Top 5 Bike Touring Mistakes - And How To Avoid Them

I've made a comprehensive video of the Top 5 Bike Touring mistakes that happen to bike tourers. Beginners and veterans, doesn't matter. By watching this video you'll hopefully be aware of these common pitfalls and avoid the in the furure.

[@BikeTouringMike]

Do you have any other mistakes that you have encountered during your bike tours? I would love to hear about them.

[@smokeycanopy]

Packed to much weight food wise could hardy get the bike upright.

[@genegroover30]

My novice mistakes were endless but mostly forgivable in that there was no permanent or lasting injuries. I had learned to properly maintain my bicycle, tires/tubes, etc. I had ridden countless miles in all different terrains and weather conditions in preparation for my tour and so was athletically capable of doing the ride. By God's grace I was able to complete the ride with little to no permanent injuries. My biggest mistake was not wearing the proper bicycle clothing, most importantly the shoes and shorts. I had trained for this tour and had never learned the importance of proper shorts, shoes, and jerseys. The discomfort I experienced where my body contacted the seat was nearly unbearable. Even with this first hand experience of riding with this discomfort, it was only years later that I finally learned about the importance of proper moisture and abrasion management. Just wanted to let you know what an incredible wealth of practical information you gave in this video. Great Job. You have piqued my interest to get back into riding and touring. I hope to implement your suggestions and recommendations prior to my next ride. Thanks.

[@slowfox532]

I had to learn the hard way to check out before, if all my biketouring tools I used to bring, will fit to my new bike.

[@brucewmclaughlin9072]

@@genegroover30 Number one reason I went to a recumbent bike is comfort and speed. At the end of my first day on my last tour I had tired legs but nothing else in pain. 156 km and yes the last two km were a great deal slower than anything else as the energy was somewhat depleted. On my upright bike at the end of the 9 hour riding between campsites I remember getting off that narrow seat and walking a bit to get the butt functioning again. On my recumbent I have a seat that is 15" wide and I sit in , not on it. BTW I messed with the gearing on my bent so I have lower low gears and lower high gears as lets face it we are not racing whilst touring. It is far better to have a gear between the one that is too high or too low than to wish you had it. Lots to learn still but having a comfortable bike is of paramount importance.

[@brucewmclaughlin9072]

@@slowfox532 As a ride leader with the VBMG I take 5 different sized tubes with me when leading as I have discovered several people on the ride may read about tubes , go out and buy one and find out they bought a 26" and not a 700 c or the wrong valve when they ask for assistance to fix their bike when that is really something everyone on a ride or tour should know. Every nut and bolt on my bent is Allen keyed which reduces some tools.

[@tpstrat14]

pro tip (10,000 touring miles here). Make sure to OVER PACK! Well, you don't have to "make sure of this". Just take whatever the hell you want and skimp on NOTHING. It's much harder to send stuff to yourself on the road than to send it back home from the road! You won't put more pressure on your body by overpacking like you would for backpacking. You just go a little slower on the uphills. "Don't overpack" is often the first thing mentioned on touring channels and I've found it to be harmful advice! UGH! I brought everything and the kitchen sink on my first tour from San Diego to Rhode Island. And what tragedy befell me? Well, I worked my ass off climbing out of San Diego, got fit as hell, and never had a sore muscle the rest of the trip. And it cost me a whopping $30 total when i got to Williams AZ to send back everything I didn't need. Also, I brought a pumped up basketball the entire way because I wanted to shoot around when I found a court. How's that for some extra drag HAHA! It's not about speed. It's about the experience.

[@genegroover30]

Awesome advice from experience. Glad you shared.

[@cobbe.l]

The last mistake is the biggest one of all. Choosing the right partner! My life partner felt the need to stop at EVERY single cross road and check the map, then had to make sure it was exactly folded correctly to fit in the pouch often making several attempts. It drove me insane. I could just about handle him taking hours to pack only his stuff while I packed the tent and everything else. Then we would be about to finally at last cycle off and I would hear, 'I have to use the toilet.' We are still together but I go it alone now and love it.

