Hi all,
My wife and I are planning our first bike tour this summer in July. Nothing too hard (we think). We’re planning on starting in Chicago (Buckingham Fountain), going up to Milwaukee (92.9 mi), ferry across to Muskegon, and then south back around Lake Michigan to Chicago (196 mi) for a total of about 288 miles. We are NOT going to camp (we like to take it easy) and we’re thinking about 30 or 40 miles a day (again, we like to take it easy). We’re going to use our current commuter bikes which are both in good condition with rear racks, 2013 & 2015 Trek FX. We are both bicycle commuters so we already have some panniers (Arkel bags [1](https://arkel.ca/collections/bike-panniers/products/signature-h-urban-pannier) & [2](https://arkel.ca/collections/bike-panniers/products/signature-v-urban-pannier)). We figure we’ll bring a couple changes of clothes with us, padded bike shorts and some casual clothes, spare tubes in case of flats (and a multitool), water (of course), and some snacks for the ride. Our bicycles are standard, no mods or different equipment than what came with the bicycles when we bought them (other than the usual maintenance, brakes and tires). Is there anything else you would recommend that we should bring with us or anything we should change on our bikes? We’re thinking about doing different handelbars but we’re not sure what, butterfly bars maybe? We want to stick with regular pedals (are they called flats?) because we don’t want to deal with buying and bringing different shoes with us. What are we forgetting, overlooking, not knowing?
Thanks for any and all advice!
by crios2
6 Comments
My advice is always to hit the road with what you got and you think you need. And then as you go, whatever comes to mind or you feel like you need, just stop and get it.
I’m assuming a bike pump and tire levers are with the spare tube. Throw in the patch kit too, super small and can save the day. A good rain coat is smart and you’ll be very glad you have it of a quick thunder shower rolls through. I love having a mirror on the left side of my bars, I would imagine you would encounter a skinny road/shoulder along the way. Best thing to take is a good attitude! Have a blast.
Hey there! I’d advise to overpack on snacks and water unless you know for sure you can refuel easily enroute, and also to bring a portable charger, especially if you’re going to be using your phone(s) for navigation. Also sunscreen and sunglasses! You’re going to be out in the sun for a pretty long time, and headaches and sunburns make for a crappy second day.
Congrats. For a ride like that, I think you have it. The pump, levers, tubes, patch kit, multi tool will have you covered. Good gorilla Duct tape! It has gotten me out of many things including patching ripped tires, fixing broken fenders, fixing broken glasses, stopping rattles, patching tent & panniers.
Maybe a knife or scissors also.
A power bank is super useful for charging all the things.
A headlamp (or 3) even if you are taking it easy, if you get a flat at dusk (which is when most of my flats occur) you are gonna want some light.
Good front and rear lights for the viz
Carrying extra tubes is the way to go but a patch kit can save the day and is tiny. On the rare occasion you can get multiple flats before you find the tiny wire stuck in your tread doing the damage. Most likely you wouldn’t need it but on the rare occasion….
If you planning to navigate by an electric device a power bank is good to have,, sometimes weather conditions can drain batteries quick. Sounds like you have the basics covered, I always like to carry a bit more snacks and water than I think.
I recommend doing an overnighter to a hotel somewhere to test your gear and see what else you will need that you don’t think of until your on the road.
Or just loop, overnight to your house and only use what you brought with you. Really makes you see what you need vs don’t need vs forgot about