deter the thief.

Ultimately the best way to make a bike less attractive is to depreciate it, by riding it a lot and yes, getting it dirty and scratched… Like cars, bikes lose their value very quickly. My mate Stewart bought a $4000 carbon fibre road bike in 2013. He sold it to me four years later at the market rate: $1000, and that was with a total mileage of 15 miles…

A further thought: suppose that the majority of the time you do not have the luxury of a garage or other secure space and have to leave your bike locked in a place where others can get to it, say in the stairwell of an apartment block. What you might consider is getting two locks: a heavy, really strong one for leaving it at home, and a much lighter one for when you are out on the road.

A helmet.

I’m afraid that there’s no two ways about it: brain damage is just not a beautiful look… You might only need the protection of a helmet once in your life, but when you do, you will be grateful. Trust me, I have had that incident, having to brake abruptly in central Washington, DC because of a crazy driver cutting into the lane ahead of the car ahead of me. My collarbone took the brunt of it, but in the momentum, my head also tapped onto the tarmac. Zero damage but without a helmet it could have been so different. Wear the damn helmet.

How much should I pay?

A basic bike helmet costing around €50 will be fine but I would pay a little bit more – €60-90 if you can to get something really comfortable and breathable so that you are less sweaty. I also like my helmets to have a little bit of a ‘visor’ at the front for those days when you have to ride into the sun but up to you.

Panniers

Or bike bags for everyone else. Sure, you want to imitate the French look with a basket at your front, but here’s the reality: it’s not very stable and it’s not very waterproof. Or you could wreck your back carrying a massive pack. Bad for your back, bad for stability. There is an easier way. Get a decent rear rack – it doesn’t cost much and often comes with the bike – and invest in a pair of decent bike bags. They will carry everything you want, will stabilize the bike, and if you get the right type, will keep everything dry. Perfect for commuting, perfect for day trips, perfect for touring.

How much should I pay?

Here it pays to buy the good stuff and there are two manufacturers who dominate, for a reason, and you will quickly discover who they are. Up to you which to pick. I have had bags from [nameless German manufacturer] for years and rode them through the most colossal thunderstorm in northern Greece. When I got to my hotel, I opened them and… bone dry. Seriously, get yourself something that will take a bit of wear and tear and is above all super waterproof. We are talking €120-135 here: a lot but worth it.

Hand pump, tire levers, spare inner tube(s)

It happens to every cyclist. If you are lucky, you get a slow puncture that only properly deflates when you get home. But if you are unlucky, it happens in the middle of a forest with a torrential thunderstorm approaching. Unless I am on the shortest of rides where at a pinch, I can walk it home or hop on public transport, I always carry a hand pump, tire levers and a spare inner tube or two, enough to get me out of trouble. By all means, take the punctured inner tube home with you and repair it at your leisure but having a spare inner tube with you will spare you half an hour of trying to find the hole and then gluing it shut.

It can happen at inconvenient moments… like when you are preparing to go up the Muur van Geraardsbergen

And yes, you need to learn to replace the tube. It is much easier than it looks though no cyclist likes replacing a rear one. Either get a friend to show you or watch a YouTube video. I have to confess that I cycled many years without realising that life would be much easier if I released the brakes before attempting to remove the wheel…

How much should I pay?

A spare inner tube costs around €20, tire levers even less than that. Unless you decide against getting a foot pump – see below – you don’t need a fancy hand pump, though a small light one will save you space.

Bottles and bottle holders

Cycling is thirsty work in all seasons and you drink more than you expect. I really recommend having two bottle holders on your bike. Yes, you could carry the bottles in your pannier or backpack – and when I tour, I carry two more in my panniers – but having them to hand is super useful.

How much should I pay?

For the bottles, cheap is fine as they degrade over time, though if you are riding in the thick of summer or winter, having one thermally insulated bottle is useful to keep your water cold or your tea hot. I try to get bottles as big as possible: 750 ml or more, providing that there is space in your bike frame to get them in and out. Remember to wash them regularly, and always after adding anything other than water.

For bottle holders, I recommend sturdy plastic over cheap metal: it has better grip to stop the bottles falling out on cobbles, is lighter, and does not cost much.

Lights

Of course. And here is the good news: bike lighting is an area where technology progresses every year, leading to lighter, smaller, brighter and more rechargeable lights. Even if you don’t intend to ride in the dark, it is worth having some in case you get caught out by a storm or unexpected road tunnel.

How much should I pay?

