12/11/14 11:50 AM

I'm too old for a midlife crisis, so I won't be buying a red sports car, but I am thinking about pushing out of my comfort zone by doing some cyclo-touring, probably starting with some supported trips with Adventure Cycling.

On my Surly Cross-Check, I've got 28 mm tires, fenders, a rear rack and panniers, but I need to invest in a tent and sleeping bag and pad, instead of that Maserati. I probably won't be doing my own cooking, at least at first, so I won't need a stove and cooking utensils. What should I look for in a tent and sleeping bag, and what other investments should I make--dry sacks, front panniers?

12/11/14 1:04 PM

cyclo-touring is so 90's... all the cool kids are calling it "bikepacking" now. ;)

I would look into some of the bikepacking sites as well. They tend to be more mountainbike oriented, but will hold some good information on what to take, how to pack, etc.

For tents, think about:
-how much space you need? A bigger tent will weigh more, but offer more room at night. If you just want to sleep, a bivy sack is the lightest, most compact option but a little tough on rainy nights.

-Where will you be camping? What time of year?

-How much weight do you want to carry? Just like in cycling, you can spend the weight away pretty easy but always at a price

-Pack size? Think about where you want to carry the tent and the poles. The poles can always be packed separate from the tent, but make sure they will fit where you want to pack them.

Sleeping bag is most of the same questions/ issues. Pack size, weight, where you will use it will all come in to play. Make sure it will compress to a size where you can pack it where you want.

12/11/14 5:43 PM

Pretty much the same gear you would use backpacking is functional for bike packing, with the comment that bike packing is generally not in as rugged an area as you'd find in the mountain wildernesses, thus you may not need as cold a rating on a sleeping bag, nor as hardcore a tent.

I find the folks on this site to be helpful and knowledgable

http://www.bikeforums.net/touring/


First thing I would change on the bike is to move up to 32 or 36mm tires. Better for carrying loads.

12/12/14 1:51 AM

Given most campground closes at winter, you'll be looking at a 3 season tent, not a 4 season one. Maybe even a summer only tent.

But you want a double wall tent to stay dry. Bivy sacks are popular in the west but there's a reason why you never see it in the east.

Since you'll be typically moving camp each night, ease of setup and take down is important. Go to REI or EMS and try to set up a few to see for yourself.

With today's lightweight material, I starting to see weights come down and only going back up again by adding 'extra's such as double entrance and big vestibules. I feel the former is useless but the latter nice to have.

Oh yes, get a 2--person tent for yourself, or a 3 person one if there're 2 of you. You get the idea...

Sleeping bag: I strongly recommend buying from a place that allow you to return. The 'temperature rating ' is entirely relative. Some people sleep cold and others hot.

Pad: get the self-inflating ones. Don't waste your money on foams. In bike touring, size is often as important as weight. Think aero, you get the idea.

Last edited by April on 12/19/14 9:51 PM; edited 1 time in total

12/12/14 6:06 AM

I echo the suggestion of wider tires when carrying loads--go as fat as you can fit. Don't try to save weight on a skimpy sleeping pad--a comfy night sleep is vital for a happy tour, especially for us middle-aged adventurers. For summer touring my wife and I use down quilts made by Jacks-r-better instead of sleeping bags. They compress crazy small and are cozy. They need to be paired with a pad that has some insulation qualities.

David

12/19/14 9:20 AM

Thanks to all for the advice and guidance. New, wider tires are on the way. And, David, I neglected to thank you for the inference that I am still "middle-aged."

12/19/14 1:31 PM

Tires wise, maybe look at the Conti Speed Ride and Race. File tread center some light knobs at the edges.
I have the 42C which are really about 37-8mm mounted. Wlater have the CX once that are called 35 and are about 33mm, reasonable price too.

I lover the 42C with about 40/45 lb air for off road use.

12/19/14 2:02 PM

I'm not a fan of knobs for pavement. All it does is reduce the contact with road, worse if it's during cornering.

on soft surface such as off road, it has its use. But not for hard surface such as pavement.

12/19/14 3:15 PM

I agree totally with April on the knobs on pavement. Stability, wear uber fast, brake like crap. ;) Both not something you have to worry about too long, they will be slick in the center in maybe 300 miles anyway. ;)

The file centers OTOH work great. Especially on chip seal. And no substitute for volume on broken and chuck hole laden tarmac IMEx.

12/19/14 10:03 PM

Couple things on packing and carrying.

Carrying:
Keep it low & keep a balance between front and back.

Packing:
If you're doing longer tours when you can't avoid the occasional wet weather, you need some waterproof bags. Here're the two extreme of the cost spectrum:

- Plastic garbage bags! Double bag them, you'll be pretty good. Cost next to nothing.

- Waterproof sacks. If you're going that route, get a few of the compression sacks from a kayak shop! Those gizmos are absolutely waterproof and your gear will shrink to about 1/3 of their un-compressed size. Low profile == more aero. Those sacks aren't cheap though.

I use down sleeping bags. But you need to be very careful about not to get them wet getting in and out of the tent on a rainy day. It helps if you have a tent with large vestibule. Or, if you're camping in a commercial campground, you can just throw the sleeping bag into the dryer!

12/20/14 8:18 AM

Go look at the Adventure Cycling web site and their forum. This is Touring Central for info and experience. Want to ride your bike completely around the world? How about circumnavigating the entire USA? Alaska to Tierra del Fuego? Someone there has done it and will be happy to tell you how they did it and what they used.

12/20/14 9:21 AM

After a friend told me about Adventure Cycling, I've been noodling around that web site. Being a touring novice, I'll probably start with one of their intro tours.

April, thanks for the "keeping dry" tips. Years ago, on the one camping trip I've taken, my grandson and I were buffeted by a torrential storm one night, with gale-force winds that blew tents away. The only rider who stayed comfy and dry was an experienced tourer, in his snug, little tent, who did just what you suggest. We, on the other hand, got a motel room the next night, just so I could spread all our stuff out to dry.

12/20/14 10:31 AM

Lots of bicycle touring information here also: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com

12/20/14 6:11 PM

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Years ago, on the one camping trip I've taken, my grandson and I were buffeted by a torrential storm one night, with gale-force winds that blew tents away.

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We, on the other hand, got a motel room the next night, just so I could spread all our stuff out to dry.

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12/20/14 6:16 PM

You can never have low enough gear when you're carrying camping gear. So if you haven't put on the largest cassette on the back, you'll be doing it the moment you come back from your first bike camping trip.

12/20/14 7:29 PM

I bet. A 110mm BC with a 22 or 24 tooth granny triple sounds like the ticket...

12/21/14 7:33 AM

Definitely go with super low gears. I have a mountain bike crankset with a 22T granny paired with a 13-30 7 speed cassette.

David

12/21/14 8:15 AM

quote:

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A 110mm BC with a 22 or 24 tooth granny triple sounds like the ticket...

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12/21/14 10:35 AM

I thought I had a 22 on one. Have to look again I guess..

12/22/14 6:17 AM

I just measured the crank on Linda's fat bike (still under construction), which has 22/36 chainrings.