[@hubdeep9452]

I feel your pain 😂 Well done for surviving the trip and staying together. 👍

[@Biking360]

You must have the patience of a saint! That would drive me mad as well. I hope you enjoy your solo trips. It nice to go it alone sometimes. JP.

[@brucewmclaughlin9072]

On my first tour I found that my riding buddy was a destination rider , not a sight seer. Two states and a province later he up and flew home with nary a discussion ,just see you later. Lesson learned is to have a set plan and know the person you are riding with.

[@hubdeep9452]

The biggest mistake I made when I first got back into bike touring was letting my mate do the planning. The first day was 93 miles when it should've been 40. Lesson learned.

[@mujtabaraza4422]

How was the 93 miles How did you feel the next day??

[@kokobongo83]

Well said. Hit all the spots. Its called "experience". Practise makes You perfect. Wish You many many more km's and take care. Sam from Poland.

[@BikeTouringMike]

Thank you very much for your kind words Sam!

[@G-man45444]

“Over planning” ..... that exactly where I am right now that coved 19 restrictions are being lifted. I’m planning, re-planning and then planning again. I needed to hear this. I think I’ll re-plan with pointing north and riding till it’s time to call it a day and bivy up for the evening.

[@BikeTouringMike]

I'm like that too. I'll probably spend more time in front of the computer that on the bike. :-)

[@rasmuswi]

Not sure if I'd call them mistakes, but cycling from Stockholm to Amsterdam (I had planned a route all the way to Brest in France, but my goal wasn't necessarily to reach Brest but simply see how far I could get in two weeks) this summer certainly presented me with a few challenges, some of which I had anticipated, some not. First, the idea of credit card touring. It sounds like a no-brainer, only bring some spare clothing, a toothbrush and some tools and enjoy good speeds and lots of distance covered every day. Sure, but you still need to be prepared for the unprepared. Not every hotel has a reception that is open 24/7, so you need to make it there before they close, and this can be hugely stressful. My pump broke when I had a flat so I had to ride some 40 kilometers with barely any air in the rear tire to make it on time. Also, if you arrive too late to the hotel you will be too tired in the morning so you might miss the hotel breakfast and the check out time. Second, touring on a super expensive carbon fiber bike with aero wheels and electronic shifting. The good part, it's definitely faster, especially when you have constant headwind as I had, but traveling alone on a bike that you're never comfortable with leaving unattended complicates things a lot. Ride a 9 kg bike and bring a 2 kg lock? Why not just bring an 11 kg bike in that case? Some hotels refused to let me bring the bike into my hotel room. I way way too nervous to sleep well those nights. Many times I had to choose between starving and leaving the bike unattended and always chose starving, so I spent many hours on the bike with barely enough food in my body to keep the cranks turning. If I do this again I will not ride solo. On the other side, I whine so much when I get a flat in the rain, several kilometers away from any kind of shelter that I'm not sure if I really think anyone should have to put up with me in those situations. Relying on bike computers and not bringing a map. Yes it works, but bring more than one brand of computer. I had two of the same brand, so when the manufacturer pushed out an udate that crashed one of them, the same update would crash the other too. One thing I definitely consider a mistake is to only bring bike specific clothing. I did that on a tour two years ago, just to see if it would work, and it wasn't a pleasant experience. Wearing padded cycling shorts all the time quickly grows old on you and I've found that slipping into some normal clothes when riding is over for the day is a huge relief. Similarly, leaving the bike at the hotel and going for a stroll in Amsterdam in cycling shoes was really painful. MTB shoes are fully adequate for a short walk, but not for walking around a whole day.

[@phoebebiketravel]

I like how you "admit" you make some of these mistakes too and how you approach the topics with humour :-))

[@socaljoe]

Great points and video Mike as others have pointed out. I am certainly guilty of spending a lot of time on google and youtube but feel it was worth it. I'm nervous about wild camping and have never tried it so I tend to plan out my stops on my tours so I have to make that distance that day(to the campground) but I have learned to make the distances work for the enjoyment of the tour. I know a couple early routes I planned where very unrealistic once I looked at elevation gains with the distances. On some tours I stay in hotels and get nervous about room availability so I will book in advance thereby making me make that distance/destination for that day.