This really depends on your intended use. If you are really sure that they are only for emergencies and the road or path will be well lit, then small rear and front lights that flash will do. As long as they are visible to cars and other road users, you are fine. If you are going to be riding at night, even if only to commute, then you need a front light that is a bit stronger and both lights should last for at least the length that you will need (and ideally much longer as it is a total shag to have to constantly recharge them). If you are going to be riding on unlit roads or path, then you need a front light that is even stronger, with a wide enough beam.

I have three lights: light front and rear lights that will last for around 45 minutes to an hour flashing, will give basic illumination of the road, and come with rubber mounts that are easy to fix to different bikes, and a more serious (and heavy) front light with super strong beam that I keep on my commuting bike for the winter months for use when riding in the dark for up to two hours. When I am touring, I take the former two lights.

Bike gloves

Yes, I know: you’ll look like a nonce, like you’re taking this seriously, but trust me, you need gloves the minute you start doing more than a short ride. Why? Because when you ride, three parts of your anatomy are in touch with the bike: your feet obviously, your bottom obviously, but don’t forget your wrists. And in contrast to the bottom and the feet, your wrists are getting shaken around like you would not believe and that is even if you manage to avoid a downhill on cobbles. Give them some love. Give them some protection.

How much should I pay?

Again, as much as it costs for a comfortable fit and solid padding. €20-30 will be enough.

A rain jacket

Yes, you could use a standard waterproof jacket as a standby but seriously, get yourself a decent rain jacket? How is it different? Tailoring. A bike jacket will be longer at the back and should have a zippable pocket at the rear. Why? Because when it rains, you will be hunched forward over the bike so your stomach will be compressed and your back elongated. It’s the difference between a drenched back and a dry one. A rear pocket is also ideal for carrying wallet, keys and any other essential documents like train tickets. Ideally, the jacket should also have a smaller pocket at the front left top to put your phone/passport in, but many don’t.

How much should I pay?

Middle of the range: €70-100. You don’t need anything fancy but you do need a good brand and it to be waterproof and breathable (and ideally luminous). In the above storm in northern Greece, I paid the price for buying a cheap jacket: I sweated, the material got drenched, and the rear pocket secured only with a Velcro strip collected every drip of water that poured down my back… The very next day, I found the nearest bike shop and replaced it with a much nicer jacket.

Lycra shorts

Yes. Really? Yes really. When I tell friends who are starting cycling that they should wear Lycra shorts, I get looks of horror and disbelief, followed by a rapid shaking of the head. No no no no no no…. Let’s face it: Lycra has a bad image, literally. Unless your groin would bear comparison with a well-preserved statue of a Roman god or goddess, the look is not flattering. This is why most non-professional cyclists wear black to camouflage it and prevent other road users from laughing. And yes, it has that air of trying too hard, like you’re actually taking this riding thing seriously rather than larking about.

Funnily enough their attitude starts to change when they come back from their first long ride with buttocks so red and raw that they look as though they have been sandpapered…

Lycra shorts were invented for a reason. Actually, several reasons. Let me list the main ones as far as you are concerned. Buttock padding. Reduced friction when pedalling. Sweat absorption. Insulation. Drying fast. Sometimes I am out on a ride, get rained on and by the time I am back, my shorts are dry again, and all that time I have been as warm as possible. And yes, being more aerodynamic. Laugh at that last one all you will but wait until you have spent ten minutes slogging up a seemingly endless hill. When you come to the downhill, you will want to benefit from every single metre of that climb, head down, hunched forward and with no appetite whatsoever for your shorts to be whipping about like a Spanish galleon.

Buy a pair. Try them out. You will not look back. If you do, you’ll see a bunch of people sniggering at you, but never mind…

How much should I pay?

Middle of the range: €50-70. You want a nice material that is as comfortable and sweat absorbent as possible. Don’t be suckered into buying bib shorts unless you really do want to be the next Egan Bernal.

Strongly recommended

The following are not essential and you can easily go for years happily without them and many cyclists have and do. But they will add to your cycling experience and don’t need to cost a lot. Put them on the list of kit to consider once you have got going and are getting hooked.

Toe clips

Toe clips are the happy halfway house between standard pedals and bike shoes, giving some of the efficiency gains but without the disadvantages of the latter for those of us who just don’t feel comfortable firmly locked onto an unstable piece of metal liable to brake at any moment, and yes, that is me, even before my MANY accidents.

For a princely €5, yes, that’s FIVE Euros, you can fit small plastic toe clips onto the front of your pedals, holding your feet in a steady place and not wasting the energy on the upswing of your pedal stroke.

Of course, the pros and the Strava Queens will sneer at you, and it’s true that you don’t gain all the vaunted 10% efficiency gain of the suicide shoes, but when it comes to accelerating away from a traffic light that has just turned green, you will be halfway up the road before they have managed to click their right shoe into place.

