New cyclist, thinking about a tour. Advice needed

[barnesy]

Hey,

First of i have been cycling over a year now and have become fairly fit, im 20 and generally cycle about 8 miles a day monday to friday and then a longer ride on sundays (30+ miles).

I live in belfast in Northern Ireland and i want to cycle round Ireland in the summer. This is something i have wanted to do ever since i stared cycling. A rough route i have planned out is about 1000 miles. I haven't done a tour before but i plan to up my mileage and do a few overnight tours when the weather gets better.

So i am here for advice, i have been reading for a few months but it almost leaves me more confused.

I have 2 bikes at the minute, my road bike is a bianchi via nirone with veloce groupset and i also have a commuter in the form of a carrera subway 1.

First question is which one do i take?
I know i cant put a rack on the bianchi and i can on the subway, but i think i would be more comfortable on the lighter faster bike. Should i look into buying a tourer?

Next dilemma is do i use b&bs or should i camp? I know the answer to this could decide which bike i should take.
I keep weighing up all the factors, comfort of a b&b vs cost, weight of camping gear vs lightweight for b&b.
I would ideally like to bring a mobile to phone home once a day just and an ipod to listen to as a i cycle so that would need recharged.

The last thing is im unsure if im jumping in blindly to this, i know i would be probably looking at around 2 weeks to do the tour and i would be doing it alone. Does loneliness affect anyone while on tour or do you not notice it?
Should i try a shorter tour first? maybe Irelands end to end?

Thanks for reading through this and for any advice.

Brendan

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Hi,

You'll be fine...just go for it...but to try to answer some of your questions:

You need to decide on the camping thing...I prefer to have a camping rig with me, it gives me more freedom and the extra weight isnt all that bad once you get used to it. BUT you will need a solid bike.

Lonliness...hmm...well some crave it...but I dont...the answer is yes there are lonly moments and times when you need a friend...but I found that travelling alone = meet more people/travel faster/spend less. The bigger your group the slower you ride and the more it costs as you end up stopping more and when you stop you spend.

I am not the most experienced tourer on this board but if I can answer any more questions let me know...meantime here is some mor einfo on my trips
http://www.cyclesocial.co.uk/profiles/profile/show?id=BTFB&

 

[barnesy]

Thanks BGOAB, i had a quick look at the site there and read one of your tours.
I think i would like to camp as most sites seem to be 10 euro a night compared to 50 or so euro for a b&b, and if i get fed up then maybe i can treat myself to a bed once or twice.
Are there any tents which are recommended for touring? what size do they pack down into? Also sleeping bags and any other bits of kit i may need.
I guess i may have to take the Carrera then but it has seen better days.

 

[vernon]

Thanks BGOAB, i had a quick look at the site there and read one of your tours.
I think i would like to camp as most sites seem to be 10 euro a night compared to 50 or so euro for a b&b, and if i get fed up then maybe i can treat myself to a bed once or twice.
Are there any tents which are recommended for touring? what size do they pack down into? Also sleeping bags and any other bits of kit i may need.
I guess i may have to take the Carrera then but it has seen better days.

Look for a cheap two man tent. The Vango range are pretty good. I bought one for my son @ £70 and was Duke of Edinburgh Award approved. Argos does a cheapish one man tent at £50 unless it's on offer when you get a
bargain. I prefer two man tents for the room that thye afford.

Packing size look at the specs for each tent.

Sleeping mats well covered on recent strands here.

There's nothing wrong with a subway 1 it's up to the job.

 

[summerdays]

If you are camping then you need to check how your route may fit in around the camp-sites.... there aren't that many in NI. Camping would definitely work out cheaper than B&B'ing which is the only tour I've done. If you are going as far as Co Kerry then I can recommend a camp-site that I've stayed on - which had a lovely indoor kitchen/dinning room and a social room in the evening with a fire.

 

[snorri]

Next dilemma is do i use b&bs or should i camp? Does loneliness affect anyone while on tour or do you not notice it?
Should i try a shorter tour first?

Definitely do some short tours first. I suggest you start off with some weekend tours staying at B&B. This will give you a taste of touring (or not!) without spending any money on camping gear. If touring appeals then start to build up some kit starting with kettle, stove etc. When cycling alone it is much easier to interact with locals along the way so loneliness has never been a problem for me, but I suppose it depends on what you are used to.

 

[samid]

My only cycle tour so far was a solo 800km ride in the UK last summer, based on that here's my CAD$0.02:

I camped (not only to save money but also to not have to book B&B's in advance, hence avoiding a strict schedule), but did not prepare my food - instead, I usually ate at cafes/pubs during the day, and bought some prepared food and a couple cans of beer in the evening. This allowed me to not take any stove/pan/etc.

After reading some forums I bought a Hilleberg Akto tent - while it's a one-person, it was quite roomy enough for me (I'm 5'8"). The only downside to that tent is price, otherwise I can highly recommend it - small, light, and can be set up in rain and be dry inside. Another piece of camping gear that I can recommend is Western Mountaineering Beothuk sleeping bag - warm enough for the summer, and can be packed VERY small.

I used a road/light touring bike. The important thing is fenders (you don't want to ride in rain w/out them). I used a Carradice Camper Longflap saddlebag, with the tent in its own bag on top of it - but this all was resting on a rear rack. I also had a small barbag for camera and maps. (BTW: if you use paper maps, do take a yellow marker to mark your route for the day - makes following it WAY easier.)

Another thing that worked for me extremely well were Shimano sandals with clipless pedals - it rained quite a lot, but sandals dry very quickly, and I never had to worry about wet socks.

