Which is better Cycle Touring or Bikepacking?!
Welcome to the Ultimate Guide to Cycle Touring & Bikepacking [Ep2]
In this episode I cover
– What is Cycle Touring?
– What is bikepacking?
– When you should Cycle tour vs When you should Bikepack
– Who can travel by bike
– Talk you through some of bike travels biggest myths
I have created this series because I’ve cycled over 35,000km globally but I still don’t consider myself an expert. I still google and search for information and I don’t feel like theres one resource for cycle tourers and bikepackers to use.
So if you’re a total beginner to travelling by bike or whether you’ve dipped your toes into bike travel before this series is for you! I am aiming to release a video in the series every few weeks so that come summertime you’ll be ready for that first bike trip.
Follow the journey:
https://www.instagram.com/bikingvikingrides/
@bikingvikingrides
https://www.strava.com/athletes/50658966
#cycletouring #bikepacking #cycletouringtips #bikepackingtips
47 Comments
I wish you wouldn’t make constant annoying edits at the end of every sentence. This is so jumpy and irritating and makes what you’re saying harder to follow. Those breathing spaces have a purpose.
Great videos mate! Do you use padded shorts when riding longer journeys (1 month or so)? If not, how you protect your precious bum bum from being sore? (: thanks!
well presented. i tend to use the touring setup so i have plenty of room for that pocket revolver i didn't know i was missing.
Over 50 and had my first tour in 2023 about 1000k in 14 days from Germany to Italy. Stayed in hotels. This year, first time camping. My bike: an old MTB -> now a tourbike with low budget. Still modifications to do. And every week the bike get better and better. Go out, do it. Never had better experience.
What a great intro to the idea of getting out on bike adventures! Loving this.
Bike price, look at traditional touring bikes. The components arent the top group sets, often they sticking to 7,8 or 9 speed components.
U need reliable not race light and exotic materials.
An old Shimano tourney 7 group set is more bomb proof than the top shimano dura ace
This is the exact answer to everone. Well done. No stupid sponsor wordy crap just plain common sense. ❤
Seat post racks are stupid. the weight should be low not high. This goes for a lot of weight on the handlebars. Don't forget you can also use a burley trailer, even off road.
The biggest lesson I learned was that while I love bike travel, I don't want to be away from home on an epic months long trip. I decided to stop a one shot cross US trip into three week stages as well as shorter trips near home. At first I was down on myself because I'd watched a ton of world traveler videos and thought the epic was the only way. I had started to ride just to put on miles. The way I am touring now I am more fully present on road. Travel the way that works for you.
I’m so very happy I found your content i’ve been casually cycling for about 12 years and have a good amount of backpacking experience / gear but was totally clueless on how to rig up my cyclocross bike. Thank you!❤
Thx for review. Have my old long haul steel bike. Is aluminum and carbon fork safe loaded whith packs + my weight?
Been thinking about doing something like this as a guy back into biking after years. Big into camping and overlanding too. But I think I’m going to try out touring. I get really really sweaty biking. Wet wipes in a tent ain’t gonna cut it haha.
I've done a few lengthy and short bike tours, and I completely agree with literally every single point on this!! Ride on <3
My travel companions and I refer to pushing the heavy touring bike up an off-road hill as bike hiking.
Its the same thing. Just marketing bullshit
i know i can do it, but my parents say it's too dangerous, and i'm too young. god help me. i've planned an awesome path from jordan to georgia, passing through syria, lebanon, and turkey. i was so excited to do it in my gap year, only to be let down by my parents. so new goal for the gap year: start a kick-ass business and become independent.
Strange i came across with your channel just now. Subscribed. Regards from Norway, i am planning a bikepacking from Norway to new Zeeland 🙂
Good video. I have always used front and rear racks with panniers and decided a few years ago to switch to bikepacking, just because it was the « new thing » and I realized it’s not for me: I found it difficult to pack and unpack, difficult to attach the bags to the bike, ran out of space quickly, and was missing having a rack to strap something on the top. My bikepacking gear is sold and I’m back to racks and panniers. Much more convenient to pack and bring bags in a hotel room, etc…
Gear be good tents etc
Well done great explanation. I have road, touring and gravel bikes. Nothing fancy or expensive. We tour on road / track. So would use steel tourer. Robust. Stopping to go shopping or eat us removing ortlieb panniers. It takes a second. So leaving bike locked and stripped is easy. Also rear weight bias helps with 35mm Marathon supremes. Yes I can see for off road the panniers are a liability.
Just to be contrarian: I prefer my Omnium Cargo with one or two duffles on it, depending on needs (and size of duffles).
