Thank you all for your help with your questions! This topic turned out to be too huge to fit in one video, so I decided to split it into two halves. Part II is coming soon though. If there is something else you're wondering about when it comes to bike touring feel free to ask, and I might be able to do a video about that topic.
Thanks Mikael...will begin countdown shortly. My first spring trip is mid April, so I'll be scattering my gear all over the living room floor doing my preflight inventory. Then, several iterations of... pack, un-pack and pack again. All part of the adventure. Thanks again for a fine video Mike. Be well.
Hey Mike, nothing to extensive from a trip standpoint...there is a spring tune-up that takes place each year at this time, it's one of the B.R.A.G rides. It'll be in and around the Georgia countryside, starting in Rutledge Ga. It has various loops each day, starting and ending at the same place ...not necessary to break camp each day. Even though I'm really familiar with the area, it takes us through areas off the beaten path. It'll be the first of the season, so I'm pumped!
A good video with sound advice. One thing is if new to bike touring don't over estimate the distance you plan to do. I've felt it's like a good meal, if you finish the meal having thoroughly enjoyed it and feel you could have eaten more then it's better than eating too much. I've always looked at the route and try to look at alternatives to shorten the journey if weather or health causes a problem.. If you've enjoyed your tour you can plan for a longer trip next time. A friend told me this many years ago and it was because he'd overestimated his daily mileage and not allowed any time to relax and recover. I've tried to follow his advice and after a trip I'm already planning where to go next time. Many thanks for the video, hopefully it will inspire others to get on their bikes and try cycle touring.
Tack, fått några bra tips. Sett att du klarade dig in i Norge förra året. Jag var där för tidigt och fick vända i Karesuando på vägen till Nordkap. Det blir nog en vända i Sverige detta år igen...
Ja, jag lyckade tajma och åka upp till Riksgränsen den enda veckan vi Västerbottningar var välkomna in i Norge. Men jag var skiträdd att de inte skulle släppa in mig och att jag skulle behöva vända om. Nu hoppas jag på att de öppnar upp igen till sommaren så att jag kan genomföra min tur mellan Lofoten-Nordkap. Känns långt borta nu dock.
@@BikeTouringMike har en gnutta hopp! Om jag kan utnyttja hela min semester så ska jag också upp via norska kusten och hem via Finland Karesuando. Behöver reka eftersom jag ska leda upp en grupp nästa år
No need to watch that tent video - I've already got the same tent as you based on your continued use of that tent. I've got my first trip planned - just a simple loop with an over night stay at a campsite, with the route being one of the old railway line trails here (Tissington Trail) in the UK. It's not a huge distance on the first day just 28km but it will be the first time riding a fully loaded bike. The second day takes a different route back to the car and goes via Carsington Water to give me a 43km day. I may try and sneak in a local overnighter just to see how the bike feels with all the gear.
Hi Mike. As Always a great video. Thanks for mentioning the Adventure Cycling Association (ACA) for the United States. The ACA maps are great so thanks for talking about them. Going on another major cross country trip across United States in June. Your videos are spot on!!
Thank you Brent! You're lucky that you have such a vast country to travel within during these times. Over here in Europe, things a bit tricker. Borders keep opening and closing all the time.
The only worry that i have is in planning for possible problems like damage to my bike or ill health - punctures i can fix and many scrapes etc don't bother, so I'm looking at more serious situations. 1. Health insurance and where there are medical centres or hospitals along your route - I'm an old boy now so things go wrong so I may need medical assistance - how? where and how much? are my questions to answer in planning. I need medication for existing ailments - how much they cost and what they are called in the country I could be travelling could be good to know, you can't always rely on Google. I always carry a first aid kit - sometimes 2. 2. Bike stores with parts or even a mechanic if something serious goes wrong. I carry puncture repair kits, tubes and for a long trail would think of tyres too, brake parts and cables and lights with battery back up or now usb charger with solar charger to hand (they come small and flexible now and quite cheap).
