The joy of cycling comes from experiencing it with like-minded people, friends and family. We love doing sunday rides – spending hours on the bike, and a few in the cafe and just being at peace. So why not try this, but over a few days?
Has it ever crossed your mind to venture onto a multi-day bike adventure with friends? Well, now we’ve planted the seed, let’s take a deeper look inside.
What is a multi-day adventure?
A time in which you get to enjoy riding your bike day after day. Usually a very well planned adventure, including various cafe stops, exploring new towns and getting to do some sightseeing along the way.
They are generally point to point, starting and ending in different places, and often cross country. Perhaps consider off-roading from one side of the country to another, or testing out some of the many cycle routes created in the UK, or try a trip abroad to explore further afield. There’s something for everyone.
Route planning
It’s always good to know the route you’ll be travelling on. You never know, you might end up travelling into the dark due to unexpected delays and having a map (old school!) or a route on your phone or GPS device is much easier than trying to navigate from memory in the dark.
It also allows you to figure out what kind of bike you should take – road bike, gravel bike, MTB or hybrid.
To plan your route you can use apps such as:
What you’ll need
This depends vastly on the type of riding you’ll be doing and the kind of accommodation you choose.
You’ll likely need some sort of bike bags, to prevent you from having to lug around a big rucksack.
Recommended brands for the bike bags:
- Apidura
- Ortlieb
- Altura
- Alpkit
- Wizard Works
- Roswheel
Often in the summer cyclists tend to choose to camp during these adventures, so you’d need to bring along a tent, a sleeping mat and bag and some spare clothes. You’d also need to pack some nutrition to see you to the nearest cafe or supermarket. It’s hard to ride on an empty stomach if you have to go a long way.
For lightweight camping you’d likely require:
A first aid kit – better safe than sorry:
- Medical tape
- A pair of medical gloves
- Butterfly closure strips
- Dressing
- Antibiotic ointment
- Hand sanitizer
- Pain relief and ibuprofen
- Small utility tool such as a pen knife
And some necessities in addition to your sleep kit:
- Two sets of shorts, jerseys/tops, socks (wash one-wear one)
- A rain jacket
- Potentially a packable down jacket if you’re doing it in chillier months
- Spare pair of shoes – flip flops/sliders are easy to attach to the outside of your bag
- A towel and basic toiletries
If you plan to stay in hostels or hotels, you’ll just require a few items of spare clothing – depending on the season you’re adventuring in.
Why do a multi-day adventure?
Well, other than the obvious – more than one day on your bike, away from responsibilities and experiencing things some people never would – it is also a great character builder.
You get to explore anywhere in the world that you choose, on two-wheels, with friends. You’ll see things you might not see any other way, experience the countryside at all hours of the day (think gorgeous sunrises and sunsets, and if you’re camping then a canopy of stars) and get to do it while testing your strength and resistance with friends.
You can do it at any pace and on any terrain you choose. Going pedal pace is a wonderful experience. Be at one with the bike and with nature. It’s just good for the soul.
A holiday with two-wheels and a handful of friends. Go on…you know you want to.
