@@BeeRich33 .Thanks.I`m not going the whole way around.I`m not fit enough yet.I`m doing the Barrow way which is fairly flat and I have never been up that way before.Coming back home a different route.Hopefully in 2022 I will be able to get to mainland Europe ,Spain perhaps or France.
You will be fitter than you think, I took my mum (76 yrs old) on a normal bike across Spain, 1000km, she loved it and had never cycled more than 30km before.
I'm about to do my 5th tour and I can say that Ryan knows her stuff. Last fall I was on the Katy Trail in Missouri and met two families with children. They were riding the bikes they owned, but dad was pulling the camping gear in a bike trailer. For those of you who are backpackers, know that you have everything you need (except maybe a way to attach your stuff to your bike). Any day outside is better than a day inside.
I just did my first ride today with panniers with weights in them and I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR HOW MUCH HARDER THAT WAS GOING TO BE! Thanks for the video, great tips.
I'm 53, and I had two total knee replacements in 2018. I hadn't biked in decades, and I had an extra barrier of fear built up from years of increasing pain and restricted motion. Anyway - during the Pandemic I returned to biking, and now I'm going on a 250 mile weekend trip to a local park in Illinois. It's a guided tour, with stops for discussion about the history and nature of the area, and I can hardly wait! I'm training over the summer, just getting in some miles and taking gradually longer rides. This is a great video, making me even more stoked!
Right on! I just turned 72, and I've been training all winter and spring for a 250 mile trek this summer. I have a titanium hip, and a cobalt chromium knee. I hadn't ridden in years, and now I feel like I've been reborn. Best of luck on all your coming rides!
Thanks so much for all your videos! I had a dream when I was 16(turned 35 recently) to just get on a bike and go. Ended up not doing that and hitchhiking/road tripping/train hopping around the USA for years...but for whatever reason bicycling is calling my name recently. Really really appreciate your videos. Currently, I'm only doing 30-40km some days around town to get in shape.(been living in Vietnam for 4 years and now I think in km....the metric system makes so much sense!)
Great tips, we made the mistake on our first tour of setting our daily distances too far .We have since learned that getting from point A to point B each day is not the goal. Enjoying the ride is.
Prior to our first bike tour we thought there would be lots of tent romance to be had. We were sweaty, gross and asleep by 8:30 every night 🤣. Great video!!
Really enjoyed rewatching this, Ryan. One piece of advice you gave applies to so much more than just touring: “Start slow and build up.” True for relationships, recovery, and (house) renovations. I’m sure there are more applications, but I’ll leave those to others to cite. All the best to the Rad Bike team!
I recently went on my first tour. I went with a couple of friends who have been on many tours. If you know someone who has experience, I highly recommend this for a newbie.
All great tips. My trip is in the planning now, only a week but lots of history, 10,000 years. The King Alfred’s Way here in the UK, 250 miles mostly off road.
Great video. I’m 41 and doing my first bike packing trip this spring. I’ve convinced a few friends to try it as well. I love you attitude. Keep the videos coming.
@@radbikeadventure we are in south eastern PA. I am the only one in the group with any real camping experience so we are planning a two day out and back ride on a mostly gravel trail. 30 miles each way probably to French Creek State Park. It’s to test the waters and my gear. Gives us a chance to find out who likes it before they invest too much. Keeping it very mild to start. After that we want to do the C&O trail from DC to Pittsburgh. I would like to work my way up to multi day bike packing events. We will see if life gets in the way.
I really like (and appreciate) how you changed your location for each tip. So many talk-to-camera video are static. This was really... RAD!!!! Keep up the great work!!!! :)
Great tips.. I would like to add that a lot of people think you need to be in super physical shape to go on a bike tour. My experience is that within a couple of days you build up strength, and after 2 weeks you can handle any climb easily. Also, a lot of beginners tend to worry about how many miles they should do every day. If you do 20 miles in a day, no worry. It does not matter. After a couple of days of touring you will see you can do more miles every day. Your tip about doing an established route, that has maps and route points available, is very smart too. Newbie cycle tourers tend to obsess about navigation and then spend way too much time figuring out how to set this up on their phone. Happy cycle touring everybody !
I'm 67 heading up to Jacksonville Florida on Amtrak with my bicycle riding to Clearwater Florida. And the coast to coast connector trail. First trip however lifetime bike rider. Thanks for your great video. Much appreciated.
Great tips. I'll add that for a novice tourist having options to stop earlier than planned is a good idea. If you're intending on camping that you should try your gear out before you go - even if that means setting up your tent in your home/back yard/local park. If you're going to be cooking as well try cooking with your setup in your yard or a local park. Another tip is that it's not a bad idea for your first trip to eat at restaurants and stay in a hotel or hostel. Fewer new variables minimizes novice mistakes and worries.
Some great tips. I'm a pretty experienced cyclist but have never done touring/bikepacking before. Especially with current uncertainties regarding travel, I decided to start by "credit card" touring. I'm doing two tours with a very professional outfit in the UK (Saddle Skedaddle), both will be coast to coast, but with accommodation and support arranged the whole way (bliss; a real bed every night!) Besides my usual cycling (I just get out there and pootle regularly), I plan to prep by doing a couple of overnighters, using the local canals here in the Midlands and staying at a youth hostel (even though I'm 63!) before cycling back the next day.
Last year I did my first major tour - three months. I did it alone and went precisely where I wanted to and at my own speed. I had many great experiences though many days were similar too - and that was fine. On tour I consider it 'my day job'.
Yes, I also did a three-month tour, and after about a month it didn't feel like vacation anymore -- it just felt like, "This is my life right now". Also, I was super-flexible (I actually ended up making major changes to my route along the way), and I felt like that flexibility was one of the best parts of the experience.
I've just come off my first tour in 40 years, videos uploaded, and there were a couple of great tips I wish I'd taken note of before I'd set off. Good to see we have the same B17 saddle and bar-end shifters. Nice video. JP The old guy.