[@FollowThomas]

Good advice not to pack too much stuff. I learned that when backpacking. All your points are straight to the point. Thanks!

[@BikeTouringMike]

Thank you Thomas! Glad you found the tips useful.

[@mhe8545]

I watch this over a few times. Most important is I am out there for enjoyment. Go with the flow and smile. Excited to go on my first tour.

[@Biking360]

I'm with you 100% on that. I'm currently on my first tour in over 40 years and loving it. I've made loads of mistakes but there's no substitute for getting out there and learning as you go. I hope your first tour is amazing:)

[@ThePonycat]

Thanks for the video. It has a lot of good tips. So where I am right now is I am breaking in my new bike. I've got to take my tent out and see how it all comes together. Like you mentioned in your video.

[@BikeTouringMike]

Yeah, that is a really smart thing to do. Practice setting up the tent at home so you feel confident doing that on your tour. I don't know how many times I've reached camp after sunset or during rain. So to be able to pitch the tent by heart is a great thing.

[@CryptoDefender]

Great piece of advice! Thank you so much.

[@BikeTouringMike]

Thank you Martin! Glad you got something out of watching the video.

[@Hootyhoo-jq9vq]

I love the advice. Thank you.

[@BikeTouringMike]

Thank you! Hope you found some of the tips useful.

[@rideswithscissors]

My first bike tour. The first day I rode about 120 miles, 193k! It was in south Florida, so it was absolutely flat. And I saw no alternative, there was no place to camp. You do not want to trespass down there. The next day I was about in tears, I was so sore. I rode to a bike shop in Lake Wales and bought a Spenco seat cover, and that enabled me to keep riding, but it was still very painful for a few days. I also packed way too much gear. I got rid of the diver's knife and some pants, mailing them ahead to my destination in Idaho, and just left some things behind in a motel room. My new Ortlieb panniers are not the most spacious model, and that is on purpose so that I can't pack as much. After 10,000 miles, 160.90k, of touring I have never had a serious mishap, due to bad planning or otherwise. I did have to ride back downhill a few times to retrieve something I had left behind, then back uphill, so you can add that to your list... make sure you have everything when you leave a campsite or rest stop. Oh, I lost my coveted stainless steel Sierra Club cup, an original Made in Japan type, that way, but who carries a metal cup nowadays? And I found one in a thrift store a few years ago, and it hangs out by the hose bib in my garden in case I get thirsty. You can't plan the best things about a bike tour! You don't know where you will meet the wise old woman who gives you some profound insight into life, or where you will hear the beautiful songbird by the creek. Or where you will be able to pluck salmonberries right off the bush and pop them into your mouth as you ride by! (Seven Devils Rd. south of Coos Bay, Oregon! So now you do know!) Oh, hydration and nutrition! I got very sick just 40 miles from the end of a tour and almost went to the hospital, from heat exhaustion. Someone from home came and picked me up. That was a bit serious. Heat can kill you!

[@sailingaeolus]

Why do you not want to trespass in Florida? The hicks will kill you?

[@rideswithscissors]

@@sailingaeolus Well, it is against the law... and yes, they may kill you, or put the fear of god into you, or you could go to jail, like I did in Martin County! Not a lot of fun, but an interesting experience nonetheless. I spent hours in a cell with a 14 year old puking drunk driver singing Led Zeppelin songs. However, I got the charges dropped.

[@jdshl8423]

I only do 40-60km a day with lots of breaks in between. Well, I have time. And I try to go through every town I can just to sight see. I regretted bringing only 2 sets of clothes, made me miserable having to micromanage my hygiene. 3 sets is perfect. 1 to cycle in, 1 to walk around town in after a bath, 1 to sleep in. The set used in town becomes the next set to cycle in, and then the set to sleep in gets used for walking in the next town. Lots of time to wash and dry the used set. I also regretted not bringing a camping chair. I recently bought a Helinox Chair Zero, 500g. Not the most comfortable, especially for larger persons, but it is the lightest in its class. My back hurts all the time and it's nice to sit in a chair with backing at the end of the day. I am getting old, admittedly.

