Recommended Cycle Touring Planning for a longish tour 3 months

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I want to start putting together a plan for my tour next April. The tour will start in Worcester UK. I have 180 days in Europe and extra time to travel within the UK. I was going to follow the Euro Velo routes from Roscoff to Portugal possibly along the Atlantic coast route then the Camino de Santiago northern Spain after that I'm not sure where to go. Would I be better off not planning a route and just heading off possibly following EV 1 ? What do you experience cycling tourists doing when planning for a long trip. I just don't know where to start. I will be camping, most of the way, and on occasional nights in budget hotels if that exists anymore.

Any thoughts much appreciated.
 

Sallar55

Veteran
First up have you an EU passport or citizenship, if not it's 90 days in the EU out of your 180. Not planning a route is preferred, better off looking up to a week ahead. A cyclist I bumped into from Ireland said a dodge may be in thro NI, the south and back out via NI. That might work out having more than the 90 days allowed.
 
Location
España
I want to start putting together a plan for my tour next April.
Good for you!

A bit more info would help.
A "bike tour" can mean a lot of different things to different people.

An idea of distances you expect to travel (total & daily) will help. As will your style. Some people race, others smell the roses - and everything in between.

Ate you going solo? What kind of touring experience do you have? If none there's a strong argument to be made that that's the best kind!

Pretty much none of the following applies if you want to race.....
possibly along the Atlantic coast
How far? The Atlantic Coast route goes through the middle of Spain - a long way from the Atlantic^_^
then the Camino de Santiago northern Spain af
If you search this forum there's a thread with a loooong post by me about the Camino Frances. There are many different Camino routes in Spain - not all of them in the north.
My personal thought on that is to either do it as a pilgrimage or do it as a bike tour - they are very different experiences.
One suggestion is to do the Camino Frances (the most popular) in reverse! I've recently done some of that and on the narrower, rougher roads it made a big difference to be approaching walkers from the front.

after that I'm not sure where to go.

This is the real thing that struck me.
You appear to have the one thing that most aspiring touring cyclists need - time!
If you're concentrating on Europe there's no need to slavishly pick existing routes but to go to the places you want to visit.

So where are they?

Would I be better off not planning a route and just heading off possibly following EV 1 ?
That's something that will vary from person to person and possibly is influenced a great deal by experience. Some people thrive on randomness while others suffer from a lack of destination.
I make up my route every day and change it frequently (a thing that would drive a lot of people crazy) but try to have intermediate destinations, say a week or 10 days down the road.
But.... I have a GPS that I understand and access to a couple of apps that I trust based on my experience. Without those I don't think I'd do what I do quite as freely.

Why EV1? What's there that you want to see or visit? France has got wonderful roads for riding on - as well as other bike routes - you can go anywhere you want.

(I've done a lot of the French part of EV1 and loved it - but put me beside water and I'm pretty much in heaven. Other people have found it boring.)

Not planning a route is preferred,
It's all well and good for @Sallar55 to say this and I tend to agree but they appear to have toured in most places around the world. Your experience may be different.

A bike that cannot do roughstuff for example it isn't geared for steep climbs requires more detailed planning.

And here's the thing about the Internet - I can wax lyrical a out a place for touring or a method for planning or ..... Anything but that's no guarantee that you'll like it.

What do you experience cycling tourists doing when planning for a long trip

It doesn't matter what others do. It only matters what you want to do and are comfortable with and what works..... For you.

I just don't know where to start.

If I was in your shoes I'd head over to CrazyGuyOnABike and start checking out the journals. There's bazillions. I find it helps to find people who speak to me that I can say to myself "if they can do it I can".
It's a good way of figuring out where you might want to visit.
Lots of stuff on YouTube as well but I prefer the written word.
A search on Amazon for bike touring will throw up lots of suggestions too.

In other words I wouldn't be planning, I'd be getting myself inspired.

I'd also be asking myself just where I'd like to go. Then look to see how I can do it on a bike. What are you interested in? How can that be blended in to a bike tour?

And in the meantime I'd be out on my bike as much as possible and testing out my skills - cooking, camping, repairs and my gear, my GPS, my route planners so that I have the confidence to be out on my bike for that time.
Much better to practice pitching my tent in a storm in the garden (or a friendly farmer's field) than on a mountainside in Spain for the first time.

I was very lucky with my first ever bike tour. It was booked at the last minute and I knew nothing of cycling fora. Ditto my second and third. It was only when I came online that I realised just how complicated it all is! ^_^

It's only as complicated as you let it be. At the end of the day it's riding a bike from place to place. I find it helps a lot to be going to places that I want to go.