Hi mate I really like your channel I left sub and like with 🛎 after watching your video with reviews about tent cloud up 2 I decided buy the same tent but the green color. I have question all models cloud up its the same size and weight ?? Greetings from London 👋🇬🇧
That's great to hear that you like the channel. I think the sizes are identical but thry might vary a little bit when it comes to the weight, since some of the models are made out of nylon and others of polyester. Nylon is lighter than polyester.
Great job Mike! Good info. I’d like to know more about you. Hav u ever done a video on ur background, how you got drawn to bikes. Why bikes are important to you? Curious what u do for work. Scandinavia looks a bit like Alaska😎
Hi Dan! This video explains it all: ruclips.net/video/qO1K6q_LOMw/видео.html I'm not if I mention it in that video but I work for a mining company with environmental supervision. Scandinavia is very alike Alaska from everything I've seen. The only difference is that we luckily we hardly have any bears around here. So bear spray and having to hang your food up a tree isn't required over here.
@@BikeTouringMike Hi Mike, enjoyed hearing ur story. Still getting my plan off the ground. I too hav 3 kids and $$ is my my issue. My plan would be to fly Anchorage to Seattle. Get on a route called the Northern Tier. Ride to Michigan then south to Atlanta where I hav some family. A local shop has been building a salsa Marrakesh this winter for me. I camp in AK and hav some of that gear already. If all comes together I should start in May and hope to go for 3 months
Loved the music at the start of the video 🤣that’s how I feel in The dark days of winter. I still hav 3ft on my roof. But it has started to melt. Enjoy ur spring and summer
Hey Mike, thank you for your great video! We are planning a tour in Sweden this summer an wonder whether you could recommend an app for getting around e.g. bike routes, shelter…we would like to navigate with our Smartphones. Thanx!
Hello , Mike ! I have a question about your international trips or longer trips. When you left your home for 1,2 weeks you used a laptop or an external hard disk to have enough memory to record your trip or you have more SD cards . Because I have 3 SD cards of 128 Gb and i think will be enough for 1 week or something like that and i don't wanna buy more cards, i'm thinking to take my laptop with me . Thanks !
Hi George! I have never brought my laptop with me on one of my trips. Most due to the fact that I do all of my editing once I get back home, so I've never really had the need of bringing it with me. And I've seen what a long bike tour can do to a laptop. When I was touring with Darren (Bicycle Touring Pro) he showed me his MacBook pro, and believe me it had seen better days. I've been fine with bringing maybe three or four 64 Gb SD cards. And I record a lot of footage. Probably 1-2 hours per day. I guess it can depend on what resolution and frame rate you're recording at. I usually record at 1080p and 25 fps. One other option can be to get en external hard drive with a built in SD-card reader. I know that both Lacie and WD makes those. With one of those you can transfer the contents from the SD-card over to the hard drive without having to bring a laptop. Either via a button on the hard drive or via an app on your phone. I haven't tried any of them though.
All the reviews I have read about them have been very mixed, plus they are a couple of years old. So I'm probably holding off on buying one of them for now. I'm just going to get a couple of extra SD cards for my next long tour.
I'm planning a week long bike tour (This would be my first bike tour ever). How many kilometers would you recommend a day with around a 2-3 month prep time? Great video!
The second big question, i read you need to proof on the border that you are tested for corona otherwise you can turn around, uhmm and btw i don't want a stick in my nose till it touches my brain.
It is easy. Talk. Together we all have dreams and always together talk about those dreams. There are dreams we do together and some dreams apart. After 40 years together we both recognize what is 3 or 4 weeks apart to purse a dream? Good health and love bring us back together. Today we are semi-retired and we pursue our dreams. My wife has dreams she pursues for 3 or 4 weeks. Love brings us back together to share our adventures, and then together we go on another adventure. Always keep exploring and please pursue your dreams.
It is easy. Tell her she's put on a little too much weight lately and that she's not looking her best. Not only will she be happy to let you go but she'll help you with your packing too. You're welcome :)
For my first one, I've got to figure out how my ebike does on a trail. The trail is fairly close so I can go try out a good portion of it. If it doesn't work out, then there is a decision to be made. Should I buy a regular bike? Or spend the amount that could buy a nice regular bike on another battery? This is the decision I must make. Plus, this trip depends on Canada and us opening the border.
