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    How To Plan Your Next Cycling Adventure | GCN’s Bikepacking Tips



    We’ve been lucky enough to go on some awesome bikepacking trips this year to both Morocco and Iceland. Si takes on board what he’s learnt from these rides to give you his guide to planning your next cycling adventure…

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    Inspiration
    One of the best bits of planning is getting inspired. Research, daydreaming. The whole of the world is at your fingertips and you can explore anywhere with the click of a mouse. We’re not sure we can tell you how to get inspired, but videos, Instagram, websites are a good place to start.

    Budget
    The next thing to think about is budget. When bikepacking, the good news is that a trip can be pretty cheap. If you plan on setting out from home then all you really need is a bike and some luggage but Head further afield then you will need to factor in actually getting there too. However the cost of living at your destination of choice might be different too so Perhaps you’ll spend more on flights, but save on food and accommodation.

    Route
    So you’ve got the time, you’ve got the money, now the really exciting bit, route planning. Google maps is a good place to start, particularly if Google street view is available. It’s an option in a surprising number of places and it will give you a flavour of what to expect. Traffic levels, scenery, even climate.

    Do you have any cycling adventures lined up? If so, let us know what you’ve got planned. 👇

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    Watch more on GCN…
    Iceland Bikepacking Epic 📹 http://gcn.eu/IcelandEpic
    Morocco Bikepacking 📹 http://gcn.eu/bikepacking

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    Music: Epidemic Sound
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    Photos: © Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images & © Bettiniphoto / http://www.bettiniphoto.net/

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    View 27 Comments

    27 Comments

    4. @superyamagucci on

      If you go really exotic, tattoo blood type / allergies inside wrist. Bracelets get stolen while you're lying in a heap. Just like army.

      Plan to Not Plan.
      Entry point. Good.
      Civil or political strife? Knowing unguarded border opportunities to safe countries is a must.
      Take a few hundred US dollars or UK pounds depending on region.
      A small bottle of hard local booze if questioned. And a bog of one for when guns come out and you just want them to be friends.
      Also a gun. But hide it really well, and, I understand…. If you're willing to pull it out,be willing to use it.
      Ive heard.

      Play it safe kids. You know the countries to stay in! Seriously. Doesn't matter if you're purple green or indigo

    5. @paulathomas4944 on

      I've been going cycle camping since the early 1990s. I've toured quite a bit around both England and Ireland (a must-do destination IMHO) although I've had a bit of hiatus the last few years. I do have a couple of trips planned for next year. The first one will be a simple over-nighter to test out my new one-person tent. I've discovered a country pub about 25 miles away which does good food and has a small campsite attached – perfect for a trial run. I'm also planning to take the train up to York then take several days to ride back home camping each night. Daily mileage will be a modest 30-40 miles per day and to be honest that will probably about my limit at my age (late 60s). IMHO touring is about the places you visit and the people you meet on the way rather than a contest to see who can ride the fastest, furthest or over the most extreme terrain.

    7. @julen2380 on

      Happy to route for Patagonia! Also have a question – how do you know what distance you can do in a day? Obviously, you can take more time than on a normal ride but on the other hand, it'd be back-to-back days… Any tipps?

    9. @Florimondable on

      I would recommend the Android application OSMAnd it's openstreetmap map offline, many options like finding next cemetery to get water :D, great.
      Use it for my Paris-Nice this summer.

    15. @waynerenshaw-multi-outdoor4521 on

      Myself and Angie are doing way of the roses, Trans Cambrian way and LEJOG next year on fat bikes kitted out with Topeak bags front loader, frame loader, back loader and top loader … can't wait guys … great show to GCN.. ps where's your white ceramic mugs on website gone ? Need two for our Fat Bike challenge 👍😉

    18. @geoffgovey9093 on

      Hi there,just wondered if you guys might be interested in making a video about canal tow path rides. I've done a couple so far and they've been great fun!I live in Bedfordshire and caught the train into London. Picking up the Grand Union canal at Paddington Basin I then cycled the 86Km back to Slapton (took around 6 hours). The condition of the paths vary considerably along the route from well paved asphalt through to unmade dirt paths. Time of year is also important because in winter the mud can make it difficult and in high summer the vegetation can be overgrown.Whilst a mountain bike is not necessary it is not really suitable for a road bike so a gravel/adventure bike would be ideal. There are plenty of pubs along the way for Lloydy to enjoy!I'm sure a number of your viewers would be interested and I would guess some may have already done some.Keep up the great work, love the content!Geoff Govey.

    25. @georgecumming760 on

      I'm a 60 year old overweight man. I lost 28kg in 2017 to trek Everest Base Camp, put on the same weight in 2018 and lost 14kg before only getting to the third of five days climbing KIlimanjaro. Now I want to cycle from Mumbai-Agra-Chittagong-Myanmar-Bangkok-Ho CHi Minh city (7500km=120 days + rest days). I plan to go after monsoon season and don't yet have a bike. So here's the thing – like the treks, I've never done a short bike tour never mind a small one, so I'd appreciate all the advice people could kindly give give eg (1) average distance per day for 5-7 hours cycling (2) can I get away with a $400 second hand bike (3) can visas be done on the hoof (4) how safe are these countries on/off road (5) can I depend on hostels/warmshowers places (6) how can I avoid steep inclines (7) is 5-7 hrs a day sustainable (8) chances of sickness/malaria (9) spares to carry (10) internet availability?

    26. @georgecumming760 on

      I'd like to go from Kathmandu to Agra (Taj) and down to Goa (India). Seems to me the planning should also consider avoiding steep inclines and maybe not in this case cycling into trade winds or seasonal winds. I'm using Bikemap so I will try Google Maps but doubt if the side roads of Northern India will feature in the street view facility. I have loads of time but am worried that I break down in the middle of nowhere, get robbed or catch a disease but that's the risks.

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