Top Touring Tips

[Fiona R]

I must take a look at that Cairngorms outer loop.

I love walking on the tops of the Gorms, cycling their periphery would be another kind of fun.

I think you posted a trip journal somewhere @Cranky Knee Girl ?

Never got around to the Gorms outer loop blog post. We did it in 4 days but had panniers on mtbs/tent etc and started from Blair Atholl

 

[8mph]

If your flying with a bike it might be worth hunting down the largest possible bike box. I had great difficulties cramming my bike into a 25cm wide box which could have been 35cm wide.

Don't pack your bike the night before your flight!

If you have a quill stem, check that your cables have enough slack to remove the stem, if not, you may need to release brake cables or unscrew the headset in order to pack your bike.

If you have drop bars, you might want to loosen your levers and angle them inwards to protect them.

In short, don't do what I did, get a big box and give yourself plenty of time to pack.

 

[8mph]

If you're taking cash with you take the new polymer notes, they don't absorb moisture.

 

[froze]

Not sure if this counts but if you are fussed about shaving, King of Shaves shaving oil is much better than just using soap and saves carrying foam. The tiny bottle weighs about 20 grams and has lasted me the last four tours!

I just carry a small AA battery powered electric razor, works great, the bats last about 3 months, and the blade about 5 years. The Braun M90 even comes with a pop up sideburn trimmer.

 

[freiston]

I just carry a small AA battery powered electric razor, works great, the bats last about 3 months, and the blade about 5 years. The Braun M90 even comes with a pop up sideburn trimmer.

I do the same - mine's a Philips PQ203/17. I have a little AA/AAA battery charger that runs off USB/a power bank too. I also have a USB charger powered by my dynamo.

 

[SafetyThird]

For a lot of calories in a dense tasty slab, look in supermarkets for Bakewell tart flapjacks, great emergency food.

you can diy your own electrolyte drink powder very cheaply, it's just sugar and salt then add to water/juice/squash etc. You can get little plastic double ended spoons for measuring if you want, they're designed for medical kits to treat diarrhoea, but it's about half a tablespoon of sugar to a quarter teaspoon of salt. If I'm working in hot areas, I make up a tub of it with some flavoured vit c powder and then just add to water as needed.

 

[Petrichorwheels]

For a lot of calories in a dense tasty slab, look in supermarkets for Bakewell tart flapjacks, great emergency food.

you can diy your own electrolyte drink powder very cheaply, it's just sugar and salt then add to water/juice/squash etc. You can get little plastic double ended spoons for measuring if you want, they're designed for medical kits to treat diarrhoea, but it's about half a tablespoon of sugar to a quarter teaspoon of salt. If I'm working in hot areas, I make up a tub of it with some flavoured vit c powder and then just add to water as needed.

View attachment 531921

good tip but there's more in the average electrolyte powder/tab than salt and sugar isn't there?
Magnesium/potassium?
One of those rumoured to stop cramps but I can never remember which.
I do know though that decent electrolyte powders/tabs stop my cramps.

 

[8mph]

For a lot of calories in a dense tasty slab, look in supermarkets for Bakewell tart flapjacks, great emergency food.

you can diy your own electrolyte drink powder very cheaply, it's just sugar and salt then add to water/juice/squash etc. You can get little plastic double ended spoons for measuring if you want, they're designed for medical kits to treat diarrhoea, but it's about half a tablespoon of sugar to a quarter teaspoon of salt. If I'm working in hot areas, I make up a tub of it with some flavoured vit c powder and then just add to water as needed.

View attachment 531921

On a similar note, Custard cream biscuits have as mant calories / carbs per gram as energy gel.

 

[Ajax Bay]

@SafetyThird was last seen 14 months ago and this thread is 2 years old.

 

[freiston]

@SafetyThird was last seen 14 months ago and this thread is 2 years old.

Wow! it doesn't feel that long ago.

On a similar note, Custard cream biscuits have as mant calories / carbs per gram as energy gel.

In my search for high energy low bulk foodstuffs, I soon became aware that carbs (including sugars) and proteins both have 4 calories per gramme and fat has 9 calories per gramme - and no matter what I do, I can't increase that. As ever, water and fibre add to the bulk. It seems that those three-course meal pills I heard so much about as a kid belong at the implausible end of science fiction .

 

[Petrichorwheels]

Don't use bungees.

 

[Petrichorwheels]

Stop to look at stuff/anything interesting or "odd" you see - even do a Uey/loop back - one of the luxuries of being on a bike rather than in a car.

 

[Cathryn]

Don't use bungees.

why not?

 

[Petrichorwheels]

why not?

Never quite the right length.
You can of course shorten them/make them tighter by threading them under a rack but even that's a bit hit and miss depending on load and rack, and fraught with potential eye gouging.
OK they are bungees of a sort, but I reccomend NiteIze adjustable thingies:
https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/15901744/niteize-knotbone-adjustable-bungee-5mm-15901744
nowt needs to be awkwardly threaded under the rack.
Eyes pretty safe.
Used with Rokstraps (ditto no threading underneath) any load will be secure unless you pack stupidly.

 

[Sallar55]

Buy a local SIM card with data , saves a fortune nowadays no more free roaming . If its a language you are not familiar with be polite with the sellers and they will activate your card.