I did not take iPod. I did take the cell phone, and turned it on once a day to usually send a text message. With that use, the battery lasted for the week w/out recharging.

Hope this is at least somewhat useful.

 

[jay clock]

I have a Subway 1 and love it. I would not hesitate to take it. Check you can get decent heel clearance with panniers.

I also have Shimano SPD sandals and for a summer tour would use those as my only shoes, perhaps with some superlight beach shoes for evenings

see here for lots of touring advice www.crazyguyonabike.com

 

[Cathryn]

On crazyguy, search for a journal called 'cead mile failte' which is about cycle camping round Ireland...might be useful.

 

[jay clock]

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/ireland2008 for Céad Míle Fáilte

By the way, the training you are doing is absolutely perfect as a build up for a tour. Up the longer rides to 40/50/60 miles bit by bit, then do or two rides with panniers on, then perhaps one weekend of back to back longer rides and you'll be fitter than most first time tourists!

 

[furball]

Consider staying in hostels. It's a great way of meeting other cyclists, comparing routes and getting ideas for your next jaunt.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

one thing I found made a huge difference to me on my tours. Prior to the off I was a total novice...no clue...I was riding loops locally and longer at weekends to try to get in some kind of shape...meanwhile I was driving everybody on this forum nutz with my newbie questions i am sure...anyway....think of it like this...right now you ride, you have a place to come home to for a warn bath and a cuppa T or whatever...it's to easy. On tour, on your own you dont have that luxury...you HAVE to make it to wherever you are heading so you will find that instead of riding for say 2 hours a day at home, you will have nothing else to doall day except ride on tour...so you will automatically triple/quadruple your time in the saddle...well you will if you are anything like me. Try it one week end....tell yourself that you will set off at 9am and under no circumstances return home until say 6pm...imagine you'd been locked out or something. You will be surprised just how far you get in the extra time.

 

[willem]

My cycling tours are usually with my family or friends, but I am planning more solo trips. I don't mind travelling alone, but I do it a lot professionally. Perhaps for the same reason I hate hotels, and I think bed and breakfast is even worse. Camping is so wonderful: you are in nature, and you experience the weather. My tours are always in part because of the camping experience. It is also a lot cheaper. What you save on hotels, b&b plus restaurants in one holiday may be almost enough to buy the gear you need. For gear, my first advise woud be to go (ultra)light and compact, and to get high quality stuff. It lasts much longer, and is so much better in use. Avoid the cheap crap - it will put you off camping forever.

Tent. Hilleberg have already been mentioned. We have one of their big tents, and it is simply the best. Without a reliable tent camping is miserable. I am contemplating getting an Akto as it is indeed the best solo tent if you want to be prepared for really nasty weather. If you think you may want to go with someone else at some stage, get the larger Nallo (GT), or perhaps even the sturdier but heavier Nammatj. Don't get anything really big, as that wastes money, is heavier and bulkier, and colder.

Sleeping Bag. Down is best: lighter, more compact and much more durable than synthetic. Western Mountaineering probably make the best bags, but there are other good bags. Try borrowing a bag if you do not already have something. Fortunately, Ireland is not really cold in summer.

Mattress. This must be comfortable and warm. Closed cell foam is light, cheap, but bulky and uncomfortable. The self inflating Thermarest has been the standard for the last decades, but is now rather old technology. You could probably get a good second hand one for very little. The new alternatives are the innovative new 6,3 cm Thermarest NeoAir (from April, it is very light/compact and very comfortable) and the new 7 cm Exped down mat model 2009 (heavier, but warmer).

I prefer to cook my own food. Multifuel stoves are great for treks in wild countries, and with a group of two or more. For solo tours I suggest for example a small gas cannister stove such as from Snowpeak, Primus, Optimus or MSR. They are light and easy. Sometimes it is hard to get the fuel. A slower but ultra reliable alternative is a meths stove, such as the Trangia 28 (ultralight) or the more comfortable but heavier Trangia 27 UL HA (get the UL HA with a non stick frying pan). All stoves apart from the Trangia 27 need a wind screen. The Trangia 28 is your cheapest bet, but a bit basic. I have just ordered one.

Panniers. I think the Ortlieb classic backrollers are the best: they are nearly indestructable, and really waterproof. If you need a rack, consider Tubus. If you go really lightweight and compact, you may get away with a large Carradice saddle bag.

Clothing: avoid heavy cotton, and go for lightweight artificial fibers. You probably have some cycle clothing. Use a scale to select the rest from your existing wardrobe.

I am aware that this may add up to quite a sum, depending on what you already have and what you can borrow. Even though you save a lot because you camp and cook, you may still want to save money by buying some gear second hand.

The only electrical gear I bring is a mobile phone, to stay in touch with the family. You can easily recharge them in pubs and on camp sites. I think riding with an ipod is dangerous. If you want music a radio is probably more useful (weather reports...). I just look at the sky. For a torch, I use a Petzl Tikina headlamp. Light, cheap and convenient. But maybe you already have a torch, in which case: use what you have, and leave as much at home as you can.

enjoy the ride,
Willlem

 

[hubbike]

just my thoughts but don't be constrained to just camping vs B&B.

if you don't want to take camping stuff there are several other cheaper options, especially when you are on your own.
Youth Hostels
Bunkhouses
Camping Barns

Or ask people you know if you can stay for free, visit weird relatives. or make some new friends with:-
Warm Showers
Couch Surfers
Global Freeloaders
Hospitality Club
etc.

With a bit of planning, accommodation doesn't have to be a big cost, even without a tent. . .