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Touring - Lessons from being on the road?

  • 19-08-2011 10:15pm
    #1
    Iron Enthusiast
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 189 ✭✭


    As mentioned in a different thread myself and a mate are off to do 5 days touring around Northern France on Monday and will be bringing a tent and camping each noght.

    I was just wondering if anyone here has some bits of wisdom that would be especially useful to a newbie tourer! (The equivalent of ' dont eat the yellow snow!:) We've had to adapt our roadbikes by adding panniers and are a bit paranoid about leaving them unattended if we head into a museum or something similar (especially considering my experience in Dublin is that if you turn your back and blink, your Bike will be robbed.)

    Is there a particular lock that others have found most reliable and do you generally leave your panniers on your bike if you have to leave it for a short while?

    Also what kind of mileage do others tend to cover on a daily basis? I know it depends on whether your goal is to reach a destination or stop at places on the way, but any guide would be welcome.

    Any random tricks or tips others can think of would be great,

    Thanks again!


Comments

  • #2
    DualFrontDiscs
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 932 ✭✭✭DualFrontDiscs


    Advice is contradictory:

    You will pack too much. Try and restrain yourself. Evening clothes are the next day's base layers. Bring a warm hat. Useful at night. One warm top, pair of lightweight trousers (warmth/ modest). If you're in cycling shoes, bring a pair of sandals, not entirely necessary for a short tour.

    You can do 80- 120km a day comfortably, if all you're doing is cycling all day (not killing yourself).

    Have important stuff easily available. Bike touring in Northern France seems to me to be very friendly. I wouldn't be overly 'lock happy' for short trips to shops etc. Don't be silly, lock the bike, one minute's inconvenience against the risk of a ruined holiday.

    DFD.


  • #3
    serendip
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 287 ✭✭serendip


    Eat lots. And always have a supply of emergency food.


  • #4
    serendip
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 287 ✭✭serendip


    Here's another tip of a slightly delicate nature. Keep "down there" especially clean. In particular, try to arrange that your morning shower is after any other normal morning activity that may leave you less than absolutely spotless "down there" -- if you get my drift.


  • #5
    blorg
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,995 ✭✭✭✭blorg


    I leave the panniers on the (locked) bike for a quick pop into a shop or what have you. I'd also leave them on the bike for a slightly longer visit to say a monastery in a rural area or small village. Valuables (passport, money, etc.) are all in a QR bar bag that comes with me. A bungee wrapped around the bags makes them slightly more of a hassle to remove.

    In a city going to a museum, I would generally be staying in the city at a hostel overnight. Otherwise, I would take the bags off and leave them in a cloakroom in that situation. But I can't actually recall that ever happening, that I was visiting such a place mid-ride.


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