Some time ago I went on my first long distance bicycle tour. It was also the trip that gave me the inspiration to go on a long cycling tour every year.
I took three weeks off, packed a heavily loaded bike (first tour, of course), the biggest tent I could find, and all the panniers I could carry. I also brought four books with me, which turned out to be a good decision because I could not really charge my phone while cycling. I used a paper map for navigation, which worked just fine. I plotted all the bothies on the map before I left, turned out that just getting to the bothies from the main road is not an easy task. And yes, I took a tripod, something I do not take with me anymore (good or bad, not sure).
My brakes failed during a descent. My second-hand shoes gave up on me, so I ended up cycling 150 kilometres with shoes held together by duct tape. But I also met so many wonderful people, through Warmshowers, in restaurants, pubs and on the road.
One evening I stayed in a bothy with a retired Scottish postman. He spent his summers cycling in Scotland and had just returned from spending the winter by bike in Cambodia. We listened to Scottish music on his MP3 player while I shared a beer with him up in the mountains. A quiet but unforgettable evening.
I skipped the Isle of Skye, thinking that leaving it would give me a reason to return to Scotland. I still have to go.
In those three weeks I was very lucky to have only three days of rain. But when it rained, it was absolutely miserable.
I can recommend it to anyone here. Go for the people, the nature, or just for the meat pies.
by Karieltje