One thing to consider if solo is that three months can be hard for some people. Do you have any languages? If not lots of time to do a little learning.

Best of luck!
(I'm a little jealous that you have a blank map in front of you that you get to fill)
 
OP
OP
roundisland
Location
Worcestershire
First up have you an EU passport or citizenship, if not it's 90 days in the EU out of your 180. Not planning a route is preferred, better off looking up to a week ahead. A cyclist I bumped into from Ireland said a dodge may be in thro NI, the south and back out via NI. That might work out having more than the 90 days allowed.

Thanks for that. you're correct I meant 90 days, 180 was just wishful thinking!
 
OP
OP
roundisland
Location
Worcestershire
Thanks for that. you're correct I meant 90 days, 180 was just wishful thinking!

Good for you!

A bit more info would help.
A "bike tour" can mean a lot of different things to different people.

An idea of distances you expect to travel (total & daily) will help. As will your style. Some people race, others smell the roses - and everything in between.

Ate you going solo? What kind of touring experience do you have? If none there's a strong argument to be made that that's the best kind!

Pretty much none of the following applies if you want to race.....

How far? The Atlantic Coast route goes through the middle of Spain - a long way from the Atlantic^_^

If you search this forum there's a thread with a loooong post by me about the Camino Frances. There are many different Camino routes in Spain - not all of them in the north.
My personal thought on that is to either do it as a pilgrimage or do it as a bike tour - they are very different experiences.
One suggestion is to do the Camino Frances (the most popular) in reverse! I've recently done some of that and on the narrower, rougher roads it made a big difference to be approaching walkers from the front.



This is the real thing that struck me.
You appear to have the one thing that most aspiring touring cyclists need - time!
If you're concentrating on Europe there's no need to slavishly pick existing routes but to go to the places you want to visit.

So where are they?


That's something that will vary from person to person and possibly is influenced a great deal by experience. Some people thrive on randomness while others suffer from a lack of destination.
I make up my route every day and change it frequently (a thing that would drive a lot of people crazy) but try to have intermediate destinations, say a week or 10 days down the road.
But.... I have a GPS that I understand and access to a couple of apps that I trust based on my experience. Without those I don't think I'd do what I do quite as freely.

Why EV1? What's there that you want to see or visit? France has got wonderful roads for riding on - as well as other bike routes - you can go anywhere you want.

(I've done a lot of the French part of EV1 and loved it - but put me beside water and I'm pretty much in heaven. Other people have found it boring.)


It's all well and good for @Sallar55 to say this and I tend to agree but they appear to have toured in most places around the world. Your experience may be different.

A bike that cannot do roughstuff for example it isn't geared for steep climbs requires more detailed planning.

And here's the thing about the Internet - I can wax lyrical a out a place for touring or a method for planning or ..... Anything but that's no guarantee that you'll like it.



It doesn't matter what others do. It only matters what you want to do and are comfortable with and what works..... For you.



If I was in your shoes I'd head over to CrazyGuyOnABike and start checking out the journals. There's bazillions. I find it helps to find people who speak to me that I can say to myself "if they can do it I can".
It's a good way of figuring out where you might want to visit.
Lots of stuff on YouTube as well but I prefer the written word.
A search on Amazon for bike touring will throw up lots of suggestions too.

In other words I wouldn't be planning, I'd be getting myself inspired.

I'd also be asking myself just where I'd like to go. Then look to see how I can do it on a bike. What are you interested in? How can that be blended in to a bike tour?

And in the meantime I'd be out on my bike as much as possible and testing out my skills - cooking, camping, repairs and my gear, my GPS, my route planners so that I have the confidence to be out on my bike for that time.
Much better to practice pitching my tent in a storm in the garden (or a friendly farmer's field) than on a mountainside in Spain for the first time.

I was very lucky with my first ever bike tour. It was booked at the last minute and I knew nothing of cycling fora. Ditto my second and third. It was only when I came online that I realised just how complicated it all is! ^_^

It's only as complicated as you let it be. At the end of the day it's riding a bike from place to place. I find it helps a lot to be going to places that I want to go.

One thing to consider if solo is that three months can be hard for some people. Do you have any languages? If not lots of time to do a little learning.