Hi Was interested in your post and why you brought an ebike in the 1st place, I own an ebike which I commute to work etc, you have to think about carrying battery / battery’s and extra weight then how to carry all this added weight with other equipment needed to self support you this is almost where I am at present, I have a “yak” trailer due to weight of extra batteries as bike can’t take weight of all equipment needed, now all I have to do is load trailer etc and find average range of batteries that I have which determines distance per day I can ride, due to medical problems I have I can’t ride this type of distance on a “regular” bike, but using an ebike should be still do-able but takes more planning also using ebike is more enjoyable which is the main reason for me to at least try, if you do use your ebike try and record your trip as not many are posted on RUclips Hope this helps you to decide you options Regards
@@terrylind3504 I originally got an ebike to access my super secret berry patches. Then I had so much fun that I bought a lighter one that handles better. I live in a valley and everywhere I like to ride is up--I guess some would call them mountains. I find I get out an ride more because I can ride up the hills now. Just got back from riding 27 miles with a good part of it in a nasty headwind. It's nice to be able to add more assist power when one's knees start hurting too.
I get a lot of questions regarding e-bike touring, and I'm maybe not the right person to answer your questions. The main issue I see with going on a bike tour with an e-bike is that it seems to require a lot more planning. You always have to make sure that you're able to charge the bike. Either at a campground at night or during a long lunch stop. For me where I live it would be an impossible task since the towns are so far from each other. Plus if I were to take the bike and go on a bike tour away from my local area it would have to be by car, since you can't take an e-bike on a plane. I might consider getting an e-bike in the future, but that would be mostly for commuting to work.
Thank you all for your help with your questions! This topic turned out to be too huge to fit in one video, so I decided to split it into two halves. Part II is coming soon though. If there is something else you're wondering about when it comes to bike touring feel free to ask, and I might be able to do a video about that topic.
Thanks a lot from England, Poland. Take care Buddy.
Thanks Mikael...will begin countdown shortly. My first spring trip is mid April, so I'll be scattering my gear all over the living room floor doing my preflight inventory. Then, several iterations of... pack, un-pack and pack again. All part of the adventure. Thanks again for a fine video Mike. Be well.
Where are you going Jerry?
Hey Mike, nothing to extensive from a trip standpoint...there is a spring tune-up that takes place each year at this time, it's one of the B.R.A.G rides. It'll be in and around the Georgia countryside, starting in Rutledge Ga. It has various loops each day, starting and ending at the same place ...not necessary to break camp each day. Even though I'm really familiar with the area, it takes us through areas off the beaten path. It'll be the first of the season, so I'm pumped!
Great practical advise! Being flexible I have found to be valuable as well.
Very true Gary. Thanks!
A good video with sound advice.
One thing is if new to bike touring don't over estimate the distance you plan to do. I've felt it's like a good meal, if you finish the meal having thoroughly enjoyed it and feel you could have eaten more then it's better than eating too much.
I've always looked at the route and try to look at alternatives to shorten the journey if weather or health causes a problem..
If you've enjoyed your tour you can plan for a longer trip next time.
A friend told me this many years ago and it was because he'd overestimated his daily mileage and not allowed any time to relax and recover. I've tried to follow his advice and after a trip I'm already planning where to go next time.
Many thanks for the video, hopefully it will inspire others to get on their bikes and try cycle touring.
Great this is what I was waiting for !! Thank you Mike!
Hope you got some tips for your upcoming trip Rana.
Bike Touring Mike yea surely it is helpful and I get so many of my answers from here. Waiting for the second part! Thanks!
Thank you for the awesome video. It really helps.
Thank you! Glad you found it useful!
Excellent. Thanks!
Tack, fått några bra tips. Sett att du klarade dig in i Norge förra året. Jag var där för tidigt och fick vända i Karesuando på vägen till Nordkap. Det blir nog en vända i Sverige detta år igen...
Ja, jag lyckade tajma och åka upp till Riksgränsen den enda veckan vi Västerbottningar var välkomna in i Norge. Men jag var skiträdd att de inte skulle släppa in mig och att jag skulle behöva vända om.
Nu hoppas jag på att de öppnar upp igen till sommaren så att jag kan genomföra min tur mellan Lofoten-Nordkap. Känns långt borta nu dock.
