One week cycling holiday.....how to carry enough clothing etc ??

[Dave7]

Myself and a mate are thinking (only thinking at this stage) of taking our bikes over to France for a weeks cycling. The first logistical problem was.....................
We both have pure road bikes-----so how would we carry even the basics of clothing etc.
Is it possible/practical or would it have to be done on hybrids with panniers (which we don't own).
I have read about companies that will sort out the journey and transport luggage from point a) to b) etc. but can't see how that could be tailored to individual preferences.

 

[ColinJ]

Instead of doing a tour, why not stay in one place and do loops from there everyday? You should be able to plan 5 or 6 decent one-day routes without repeating yourselves too much. If you did that then you could leave the luggage in your accommodation and only carry what you would normally carry.

 

[Saluki]

You can get these things.
They attach to your seat post and turn your roadie into a weekend tourer. Apparently, these are great and they don't need the extra holes that touring bikes have to attach these things too.

Not used them myself but assured by an old friend of mine that they are great if you are travelling light.

 

[steveindenmark]

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/touring-on-a-racing-bike-luggage-solutions.189294/

 

[Dave 123]

A bloke I work with rode down through France for a week with a mate, 70-80 mile days.
He posted stuff out to the places he was staying, then posted it home.

Only down side is that you do have to hit targets!

 

[frank9755]

Yes - I am still impressed at how light you packed for that trip!

For the OP, do a search for 'bikepacking luggage' and you will see there is a whole little industry making just what you are looking for.

 

[MikeW-71]

Do your road bikes have rack mount eyelets on the seatstays and dropouts? If so, a light rack and a rack bag will hold a surprising amount if you make sure you pack light.

Like so:



There are a lot of other solutions too if you don't have the eyelets. If you have the lower mountings (for mudguards) but not the seatstay ones, you can get replacement seatpost clamps with the upper mountings on them. There are beam racks that @Saluki linked to (not suitable for carbon seatposts though), and also drybags and accessories to tie them on as a large saddlebag. Storage can also be supplemented by handlebar bags.

Lots of ways to do it.

 

[jefmcg]

Myself and a mate are thinking (only thinking at this stage) of taking our bikes over to France for a weeks cycling. The first logistical problem was.....................
We both have pure road bikes-----so how would we carry even the basics of clothing etc.
Is it possible/practical or would it have to be done on hybrids with panniers (which we don't own).
I have read about companies that will sort out the journey and transport luggage from point a) to b) etc. but can't see how that could be tailored to individual preferences.

in 2011, I stayed at a hotel on the Loire. When I was checking out, and American couple had just left. They went on their lightly packed bikes, and left most of the luggage on the front desk. The hotel owner was going to call a taxi to send it to their next hotel. I spoke to the hotelier, and it was clear they had arranged it privately. IE they had contacted each hotel, and arranged to have their luggage forwarded. It was clearly a common arrangement, and he said to me I could just email him and do the same thing myself. Obviously the American couple had emailed every hotel they planned to stay in and made this arrangement individually. So, with a map, and an email address, you could do this for yourself. I assume the cost would be equivalent to getting a taxi around the full route that you have planned.

FWIW, the hotel was nice, but unassuming. It was arranged like an American motel, except that the rooms opened onto a garden full of red squirrels, not a parking lot. The red squirrels combined with the hamper my partner won in a raffle at the local wine show made it a brilliant stay. Without the hamper, the simple rooms were clean and comfortable and quiet. http://www.hotelpetitlussault.fr/

 

[midliferider]

I cycled for one week in Alentejo area in Portugal in my BTwin Triban road bike.
I carry my stuff in an overnight bag on the seat post luggage as shown in Saluki's post.
But you need to be very good at packing. Obviously no camping. I stay in bread and breakfast.

 

[raleighnut]

+1 for the Topeak rack/bags that @Saluki linked to, I've used both their beam and fixed racks on my bikes for years, top notch kit.

 

[Brains]

Taxi Touring is something I've done several times in Ireland, Germany and France.
With the exception of first and last night ( the place to leave vehicle an/or packaging and/or a suitcase of clean clothing for the last couple of days)

We have just ridden for the day, about mid afternoon find somewhere to stay and then called a taxi to pick up our bags at last nights accommodation and bring to tonight's accommodation.

In Germany in particular this is a very common way of touring and the B&B's, Hotels and Taxi companies are all geared up for it.
We also found in Germany, that the hoteliers/B&B'ers know each other and if you say you are aiming for a certain village/town they often recommend places, even though they may never have met the owners, but due to the common cross trafficking of luggage they know the names and what previous guests have said about the place, so we have often had a place to stay the following night whist still at breakfast

It's simple to arrange, even for someone like me who does not speak German or French
The only downside is it's not cheap, however if you have 4+ people involved the cost is minimal

 

[jefmcg]

Taxi Touring is something I've done several times in Ireland, Germany and France.

This is a better description of what I saw. Not exactly what they were doing, but this is a workable description of it.

Also, if your seatpost isn't carbon, as well the pack racks above, there are a couple of carradice bags that can handle a reasonable amount of luggage that mount on the seatpost (I have the tour slim, assume it's the same shape as SQR slim)

http://www.carradice.co.uk/index.php?page_id=category&category_id=29

 

[vickster]

If the road bike has metal stays, there's no reason why you couldn't p clip on a rack and take panniers
Carbon becomes a bit more complex but you can attach racks to non carbon seat posts or seatpost collars

 

[Dave7]

Instead of doing a tour, why not stay in one place and do loops from there everyday? You should be able to plan 5 or 6 decent one-day routes without repeating yourselves too much. If you did that then you could leave the luggage in your accommodation and only carry what you would normally carry.

We have discussed that and like the idea but don't want to rule out a tour if its feasible.

 

[Dave7]

You can get these things.
They attach to your seat post and turn your roadie into a weekend tourer. Apparently, these are great and they don't need the extra holes that touring bikes have to attach these things too.

Not used them myself but assured by an old friend of mine that they are great if you are travelling light.

They look good........will definitely look into them a bit more.