I’m starting to plan a short tour with a few friends who’ve never done a bicycle tour before. They were looking for a guide that covered the essentials needed to try out bicycle touring without breaking the bank, so here we go!
Must-Have Gear
| Item | Affordable Option | Cost | Fine Option | Cost | Deluxe Option | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rear Rack | Filzer PR-7 | $34 | Filzer PR-4 | $48 | Tubus Cargo Evo | $140 |
| Rear Panniers | Ibera PakRak Pair | $103 | Rockbros 27L Waterproof Panniers | 2x $63 | Ortlieb Bike Packer Plus | $240 |
| Sleeping Pad | Roll-up EVA Foam Mat | $12 | Moon Lence Sleeping Pad | $46 | MEC Reactor 3.8 | $90 |
| Sleeping Bag | LixadaUltra-Light | $31 | Kelty Rambler 50 | $74 | MEC Gosling +5 | $170-$190 |
This gear is a must for any bicycle tour. Without it you really won’t be able to tour successfully. Going over this list, I tried to keep options open for panniers. I’ve seen folks using bucket panniers on longer tours before, and I really like the idea of recycling kitty litter buckets, especially if you have a kitty that needs litter! If you have any intention of doing more than one tour, I’d strongly recommend splurging on a set of Ortlieb panniers. In my experience buying from http://thetouringstore.com was more affordable than their list prices suggest, particularly if you purchased a set of front and rear panniers. Call Wayne for a quote before ruling out the Ortlieb panniers. They really seem like a lifetime purchase.
Other things on the must-have gear that are on the cheaper end and doesn’t really need price breakdowns:
- Water bottle cages (as many as your bike can hold, and 1.5L cages if you can manage)
- Water bottles for each cage (biggest you can manage, and if your bike can hold 1.5L-cages, just a bottle of water at any store)
- Bike multi-tool
- Tire lever set
- Tire patch kit
Best-Have Gear
| Item | Affordable Option | Cost | Fine Option | Cost | Deluxe Option | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front Rack | Zefal Touring Front Rack | $51 | Tubus Tara Lowrider Front Rack | $120 | ||
| Front Panniers | Ibera PakRak Pair | $105 | Rockbros Waterproof Pannier | 2x $35 | Ortlieb SportPacker PLUS Panniers | $210 |
| Bicycle Fenders | Forward Deflector Shield Rear Deflector Shield | $7 $7 | Planet Bike SpeedEZ Hybrid+Touring Fenders | $43 | Planet Bike Cascadia II Fenders | $53 |
| Frame Pump | Planet Bike Micro Mini Pump | $15 | Portland Design Ninja CO2+Pump | $29 | Crankbrothers KLIC HP Gauge Pump | $45 |
This next set of gear comes highly recommended, without any of it, you could have difficulties on your tour. Again, I’d suggest splurging on your panniers. They keep your belongings safe, secure and dry while you’re travelling! Fenders will allow you to keep riding in wet conditions without getting dirty. I’d only consider them optional if riding in places with very infrequent rain. The bike pump is really best-to-have, as without it, a flat will be pretty much catastrophic to your trip!
Other items I’d consider as best-to-haves for a bike tour:
- Bicycle shorts with shammois liner – Keep that backend comfy on your long stints in the saddle!
- Sweat-wicking, long-sleeved shirts – Keep yourself cool and dry, without getting sunburned!
- Sunglasses
- Mirror (either glasses-mount or bar-mount) – Keep an eye on traffic when riding on highways!
- Blinky taillight, white headlight – The headlight can double as your light in-camp!
- Bike lock – You will probably want to leave your bike someplace to get a tasty treat or to check something out on foot
- Camp cutlery set + bowl + plate – You gotta eat!
- Small container of bike lube – Your bike needs to stay in good, working order
- Small container of kerosene – Keep your bike clean with kerosene!
Nice-to-Have Gear
| Item | Affordable Option | Cost | Fine Option | Cost | Deluxe Option | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Handlebar Bag | TRADERPLUS Handlebar Bag | $14 | Roswheel Waterproof Handlebar Bag | $22 | Ortlieb Ultimate 6 Classic Handlebar Bag | $110 |
| Bike Computer | VDO M2.1 Wired Bike Computer | $28 | VDO M2.1 WL Wireless Bike Computer | $50 | Garmin Edge 20 GPS Bike Computer | $180 |
| Sleeping Bag Liner | GEERTOP Cotton Bag Liner | $25 | Bundlemonster Microfiber Bag Liner | $35 | MEC Synthetic Bag Liner | $45 |
These nice-to-haves are more for convenience and interest than anything. The handlebar bag just gives you a nice, easy place to keep things, like your phone, out of your pockets but still close-at-hand. The bike computer is nice to keep track of how far you’ve gone each day, so you know how close you might be to your destination. Things like average and max speeds are neat to know, so you can see yourself getting better as your tour goes on! The sleeping bag liner is a nice trick I found that allows you to pack a much lighter-weight sleeping bag that you otherwise would need. Two smaller items are much easier to pack than one larger one on a bike tour!
Other items that are nice-to-haves:
- Inflatable camp pillow – Call me soft, but a camp pillow improves sleep so much!