How much preparation do you do?

[yello]

I've done the EV 6 eastwards as far as Beaune

Should I get serious about it - and one never knows with me - then I might pick your brains, if I may.

My first thought was to join the route at Nevers, picking up the Canal du Centre and head eastwards. The path in Switzerland, Germany and Austria seems to get favourable mentions plus I'm more interested in the heading that way than staying in France.

 

[andym]

Do you note my self-deprecating humour? I think you might be reading my posts as too black or white factual rather than the with the light-heartedness I'd intended.

There are things other than châteaux on the Loire btw but I do take the point that knowing what there is on-route doesn't obligate you to see it. I'd agree with that.

I'm very pleased to read there are people that don't plan a great deal though. Like others, most of my pleasure is derived from being on the bike and moving along. And simple pleasures like setting up the tent and visiting the local shop to buy dinner provisions. Makes me feel somehow liberated. The riding gets interspersed with visits to whatever might be around when I'm feeling like a break but I don't look to fill my days away with such things. No slight intended to people that do, just that it's not what I do.

I think there's a difference between planning and research and scheduling. Knowing where there are decent places to stay for example doesn't mean you have to book in advance or have a set programme. I certainly don't fill my days with stuff to see - apart from the logistics, I'd rather be riding. I go to very few sights - so I'm particularly selective about which ones I do go out of my way to see.

A bit of research means you have more choices and you can make better choices. To give an example I've just spent the morning riding a fabulous MTB route in the hills above the Lago Trasimeno. I found the route maps and information after seeing the signs while riding around the lake. I'd never have found that trail on my own. I made the decision on which trail to follow at 7 am this morning. There's no contradiction between research and planning on the one hand and flexibility and spontaneity.

I had realised you probably weren't being serious about cathedrals - hence ''pah' an expression I'd only use with tongue in cheek. There are indeed things other than chateaux on the Loire (hence the reference to troglodyte houses) and the museum dedicated to Leonardp da Vinci is well worth seeing (although yes technically, it is in a chateau). But without research or at least a quick look at a guidebook how do you know what and where they are?

 

[Fiona N]

I never visit anywhere when touring, once I start cycling I don't like to stop.

Unless it's to eat of course.

I just like a change of scenery.

I think that describes my touring too. I'm reknown amongst my friends for having cycled past Ayres Rock and the Taj Mahal without stopping I see the tourist buses and keep on going....

I also am a 'little preparation as possible' tourist - generally planning doesn't cover more than booking the ferry or Bike Express to the start and back from 'the finish' i.e. some suitably convenient spot. Other than that I go where the mood takes me - often on advice from locals about a particularly nice route. My tours are definitely about the touring rather than the arriving somewhere specific. While I do try to go to places I haven't been before, I often find that these places are less interesting than places I find by accident - this was the case heading across Germany a couple of summers ago. I decided to head for Heidelberg on the way to the Austria and the Czech republic, but one warm evening stopped early in a small city across the river from Heidelberg. Speyer was a beautiful little city with a superb Dom (Catholic cathedral) at the end of a lovely open square at the heart of the old town. I enjoyed my evening there far more than Heidelberg with its tourist hordes next day.

 

[Danny]

You're going to do 4500 kms in ten days? Yikes.

450kms a day does sound extraordinarly ambitious. I'd focus any planning you do on thinking through what distance you can realistically cover each day.

If you are really planning a tour that involves such big distances each day you aren't going to have much time for sightseeing, or possibly even sleeping.

 

[yello]

I'm reknown amongst my friends for having cycled past Ayres Rock and the Taj Mahal without stopping

Blimey, I don't think I'd be quite THAT committed to cycling! I reckon I'd be stopping at least to see what the fuss was about!

450kms a day does sound extraordinarly ambitious.

I refer you to my earlier post!

I think andym put 2 of my comments together and assumed that was my intention! No, I'm way more modest in my expectations.

 

[Danny]

I refer you to my earlier post!

I think andym put 2 of my comments together and assumed that was my intention! No, I'm way more modest in my expectations.

I did see your second post, but it still wasn't clear exactly how much distance you were going to do in a day.

In a sense though my point still stands. If you want to have time for plenty of sight seeing - or even visits to bars and cafes - then I would have a limit on the daily distance you intend to cover. One of the joys of cycle touring for me is that you do often unexpectedly come across an interesting town or stretch of countryside which you might want to stop and explore. However if you've set yourself a big distance target each day, you can find that you just don't have time for spontaneous excursions - or if you decide to be spontaneous you end up arriving late and knackered at your final destination for the day.