[@DucoJurgen]

great video. really good food for thought! 1 mistake i made (even still sometimes make) is a bit a weird one... I tried to constantly (re)organize my gear. like is said its a bit weird. but it drove me crazy... now im just automatically organized and its easy to figure out where all things go

[@julienroyouellet1903]

Good content, Planning a tour around USA and crossing trough grand canyon and deninetly have been planing a lot 😅

[@chriswatson2407]

You made more than five very useful points. And the quality of the comments below the video is extremely high.

[@BikeTouringMike]

Thank you for your kind words Chris!

[@andrewpointon1669]

Another great video Mike, i failed on my first bike tour last year, too much weight (25-30kg pannier weight😬) and using my commuting hybrid bike was not great, felt very unstable, so i gave up after doing 60 miles on first day, have now invested in a touring bike and better lighter kit, first tour planned was a 3 night trip next week but all on hold at the moment due to the lockdown. Stay safe 👍

[@BikeTouringMike]

Thank you Andrew! I also made my first couple of tours on my hybrid, and I had a similiar experience. My brakes were really lousy, so I was terrified going down steep downhills in Spain, being not sure I would be able to stop a fully loaded touring bike. But it was worth taking the hybrid for the first couple of trip for me. That way I knew I would buy a touring bike and use it for years to come. Sometimes i just rush into buying things, that I regret afterwards. Like my road bike that is mostly taking up space in my bike shed at the moment,

[@alanhaddy7499]

Haha, I like the cover pick with the camping chair, I have a chair just like that - a recent addition, and I think it is great, ive taken on my last 2 trips and plan to take on future trips. I tend to go on recommended or designated cycle routes, flexible distance is very good advice

[@annasullivan2564]

A lot of people seem to be happy with sitting on a pad on the ground, but I just really love having a chair to relax in. That extra pound or so of weight is totally worth it to me.

[@alanhaddy7499]

@@annasullivan2564 yes the better quality ones are only 800g and the lower to ground chairs less weight again.

[@cyclingfreeman]

Really good tips, thanks a lot! 😊👍

[@BikeTouringMike]

Thank you! Hope you found some of the tips useful.

[@cyclingfreeman]

@@BikeTouringMike Absolutely, you're good at what you're doing! 😊👍

[@edlaws6867]

Hej Mike, good points well made. Looks like spring has almost sprung. We are on total lockdown now, we've had to pack our daughter off to the Grandparents as she has CF, and I am needed at work. We are allowed out once a day to exercise and go to work or the shops. Luckily the weather has been fantastic this week, so I've been cycling to work off road on the trails. I guess any plans of touring for me are off this year, and our family holiday will be camping in the garden. Hope you are all well, take care Ed

[@BikeTouringMike]

Hi Ed! Can't imagine what you're going through having to be separated from your daughter. But you're doing the right thing. Malin have a friend who also has CF and that is not a thing to take lightly. I 'm sending good thoughts your way and hope everything will work out well for you!

[@smokeycanopy]

Thanks, some good advice.

[@BikeTouringMike]

Good to hear. Hope you got something out of watching the video!

[@AG416]

dude great content

[@BikeTouringMike]

Thank you. Glad you liked it!

[@kathyzielinski7673]

Hi Mike- Love your videos! I have a question. I've done 2 cycle tours in Europe and for accommodations and I'm doing my third tour this May-June. Normally I stayed in hotels, but this time I may try to do both camping and hotels to save on costs. When I cycle tour, I love to visit museums and attractions as I cycle and the one problem I think I may have with camping is worrying about my stuff being stolen at a campground while I'm sightseeing. Do you sightsee on your tours and if so, what do you do about your things? I wondered if there might be lockers at train or bus stations to secure my belongings but not sure. Any advice? Thanks

[@BillSmithPerson]

Small differences in seat height can make a big difference on a tour. I just got back from a 6 day trip. My seat was a bit too high, and it caused a sore Achilles tendon. I lowered the seat a bit and the tendon got better.

