Planning your first cycling tour may very easily seem like an intimidating affair. Huge amounts of time, money and preparation might appear to be integral ingredients necessary for your tour success, but the team at Mummu are here to assure you this is definitely not the case.
In this blog, we walk new riders through what they won’t necessarily need for their first few tours. Hopefully we’ll even be able to dissuade a few overzealous cyclists from packing too much. It’s important to not go overboard because touring isn’t made by the amount of money invested – it’s all about making the most of your personal experience.
Expensive Touring Bikes
Spending unfathomable amounts of money on a top of the line touring bike is not something we would heartily recommend for those looking to start touring. For those starting out, look for a strong frame, nice tyres, and one that can carry whatever your load may be. Above all, make sure your bike is comfortable – touring is about long distances, and spending large amounts on a bike that isn’t comfortable is undoubtedly going to hamper your experience.
A perfect understanding of bike repair
While out on tour, it might feel intimidating to not have a complete understanding of how to repair your bike should something go wrong. What if you’re in the middle of nowhere? What about if you have to walk dozens of kilometres to the next town?
There isn’t a need to know everything there is to know about your bike, but a little bit of know how helps. We recommend watching some YouTube videos related to basic repairs, maintenance and fixes, or even going to your local bike shop, befriending a store employee and asking them how to change a tyre! When on tour there is a very supportive network willing to help out with the more in-depth problems, so not to worry.
Managing your clothes
Choosing what clothes to bring on a trip might already be a tough decision, but choosing what clothes to bring on a tour can be an even tougher one. While they can look cool and hold loose items, there’s no pressing need to buy a cycling jersey to be able to tour. If you’re looking for clothing that is going to keep you cool, tank tops can work just as well.
Similarly, there’s no need to pack a huge variety of clothes – we’ll always recommend a small handful of high-quality pieces of clothing rather than suitcases worth of good looking clothes!