My €30 MTB/commuter just passed the 10,000 km mark. 1 chain, 1 cassette and 1 gear cable as well as a couple of hours a month cleaning and oiling.
My €200 MTB tourer has clocked up about 10,000 km loaded touring in the last 3 years. And about another 8000 km unloaded.
My impression when I read your original post was that this was someone who has just had an idea and is throwing out questions without doing any research themselves. I mean, cycling in Germany is not difficult and information about long distance cycling in Germany is available online quicker than the time it took to write your post.
And in your other thread, about which bike to buy, there are signs that made me think the same thing.
But call me a softie, your reference to keeping the dream alive hit a nerve, so I’m going to offer some further advice on both your topics.
You want to cycle tour in NL, Germany, Austria, France & Spain. Well, I’ve toured in all those places and they are great places to tour.
You’ve got up to 3 months to do that. And lucky you to have that time!
Other than the countries, what are the places you want to visit/see? Do you know yet, or is it just a case of hitting each of those countries?
Where do you
really want to see?
What interests you? Architecture? Coastline? Cities? Food? Drink?
If you’re not sure yet, start reading! As mentioned above Crazyguyonabike has thousands of bike journals of people who have cycled all these places. You can see and read about their experiences. If something fires you up, add that to the places you want to visit.
Next, how do you want to travel? Is it solely by bike, or are you open to taking a train? A train opens up a greater range of travel, or allows you to travel slower and still hit all your sweet points. To know how far you want to travel, you need to know how far you
can travel! The only research that will tell you that is actually doing! There’s no point in planning a tour that expects 100+km per day only to discover that the max you’re comfortable with is 50km. Sure, you can push yourself, but there is a great chance that you will not enjoy it. Or even bail.
When will you be travelling? To hit all the countries you’re talking about means crossing mountains. Mountains can be impassable, or have limited route options at certain times of the year.
You’re going to be camping? Do you camp? Do you know what you need? Do you know what will make it more comfortable? There’s a big difference between a week tour where you can tolerate discomfort and a 3 month tour where the effect is cumulative. Stealth camping or campsites? Will you be cooking? Carrying food? Do you know what food to be bringing? Are you comfortable with amusing yourself on a long wet night in the middle of nowhere?
What about navigation? Using maps? A GPS? A smartphone? Are you familiar with whatever method you’re going to use? If using electronics how will you charge them?
Going solo or with other people? If solo, can you handle the loneliness? What about shopping and bike security? Stealth camping alone can be intimidating. If with others how do you get on? Cycle together or meet at the end of the day? Compatible skills and fitness levels? Are your motivations similar?
Bike. Can you do basic repairs or will you be using bike shops as necessary? Will it carry the load you need it to carry and will it be stable doing so? Most important – is it comfortable for you?
Of all the points above, the motivation – what you want to see and do – is the most important, in my opinion. If that’s wrong then everything else won’t make up for it.
You’ve started a debate on planning and the length of time taken to plan.
Personally, planning 2 years out for a 3 month tour would drive me demented! However, every time I come across something interesting, I store it away for a trip that might be next month, next year or next decade. I suppose that could be called planning too.
The thing with plans is that often they should be changed when they’re implemented for the simple reason that reality is never the same as the plan. I’ve met a fair few people on my travels who gave all the impression of people being slaves to a plan (specifically a destination at a set time) and none of the impression of someone enjoying themselves.
The other thing with plans is that they should be broad in range. For example, I’ve met people who knew exactly what route they were cycling and where they were going to stay for the next 10 nights, but had no rain gear.... in the middle of a torrential Spanish downpour. (They were so miserable they were giving up their tour on Day 1!!) Similarly, many people can’t even order a cup of coffee in a foreign language or say “please” and “thank you”.
There’s always a danger of researching online that you end up doing what someone else has done (or wants to do) at the expense of what
you want to do.
My advice to you is to get a bike, any bike,
now, and get some gear and go away on the bike, even if it’s only 5 miles from home. Living the dream is the best way to keep it alive. And you will learn so much! About what
you like to do and don’t like to do. And all the practicalities. What 100 km feels like. What a hill with an 8% gradient feels like. Why GoogleMaps should never be trusted for bike routing!
And how good it feels to be free to roam wherever you want!
I get that budget is an important factor. What I'm suggesting is that spending 100 now could save 100s later if you end up buying a bike that suits you and the way you like to tour.
That bike that you see online might seem perfect now. After a few trips you might wish you had bigger tyres for more comfort, or a dynohub for charging your phone because you keep getting lost, or a longer wheelbase because your feet keep hitting the panniers, or different gearing because those hills are a killer, or.......
Check out second hand sites. There’s no shortage of good quality bikes that you can do a tour on for very little money. This doesn’t have to be “The Touring Bike” you want, it’s your learning bike. And with the time you have on your hands, there’s lots of time to seek out the ultimate touring bike for you (armed with the knowledge you’ve gained from your learner).
It’s amazing how many fully spec’d touring bikes are for sale at anytime. I know a guy here in Holland who picks up these bikes through contacts in dealers. Highly spec’d Kogas capable of cycling around the world being sold that have only been used to do the shopping!
They thought the perfect touring bike would ease their anxiety. It didn’t.
To conclude, here are some of the things that I learned by actually getting up and going off on a bike that I would not have thought before I set off.
The joy is in the freedom. Not having a set plan of where to be and when to be there. Being able to wander over there if over there is more interesting. It took a while to learn that one! Still important to have a destination, though!
Even places in my own neighbourhood can seem different when I'm on the bike and have my "touring" head on.
Camping is great fun! I enjoy the whole process as much as, if not more, than the actual cycling! Even in the winter! This year I was camping in temps of -10. If someone said to me a few years ago that I would willingly sleep in a tent in winter I would have laughed my head off!
I don’t like cities. Difficult to get around and parking a fully loaded bike there is always a fear of theft. I’ve learned to camp outside cities and hit them before dawn and spend a pleasant few hours seeing the sights and watching a city wake up.
Lots and lots of people speak English. Everyone (even the French lately!) appreciate an effort in their own language. A little local lingo can open a lot of doors.
The touristy places don’t interest me. Too many people. Too difficult to get around. And not real. Their original character is lost. Small villages, cafes are the places to meet real people, feel the real country and get real information.
Rain is not that bad.... if I have the right gear.
Loooove cycling in the sun and heat!
Taking (good) photos takes a surprisingly long time. And always look behind you! some of my greatest shots are of what's behind me.
There's a lot less serial killers wandering around than we think and most people are surprisingly helpful and friendly when you're on a bike.
Never underestimate the lift being able to brew a hot drink can bring.
Lighter is not always better. Comfort is important. Especially long distance.
Cycling with others can be harder than I thought.
The hardest part of touring is the mental part. If my head isn’t right I’m not enjoying myself. If my head is right I can enjoy anything!
.)