[@mysurlytrucker7510]

Hi Mike I have same tent as you, I would say if you do the conventional bike touring, ie To front panniers to rear panniers rack pack bag and a handlebar bag then you would find this tent the cloud up 2 rather small, the sides slop in to much the vestibule is restrictive , I like the weight its better than my old dome tent, but the dome tent with a much larger vestibule and way more room it was like a palace, this tents only really good point is pack size and its less than four pound weight, o and it only cost me £104 ,what are your thought after using it for a while now , I would say overpacing is the most common mistake.

[@jerryz.3087]

Hey Mikael...you're absolutely dead-on with all your points...alot to be said about solo trips. Rarely would I find the pace and/or appreciation of the landscape to be similar to mine. Neither would I want to detract from someone else's. Anyway Mikael, great points...the only gotcha not mentioned that bit me, was making sure all bolts and screws were tighten before heading out. Don't need to embarrass myself by giving examples...just give it the once over before loading. Thanks again!

[@BikeTouringMike]

That's a great point Jerry! I always forget to check that as well. I'v have had a lot a near misses during the years where I've by accident noticed that a bolt is hanging on by a thread. It's always the rear rack isn't it?

[@jerryz.3087]

@@BikeTouringMike "Bingo"....one other was the rear drop-outs...that time I was fortunate, my mudguards (tire rub) alerted me.

[@KentonHoppas]

Good job!

[@BikeTouringMike]

Thank you!

[@williampennjr.4448]

I've never had a problem with over packing. Every time I thought I wouldn't need something I ended up needing it, especially when it comes to cold weather gear. I follow the old adage, It's better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it. I totally agree about planning though. Plans never work out. You're just planning to be disappointed.

[@donaldwalter1317]

From all my tours that I do by flying or train I add 2-3 days at start and end for those guaranteed screwups in misplaced bikes on aircraft or trains. I’ve been on tours where my bike was delayed upon arrival by 2-3 days. Apparently some airline felt bikes are not necessary to load and will delay to such times they can accommodate them to their convenience, the same for trains.

[@BikeTouringMike]

That is a really good tip! I guess I've been lucky so far on my international tours. My bike and gear has always shown up on time. But I have to admit I'm always scared when I get off the flight that something has gone wrong. I know I should add a couple of buffer days, but being away from family only allows for a small amount of days away from home for me.

[@afyounai]

very very important points

[@BikeTouringMike]

Thank you!

[@sw0mpy]

The biggest mistake I made was that I did not inflate my rear tire properly. If you are heavy and you have some gear also, your tires need to be inflated to 80-100% of maximum bar.

[@boyobane1590]

I'm looking to get a Kona Sutra 2021. It might be overkill since there's people who cycled around the world on cheap second hand bikes that they botched some cargo mounts on to, but I've always aimed my spending to things that I hope I won't have to rebuy ever, or at least it will be 20 years before I need to buy a new one.

[@Hertog_von_Berkshire]

Mike, I wish you had been around 35 years ago to advise me.

[@donaldwalter1317]

I’m one who likes to set the route by gps mapping programs, highlight sites to possibly see, supply points, alternate accommodations sites. I than use Google Earth if possible to follow the route I’ve laid out and I watch the street view to see possible problems. I’ve found missing bridges, or posted no bikes streets by doing this. Some campgrounds are not cyclist friendly but oriented to rv’s or car camping. I can spend months planning a long bike tour (1000-3000km) and yes it can be over planning but useful. I also tend to overpack too much but I’ve found that I’ve always used every item I’ve taken more than once. With the advent of bike packing systems this method has reduced my total volume to store gear by as much as 20-25 litres or about 2 small panniers so now I have to learn to be more frugal in what I take. Tours in primitive areas where you plan to camp requires one to haul food supplies that normally could be bought along the route but in this case there are none.