@@BikeTouringMike har en gnutta hopp! Om jag kan utnyttja hela min semester så ska jag också upp via norska kusten och hem via Finland Karesuando. Behöver reka eftersom jag ska leda upp en grupp nästa år
No need to watch that tent video - I've already got the same tent as you based on your continued use of that tent. I've got my first trip planned - just a simple loop with an over night stay at a campsite, with the route being one of the old railway line trails here (Tissington Trail) in the UK. It's not a huge distance on the first day just 28km but it will be the first time riding a fully loaded bike. The second day takes a different route back to the car and goes via Carsington Water to give me a 43km day. I may try and sneak in a local overnighter just to see how the bike feels with all the gear.
Hi Mike. As Always a great video. Thanks for mentioning the Adventure Cycling Association (ACA) for the United States. The ACA maps are great so thanks for talking about them. Going on another major cross country trip across United States in June. Your videos are spot on!!
Thank you Brent! You're lucky that you have such a vast country to travel within during these times. Over here in Europe, things a bit tricker. Borders keep opening and closing all the time.
The only worry that i have is in planning for possible problems like damage to my bike or ill health - punctures i can fix and many scrapes etc don't bother, so I'm looking at more serious situations.
1. Health insurance and where there are medical centres or hospitals along your route - I'm an old boy now so things go wrong so I may need medical assistance - how? where and how much? are my questions to answer in planning. I need medication for existing ailments - how much they cost and what they are called in the country I could be travelling could be good to know, you can't always rely on Google. I always carry a first aid kit - sometimes 2.
2. Bike stores with parts or even a mechanic if something serious goes wrong. I carry puncture repair kits, tubes and for a long trail would think of tyres too, brake parts and cables and lights with battery back up or now usb charger with solar charger to hand (they come small and flexible now and quite cheap).
Hi mate I really like your channel I left sub and like with 🛎 after watching your video with reviews about tent cloud up 2 I decided buy the same tent but the green color. I have question all models cloud up its the same size and weight ??
Greetings from London 👋🇬🇧
That's great to hear that you like the channel. I think the sizes are identical but thry might vary a little bit when it comes to the weight, since some of the models are made out of nylon and others of polyester. Nylon is lighter than polyester.
thanks mike!
You're welcome!
Great job Mike! Good info. I’d like to know more about you. Hav u ever done a video on ur background, how you got drawn to bikes. Why bikes are important to you? Curious what u do for work. Scandinavia looks a bit like Alaska😎
Hi Dan! This video explains it all: ruclips.net/video/qO1K6q_LOMw/видео.html
I'm not if I mention it in that video but I work for a mining company with environmental supervision. Scandinavia is very alike Alaska from everything I've seen. The only difference is that we luckily we hardly have any bears around here. So bear spray and having to hang your food up a tree isn't required over here.
@@BikeTouringMike Hi Mike, enjoyed hearing ur story. Still getting my plan off the ground. I too hav 3 kids and $$ is my my issue. My plan would be to fly Anchorage to Seattle. Get on a route called the Northern Tier. Ride to Michigan then south to Atlanta where I hav some family. A local shop has been building a salsa Marrakesh this winter for me. I camp in AK and hav some of that gear already. If all comes together I should start in May and hope to go for 3 months
Loved the music at the start of the video 🤣that’s how I feel in The dark days of winter. I still hav 3ft on my roof. But it has started to melt. Enjoy ur spring and summer
Hey Mike, thank you for your great video! We are planning a tour in Sweden this summer an wonder whether you could recommend an app for getting around e.g. bike routes, shelter…we would like to navigate with our Smartphones. Thanx!
Hello , Mike ! I have a question about your international trips or longer trips. When you left your home for 1,2 weeks you used a laptop or an external hard disk to have enough memory to record your trip or you have more SD cards . Because I have 3 SD cards of 128 Gb and i think will be enough for 1 week or something like that and i don't wanna buy more cards, i'm thinking to take my laptop with me . Thanks !