30 years ago I was on my first longer bike trip from Switzerland to Greece. With the bike I am now mostly only over the weekend on the road. Your vlog has inspired me to make a longer trip again. Thanks for that. ❤
Technical is the main reason for all my bike tours, so gear has been the issue with me. I was also very overweight, but now I have lost considerably. I sent my doubters a post card from my destination. All my overnight tours have been in Finland.
Right on. I've experienced all these tips in my bicycle touring myself. I'm relatively new in bicycle touring (about 2 years) and haven't done any months-long tours yet. I like to go out once a month for 4-6 days mostly in Central Florida backroads. My last tour was Florida west coast for 4 days down to Sarasota. My next one is coming up in a couple of weeks from Miami back to Jacksonville through Central Florida backroads, can't wait. Thank you for this great video I watched it all away.
The gearing needs to be lower than standard. Uphill, against the wind with a fully loaded bicycle you always need a lower gear, but you almost never needs a higher gear downhill. My best advice is: change to a lower set of gears if possible. Or let your bike machanics do it for you.
Thanks. Perfect timing. All very helpful addressing so many unspoken anxieties. My 2021 plan is to start touring including west coast segments. Always been a goal and now is the time.
This channel keeps getting better and better. I have taken away some great knowledge from it. Thank you R and D I am hoping to be able to get away this summer just for a couple of overnight trips. The dream that I have had for several years is the Pacific Coast from Victoria to a little south of SF. One day I will do it. One day... Until that day it will just be day trips.
Your videos are so honest, and really helpful. Thank You! I'm 52, 7x cancer survivor, and looking to be on a bike a whole lot more, for a few different reasons. Health, Adventure, Awareness, etc and to leave a great story in my wake for my Granddaughter to remember me by. Tips 1, 2, and 10 really resonate with me. I have some significant challenges where eating concerned left by surgeries etc. and require piles of water to swallow, or liquid based meal replacements that are also heavy. A trailer is looking like a possible requirement :( Combined with being 52 not 22, it has all caused me to re-evaluate my type of riding. To the point I'm even considering rigid front forks! At 22 I would have been all over the big jumps, and high risk stuff. My Mountain bike back then was considered fairly high end without any suspension at all. I have a giant and most absurdly daunting goal, but I temper it by accepting the realities of age and physical challenges, I will definitely be doing some work-out-the-bugs type rides. Thanks again!
Anyone who has ever been treated for cancer of any kind, or if you have a predisposition to getting cancer you should avoid ALL dairy products for ever. They don't tell you this stuff but dairy contains a growth hormone called IGF-1 which actively feeds and promotes the growth of cancer cells in humans (please feel free to look it up for yourself if you don't believe me). My good lady wife is currently in remission from breast-cancer and went dairy-free when she discovered the link between IGF-1 in milk and cancer in humans. All mammal milk contains this hormone, but Human breast-milk has the lowest levels of IGF-1 of any mammal on the planet, and thousands of years of evolution has made it that way because we don't usually reach our full adult size until we are in our teens, but cow's milk has far too much of it for humans to safely consume, because it has to grow a new-born calf into a full-sized cow in about eighteen months. Humans are the only creatures on the planet to still consume milk after we are weaned - which is weird anyway when you think about it, because by its very nature milk is baby fuel. I hope that this may have been of some help to you, and I wish you well and all the best for the future.
great tips. thanks so much.I'm 54 with 2 fake knees and going on a european tour next summer so I have 10 months to train up and get some trips in. Thanks again
Pandemic restrictions dependant, I'm planning my second cycling trip. Initial plan was 8 months around New-Zealand which won't be possible, but the fall back plan is a 4 months long trip starting in Anchorage Alaska to southern BC.. Might be Yukon to southern BC though. Can't wait!
Cheers Ryan, I was needing the pep talk. Pulling out for my first decent ride in 25 years. Did a bit pre kids and I've been second guessing myself if I'm really up to doing this next one.
Your first bike tour is always the best. Many years later I look at photos of my bike and my setup that I had. And wonder how I even made it as far as I did. But I did and it was great.
loved this video! I just got myself a bike yesterday and I am building up the courage to do my first tour. This will be the video that will watch again and again. thank you
Our first tour was just after we got married, a tour of Norfolk county. Done over a week. We bought a couple of cheap 10 speed bikes and bags, no gps just maps and home made route cards. 100% enjoyment!!. Keep Safe!
I love touring on my fix gear and if I want to have a lazy day then I flip the back wheel to have a single speed. Never really thinked about having a problem with the bike. Spare tubs and a chain tool and pump that's all...
Great advice, re: the bike and stopping puncture's , have a look at getting quality schwalbe touring tyres and add in some Tannus armour inserts, steel frame bikes are easy to repair , personally i have a wing mirror fitted onto Ergon gp 5 handle bar end grips , might sound a bit soft, but a bell is important these days, never seen so many people exercising out on the lanes
Wonderful, positive tips for just getting on a bike and going somewhere... anywhere. To the end of your street the first time, to the edge of your village, town or county the next. Turn around if you need to, stop where you want... stare at the wind blowing the grass or watch the birds flying overhead. It's your adventure, you just have to be willing to see where it takes you...
As teacher I had summers off to take long distance bike trips. I took eighteen 500- 1000 mile trips, mostly in the western states and one coast to coast (47 days). As you mentioned physical conditioning is not critical because you'll get stronger each day that you ride. My trips average 75-80 miles a day averaging about 10 MPH. I didn't carry cooking gear so I planned to make it to a town or campground for meals and place to sleep. About once a week I'd get a hotel or motel to handle laundry and hang out. My first trip I took way too much gear and over time I got my gear down to 20-25 pounds including a tent and sleeping bag. The biggest obstacle is having time to take a trip and the money to cover your costs. You don't need an expensive bike. My roommate in my 20s rode with me from San Francisco to Portland. I was on a pretty nice bike but he did the trip on a clunky Shwinn 10 speed...no problem.