 

[yello]

I'm only thinking about doing it, haven't even considered the practicalities of it.

As it happens, I'm lucky and time is not an issue. I could take as long as I like over it - which is one of the reasons it appeals to me. A good long ride, taken over months, it could be more of a life than a holiday. That interests me. I've only ever toured between 2 scheduled dates; leaving and having to be back at work. This would be open ended. You must have an entirely different perspective if time is not an issue.

 

[TheDoctor]

Hmmm. I tend to over-research things, then do something else anyway!!!
Maybe it's just because I like looking at maps...

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Danny Bent made it to India and look how much planning he did

 

[hubbike]

90% of planning is worrying about how to solve problems that might never occur.

Keep open minded, flexible, budget more than you need and be frugal with your spending.

Train in the first 2 weeks of your trip. Plan on the road.

Here are my planning rules:-

1. 1st hand recommendations trump guidebooks, maps, wikitravel etc...
2. time with locals, cultural experiences rank high.
3. if in doubt, head to the mountains.
4. worrying isn;t useful. making preparations, research, etc are.
5. if the shoot hit the fan, clean it up, get on your bike and continue on your way.

Many worries I had last year turned out to be ill-conceived. I worried about my health, money, language, the bike, border crossings, theft, etc. I was worried about Bolivia (high levels of poverty = potential for crime) and Colombia (cocaine and guerilla problems) but these turned out to be my favourite countries.

Some mistakes I made.

-Not understanding the complex currency exhange rate system in Venezuela. crossed the border and couldn't change USD. then there were two exhange rates: official and black market.
-getting lost, IMO this is all part of the fun
-not carrying enough water in Bolivia. this can get ugly. I should have found out in advance where you can buy water, carried puritabs, and carried a minimum of about 5 litres most of the time.
-not carrying enough food in Bolivia (some shops are bare)

 

[vernon]

Should I get serious about it - and one never knows with me - then I might pick your brains, if I may.

My first thought was to join the route at Nevers, picking up the Canal du Centre and head eastwards. The path in Switzerland, Germany and Austria seems to get favourable mentions plus I'm more interested in the heading that way than staying in France.

I really enjoyed both of my excursions eastwards to Beaune and I'm looking forwards to the Beaune to Passau bit this summer.

I do recommend the EV6 maps that cover the Atlantic to Mulhouse. They give an indication of things that might be of interest. Though sometimes it's the unexpected that grabs one's attention like a spring half way up a hillside with a slate lined trough with trout swimming in it. Had twenty minutes of silent contemplation as I watched some amazing butterflies flit about interspersed with some fish gazing.

Back to the maps they cover a wide-ish corridor and are good value for money. At some stage I need a map to connect the route from where the first set of EV maps stop and the Danube cycle route starts. I suppose I ought to book a hotel at Beaune too as i will be arriveing there around 01:30 and I don't fancy starting my tour immediately I 'land'.

 

[andym]

450kms a day does sound extraordinarly ambitious. I'd focus any planning you do on thinking through what distance you can realistically cover each day.

If you are really planning a tour that involves such big distances each day you aren't going to have much time for sightseeing, or possibly even sleeping.

I officially confirm that I was intentionally misunderstanding him for humorous effect. Clearly dry humour gets lost in translation - or whatever the appropriate expression is.

 

[Danny]

I officially confirm that I was intentionally misunderstanding him for humorous effect. Clearly dry humour gets lost in translation - or whatever the appropriate expression is.

I still remain totally confused about what sort of distance he is intending to do each day.

Thinking about my own planning, I usually try to get a relevant guide book, but don't tend to read it in advance. Instead I generally just use it to plan out the next day's ride, or work out what I've seen the previous day.

 

[psmiffy]

Preperation - I think it really depends on how far outside your comfort zone you are – most of my touring has been in western Europe where I am well within my own comfort zone – by the time I started to cycle tour I had a pretty good knowledge of the geography, topography and customs of a lot of the European countries without having to do any research – put me outside that region and I think I would have to change my tactics a bit – maybe even how I go about things in a practical way as well

 

[blockend]

90% of planning is worrying about how to solve problems that might never occur.

Agreed.