Ever since that first day when I got back onto my bicycle, I am always grateful for the mysterious series of events that led me back to it and into bicycle touring.
The rewards in health and happiness since then have been many.
This article is intended as an overview of how to get started in doing a special kind of bicycle touring called "credit-card touring".
With credit-card touring you get the best of both worlds. The healthful benefits and joy of human powered travel while being out in the beauty of nature, combined with the fun and romance of staying at beautiful bed & breakfast inns, eating delicious meals — all without the hassle and exertion of carrying full camping supplies and food.
All that you need to get started is the will to do it, and a bicycle(s) and basic equipment. I can help you with the equipment aspect. You supply the will power.
I'm not saying that everything will always be fun in the sun. There certainly will be days on the road where the weather turns out to be miserable. And not every destination may be as pristine and beautiful as one would like. But then, that's why we've created this web site. To help you make better decisions about where it is that you travel to on your bicycle(s).
Getting the Bike(s) Rolling
Conditioning — Depending upon the sorts of touring vacations you wish to do, you'll need to be in a suitable physical condition. If you've never ridden a bicycle before, or not in a long time, definitely see your doctor and have him or her collaborate with you on some kind of an exercise program. We like yoga or pilates, but simple stretching and calisthenics done 3 times week is a good start. The sooner you get started, the sooner you'll be ready to plan your bicycle touring vacation. Once you're in better shape, you can start riding your bicycle around your neighborhood.
Rail Trails — A great way to get into cycling is to find a local rail trail near you and start riding your bike there several times a week. The good thing about rail trails is that they are usually pretty flat and aside from other riders and walkers, there aren't any cars or trucks to deal with. You can ride in one direction for half the time you have on your schedule, and then turn around and ride back. Start with a reasonable halfway length, and then gradually go further and further. Before you know it you'll be doing the whole length, or looking for side routes on local roads.
Local Parks — If you don't have a rail trail near you, you'll need to find a way to develop more confidence in your riding skills. I'd suggest sticking to riding around a local park, small backroads, or maybe along a seacoast boardwalk. You know your area better than me. Ask about good places to ride bikes at your local bicycle shop. The point is to become stronger physically while getting used to controlling the bike. If you're already a capable cyclist, excellent! Good work. You can skip the rest of this article on go straight to "Destinations" and start planning your touring vacation. Everyone else, please continue.
Dealing With Traffic
When riding on our nations roadways, the general rule is that bicycles follow the same rules as motorists. We cyclists are motorists.
Stay on the right side — Cyclists must ride in the same direction as vehicular traffic. It's the law and it's actually safer for cyclists to go with the flow.
Signaling for Turns — Use the same hand signals that used to be required of motorists when signaling for a turn or slowing down.
RIGHT TURN — Left arm bent upward at 90 degrees, hand toward the your right side.
LEFT TURN — Left arm and hand held straight outward to your left side.
SLOWING DOWN (OR STOPPING) — Left arm bent downwards at 90 degrees, hand pointing down.
Other Riders, Families, Children — Just as with driving, cyclists ought to try to ride defensively, anticipating the potential for other people or objects to encroach in your path. Slowing down in advance of a potential hazard is often a good course of action. Even gravel spots in the road, branches, sharp turns, etc., are best prepared for in advance. Children on rail trails can sometimes behave unpredictably so be cautious and slow down before passing them.
Basic Riding Skills:
Looking backwards — Before looking backwards, shift the hip on the opposite side of the direction in which you wish to turn to look, downwards. Then turn your head quickly and look behind. When looking left, shift the right hip downwards on the saddle. Looking right, shift the left hip downwards. Shifting your hip like this rebalances your weight and reduces the likelihood of the bike swerving toward the direction you're looking in.