Thank you for this great vid! I’m planning on going on my very first 2-week cycle tour adventure in 3 weeks, a woman, alone, and people react as if I’m walking into Mordor (which one doesn’t simply do). To be fair I’ve never been a sporty or outdoorsy person at all, so people are worried and doubt me, and honestly me too 😅 but I’m doing this!
Nice video and I agree with pretty much what you are saying. Bicycle touring is so great because even if so many of us have done tours everyone of us obtains such different experiences and emotions and get to determine what we like and don't like. I would also point out that gear is no that important but to carry less as possible and to believe or have faith in humanity and you are absolutely right that people gravitate towards someone who is riding a bicycle from one place to another with a bunch of panniers and a smile and willingness for adventure. Nice video.
I would add one thing. Make sure you are comfortable on the bike. If the bike is uncomfortable, then do the necessary changes so it gets comfy. You will spend a lot of time riding and it will become hell if it is painful. I live in Iceland and do my tours locally. Already have a great "back yard" to cycle tour in so haven't felt the need to travel abroad. Also Iceland is quite challenging to ride in so most other countries will be a lot easier to ride in when I eventually take my bike abroad to broaden my horizon... :) My first trip was 3 years ago, a three day trip of about 180km. weighing in at about 360lbs I felt exhausted but ecstatic to have done it. Now I am planning a tour in the Westfjords of Iceland. Thankful I have kept on biking and lost about 130lbs so I will be able to tackle those hills and rough roads.
@@andrifsig That is such a great tip! Thank you! Being comfortable on the bike is huge. I will add it to our Part 2 video :). Sounds like a great tour you have planned too!
Ryan, you are a great, beautiful and fantastic bike tour promoter. You encourage me to go further. I dreamed it 25 years and next year when I ll be 69 I will go from Italy to Georgia. I'll go thinking you. Thank you a lot!
Hey ya, new to the channel but am already loving it!! thanks for the advice. Going on my first trip in the next few weeks and getting my gear together and bike ready! cant wait to see more! thanks once again!!!
@Rad Bike Adventure Hey, I'm in Cambridge UK, just heading out east to a forest near us for an overnighter then on north to the Norfolk coast on an old trail. This is the first one so only a 1 night stop over and around 120 miles. Just waiting for the weather to get bit better and getting some gear together. Cold and wet here at the mo! Really looking forward to getting some longer trips in during the summer. Thanks!!!
Tip 8 .......The bale out back up plan in Spain is to use the bus. You can easily book a space for your bike. Either online or at the depot. There are nearly 4 bike spaces assigned to most buses. So long as you buy some cling film to cover the bike so no filth gets inside the bus. (Which I didn’t know). In Spain..... every single person I met was helpful, they were kind and they didn’t rip you off in a cafe if you didn’t understand how much you had to pay and just gave the person too much, they gave you back the right change. Great place to go cycling. Amazing car drives who give you tonnes of space on roads.
You rock Ryan! Love the persona approach to this vid. Speaking of which, I developed the 'bike/hike approach...where-as one bikes along until thetre's a monstrous mountain cxlib, a knee kiling climb...and I pull over, park my bike up-side-down, and make despearte motions when a pickup or van paases. The trick is to be absolutely honest ewhen they pull over, and tell em the truth, Im too lazy for this mtn!
In the U.K. the lack of bicycle routes away from traffic puts me off. There is nothing very enjoyable about thundering lorries and giant tank-like automobiles whizzing by as you are pedalling your velocipede. But I am tempted to go on a bicycle tour. I have been wild camping on the moors for several years and would like to combine cycling and wild camping, but it seems like a bigger, more exhausting step.
Hey, First off, you had a huge influence in me getting a kona Sutra. I bought it early this month and I'm in love with it. We'll except that the left crank is broken and I have to contact kona for warrenty but I'm optimistic that it'll be fine. 😅 I'm planing my first trip for spring this year and it's going to be a 800 mile trip trough germany and poland. If you think its a good idea, I would love to see a video about budget/entry level camping gear. For example. Ortlieb seems to me as a place where saving is not worth it, but spending 500 bucks on an msr tent feels a bit heavy. Greetings Frome Germany and tell your dogs I said hi, Chris
Sorry to hear about the crank. Kona from our experience has been open and honest about their bikes. Let us know how it goes. We did make a video on our friends budget bike setup th-cam.com/video/S5zHEOZDgz4/w-d-xo.html and we have a gear kit in the description section of that video that has some reasonable options for you. Though great idea to do a full video on the subject. It is on the list of videos to do! Thanks for watching ☺️
My wife and I were looking at biking route 70 through the national forests in Utah . This weekend we drove the section between cedar city and Bryce Canyon and all we could think of was “this is beautiful but we’d die doing this on a bike.” I think for now we’ll stick to bike trails and rail trails. I mean the accents are one thing but I’d die on the decents as well. Haha
Great info! It's so funny that I have an epic adventure in mind, but then when you said "2 weeks," I flinched. Haha, maybe it's time for that weekend micro-adventure. I'm still concerned about being eaten by bears while sleeping in Northern California...
Great video. My question is. How do you pick a spot to camp for the night. I bike rail to trail. Campground are way out of the way. I need some tip. Thank you
Thanks once again for your great tips on touring. Met you guys in Newcastle a couple of years ago on the Furnleigh track. I carried your RAD sticker on my bike across the US in 2019 76 trans AM and Lewis Clark trail. And did the New Zealand TA 2020 last year. Love your passion for adventure Cheers Marshall innes
Hey! Great to hear from you Marshall! We LOVE that our sticker traveled all that way with you...so cool. I know it's already looking forward to the next adventure : D
@@radbikeadventure hi guys thanks for reply love your tips. Just thought of something. I was looking through our local online buy swap or sell site and picked up a brand new yes brand new brooks b17 flyer seat for $50. So info might be good for people on a budget. There's plenty of good second hand gear out there. Cheers stay safe be well.
