Generic Touring Thread

I take the lifesystems drops on trips where stream water might be dodgy. Decent enough, claims to kill pretty much anything, haven’t got sick

Nice that looks like a good solution, sure the taste of it will take me back to the DoE days

Yes the tablets seem to be good enough. I used the Katadyn micropur forte tablets in Kyrgyzstan after the Sawyer mini's water bag and the backup bag both failed, though I would've probably used them anyway as you don't need to use as much time to use them. Just put them in the bottle and ride, ready to be drank after you've been riding for half and hour or more depending on what you expect to be purifying from the water. If there's cattle, better to wait more. Many seem to get sick there from the water so it might be a good testing ground for this, makes more of a difference than for example in northern Finland where the water is often fine as it is. The water should be pretty clear with the tablets though, they lose power if there's mud or something.

Anyone heard from or ordered from Wild Sky Gear recently? Looking to buy a bag for my stove and asked a question (via eBay, Instagram and their contact form) with no reply.

Last post on IG was 50+ weeks ago.

I’m riding from Leicester to Stonehenge for solstice. On the way where should i visit?
Any route suggestions?

I hear London is nice.

I think they've packed it in, I bought a couple of things from them clearing out leftover bits last year

https://www.treadlitegear.co.uk/ might be worth a try?

Thanks, much appreciated.

What's the deal with bikes at campsites, as in, where do you guys lock your bikes when camping? I'm assuming there are no bike lock facilities where I'm heading this weekend (though I could be wrong), so in their absence, what do you do? Just leave it outside the tent and hope for the best?

Pretty much. Can also lock it to itself, put a bell on it, tie it to your toe, etc.

I usually lock to a fence, tree etc near the tent if available.

If I'm literally just in a field with nothing available, I'd probably lock it to itself, or put a guide line or whatever through it.

I've know people take the wheels off and keep them in their tent / porch area too.

Anyone had any problems taking a single pannier bag on Ryanair as hand luggage?

I think I'm riding from Dieppe to Lausanne the week after next, solo.

Does anyone have a nice route from Paris heading south east?

To tent or bivvy, that is the question.

You could follow rivers and canals as far as Dijon and probably beyond if you want traffic free. The Seine out of Paris then the Yonne to Migennes then canal de Bourgogne to Dijon. Did this stretch on the boat and it’s all very nice, good cycle path the whole way

The Canal de Bourgogne is beautiful. Lots of municipal camp sites that are very cheap with incredible amenities.

I did Dijon to Auxerre a few years ago. Looked like this pretty much most of the time.

France Velotourisme is useful site for planning.

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Anyone have any recommendations for long sleeve, moisture wicking/breathable riding tshirt style tops? Going to Scotland next month, would like midge and element protection in a casual #bikepacking #gravel guise.

Anything polyester merino blend. Rab / montane. I just got a Salewa Zebru zip and rate it. It's tight fit too which is nice. 120g/m2 so not thick warm, but nice.

Top of your choice, plus Smidge.

Might be some useful pointers following on from @hippy 's post here
https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/156308/?offset=1425#17055722

Also can recommend smidge. Available in Cotswold Outdoor shops.

Alright sweet, cheers for the info all.

And yeah @exteroceptive I stole enough smidge from you in Salisbury to know it does the job heh

Having met a lovely lady over the summer meant a change of plans in terms of my annual three week bicycle tour. Not keen on buying a train ticket to the Swiss Alps equivalent to my plane ticket towards a sunny island off the coast of Morocco, I decide to keep it a little closer to home this time.

A week will give me enough time to make a small loop and see the Eifel in Germany, plus a quick peek at the French Ardennes. So, after being dropped off in the centre of Maastricht on a beautiful Monday morning, I embark on the trip properly by enjoying some of Limburg’s finest gravel. This is off to a good start.

I am quickly reminded however that gravel roads in the Netherlands are not the same as they are outside of its borders. A look at my Garmin GPS computer reveals I need to take a right imminently. Before having made the turn, I can already see the broken asphalt starting to go up a worrying amount.

Preemptively I shift the bike into its lowest gear, a not too shabby 26 x 40 teeth. But the sudden transition from shoddy tarmac to full on muddy farm track proves to be too much for the brand new slick Rat Trap Pass tyres, as well as my confidence to keep a loaded touring bike and myself upright under these conditions.

Whether it’s my (lack of) fitness, the heat, the undulating landscape, or all of the above, I’m destroyed. The second day - which was reserved to cycle around the Eifel - is prematurely exchanged for a rest day. At the top of a hill I have the foresight to check whether there are any supermarkets in the valley where I plan to reside that night.

I descend almost 300 metres down to the campsite, with my panniers full of pasta and sugar, and the comforting prospect of not having to lift a single finger the next day. My exhaustion must be palpable, because I’m being offered chairs, tortillas, and oranges by my neighbours after having pitched my tent. I accept all, and thank them for their hospitality.

It seems like I have learnt nothing from yesterday, because the route of the third day is still set to ‘gravel’. After five kilometres and half an hour of muddy single track, I go into Komoot and change the ride type to ‘road’. Purely by accident this great decision gets me onto the Vennbahn almost immediately. Smooth asphalt and gentle gradients turn a tough morning into an extremely relaxed and easy afternoon.

A sweet and very long descent forces me to test my V-brakes, and they work excellently. Arriving at the campsite I’m greeted with an unexpected lack of toilet paper inside the facilities, and a sign reminding everyone not to smear ‘p..p’ on the walls. I guess this is what they call ‘wild camping’.

During a luxuriously long lunch break the next day I pause my Garmin, which responds by automatically showing me the statistics of the ride thus far. 55 kilometres still to go. My legs feel heavy. I eat my two pain au chocolats, single croissant and banana, and drink my mango smoothie, after which I continue my journey.

Another damn hill. I rip out a protein bar (am I ingesting enough of those nutrients?), and flush it down with the Coke I bought along with my lunch. My cycling computer shows me loads of hair pins up ahead, luckily all in my favour. I pause the Garmin: 2.6 kilometres to go. The campsite is at the bottom of what I will loosely call a mountain. I drop 500 metres in what feels like seconds. Those 55 kilometres went by in the blink of an eye.

After another impromptu rest day, it’s time to slowly set sail back home. I’m coasting along the Maas, and the terrain is beautifully flat for a change. Funny how you go out to experience the hills, only to miss the Dutch lands and their endless level bicycle paths. With the wind in my back, today is a short day. I pass a cat with a mouse in its mouth. Everybody’s gotta eat.

Droplets deform the letters on my E-reader during my usual hour-long lunch break. Under normal circumstances the rain would be unwelcome, but with the current warmth it is rather refreshing. The rain jacket stays firmly at the bottom of my right pannier. I have not used it once this holiday.

The final day is like any other final day that ends in my hometown in the Netherlands. A bit boring, positively familiar, and with a distinct lack of elevation gain. I come across a couple on bikepacking rigs, who I imagine are just about to start their own adventure. For me, I am content to have finished mine. I look forward to being home again, and to sleep on a mattress that isn’t filled with air.

Great stuff

Sweet trip and sweet ride.

I still have memories of touring my CDF with front panniers. Rode so stable and nice, such a good setup.

so good :)