Cattle block the road ahead.
The recent cycling tour to Ireland was a great experience. It was the first time I took a bike by plane; but, definitely want to do more of it. These are some suggestions for a successful cycle tour, mostly which come from experience of our recent trip
Get A Good local Map.
I was using a small scale, free tourist map. The problem was I turned down roads, not marked on the map. The road would suddenly come to an end at a farmers gate. It is really hard to navigate unless you have a proper map.
Don’t rely on Road Signs.
I really love Ireland, but, forgive me their road signs are often inadequate. Places would be signposted but you would later come to junctions where there are no signposts, and you have to guess. When they say Derry 10km, it could mean anything from 8-13Km.
Don’t Rely on Others to Organise.
Because I was riding with a group, I made less preparation than I would if I was riding on my own. I wish I carried more food and a proper map. Always be prepared for getting lost.
You will Never Regret Carrying too much food.
Many non-cyclists who cycle a long way will underestimate how much food you need to eat. People are used to 3 meals a day and many don’t realise that when cycling you need to be eating throughout the day. I saw one or two get the hunger knock. Fortunately, it wasn’t too bad; but it could have been much worse.
Carry enough Dry Clothes.
One day it rained, waterproofs don’t stop all your clothes getting wet. Make sure, you have enough spare clothes; it’s difficult to dry clothes on tour.
Stick To Roads.
Be wary about taking short cuts across mountains on ‘walking paths’. My friends were keen to take a short cut on a path across a mountain. I refused because I knew walking with cleats was difficult. I took a 30km detour on roads and arrived in an hour. They took 4 hours to walk over a muddy mountain road, carrying their bikes on their backs. I didn’t gloat at all when they returned to the hostel as the light was fading at 10pm…..
Ask Locals gives reassurance.
Because I like a proper map and the road signs were limited, I was worried about cycling 10km the wrong way. So I often asked a local, just to check; this gave a reassurance so I could enjoy the ride rather than worrying about getting lost.
Ride your Bike before.
I took my winter training bike because I didn’t want to risk my summer bike. It is important to ride the bike before taking it on tour. This helps to iron out any problems at home, near a bike shop rather than in a remote area with less assistance. If tyres are on the verge of needing a change, change them before you leave, to reduce risk of punctures.
A Support Vehicle is Great
I was riding with 12 others, mostly inexperienced cyclists. Having a support van and support car was really helpful. It meant if the cycling got too much, people could take a rest in the car. It’s also useful for carrying provisions e.t.c. If you are experienced cyclists, you may not need a support van; but, it definitely helped our tour.
Don’t Overstretch Yourself
It is important to cycle a reasonable distance. One day, we cycled 100km, which is about the limit for someone who hasn’t done any cycling before. At the same time, I took some detours to make it 140km.
I would like to do the tour of britain by the coastal route, or maybe just England starting in the northwest across to the coast east then along the coast road but I want to ride this when I am 60
so if it comes off it will be in………………about 18 months or so, it will be one heck of a way of seeing some of the british isles.
Thanks Dan, That seems to make sense
For your point about the road signs, I think the problem is that rural signs often give distance as the crow flies instead of distance along the road. Cornwall suffers particularly from this problem. You can be going along the road, pass a sign saying 5mi, go a few miles in the direction the sign points, and then the next one will say 6mi.
Awesome trip!!
If have a change i would love to ride across USA , road trip
Many thanks for these tips, also for your post about the Kerry tour. Very interesting and I hope to do something similar. Hiked across Ireland some years ago – a wonderful and unforgettable experience.