I'd like to see how you choose navigation, etc. I'm obsessed with that stuff. I take a laptop and hook into route websites, Garmin Basecamp, Google Maps, and it gets to be a bit much.
Question for you guys. Are you a Royal Robbins type that communes with nature and tours for the purity and simplicity of touring or a Jim Bridwell type that does it with a boombox and knows every bar on the route?
Great video and very inspiring! I am planning my first tour this summer. Going to be a solo tour as I ride from SW Michigan up to the tip of the Leelanau peninsula. I’m not sure if it’s a good idea or not, but I’m planning to ride to several places and ride some single track sections. We will see if I feel it’s worth it to completely unpack to ride a loop or two. Riding my beloved sutra Ltd and enjoying the winter packing and planning in the warm basement right now. ✌🏻
Have you two ever thought about doing the AIDS Lifecycle ride? I'm doing it this year on my recumbent trike that I'll be using for my trikepacking tours...its not light and neither am I so having to move this mass up hills is tough even with my lowest gear setting...16 gear inch...but its a great cause to ride for.
I was in Morro Bay this weekend and talked to many touring riders. My only irritation was they were fixing many flats. I highly hope folks get good tires, perhaps tubeless, The rest of the equipment can be fixed with tape and wire ties. Also they carried a ton of grear, cut gear and it gets easy to ride.
"THE RIDE DOESN'T GET EASIER, BUT YOU GET STRONGER" I find it takes about two weeks to get your bike legs. Pack light, start with low mileage, stop and walk your bike every couple of hours, bring some hard candy it make riding the hills more enjoyable, baby wipes not TP and pack it out, I carry a plastic hospital urinal because I hate getting out of my warm bag&tent at night, use your bike pump as a muscle roller, I carry a metal thermos and make a 7/11 stop for ice if possible, phone app for biketiresdirect to have tires/tubes and parts shipped ahead while touring, embrace stealth camping it saves alot of money and planing. BIKE YOUR OWN BIKE RIDE
At 69 I’m wondering how to begin. I cycle every day and would love to give it a shot. Ryan is the greatest motivator I’ve seen, and I watch a lot of cycle tourers. If anybody out there is passing through Moncton New Brunswick Canada. Hit me up. And if there is anybody reading this who feels the same. Maybe we could start a first timers group, or the retiree’s group lol.
Nice work . Personally I would say don't make a backup plan because you will never finish the ride . Do the ride and then decide not to ride ever again is better than not completing a ride. You can at least say I tried and did it. Mindset is key
I get that but for me,on my first tour, knowing I had someone who could pick me up or take a train out was helpful to get me going. I figured I’d never use it but it was good to know I had support/an exit strategy “just in case”. Everyone is different, so tip 2, knowing yourself is key!
I love your videos and I'm planning my first trip for next year. I'll be doing the Pacific Coast and can't wait. Your videos definitely give me the encouragement to do this and I love all the information you give to all of us. Also I just looked over and saw Traveling LGBTQ+ in the suggested videos so now I'll have to watch that as well :) Thank you again for the encouragement and useful tips. Keep up the amazing job
Great video..another tip id say would would be have some financial back up (spare cash)for if or when things goes wrong. For instance major bike downs you can't fix your self or just those unforeseen weather events you need to hunker down in some accommodation.. particularly touring in nz wish can be expensive. And weather can be all over the place.
This video was so much better than all the rich dudes that talked obsessively about gear the whole time!!
I`m 61 and doing my first tour this year at home in Ireland.Something new I`m looking forward to.Great vid.Thanks.
That's fantastic Anthony! Ireland is so beautiful. I'm sure it will be a treat from the seat of a bicycle
Go clockwise. Know that while you are on the west coast, the wind is behind and to your left. You'll thank me.
@@BeeRich33 .Thanks.I`m not going the whole way around.I`m not fit enough yet.I`m doing the Barrow way which is fairly flat and I have never been up that way before.Coming back home a different route.Hopefully in 2022 I will be able to get to mainland Europe ,Spain perhaps or France.
@@BeeRich33 Was planning to cycle Galway to Limerick around the Clare coastline - reading your reply - I'll reverse my plan - goodlluck and thanks
You will be fitter than you think, I took my mum (76 yrs old) on a normal bike across Spain, 1000km, she loved it and had never cycled more than 30km before.
I'm about to do my 5th tour and I can say that Ryan knows her stuff. Last fall I was on the Katy Trail in Missouri and met two families with children. They were riding the bikes they owned, but dad was pulling the camping gear in a bike trailer. For those of you who are backpackers, know that you have everything you need (except maybe a way to attach your stuff to your bike). Any day outside is better than a day inside.
I just did my first ride today with panniers with weights in them and I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR HOW MUCH HARDER THAT WAS GOING TO BE!
Thanks for the video, great tips.
It definitely takes some getting used to! But 👍 for doing the test ride! It does get easier 😊
I'm 53, and I had two total knee replacements in 2018. I hadn't biked in decades, and I had an extra barrier of fear built up from years of increasing pain and restricted motion. Anyway - during the Pandemic I returned to biking, and now I'm going on a 250 mile weekend trip to a local park in Illinois. It's a guided tour, with stops for discussion about the history and nature of the area, and I can hardly wait! I'm training over the summer, just getting in some miles and taking gradually longer rides. This is a great video, making me even more stoked!
Right on! I just turned 72, and I've been training all winter and spring for a 250 mile trek this summer. I have a titanium hip, and a cobalt chromium knee. I hadn't ridden in years, and now I feel like I've been reborn. Best of luck on all your coming rides!
@@katsujinkin60 Best of luck to you too!
Thanks so much for all your videos! I had a dream when I was 16(turned 35 recently) to just get on a bike and go. Ended up not doing that and hitchhiking/road tripping/train hopping around the USA for years...but for whatever reason bicycling is calling my name recently. Really really appreciate your videos. Currently, I'm only doing 30-40km some days around town to get in shape.(been living in Vietnam for 4 years and now I think in km....the metric system makes so much sense!)