How much should I pay?

FIVE EUROS. That’s all.

Bike GPS

OK, so this is a bit more costly, and you do not absolutely need it. For most of the time since the dawn of cycling, people happily rode with just a map for directions and many still do. At a later stage, they added basic odometers to their bikes to measure how far and how fast they rode.

But life has moved on, and there is a generation of bike GPS that combine all the advantages of the odometer with the map and have a few more tricks up their sleeves, and they are improving all the time.

Why buy one? Put simply, it will make your rides more pleasurable. You can plan your routes online before you go, knowing exactly where the hills are and able to plot the most enjoyable way to your destination. Out on the ride, you can cruise along or let it rip downhill, safe in the knowledge that you will be warned in advance of any turn, and hugely useful when navigating through a town or city. Much better than having to huddle over a soggy map in pouring rain. It is a huge advantage to be able to look at the height profile and see whether any hills are coming up or how far you still have to go. And the latest models have got a much better rerouting capability in case the road is closed. And at the end of it, the GPS will export your ride back to the website so that you have all the data that you could possibly want on where you went and how fast.

They still aren’t perfect: like car GPS, unless properly controlled, they have a habit of sending you through muddy paths or along badly cobbled hellholes, over all, they are a great improvement.

Yes, you could use your smartphone, but why waste valuable battery or have it exposed to all the elements when you can have a much smaller piece of kit doing it all for you?

How much should I pay?

For the website, nothing, unless you really want all the jazzy features. Note that many websites charge premium membership fees for services in the app that they offer for free on the main website. Plan ahead and save money.

For the GPS, it really depends on the model, and what works best is changing all the time. I have a Wahoo Elemnt Bolt that I bought for just under €300 three years ago and it has been great, though many swear by Garmin or other brands. Do a bit of research and look at the reviews and decide what works best for you.

Foot pump

I am kicking myself for not buying a foot pump earlier. Sure, I can’t take it touring, but when I am riding from home, it saves me a HUGE amount of effort. Bike tires deflate all the time, so I pump mine every 3 weeks or so, depending on how much I use the bike.

How much should I pay?

You can get a reasonable foot pump for about €20-30.

Multi-tool

This is a compact set of bike tools, a bit like a Swiss Army knife. Sad to say, bolts come loose while you are on a bike, so it is extremely useful to have one with you to make quick repairs or adjustments. It is essential for touring.

How much should I pay?

Not much.

Bell

I resisted getting a bell for many years on the grounds that they take up a lot of space on the handlebars and that many people are so absorbed in their own music collection that they would not hear me when I used it anyway.

Let me be honest, the second half of that is sadly true. I am regularly dismayed by the number of pedestrians and cyclists who pay not a blind bit of attention to the noise of a bell behind them and continue merrily blocking the path. The other day, on a narrow road, I came across three elderly cyclists meandering along and hogging the road. Despite ringing my bell louder and louder as I came up behind them, they totally ignored it and one of them even veered left into my path, leaving me to warn him with a choice profanity. As I went past, the lady complained “But why didn’t you ring your bell?”

So they don’t always work, but when they do, it saves you a lot of hassle. And on the space front, I have come across a model of bell made by Crane which is small, loud and – good for a mal-coordinated person like me – operates vertically rather than left to right, which seems much more intuitive.

How much should I pay?

Not a lot.

Lycra jersey

Again, yes, you will look like an idiot off the bike: bike jerseys are extremely unflattering, designed as they are shorter at the front.

But on the bike: sweatproof, easily drying, and insulating, and with back pockets for your keys/phone.

How much should I pay?

€70-100 will get you something decent and classy. Ideally you want one of the back pockets to be zippable and you want the front to be zippable all the way down.

Arm warmers

If you only ride in thick summer, you will not need these, but if you ride in the shoulder seasons – and really autumn and spring are the best times to ride – they are very useful indeed. In those seasons, it can start or end cold but be quite hot in the middle of your ride and your forearms really feel it. Rather than having to put on your rain jacket which can be excessive, arm warmers give you a bit more warmth. They are also ideal for when you have a descent down a long hill.

How much should I pay?

You really do not need anything expensive here. I have a few pairs which I picked up cheaply and they have been absolutely fine.

Bike sunglasses

Really useful to have something tightly fitting that will not slide off your nose when you start sweating.

Again, you don’t need to go for anything expensive here and follow the pro riders. I picked up a pair of glasses with four different colours of lens for €40 and they are perfect, allowing me to swap them according to the light.

