Heyo! I'm going on a solo trip this summer and I'm just looking for any (literally everything is warm welcomed) tips for biking alone. It's probably just a weeks trip. I'll be sleeping in my hammock, biking through Sweden where we're allowed to camp anywhere we want to.
Thanks in advance! 🙂
by prinsalban414
9 Comments
Bring a book, steamdeck/switch(I enjoyed this in the winter), what ever would keep you busy sat on the couch at home.
Bone conduction headphones are cool for podcasts if your confident on your stretch of road, I find it feels like company.
I get lonely camping solo, hopefully you like your own company, if not it’s also a good reason to do it. I think it’s good to experience every so often.
*edit wrote bone condition lol
Some music you’d only listen to alone, if you get remote enough try screaming at the top of your lungs. Usual stuff.
Have fun!
I spent a number of months solo on a bike and honestly loved it. Bring a book or e-reader, phone and battery pack for those remote nights but otherwise it’s kind of the same.
Socialize when you get the opportunity, you’re biking alone but still have to resupply and meet others having similar adventures that might be fun to travel with for a bit.
I found long podcasts helped the days go faster while on the bike, but generally didn’t find it as lonely as some people would think.
Not answering your question but that picture is amazing !
I wish I journaled more (on any trip) but especially alone. You don’t have the built in shared experience so it’s up to you to remember and reflect on the days. Sometimes you’ll end up in a lot of social settings and other times you’ll be out alone. The bone condition headphones (if that is what they are called, where it like sits on your ear…bone…) are nice for podcasts cause it lets in all the ambient sounds.
Wear a bike mirror.
The nice part of solo is you set your own pace and directions. I found people a bit more friendly when I’m alone or willing to lend a hand.
I’ve solo bikepacked before and met a guy on the ferry doing the same. He asked where I was going. I said I didn’t know but I had all the time in the world. He liked that.
Bikepacking alone is great because you are 100% in charge. Wake when you want, stop when you want, go where you want. 👍🏼
Pack light if going off road or in a place with alot of daily elevation, i try to keep bike and all to 40lbs. Try it with just a map, it’s fun in a stressful kind of way!
If you’re hammock camping, make sure you’re going to be in places with trees. Sweden runs out of trees up north. Of my friends made that mistake in Norway, not good.
But I toured around Europe solo for a couple months, it’s still a lot of fun, and the freedom is nice. You may meet a fellow bikepacker, and you can ride together. I’ve toured for a month through the balkans with one dude I met on the road, and 3 months in Asia with another. The people you meet is a big part of touring
I carry a Garmin InReach and I have crash detection on my Garmin head unit and my watch. So if things go bad fast, someone will come eventually. Sweeden is probably not as remote so you probably don’t need the InReach (you can just tie the crash response to your phone), but you might want to think about something like that.
Also, a lightweight lock for your bike that will make it obvious that someone is trying to take the bike. You’ll never stop all thieves when you go in for resupply, but something to slow them down helps.