Hi George! I have never brought my laptop with me on one of my trips. Most due to the fact that I do all of my editing once I get back home, so I've never really had the need of bringing it with me. And I've seen what a long bike tour can do to a laptop. When I was touring with Darren (Bicycle Touring Pro) he showed me his MacBook pro, and believe me it had seen better days.
I've been fine with bringing maybe three or four 64 Gb SD cards. And I record a lot of footage. Probably 1-2 hours per day. I guess it can depend on what resolution and frame rate you're recording at. I usually record at 1080p and 25 fps.
One other option can be to get en external hard drive with a built in SD-card reader. I know that both Lacie and WD makes those. With one of those you can transfer the contents from the SD-card over to the hard drive without having to bring a laptop. Either via a button on the hard drive or via an app on your phone. I haven't tried any of them though.
@@BikeTouringMike Thank you so much Mike ! I didn't know about this external hard drive with SD-card reader . All the best !
All the reviews I have read about them have been very mixed, plus they are a couple of years old. So I'm probably holding off on buying one of them for now. I'm just going to get a couple of extra SD cards for my next long tour.
I'm planning a week long bike tour (This would be my first bike tour ever). How many kilometers would you recommend a day with around a 2-3 month prep time? Great video!
Cheers Mike, the big question is how do you persuade your wife to let you go in the first place??
Much love, Ed
Haha, Ed. That is THE question.
He doesn’t. He just goes out when no one is looking, and prays that he will have where to return after few days.
The second big question, i read you need to proof on the border that you are tested for corona otherwise you can turn around, uhmm and btw i don't want a stick in my nose till it touches my brain.
It is easy. Talk. Together we all have dreams and always together talk about those dreams. There are dreams we do together and some dreams apart. After 40 years together we both recognize what is 3 or 4 weeks apart to purse a dream? Good health and love bring us back together. Today we are semi-retired and we pursue our dreams. My wife has dreams she pursues for 3 or 4 weeks. Love brings us back together to share our adventures, and then together we go on another adventure. Always keep exploring and please pursue your dreams.
It is easy. Tell her she's put on a little too much weight lately and that she's not looking her best. Not only will she be happy to let you go but she'll help you with your packing too. You're welcome :)
I was able to retire last year which is great because it takes how much time do you have out of the equation
You're a lucky man Fred!
For my first one, I've got to figure out how my ebike does on a trail. The trail is fairly close so I can go try out a good portion of it. If it doesn't work out, then there is a decision to be made. Should I buy a regular bike? Or spend the amount that could buy a nice regular bike on another battery? This is the decision I must make. Plus, this trip depends on Canada and us opening the border.
Hi
Was interested in your post and why you brought an ebike in the 1st place, I own an ebike which I commute to work etc, you have to think about carrying battery / battery’s and extra weight then how to carry all this added weight with other equipment needed to self support you this is almost where I am at present, I have a “yak” trailer due to weight of extra batteries as bike can’t take weight of all equipment needed, now all I have to do is load trailer etc and find average range of batteries that I have which determines distance per day I can ride, due to medical problems I have I can’t ride this type of distance on a “regular” bike, but using an ebike should be still do-able but takes more planning also using ebike is more enjoyable which is the main reason for me to at least try, if you do use your ebike try and record your trip as not many are posted on RUclips
Hope this helps you to decide you options
Regards
@@terrylind3504 I originally got an ebike to access my super secret berry patches. Then I had so much fun that I bought a lighter one that handles better.
I live in a valley and everywhere I like to ride is up--I guess some would call them mountains. I find I get out an ride more because I can ride up the hills now. Just got back from riding 27 miles with a good part of it in a nasty headwind. It's nice to be able to add more assist power when one's knees start hurting too.
I get a lot of questions regarding e-bike touring, and I'm maybe not the right person to answer your questions. The main issue I see with going on a bike tour with an e-bike is that it seems to require a lot more planning. You always have to make sure that you're able to charge the bike. Either at a campground at night or during a long lunch stop. For me where I live it would be an impossible task since the towns are so far from each other. Plus if I were to take the bike and go on a bike tour away from my local area it would have to be by car, since you can't take an e-bike on a plane. I might consider getting an e-bike in the future, but that would be mostly for commuting to work.
Bri'ish