Why Everyone Should Go Cycle Touring
Cycling is a diverse sport, and there is no excuse to ever get "bored" of riding a bike.
One week you could be flying round a race circuit at 50Kph, the next you could be camped half way up an Alp with a Primus stove on the boil, after 100 miles of self-sufficient touring. It never fails to surprise me how much a bicycle has to offer...
This summer I'm embarking on my second major touring trip of the last three years; it will be 1000 miles up the backbone of the Pyrenees, then up the Bordeaux Coast to St. Malo. I can't wait. Two weeks with great friends and a constant feeling of adventure.
Should you give cycle touring a go?
Definitely, everyone can and should; there is nothing quite like it. The early morning wake ups with the dawn, the kick-start coffee stops for brioche and croissants, the empty continental roads. The laughs, the lunch stops with baguette and cold meat accompanied with fresh figs, the afternoon sun, the evening pizza and beer. The tired legs, the instant collapse into deep sleep in the tent in the middle of a deserted field, wondering what the next day will bring... Every day is a new adventure.
If you've never done it, organise a trip. It doesn't need much; just a bit of basic kit, a tent, a working bike, and an open mind. If you want to see a full kit list of what I take with me when I go cycle touring, check out my Comprehensive Lite Touring Kit List (Link).
Where will your trip take you? Over a mountain range? Into a foreign country? Wherever it does, it is likely to be a new challenge, it is likely to take you out of your comfort zone at times; most of all though, it is sure to give you an incredible sense of achievement and lots of laughs. Get out and explore...
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