Great tips, we made the mistake on our first tour of setting our daily distances too far .We have since learned that getting from point A to point B each day is not the goal. Enjoying the ride is.
Prior to our first bike tour we thought there would be lots of tent romance to be had. We were sweaty, gross and asleep by 8:30 every night 🤣. Great video!!
Can relate 🤪 Sleep over everything bahaha
Touring is an effective form of birth control. 😂😂
Really enjoyed rewatching this, Ryan. One piece of advice you gave applies to so much more than just touring: “Start slow and build up.” True for relationships, recovery, and (house) renovations. I’m sure there are more applications, but I’ll leave those to others to cite.
All the best to the Rad Bike team!
So SO true Russ, thanks for pointing that out. New video coming next month! Promise!
I recently went on my first tour. I went with a couple of friends who have been on many tours. If you know someone who has experience, I highly recommend this for a newbie.
All great tips. My trip is in the planning now, only a week but lots of history, 10,000 years. The King Alfred’s Way here in the UK, 250 miles mostly off road.
Great video. I’m 41 and doing my first bike packing trip this spring. I’ve convinced a few friends to try it as well. I love you attitude. Keep the videos coming.
Where are you headed with your friends? Thanks for watching. Hope it helps with your first trip!
@@radbikeadventure we are in south eastern PA. I am the only one in the group with any real camping experience so we are planning a two day out and back ride on a mostly gravel trail. 30 miles each way probably to French Creek State Park. It’s to test the waters and my gear. Gives us a chance to find out who likes it before they invest too much. Keeping it very mild to start. After that we want to do the C&O trail from DC to Pittsburgh. I would like to work my way up to multi day bike packing events. We will see if life gets in the way.
I really like (and appreciate) how you changed your location for each tip. So many talk-to-camera video are static. This was really... RAD!!!! Keep up the great work!!!! :)
Aww thanks so much Viv!!
Great tips..
I would like to add that a lot of people think you need to be in super physical
shape to go on a bike tour. My experience is that within a couple of days you build
up strength, and after 2 weeks you can handle any climb easily.
Also, a lot of beginners tend to worry about how many miles they should do every day.
If you do 20 miles in a day, no worry. It does not matter. After a couple of days of
touring you will see you can do more miles every day.
Your tip about doing an established route, that has maps and route points available, is very smart too.
Newbie cycle tourers tend to obsess about navigation and then spend way too much time
figuring out how to set this up on their phone.
Happy cycle touring everybody !
I'm 67 heading up to Jacksonville Florida on Amtrak with my bicycle riding to Clearwater Florida. And the coast to coast connector trail. First trip however lifetime bike rider. Thanks for your great video. Much appreciated.
Great tips. I'll add that for a novice tourist having options to stop earlier than planned is a good idea. If you're intending on camping that you should try your gear out before you go - even if that means setting up your tent in your home/back yard/local park. If you're going to be cooking as well try cooking with your setup in your yard or a local park. Another tip is that it's not a bad idea for your first trip to eat at restaurants and stay in a hotel or hostel. Fewer new variables minimizes novice mistakes and worries.
Some great tips. I'm a pretty experienced cyclist but have never done touring/bikepacking before. Especially with current uncertainties regarding travel, I decided to start by "credit card" touring. I'm doing two tours with a very professional outfit in the UK (Saddle Skedaddle), both will be coast to coast, but with accommodation and support arranged the whole way (bliss; a real bed every night!)
Besides my usual cycling (I just get out there and pootle regularly), I plan to prep by doing a couple of overnighters, using the local canals here in the Midlands and staying at a youth hostel (even though I'm 63!) before cycling back the next day.
Last year I did my first major tour - three months. I did it alone and went precisely where I wanted to and at my own speed. I had many great experiences though many days were similar too - and that was fine. On tour I consider it 'my day job'.
Yes, I also did a three-month tour, and after about a month it didn't feel like vacation anymore -- it just felt like, "This is my life right now". Also, I was super-flexible (I actually ended up making major changes to my route along the way), and I felt like that flexibility was one of the best parts of the experience.
I've just come off my first tour in 40 years, videos uploaded, and there were a couple of great tips I wish I'd taken note of before I'd set off. Good to see we have the same B17 saddle and bar-end shifters. Nice video. JP The old guy.
30 years ago I was on my first longer bike trip from Switzerland to Greece. With the bike I am now mostly only over the weekend on the road. Your vlog has inspired me to make a longer trip again. Thanks for that. ❤
Technical is the main reason for all my bike tours, so gear has been the issue with me. I was also very overweight, but now I have lost considerably. I sent my doubters a post card from my destination. All my overnight tours have been in Finland.
Right on. I've experienced all these tips in my bicycle touring myself. I'm relatively new in bicycle touring (about 2 years) and haven't done any months-long tours yet. I like to go out once a month for 4-6 days mostly in Central Florida backroads. My last tour was Florida west coast for 4 days down to Sarasota. My next one is coming up in a couple of weeks from Miami back to Jacksonville through Central Florida backroads, can't wait. Thank you for this great video I watched it all away.
The gearing needs to be lower than standard. Uphill, against the wind with a fully loaded bicycle you always need a lower gear, but you almost never needs a higher gear downhill. My best advice is: change to a lower set of gears if possible. Or let your bike machanics do it for you.
You had me at tip 1!! I needed to hear every single one of your tips. THANKS!
Thanks. Perfect timing. All very helpful addressing so many unspoken anxieties. My 2021 plan is to start touring including west coast segments. Always been a goal and now is the time.
Heck ya go for it. You got this ✌️
This channel keeps getting better and better.
I have taken away some great knowledge from it.
Thank you R and D
I am hoping to be able to get away this summer just for a couple of overnight trips.