So that’s all… It sounds like a lot but get riding and you will see the benefits.

July 7, 2020August 26, 2020

Crisp1 Comment

Why you should buy a touring bike even if you never intend to go touring

One of the positives of this difficult time – Spring/Summer 2020 – is that a lot of people are rediscovering the pleasures and practicality of cycling, helped by the amazing weather.

If you are thinking of taking up cycling again, my simple advice is: go for it. There has never been a better time.

But deciding where to start is confusing with so many different brands and types of bike available. Quite a few friends have asked me for advice on what kind of bike to get and usually my answer has been “Get a touring bike”. Some of this has been because I would like them to take up touring and come with me to share the wonderful experiences.

But even if you think that you will never ever want to go on a bike tour, I think that there are still a number of reasons why many of you should seriously consider a touring bike. What is puzzling is that many sites overlook the existence of touring bikes.

Versatility. If you are only interested in one type of riding – off-road, or road racing – or have only one use for the bike– getting across town – or one type of terrain – flat city streets – then yes, you should look at the appropriate bike for that: mountain/gravel bike, road bike, and hybrid respectively. But if you would like a bike that will allow you to commute during the week but get out of town on long rides at the weekend, or will deal happily with both roads, bike paths and the odd bit of gravel or dirt, then a touring bike is your best bet. It is the all-rounder, the jack of all trades of cycling: it will do pretty much ANYTHING apart from ride happily over rocks.

Day trips. Linked to the above, touring bikes are great for day trips into the countryside, packing a picnic – when rules now allow – but also handling the whole range of road surfaces: smooth tarmac, cobbles, gravel, dirt track.

Comfort. Touring bikes are designed to be ridden for long distances day after day and are thus much more comfortable than a road bike thanks to the wider tyres. They are more efficient and take less energy than a hybrid or mountain bike because of the thinner tyres and lighter weight. The ride is secure but not onerous. A touring bike will have a range of riding positions: upright on high handlebars to admire the scenery when you cruise along, and down in the drops for hills, descents, wind and rain. Honestly having a range of positions is better for your back and better for your wrists and hands.

Gears. If you are starting riding again or uncertain of your ability, this is a MAJOR advantage. Touring bikes are fitted with gears so low that you can get up a mountainside with the bike laden with five or six heavy bags and so are ideal for beginners. Even the toughest hill can be ridden up without straining your legs. Granted, you will not be going very fast, but hey, you’ll get up them. The wider range of gears means that you can afford to spin in a lower gear rather than straining your muscles by riding in a tough gear. To use a gym analogy: better to do 50 reps of a 2kg weight than 10 reps of 10kg.

Weight. Touring bikes are admittedly not as light as road bikes (see below for why) but they tend to be much lighter than any other type of bike. Again this is because they are designed for efficiency and long distances. My touring bike weighs about a third less than the hybrid that I used to have.

Durability and reparability. Touring bikes are designed to get bashed about a bit and not complain. They are designed to last and get their riders round the world. Hence the heavier but still relatively light frame. My current tourer has been maltreated by baggage handlers at ten airports despite my zealous packing and is still going relatively strong after what I reckon is the best part of 50,000 km

Carrying as much stuff as you want. Food. Drink. Spare clothes. Spare tires. A tourer is designed to carry stuff efficiently. That isn’t just great for touring: it is great for commuting and day trips (particularly in spring and autumn when the weather changes quite a bit)

You never know: you might want to take up touring! Why be limited to having to get back to base every evening when you could spend a few days or a few weeks on the road, riding from nice hotel to nice hotel?

Here are some good sites with further advice:

On deciding which type of bike to buy (if I haven’t persuaded you):

https://road.cc/content/buyers-guide/beginners-guide-bike-types-170749

https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/buyers-guides/best-bike/

On why your next bike should be a touring bike:

https://road.cc/content/buyers-guide/why-your-next-bike-should-be-touring-bike-194300

This is a very good post and I freely admit that it helped frame my thinking when preparing this post (though I hope that my post is a bit less techy and more accessible).

On brands of bike:

For the UK/Europe:

What’s The Best Touring Bike? (2020 Edition)

Tom Allen is one of the gurus of bike touring, having ridden colossal amounts, including a tour immortalised in the film and book Janapar, so he really knows his stuff. This is a really good guide and gives good advice on how much you should pay.

https://road.cc/content/buyers-guide/15-best-touring-bikes-205991

https://www.cyclingnews.com/features/best-touring-bikes/

For the US:

Here Are The 12 Best Touring Bikes You Can Buy In 2020

July 5, 2020August 26, 2020

CrispLeave a comment