What Floats Your Boat!

Like cycling itself there are many types of touring within the touring circle. They are all as fun as one another, but some people prefer one type over another. Which one suits you is entirely up to only one person...you!

Supported Tours – Supported tours are ones that typically supported by a tour guide and their company. The guide leads a group of riders where they stay in appointed accommodation which can range from cabins, motels/hotels or camping. Meals are usually supplied and all that is required by the rider is to follow and carry their own gear. It can also be that a group merely rides their bikes and a van, or some form of transport carries the gear from one destination to another.
A set distance per day is usually pre-planned and determined, and that distance can. Sometimes a day’s distance can exceed well over a hundred kilometres.
These can be great for those who do not like travelling alone as the group would typically cater for about twelve people, plus the tour guide.

Semi-Supported Self-Guided Tours – Semi-supported self-guided tours are ones where you ride at your own pace and see what you want to see, following a set planned route, and have the comfort of great accommodation at the end of each day’s ride. Meals are usually included and lunches can sometimes be organised from the motel/hotel to take with you on the following day.
It is usually up to you to carry your gear on the bike with you, but in these cass you are carrying only clothes, a little food and water and whatever electronic gear you wish to take, cameras, phones etc.
Sometimes the tour price includes bike hire and you are fitted to a bike prior to departure. Sometimes you are required to use your own bike. Again, transport to and from your start and arrival points are up to the rider to organise.

If you want a personal experience but with the comfort of accommodation and having the trip planned for you, this could suit you.

Self-Supported Tours – Self-supported tours are my favourite. They are basically self-sufficient tours. You plan, you provide your accommodation, you choose where you stop, basically it is all up to you. Like myself, many who choose this option camp when they need to stop for the night. But it is not uncommon to book into motel for a night to have a break. Some choose to be self-sufficient and stay in accommodation every night, the choice is completely up to you, there’s no set rules.
It is probably the most budget conscious of all touring.
Riders typically carry all their gear with them in what could range from two to four panniers and/or possibly a trailer, or a combination.

You plan your route prior to leaving, you choose where you start and where you finish. You also determine how long you go for, it could be for a weekend, it could be for a year.

Bike Packing – Bike packing is pretty much self-supported light. Usually taking a more minimalist approach. Saddle bags, handlebar rolls and frame bags replace panniers but usually all the same things apply here as in self-supported tours.

Organised Group Org Tours – Organised group tours are usually ones that are organised by a Cycling Org (Organisation). Routes are pre-planned and again, a pre-determined distance is organised for each day’s ride. Accommodation is usually camping at a showground and meals are supplied in the price. Meals can include a catered bar-b-que, or it can be a meal at the local pub. Lunches are usually held somewhere along the day’s ride and supplied by the Organisation.
The rider’s gear is carried to each day’s destination. The rider is then required to set up his or her tent, and of course pack it down the next day.
There are some exceptions to this though. Most of the time Cycling Org rides are in support of a charity. But there are specific "charity rides" which are only opened to a limited number of riders. In these rides, the rider is not only required to pay a “registration fee" to enter the ride which pays for their accommodation, food etc, they are also obligated, and agree to, raise a certain amount of funds on top of the fee which they pay. If not, the rider agrees to pay the balance of nominated charitable funds from his/her pocket. Accommodation can vary on these rides and the riders could be required to share.

Day & Car Tours – The last of the tours I want to address can happen in a variety of ways. Firstly, they can be a day ride organised within a private group, or some organisation for a charity. They can also be organised by a bicycle touring company that takes riders, or hires bikes to riders to site see around a local area.
Some choose to go on a driving holiday and use their bikes to investigate a local area when stopped for the day. I had friends who have recently gone to New Zealand and travelled around in small campers. On certain days, they stopped and rode trails on their mountain bikes. I was extremely jealous.

Some will drive to a destination, park the car and may embark on a smaller weekend trip, leaving the car parked up. This can even be done in your local area, either drive to a town, or location near you and unpack the bikes for a day, a weekend, whatever takes your fancy.

There are a variety of touring options that are on offer for someone who is interest on pedalling their way around. Just choosing which one is right for you is the hard part. But considering this is all about getting started on a relatively tight budget there are some here that probably wouldn’t suit you. Supported, Semi-Supported and Organised Group Org Tours can be expensive. A Supported Tour can cost upwards to $3000.00, and that’s just for the tour. A Semi-Supported Tour can leave you grasping for the same amount of cash. Organised group Org Tours are typically less but you are still are looking at between $1200.00 and $1800.00 depending on the Cycling Org and their costs, and length of trip. However, these rides are great for people who have never ridden alone, or are concerned about riding alone.

Of course, self-sufficient touring, bike packing and, day and car trips are a much cheaper alternative. These trips can be done as a group or an individual but it’s not always easy to find a partner for an elongated road trip by bike.

Some die-hard cycle tourists don’t necessarily agree that day trips are touring, but I beg to differ. There is so much in my local area that I would never would’ve seen if I hadn’t done day trips on my bike. Plus, they have the bonus of giving you some idea what you’re up against when it comes to riding a certain distance over a variety of terrain.

Packing up the bikes and the family in the car and heading off for the day to a different location is a great way to explore and spend time with the family.

Whatever the deal, start out small and work your way up. There is no need to load up a bike and attempt to punch above your weight. This can produce a negative outcome and can turn you off like a light switch.

Having said that, you would be surprised how far one can ride when they are taken in by the scenery around them rather than focusing on the struggle that comes from the pedals. If you’re not racing, or training there is no real right or wrong way to ride a bike. Yes, there may be things that someone can learn along the way to make it more comfortable, but if you spend your time on what your feet are doing and not why you’re out there, well it can make it tough.

I think the think is when it comes to travelling by bike is to relax and to take it slow. This is what is all about after all, taking it slow and taking in the sights.

Cheers guys, and as always, ride safe...