Shifting Gears Upwards — Figuring out when to shift up to a higher gear will become a pretty natural thing as you will feel your legs moving faster and faster as your speed increases and not as much power being transfered to the wheels. In modern bicycles the shifters are usually incorporated into the brake levers as a separate set of levers. The right side shift lever usually controls the rear derailler and the left side shift levers control the front derailler. Shift upwards to the next gear by pressing the right lever one or two clicks as your speed increases. Pedal smoothly through each shift until you feel the chain move to the next gear. Shifting the left shift lever gives you access to the other ranges of your gears. Practice your shifting with both levers to gain a sense of which combinations give you which type of response on the road. As you become a more advanced rider, you'll start to learn more about pedaling cadence — high pedaling revolutions per minute — to extend your endurance and save your legs.
Shifting Gears Downwards — There are two main reasons for shifting downwards. The first is because you've slowed down a bit so you need to match the gear to your current speed so you can continue pedaling. If you are in too high of a gear it may be too difficult to pedal at a slower speed. The second and related reason is because you have, or are slowing down to a stop. In this case, you must remember to downshift to your lowest gear as you are braking so that you are already in low gear when you stop. If you aren't you may have to pedal really hard to get the bike to begin to move while in a higher gear.
Standup Pedaling — Sometimes you need a little more power to finish climbing up a hill, or a burst of speed to cross a street. But in most bicycle touring and even in racing, you are using your gears along with pedaling cadence to manage your speed and power. When pedaling standing up, make sure you have a good grip on your handlebars, as much of your power comes through your body's connection to the bike. A good grip on the handlebar with a tensed upper body and strong legs creates torque that transfers the maximum amount of power through the bike to the wheels.
Touring:
We've already discussed what makes for a good touring bicycle. Now we'll touch on other equipment that you'll need.
Racks & Bags — While a fully-loaded touring bike would include both front and rear racks. You may find that all you'll need for credit-card touring is a rear rack (and a suitable bag). Which is not to say that having a front rack might not come in handy. The choice is yours. For rear racks, you can get a single bag to hold just a few items that will mount onto the rear rack with velcro tabs, or even a custom matchd rack and bag system. Panniers also come in versions that fit on front racks. You can even attach a special bag to your handlebar which can hold maps, among other things.
Pannier Bags — These are essentially saddle bags though the term probably comes from an old French word for breadbasket. You'll probably find these types of pannier bags hanging off of a rear rack to be your most important item for credit-card touring. There will be decent space for your essentials, unless you want to carry more. You can put a single bag on top of the rear rack to carry some additional items. Hopefully you can pare down your essentials so you can have a lighter load.
Camelback© and/or Water Bottle Carriers — Having enough water on the road to keep you properly hydrated is very important. Some bikes can accommodate 2 or even 3 water bottle carriers. You can also strap water bottles to your racks or place them in pockets in your bags. I like to use a Camelback© for carrying my water, because I can just pop the little drinking tube into mouth and take a sip without having to stop. How many water bottles you bring will depend upon the length of your trip and the distance between likely places to fill up. On a typical 30-mile day trip between B&Bs, I might go through a single Camelback of water. Your daily trip distances may be shorter or longer.
Tips:
Here is a sample packing list for your review of essentials (non-equipment) that I bring on typical trips:
1. Toiletry Items — Toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, hair brush, signal mirror, emergency whistle, 5 bandaids, ibuprofen, shampoo & conditioner (all in travel size containers).
2. Clothing — Zippered-leg wrinkle-free pants/shorts, two pairs cycling shorts, two cycling jerseys, rain-proof windbreaker, 2 wrinkle-free short-sleeve shirts, 2 pairs underwear, pair of light nice casual shoes. Add a light cycling sweater and leggings in cooler weather.
3. Equipment — Bike with rear rack, top bag and 2 side panniers; cyclocomputer and cadence monitor; mini-tool bag with tire irons, tubes, tire repair kit, basic wrenches; bicycle lock; Camelback Hydration System; road shoes; front and rear reflectors; Dutch style blinking bike light.
The World is At Your Pedals — Start Planning Your Next B&B Tour
You now have enough information to get ready to begin touring between Bed & Breakfast Inns on your bicycle. Get together with some friends, a sweetheart who rides, bring your whole family along. BBTouring is happy that you have found our site and we can't wait to hear from you about your touring vacation!
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