All You Ever Wanted To Know About Bicycle Tours

Bicycle tours are vacations where a party of people will cycle from spot to spot, exploring trails and visiting interesting  locations around a certain area. Bicycle tours typically last several days, however some are slightly shorter.  There are also very long competition-style tours, such as the well known Tour de France, and the Tor de Langkawi, which fall into the competition kind of tour category.

Some tours can be conducted alone, or with a friend, and are done just for the enjoyment of it.  It is best to try to do this kind of tour with a friend, for safety reasons – after all, if you get lost or injured, having someone around to help you, especially in a foreign country, will be a big benefit.

The Different Kinds of Bicycle Tours

Touring on your bicycle can fall under several types, like lightweight touring. This kind of touring does not necessitate bringing camping gear and other food stuffs because the biker will be stopping at hostels or inns to sleep and eat there. The bikers financial resources or credit card is essential in this type of touring.   This is highly popular in Europe and can be done alone.

Other types of bicycle tours are full loaded touring and expedition touring. Both types of tours mean carrying a fair amount of gear for the biker's survival. These bicycle tours can go on for as long as the biker wants to and can be done all over the world.

Another form of touring is 'supported touring'.  In this kind of tour you have a backup vehicle that follows you as you traverse the roads and trails to get to your destination.  This kind of tour usually lasts several days, and involves a large group of cyclists.  It is sometimes organized just for fun, but is often used as a tactic to practice for a serious competition.

Equipment For Bicycle Tours

If you are expecting the tour to last several days, then you should pack for a bicycle tour in much the same way you would for a backpacking or camping trip.

Although packing lightweight / low bulk items should be a priority – take some cooking equipment, and a tent if you will not be staying in a hostel or inn.  You may  not need to pack food, if you will be mostly cycling in relatively populated areas, but you should ensure you have some drinking water, and perhaps purification tablets too.

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