How to Plan a Long Bike Tour

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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Be ready when you take off on one of life's true adventures - cycling the long and winding road.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Make some basic decisions about whether you want to ride solo or in a group, point to point or in a big loop. Do you want to ride for one, two or three months? Even longer?
Step 2

Consult several different kinds of maps - road, topographic, weather and even political - that cover the routes you're contemplating, and contact national, state and local cycling organizations that might have information about your route.
Step 3

Be aware of road conditions and landmarks along your route.
Step 4

Plan for more time and stress if you're riding through cities or on routes that feature extremes of heat, cold or other weather (like hurricanes and blizzards).
Step 5

Allow for shorter-mileage days and longer layovers, even if you think you can handle a more rigorous schedule - at least until you're sure of your abilities.

Step 1

Get yourself into good enough shape to pedal your loaded bike for weeks at a time. Become familiar with the warning signs your body gives you about dehydration, sun exposure and fatigue.
Step 2

Take a couple of shorter bicycle tours of three to seven days' duration to make sure you're physically fit, identify any problems with your equipment, and verify that your goals for the longer tour are realistic.
Step 3

Test everything, from bike shorts to stove to panniers, ahead of time, as the open road is no place to find out that new shorts chafe you or that a tire is prone to going flat.
Step 4

Learn about how to maintain your bike, and carry a selection of tools and a few spare parts (like inner tubes and chain links) to help you make roadside repairs - at least enough to get you to the next town.

Step 1

Make sure you've got enough money with you for expenses, or that you can acquire more through work, ATMs along the way or - as a last resort - advances on a credit card.
Step 2

Remember that your food intake will likely increase dramatically from spending your days in the saddle.
Step 3

Allow room in your budget to eat well and to treat yourself to the occasional elegant meal or cushy lodgings to break up your routine.

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