[@BikeTouringMike]

I'm also an overplanner. Half the fun of the bike tour is to plan the tour through Google Maps Street View. :-)

[@weiwei1808]

Good

[@sergpryimachuk]

Mike, your advices can be easily applied for a life itself🤔 Greetings from Ukraine 🇺🇦

[@BikeTouringMike]

Thank you! I will be the greater man and congratulate you to your victory against us a couple of days ago. I wish you good luck in the games to come in Euro 2020.

[@truth-Hurts375]

Buy the good stuff..they normally dont weigh a lot...first the duct tape and cable ties...then pack the rest.

[@Chelsify]

Hi Mike, love your videos! I was planning to leave in July, Canada to Ushuaia. Not so sire I'll be able to go. This year. What do you think will happen once this subsides? Will bike Touring around the world still be possible? Maybe we'll need a medical record along woth our passport to get into a country?

[@BikeTouringMike]

Thanks for the positive feeback! So, sorry to hear about you're plans. Haven't thought about the consequences that much but I think you might be on to something there. Usually these big events lead to some kind of change in the future. Just remember what happened after 9/11. Security at airports got a lot stricter and the due date of passports got cut in half (at least where I live). So travel will probably be a bit tricker the coming years.

[@Chelsify]

@@BikeTouringMike I'm pretty sure you'll need a medical record with your passport. I'm hoping that I can start my ride next summer. Have you any plans or are you waiting this out?

[@BikeTouringMike]

Just by coincidence this is the first year in probably 15 years I or my family haven't made any plans for traveling outside of the country. Usually we go on two or more trips every year. So I'm basically just waiting it out. Travel within Sweden is still allowed andit doesn't get more isolated than my bike tours in Lapland, so I'm thinking about maybe going on a weekend tour in a couple of weeks time. Norway has shut their border, so that sort of shuts down my plans for the summer. Was planning on going there. But hopefully they will open up again in the not so far future. I have 7 weeks off from work this summer, so I would really love to get away. Then again, my problems are ridiculous compared to other people's problems at the moment.

[@Chelsify]

@@BikeTouringMike I may go across Canada if this ends by July

[@sanahyon3095]

하하하하하하 100% 공감합니다. Hello my name is Sana from Korea. Now i am preparing East to west Russia tour in 2023 alone. Do you have any experience on Russia tour? If you have let me know

[@andreashoppe1969]

Hi, how much do panniers slow you down? How to balance your bike properly? Thanks!

[@BikeTouringMike]

Hi Andeas! Well it depends very much on how much I pack into them and how windy it is, since they do take up some wind resistance. But to give you a general idea, let's say I'm cycling 25 km/h normally. That would probably equate to 16-17 km/h with a fully loaded touring bike. So you will probably go a third slower than you normally would. And the second question. I try to balance my panniers sort of equal. The rear panniers will usually be a bit heavier, since they can fit a lot more. But I keep thing like my electronics (batteries, drone etc) in the front panniers to even things out. But some people try to have as low weight as possible in the front, since they are uncomfortable handling the bike. But i really don't mind having a front heavy bike. So there are a lot of different solutions.

[@solstar4778]

Maybe no planning and just go with the flow 🤷🏼‍♂️ what about the baby seat position?

[@BikeTouringMike]

Haha, the baby seat position! I actually own two of those. But on this thumbnail I just threw a bunch of random stuff on the bike to illustrate all the stuff some people bring on their bike tour. That is a camp chair that I usually bring on my car camping trips.

[@vormkrijger121]

Best decision ... bring folding chairs !!!!

[@ravenone6255]

Make sure to keep a check list of these mistakes so you won't repeat them. 👉Happy cycling

[@checkmyplaylistsbbiwithzaz6260]

How many hours can you stand cycling?

[@BikeTouringMike]

I usually cycle for 4-5 hours effective time per day. But I'm probably out there for 10 hours each day. A lot of my time during the day goes to filming my ride and stopping to eat and so on...

[@RikuLeppanen]

So, solo it is.

[@sirnubenegra]

He sounds vaxxed