The dream that I have had for several years is the Pacific Coast from Victoria to a little south of SF.
One day I will do it. One day...
Until that day it will just be day trips.
The slice of sky on tip ten was really pretty. I'm just waiting for spring to do a two day trip. East coast is way too cold to ride right now.
Yes, turned out to be a beautiful sunset , I was happy to be outside! Spring is coming 😏
Indiana to Washington state next year. Cross country sounds intimidating but I think I’m ready now, I’m broke, young, and motivated to see the world!
Number 10 is one of the main reasons I love to cycle/tour!!!!
Love this video..... very inspirational :-)
Your videos are so honest, and really helpful. Thank You!
I'm 52, 7x cancer survivor, and looking to be on a bike a whole lot more, for a few different reasons. Health, Adventure, Awareness, etc and to leave a great story in my wake for my Granddaughter to remember me by.
Tips 1, 2, and 10 really resonate with me. I have some significant challenges where eating concerned left by surgeries etc. and require piles of water to swallow, or liquid based meal replacements that are also heavy. A trailer is looking like a possible requirement :( Combined with being 52 not 22, it has all caused me to re-evaluate my type of riding. To the point I'm even considering rigid front forks! At 22 I would have been all over the big jumps, and high risk stuff. My Mountain bike back then was considered fairly high end without any suspension at all.
I have a giant and most absurdly daunting goal, but I temper it by accepting the realities of age and physical challenges, I will definitely be doing some work-out-the-bugs type rides.
Thanks again!
Anyone who has ever been treated for cancer of any kind, or if you have a predisposition to getting cancer you should avoid ALL dairy products for ever.
They don't tell you this stuff but dairy contains a growth hormone called IGF-1 which actively feeds and promotes the growth of cancer cells in humans (please feel free to look it up for yourself if you don't believe me).
My good lady wife is currently in remission from breast-cancer and went dairy-free when she discovered the link between IGF-1 in milk and cancer in humans.
All mammal milk contains this hormone, but Human breast-milk has the lowest levels of IGF-1 of any mammal on the planet, and thousands of years of evolution has made it that way because we don't usually reach our full adult size until we are in our teens, but cow's milk has far too much of it for humans to safely consume, because it has to grow a new-born calf into a full-sized cow in about eighteen months. Humans are the only creatures on the planet to still consume milk after we are weaned - which is weird anyway when you think about it, because by its very nature milk is baby fuel.
I hope that this may have been of some help to you, and I wish you well and all the best for the future.
I haven't riden a bike since I was 10. But you seem so genuine and your personality is so awesome. I subscribed anyways.
great tips. thanks so much.I'm 54 with 2 fake knees and going on a european tour next summer so I have 10 months to train up and get some trips in. Thanks again
Pandemic restrictions dependant, I'm planning my second cycling trip. Initial plan was 8 months around New-Zealand which won't be possible, but the fall back plan is a 4 months long trip starting in Anchorage Alaska to southern BC.. Might be Yukon to southern BC though. Can't wait!
Thank you for putting so much time into this video! I needed the basic tips.
thank you for your sharing & tips for newbie touring biker... amazing & I'd got a lot of information there. 😁 thank you.
Great video! I can't wait to get out there....
I'm doing my first solo tour and also longest tour. I was doubting myself, this video really helped thanks!
Awesome, happy to hear that Alberto. Have an incredible time on your tour.
Great advice. Ride the bike you have! Thanks and all the best, Steve
Great video and Just for me. We are hoping to dip our toes into it this summer. Thanks so much. -H
Cheers Ryan, I was needing the pep talk.
Pulling out for my first decent ride in 25 years.
Did a bit pre kids and I've been second guessing myself if I'm really up to doing this next one.
Great tips, thank you. I'm going on my first 4 day ride next week. Hopefully the first of many
So smart! Thank you for sharing these great tips.
Your first bike tour is always the best. Many years later I look at photos of my bike and my setup that I had. And wonder how I even made it as far as I did. But I did and it was great.
So agree. Something very special about that first tour.
Thanks!
loved this video! I just got myself a bike yesterday and I am building up the courage to do my first tour. This will be the video that will watch again and again. thank you
Thank u...I'm about to begin. Keep doing such vedios
Thank you for this. I feel like this is giving me permission to go bike camping.
Our first tour was just after we got married, a tour of Norfolk county. Done over a week. We bought a couple of cheap 10 speed bikes and bags, no gps just maps and home made route cards. 100% enjoyment!!. Keep Safe!
Love it Sheila! That's the kinda thing we're talking about!
I love touring on my fix gear and if I want to have a lazy day then I flip the back wheel to have a single speed. Never really thinked about having a problem with the bike. Spare tubs and a chain tool and pump that's all...
These are darn good tips ! Thank you !!
I would say that one possible exception to the "don't worry too much about gear" tip is to make sure you have a saddle that works well for your butt!
Great advice, re: the bike and stopping puncture's , have a look at getting quality schwalbe touring tyres and add in some Tannus armour inserts, steel frame bikes are easy to repair , personally i have a wing mirror fitted onto Ergon gp 5 handle bar end grips , might sound a bit soft, but a bell is important these days, never seen so many people exercising out on the lanes
Yes great tips to add! We love our Schwalble tires. The best imo
Wonderful, positive tips for just getting on a bike and going somewhere... anywhere. To the end of your street the first time, to the edge of your village, town or county the next. Turn around if you need to, stop where you want... stare at the wind blowing the grass or watch the birds flying overhead. It's your adventure, you just have to be willing to see where it takes you...
As teacher I had summers off to take long distance bike trips. I took eighteen 500- 1000 mile trips, mostly in the western states and one coast to coast (47 days). As you mentioned physical conditioning is not critical because you'll get stronger each day that you ride. My trips average 75-80 miles a day averaging about 10 MPH. I didn't carry cooking gear so I planned to make it to a town or campground for meals and place to sleep. About once a week I'd get a hotel or motel to handle laundry and hang out. My first trip I took way too much gear and over time I got my gear down to 20-25 pounds including a tent and sleeping bag. The biggest obstacle is having time to take a trip and the money to cover your costs. You don't need an expensive bike. My roommate in my 20s rode with me from San Francisco to Portland. I was on a pretty nice bike but he did the trip on a clunky Shwinn 10 speed...no problem.
