Newbies "touring" on the cheap

[Brains]

I'm an Explorer Scout leader, so I have a fair idea of the sort of walking/camping experience you probably have.
I have taken Explorers on multi day (and multi-week foreign) cycle touring expeditions.

I'd say on your first venture out, don't plan to much, but do plan a route, as you want to avoid main roads and hills as much as possible.
Notice that railway lines, canals and rivers all take the flat route.
Go in the direction of something, and if possible use the train to get back, or if you are following the rail line, it means you have an escape route
Go for 3 days/2 nights max on the first adventure, 20 miles a day will do, but if it becomes more, then fine.

• Use the bikes you have got
  
• They do need rear racks
• Water bottle carriers are also good to have
  
• Tyres that are not knobblies are good (you don't need to go as far as slicks)
• The best map reader(s) needs to have a bar bag that can take a map
• The rest of you need a pair of 15-20 litre (2x 15 or 20 litre=40 Litre total each) panniers - frankly I'd beg, borrow or buy the cheapest ones. You can get good stuff later
• Items such as the tent, the sleeping bags and the stove are packed on top of the rack, so your 65l used for walking is the same stuff, just in 3 bags
  
• Rubble sacks can make most things waterproof

The skills you need are:

• The ability to read a map whist riding, it must be in a map case on the handlebars, you can't have it stuffed in a pocket.
• You need to be able to find and fix a puncture - Its a lot easier to practice at home for when you have to do it for real

Don't overdo it on the first day! Otherwise the 2nd day may be the last!

 

[andym]

How much volume do you need? I generally take a 65l rucksack for a week walking, but I have no idea how that translates to panniers.

Panniers are sized in litres as well - a pair of rear panniers will be between 42 and 48 litres. A pretty common set up is a pair of rear panniers plus a dry bag or tote bag on top (so roughly 65 litres).

 

[bigjim]

My Lidl panniers have been brilliant.

 

[Ootini]

Thanks everyone for your advice, much appreciated.

Can anyone recommend panniers that are cheap but robust enough to do the job? Roughly how much should I be looking to spend for something of ok quality?
How much volume do you need? I generally take a 65l rucksack for a week walking, but I have no idea how that translates to panniers.

Hi, I'm basically in the same boat as you and set up a little blog. I've just bought some real cheap panniers from SJS Cycles for £10/pair. : https://bikepackingonabudget.wordpress.com/2015/03/09/carrying-stuff/

 

[hopless500]

m wave panniers are pretty good. They're kind of a cheap version of Ortlieb

 

[MichaelW2]

If you want really cheap panniers, find any pannier-ish shaped bag. Cut out a For Sale sign corrugated plastic to act as stiffener for back and base. Punch some holes 1" from the top and use zip-ties to fix it to the rack.
Suggest you use extra reinforcement where you punch through and use heavy duty zip ties, 3-4 of them. You could thread a dowel along the inside of the ties.
Also adjust the angle of mounting for heel clearance.
If you+ friends do a practice ride of 2-3hrs, fully loaded you will figure it all out.

Use old inner tubes to tie down your rack-top load. I prefer them to bunjies+ they are free from bike shops. Use 700c x(28-32) for best results.

 

[KneesUp]

Hi, I'm basically in the same boat as you and set up a little blog. I've just bought some real cheap panniers from SJS Cycles for £10/pair. : https://bikepackingonabudget.wordpress.com/2015/03/09/carrying-stuff/

I got very similar ones from eBay for slightly less (with postage taken into account) although the SJS ones have slightly better elastic for keeping them on I think. One of them is in daily use for commuting and is holding up well so far. The material is surprisingly good quality. My commute is only 15-20 mins though - if you might be out all day in the rain with them I'd suggest putting your stuff in dry sacks if you have them, or a bin bag if you don't.

 

[andym]

Just a word on the SJS panniers - they are 15 litres each - which *might* be OK depending on your needs, but remember the old expression 'buy cheap, buy twice' .

 

[KneesUp]

True they're not huge - but if you strap the tent and sleeping bag on top of the rack, there is plenty of room to get clothes in one and cooking stuff (optional - nowt wrong with cold baked beans from the tin IMHO ) in the other.

I'd get a bar bag to stick wallet/phone/camera/fruit and nut in too I suspect.

 

[andym]

Hmm. Or get a pair of panniers that are big enough so you can put your sleeping bag in them and you aren't left with the dilemma of how to keep it dry? (Not to mention the price of a dry-bag). See Ootini's posts on this.

30 litres is probably OK for a short trip, but as I said, we're in buy-cheap-buy-twice territory here - I'd look for some cheap no-brand, but full-size, rear panniers. Cheap panniers that aren't big enough aren't a bargain they're a liability.

 

[KneesUp]

It depends - I bought mine primarily for getting spare clothes to work, with the idea that as a pair they'd be find for a weekend break and maybe longer. A bigger set would be overkill for my commuting, and there's no point getting 'nice' ones beaten up / potentially stolen in that role. I guess ideally you'd want two sets, in a similar way that I expect the OP has a 'big' rucksack and a daysack.

 

[fimm]

I'd bet quite a lot that the OP already has drybags from their DoE trips (though I suppose they maybe used plastic bags - the assumption when walking/backpacking is that your rucksack is not waterproof and you use waterproof inners of some kind to keep your kit dry).
You could try putting stuff into drybags and bungeeing it on (depends a little on just how robust they are, some of my drybags feel more robust than others!)

 

[andym]

It depends - I bought mine primarily for getting spare clothes to work, with the idea that as a pair they'd be find for a weekend break and maybe longer. A bigger set would be overkill for my commuting, and there's no point getting 'nice' ones beaten up / potentially stolen in that role. I guess ideally you'd want two sets, in a similar way that I expect the OP has a 'big' rucksack and a daysack.

A single regular-sized pannier works fine for commuting (Altura sell them singly with commuters in mind).

The SJS panniers are certainly better than nothing, and at that price are definitely worth considering, but shop around to see what else is available, paying a bit more may be better value in the long run.

 

[jonny jeez]

If you want flat, then plan a route along a river...or get the train to dover and take a £15 ferry to Dunkirk and northern france/belgium...proper flat there...promise.

 

[Kumquat]

If you want flat, then plan a route along a river...or get the train to dover and take a £15 ferry to Dunkirk and northern france/belgium...proper flat there...promise.

Interestingly enough, that was actually the original plan! I have family in northern france.
Plan is now to do a short trip locally to see if we enjoy it, and potentially do a "proper" tour later in the summer