Best of luck!
(I'm a little jealous that you have a blank map in front of you that you get to fill)

Thanks for all the info, I will be travelling alone Your post has giving me a lot to think about. I do have touring experience in the UK and france. The last time in france was 11 years ago to celebrate my 50th year I took the Bike Express down to the south of France and toured around making my route up as I went along all I needed to do was be back in Orange 16 days to catch the bus back. I completed about 600 miles in that time. Im a keen watercolourist and I want to build time into my day to be able to stop and paint, maybe create some kind of journal so definaltely no more than 40 miles a day. If its hilly like lot of Spain appears to be then max 30 miles a day even that could well be over ambitious. The Camino routes Spain and Portugal do interest me along with a gently ride down the EV1 atlanctic coast with flexiabiltiy to dive off and explore along the way. I will start as you suggest with Crazy guy on a bike seems like a sound idea and learn more about the routes Im planning. Thanks again.
 
Location
España
Thanks for all the info, I will be travelling alone Your post has giving me a lot to think about. I do have touring experience in the UK and france. The last time in france was 11 years ago to celebrate my 50th year I took the Bike Express down to the south of France and toured around making my route up as I went along all I needed to do was be back in Orange 16 days to catch the bus back. I completed about 600 miles in that time. Im a keen watercolourist and I want to build time into my day to be able to stop and paint, maybe create some kind of journal so definaltely no more than 40 miles a day. If its hilly like lot of Spain appears to be then max 30 miles a day even that could well be over ambitious. The Camino routes Spain and Portugal do interest me along with a gently ride down the EV1 atlanctic coast with flexiabiltiy to dive off and explore along the way. I will start as you suggest with Crazy guy on a bike seems like a sound idea and learn more about the routes Im planning. Thanks again.

Apologies, I didn't realise you already had experience under your belt.

You should really have a read of Timmy Mallet's recent book (forget his marmite personality) - he did exactly what you want to do, starting his Camino at home and painting along the way.
An inspiring read.

At that pace (and absolutely not a criticism!) you'll need to take the EU visa situation into account.

The Camino is a wonderful experience with some wonderful places to paint along the way. Lots of interesting people to meet if that's your thing. Not much camping though.

Good luck!
 
OP
OP
roundisland
Location
Worcestershire
Apologies, I didn't realise you already had experience under your belt.

You should really have a read of Timmy Mallet's recent book (forget his marmite personality) - he did exactly what you want to do, starting his Camino at home and painting along the way.
An inspiring read.

At that pace (and absolutely not a criticism!) you'll need to take the EU visa situation into account.

The Camino is a wonderful experience with some wonderful places to paint along the way. Lots of interesting people to meet if that's your thing. Not much camping though.

Good luck!

I will most definitely get his book ordered . I saw him recently doing LEJOG i think. Great character. To complete Europe within the 90 days I am going to have some longer days in the saddle. Shame there isn’t much camping opportunities sites or wild. That could be a bit of a problem. More investigation needed. Thanks again. Plenty more questions will be asked over the coming months.
 
Location
España
I saw him recently doing LEJOG i think
He actually cycled all around the coastline, including Northern Ireland
To complete Europe within the 90 days I am going to have some longer days in the saddle
Yes.
You might find yourself under time pressure.
However, that can be lessened with the use of trains or even a ferry directly to or from Spain.

It's common for people to do the Camino in stages over several years. Now, these are normally pilgrims on foot but I've often thought it may actually have a number of advantages.
Shame there isn’t much camping opportunities sites or wild.
If you do some research on the Camino(s) you will discover the Albergues, or hostels specifically for Pilgrims offering basic, but cheap accommodation. Some will allow for the pitching of tents and allow use of showers/kitchens.

That goes to the difference between the Camino as a pilgrimage or the Camino as a bike tour. Two very different things in my book.

People have stealth camped along the way, especially in the more rural areas or on the less used routes. I think a lot of the locals have built up a tolerance to the very wide variety of foreigners wandering around their country. However, after a particularly bad fire season this year randomers camping off grid may not receive the same tolerance not to mention the risk of being caught in a fire.

France, especially the coast wasn't a problem for camping although prices rose the further south I went.

I'd encourage you to read up on the Camino and figure out if it's something you want to immerse yourself in or just follow the route. If the former my advice would be to allow lots of time.

A huge advantage for some of following the EV1 and then linking up with the Camino is the simplicity of navigation. Even I couldn't get lost^_^
 
Location
España
@roundisland , you may find this helpful


View: https://youtu.be/ILZgdeejSuQ


I like this guy's videos for being quite "real" and no nonsense even if he's in a different part of the world.

Here he goes through his steps to prepare for a tour and mentions one of the most important components, rarely discussed - the mental preparation - although he's a bit light on detail.

Enjoy
 
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