Thanks for sharing :)
Thank you for this great vid! I’m planning on going on my very first 2-week cycle tour adventure in 3 weeks, a woman, alone, and people react as if I’m walking into Mordor (which one doesn’t simply do). To be fair I’ve never been a sporty or outdoorsy person at all, so people are worried and doubt me, and honestly me too 😅 but I’m doing this!
Nice video and I agree with pretty much what you are saying. Bicycle touring is so great because even if so many of us have done tours everyone of us obtains such different experiences and emotions and get to determine what we like and don't like. I would also point out that gear is no that important but to carry less as possible and to believe or have faith in humanity and you are absolutely right that people gravitate towards someone who is riding a bicycle from one place to another with a bunch of panniers and a smile and willingness for adventure. Nice video.
You are a guru of cycle touring , good tips ....RAD ON !
Thanks OD! Rad On!
Thanks very much for the video! That really helped a lot!
Shout out your tips for new cycle tourists here! Where is your first trip (or first trip of the year, next year etc.) going to be?? 👇
I would add one thing. Make sure you are comfortable on the bike. If the bike is uncomfortable, then do the necessary changes so it gets comfy. You will spend a lot of time riding and it will become hell if it is painful.
I live in Iceland and do my tours locally. Already have a great "back yard" to cycle tour in so haven't felt the need to travel abroad. Also Iceland is quite challenging to ride in so most other countries will be a lot easier to ride in when I eventually take my bike abroad to broaden my horizon... :)
My first trip was 3 years ago, a three day trip of about 180km. weighing in at about 360lbs I felt exhausted but ecstatic to have done it. Now I am planning a tour in the Westfjords of Iceland. Thankful I have kept on biking and lost about 130lbs so I will be able to tackle those hills and rough roads.
@@andrifsig That is such a great tip! Thank you! Being comfortable on the bike is huge. I will add it to our Part 2 video :). Sounds like a great tour you have planned too!
I dig your positive energy.
I've got lots of it!
I’m planning on doing the Ohio To Erie Trail in August. Your videos have been super helpful!
Some great (unexpected) tips there. Clearly thought out and you’ve considered mindful/thoughtful tips as well as practical/physical ones. Good job. 👍
Cheers Steven!
you guys r great .how would I find dirt roads to take. I see that maps only show paved roads... thanks so glad I found yous...
Ryan, you are a great, beautiful and fantastic bike tour promoter. You encourage me to go further. I dreamed it 25 years and next year when I ll be 69 I will go from Italy to Georgia. I'll go thinking you. Thank you a lot!
Thanks
Great tips and encouragement!!!
Hey ya, new to the channel but am already loving it!! thanks for the advice. Going on my first trip in the next few weeks and getting my gear together and bike ready! cant wait to see more! thanks once again!!!
Awesome! Thanks for being here and enjoy the preparations! You’re gonna have so much fun on the trip. Where ya headed?
@Rad Bike Adventure Hey, I'm in Cambridge UK, just heading out east to a forest near us for an overnighter then on north to the Norfolk coast on an old trail. This is the first one so only a 1 night stop over and around 120 miles. Just waiting for the weather to get bit better and getting some gear together. Cold and wet here at the mo! Really looking forward to getting some longer trips in during the summer. Thanks!!!
Great video, thanks a bunch.
Thank you.
Tip 8 .......The bale out back up plan in Spain is to use the bus. You can easily book a space for your bike. Either online or at the depot. There are nearly 4 bike spaces assigned to most buses. So long as you buy some cling film to cover the bike so no filth gets inside the bus. (Which I didn’t know). In Spain..... every single person I met was helpful, they were kind and they didn’t rip you off in a cafe if you didn’t understand how much you had to pay and just gave the person too much, they gave you back the right change. Great place to go cycling. Amazing car drives who give you tonnes of space on roads.
You rock Ryan! Love the persona approach to this vid. Speaking of which, I developed the 'bike/hike approach...where-as one bikes along until thetre's a monstrous mountain cxlib, a knee kiling climb...and I pull over, park my bike up-side-down, and make despearte motions when a pickup or van paases. The trick is to be
absolutely honest ewhen they pull over, and tell em the truth, Im too lazy for this mtn!
Another great video. Due to go on our first tour. Like the compassion style
Via Verde in Spain for trips away from traffic based on old railways, so no mega steep climbs.
Cool I’ll check it out thanks!
In the U.K. the lack of bicycle routes away from traffic puts me off. There is nothing very enjoyable about thundering lorries and giant tank-like automobiles whizzing by as you are pedalling your velocipede. But I am tempted to go on a bicycle tour. I have been wild camping on the moors for several years and would like to combine cycling and wild camping, but it seems like a bigger, more exhausting step.
Great info! Really wanting to do the rail trail touring. Interested in the Brooks saddle, how do you know which one to get?!😁
Thanks for asking that question. Now I know the brand at least lol👍🏻
Great advice - really practical video.
Gently tapped the subscribe button 👌
Hey,
First off, you had a huge influence in me getting a kona Sutra. I bought it early this month and I'm in love with it. We'll except that the left crank is broken and I have to contact kona for warrenty but I'm optimistic that it'll be fine. 😅
I'm planing my first trip for spring this year and it's going to be a 800 mile trip trough germany and poland.
If you think its a good idea, I would love to see a video about budget/entry level camping gear.
For example.
Ortlieb seems to me as a place where saving is not worth it, but spending 500 bucks on an msr tent feels a bit heavy.