Well done and kudos for deflating the argument of bikepacking vs bike touring. I think you are right: bike travel is about moving and enjoying the experience, not what your bags look like.
Biggest challenge is persuading my family to let me go and do it. Family life and commitments and all that. I'm not my own boss
Absolutely brilliant, complete with history and simple segments too. You do know the mic clips to your shirt tho bro ? 😆
It’s all the same shit.
⚔️💪😎👌👏👏🏴(stroke) ICE
1)Isn't easier to ride with a trailer than to load all the weight on the bike alone?
2)how do you cope with…butt pain:))? This is what used to bother me a lot because after 3-4 hours of riding that area can get very painful. When it's hot it does not help because sweat adds to pain also.
3)would you choose a suspension bike or not? I would expect a minimal front suspension for decent comfort but i have no idea about a full suspension. Maybe a better question would be hardtail or full?
Which is better? They ate two very different things. It depends on what you want to do. Bo better, no worse
Thanks for the info, hopefully bike packing is in my future. I ride loads of miles but always sleep at home.
The most important thing I found out for myself is to have easy access to the things you need often. The amazing thing when you’re on the road is that you usually realise you need a lot less than you brought with you. Enjoy the adventure
I can see his happy face when talking about not being lonely.
I want to let you know how much I appreciate this video. You kept it simple and helped me realize I already have everything I need to get out there and make it happen. So from your new subscriber in a little farm town in Illinois I want to say Thank you!!!
I hate bike packing packs that are suspended on the seat. They are unstable on high speed descents. Descents should be fun, not worrying. So many bike packing seat packs are crazy expensive. Small panniers and a roll top stuff sack on top of a light rear carrier are way more stable. Other than that, my setup is similar to bike packing. I don't like panniers on the forks and make sure that I can manage without them. Maybe water bottles on the forks if you're traversing a long distance without water access. Ultimately it's not a contest, but rather what you, yourself, like. Agree with your fitness comment. I'm so often told that I'm crazy, but I always point out that on a bike, you can go your own speed, that you're fitter than you think, and that you'll get better as you go along – just don't start in the Alps. Nicely edited presentation.
Excellent video. As a long time bicycle traveler myself, I echo your statements about how much bicycle travel has opened my life to many fascinating experiences and meeting so many unique and interesting people and cultures. That said, I am strictly a road traveler. My principle has always been roads are for wheels and trails are for boots.
Thank you. Great video.
I always carry a pocket revolver – but then I live and ride in Scandinavia where the original vikings still roam 😄 That said, excellent video.
🫡🎉
I think the bike does matter to some extent, especially when it comes to things like rims and wheel sets, on some cheap bikes, if you put a decent load on, it could compromise the rims, spokes and hubs so I think at a Minimum, an MTB even with the old 26" wheels and tyres would be ideal even for bikepacking. We have a Youtuber here in Australia who just uses old 90's MTBs for Bikepacking, he and all his mates are on old MTBs and ride some pretty rugged tracks.
Nice! That’s a super cool fun video!
I just did my first adventure from England, through France, Belgium and the Netherlands. I used a bike I got from ebay for £150. No mechanical issues was had at all, and most of my stuff went into a backpack strapped to the bike. If anything, we cycled too much and should have slowed down and enjoyed the journey more!
Tail packs are shite, compact panniers and a small rack pack for bikepacking every time!
Great video! Thanks 🙏
Always worth remembering, most bikes can do most things you'd do on a bike.
Re: riding alone. I've done exactly one bike tour so ymmv. I, a 54yo woman, decided on a whim to cycle the length of the Natchez Trace. Within 6 days I was cycling, alone, during a winter advisory. It. Was. Awesome. I saw hardly anyone. I've never been happier. It was so peaceful and rejuvenating. Just me, my thoughts, and the road. Of the very few people I met most were lovely and helpful…the only caveat being the astonishing sexist man down in Mississippi. Makes my skin crawl whenever I remember that particular encounter. But even he wasn't dangerous…just not very nice.
If this aging slightly overweight undertrained old biddy can do it, so can you.
Touring is better!
Great advice. I first toured as a young teen on a Schwinn Continental ten speed from one state to another. I was 14. Rode 45 miles one way, crossed a bridge with cars (no sidewalk). That was in 1982. I was 14. Now, I’m just getting back into commuting to work by bike and soon touring. Thanks for the video
One big difference for me is that panniers are much easier to load and unload at the beginning or end of the day. However, if you are staying in hotels then you don’t have to remove you bags so it doesn’t matter.