Planning - Making a plan and going the distance

Planning is an important part of the success of any tour.

How do you handle emergencies? Where will you sleep at night? Enough food to eat?

These questions all point to the need for some level of planning while you enjoy your bicycle touring adventure. This section give you some information to help you prepare in advance for these issues and other similar ones.

Here is the list of pages available in this section:

The route - Deciding where you want to go in advance of the trip

Backroad Mapbooks
How do I plan my route when touring?
Using Adventure Cycling Association Maps

Choosing a bicycle touring companion

Getting your bike to the starting point
Camping Styles

Provincial/State Parks
Commercial campgrounds
Town parks
Stealth camping
Camping safely

More Specifics about Touring Methods

Credit Card or Self-Supported Touring?
What's a SAG wagon or supported bicycle touring adventure like?
Walt Ebbert's additional comments about supported bicycle touring

Adverse weather?

Riding in the rain!
Snow
Sunshine
Getting your head in the clouds!

Emergencies : How prepared are you?

Medical Equipment and Emergency First Aid Kits
A little rear-end care and maintenance can go a long way
Hunger/Emergency rations
Thirst/Water filters

A Bicycle Touring Fitness Plan

Element One - Cardio exercise
Element Two - Nutrition/Calorie counting
Element Three - Strength Training
Element Four - Improving your flexibility
Element Five - Getting enough rest
Setting Realistic Goals
Hitting Plateaus
Tools, techniques and things to try

Heart Monitors
Fit Tests
Body Mass Index Formulas
Body Fat percentage measurements
Calorie counting software
Weight Scales
Body Measurements

Using a bike tour to gain fitness level and better health
Success! : Goal achievement and what's next?

Photography

Selecting a camera for a bicycle touring adventure
Mounting your camera right on the bike
Getting better photos

Frame your photos
Put a bike in the picture
Turn dull into interesting
Pictures of people
Use your imagination
Capturing the same subject from different angles

The Tour is over! Should I edit my pictures?

A matter of perspective and taking your time
Minor Tweaks to more closely match reality
Removing the extra stuff that distracts the viewer unnecessarily
What the camera perceives doesn't always match our brain's reality!
Modifying your pictures to remove terrible things when absolutely necessary
Arranging your pictures in different ways to enhance the storyline
Odds and Ends

Recovering your pictures from a damaged memory card
Using an "Add On" lens with your Compact Point and Shoot Camera
Use a hard drive device like the Epson P-2000 to increase photographic image storage capacity

Money Matters - Accessing Money Abroad
BIcycle Touring for a cause - or - How to raise cash 101
Packing the goods

Packing Strategies
A poem to consider at packing time
Sample packing lists
Jamie Noble
Jim Foremen

Getting re-supplied via Postal drop while bicycle touring
Simple Meal Plans

Meals Ready to Eat (MRE)
Oatmeal and Hot Chocolate
A Skillet of tuna
John's Cavity Eliminator
Stan's Chicken Combo
Some more simple meals courtesy of Fritz Feldmann, Dutch Outdoor Magazine and www.meilenweit.net
Campfire Casserole
One Pot Tuna Casserole
Tuna Quesadillas
Breakfast Skillet Cake
Bannock (a quick bread)

Comparing bicycle touring to other activities

Bicycle touring vs Canoe camping

Places to consider for your next bicycle touring adventure

Riding the Katy trail during a bicycle touring adventure
A bicycle touring adventure on the west coast of the United States
Around Lake Ontario 2005 (ALOT 2005)
Bicycle Touring in Florida
Baja California- Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas
Gear up for Saskatchewan’s Centennial!
Bicycling Colorado's Mountain Passes
Bicycle Touring Around Lake Erie

Bicycle Touring Related Poetry and Short Quotes

Bicycle Clubs that Tour!

Featured Journals

A married couple's first bicycle touring experience
Taking a couch on a bicycle touring adventure through Atlantic Canada

Post Tour Depression
Pre Tour Jitters
Bicycle Touring History
Bicycle Touring Classes
Cycling Techniques that help when bicycle touring
Getting started with Clipless pedals
Make an Impact: Teaching on the Road

Any pages listed in this section not containing links are planned but not yet implemented.

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