Greetings Frome Germany and tell your dogs I said hi,
Chris
Sorry to hear about the crank. Kona from our experience has been open and honest about their bikes. Let us know how it goes. We did make a video on our friends budget bike setup th-cam.com/video/S5zHEOZDgz4/w-d-xo.html
and we have a gear kit in the description section of that video that has some reasonable options for you. Though great idea to do a full video on the subject. It is on the list of videos to do! Thanks for watching ☺️
Love your channel. Way better that cable TV
Wow, thanks!! So happy to hear that :)
I love the way you pronounce "tour"
Great advice!
My wife and I were looking at biking route 70 through the national forests in Utah . This weekend we drove the section between cedar city and Bryce Canyon and all we could think of was “this is beautiful but we’d die doing this on a bike.” I think for now we’ll stick to bike trails and rail trails. I mean the accents are one thing but I’d die on the decents as well. Haha
Great info! It's so funny that I have an epic adventure in mind, but then when you said "2 weeks," I flinched. Haha, maybe it's time for that weekend micro-adventure.
I'm still concerned about being eaten by bears while sleeping in Northern California...
Great video. My question is. How do you pick a spot to camp for the night. I bike rail to trail. Campground are way out of the way. I need some tip. Thank you
Thanks once again for your great tips on touring. Met you guys in Newcastle a couple of years ago on the Furnleigh track. I carried your RAD sticker on my bike across the US in 2019 76 trans AM and Lewis Clark trail. And did the New Zealand TA 2020 last year. Love your passion for adventure
Cheers
Marshall innes
Hey! Great to hear from you Marshall! We LOVE that our sticker traveled all that way with you...so cool. I know it's already looking forward to the next adventure : D
@@radbikeadventure hi guys thanks for reply love your tips. Just thought of something. I was looking through our local online buy swap or sell site and picked up a brand new yes brand new brooks b17 flyer seat for $50. So info might be good for people on a budget. There's plenty of good second hand gear out there.
Cheers stay safe be well.
I'd like to see how you choose navigation, etc. I'm obsessed with that stuff. I take a laptop and hook into route websites, Garmin Basecamp, Google Maps, and it gets to be a bit much.
Great suggestion! We would love to make a video about that. I think many people will have the same question.
How do you secure you panniers or what do you do with them when you chain up your bike when you go into a supper market
I've never cycle toured before, but I dream of touring China! Chengdu to Kunming looks like an extraordinary ride.
Yes I would love to ride in those provinces. So beautiful.
Question for you guys. Are you a Royal Robbins type that communes with nature and tours for the purity and simplicity of touring or a Jim Bridwell type that does it with a boombox and knows every bar on the route?
Great video and very inspiring! I am planning my first tour this summer. Going to be a solo tour as I ride from SW Michigan up to the tip of the Leelanau peninsula. I’m not sure if it’s a good idea or not, but I’m planning to ride to several places and ride some single track sections. We will see if I feel it’s worth it to completely unpack to ride a loop or two. Riding my beloved sutra Ltd and enjoying the winter packing and planning in the warm basement right now. ✌🏻
Have you two ever thought about doing the AIDS Lifecycle ride? I'm doing it this year on my recumbent trike that I'll be using for my trikepacking tours...its not light and neither am I so having to move this mass up hills is tough even with my lowest gear setting...16 gear inch...but its a great cause to ride for.
I was in Morro Bay this weekend and talked to many touring riders. My only irritation was they were fixing many flats. I highly hope folks get good tires, perhaps tubeless, The rest of the equipment can be fixed with tape and wire ties. Also they carried a ton of grear, cut gear and it gets easy to ride.
Amazing vid thanks
Glad it was helpful :)
Great tips and advice. Thanks for sharing 😃👍
"THE RIDE DOESN'T GET EASIER, BUT YOU GET STRONGER" I find it takes about two weeks to get your bike legs.
Pack light, start with low mileage, stop and walk your bike every couple of hours, bring some hard candy it make riding the hills more enjoyable, baby wipes not TP and pack it out, I carry a plastic hospital urinal because I hate getting out of my warm bag&tent at night, use your bike pump as a muscle roller, I carry a metal thermos and make a 7/11 stop for ice if possible, phone app for biketiresdirect to have tires/tubes and parts shipped ahead while touring, embrace stealth camping it saves alot of money and planing.
BIKE YOUR OWN BIKE RIDE
Appreciate you!!
At 69 I’m wondering how to begin. I cycle every day and would love to give it a shot. Ryan is the greatest motivator I’ve seen, and I watch a lot of cycle tourers. If anybody out there is passing through Moncton New Brunswick Canada. Hit me up. And if there is anybody reading this who feels the same. Maybe we could start a first timers group, or the retiree’s group lol.
Nice work . Personally I would say don't make a backup plan because you will never finish the ride . Do the ride and then decide not to ride ever again is better than not completing a ride. You can at least say I tried and did it. Mindset is key
I get that but for me,on my
first tour, knowing I had someone who could pick me up or take a train out was helpful to get me going. I figured I’d never use it but it was good to know I had support/an exit strategy “just in case”. Everyone is different, so tip 2, knowing yourself is key!
And yes, mindset is 90% of it!
I love your videos and I'm planning my first trip for next year. I'll be doing the Pacific Coast and can't wait. Your videos definitely give me the encouragement to do this and I love all the information you give to all of us. Also I just looked over and saw Traveling LGBTQ+ in the suggested videos so now I'll have to watch that as well :) Thank you again for the encouragement and useful tips. Keep up the amazing job
Great video..another tip id say would would be have some financial back up (spare cash)for if or when things goes
wrong. For instance major bike downs you can't fix your self or just those unforeseen weather events you need to hunker down in some accommodation.. particularly touring in nz wish can be expensive. And weather can be all over the place.
Yes x 100%! Great tip to add (I think I may need to make a part 2 since we're gathering so many more tips we want to share!)
I just see so many gets caught out because they try doing a trip.on shoe string budget but when something goes wrong they have no back up funds..