Spyke
bicycle_touring·Bicycle Touring and BikepackingbyViking_Hippie

I did my longest outdoor ride ever yesterday

It was much slower than I usually go due to a lot of wind, some "barely a path" roads along the way, the bike being a citybike meant for daily shopping, as well as the fact that I was carrying 50kg (110lbs) of luggage on my back the whole way 😄

Excuses for being a slowpoke aside, it was a good challenge for my general health and fitness journey, and a very pleasant ride 😁

View original on lemmy.dbzer0.com
bicycle_touring·Bicycle Touring and Bikepackingbyplactagonic

I have few thoughts about bikepacking on recumbent bike.

I have few thoughts about bikepacking on recumbent bike.

Because of the weight distribution I don't see any difference in the ridability and handling. The issue with flexing bike when loaded with bags isn't noticeable when riding only when you need to push it.

But the hills are killing me it isn't ideal without the bags but with them it is brutal.

#bikepacking #biketouring #bikeTooter #regel17 @bicycle_touring

View original on f.cz
bicycle_touring·Bicycle Touring and BikepackingbySaneMartigan

Having trouble choosing a bike / confused ramble.

Hi,

I'm looking to get back into cycling after about a ten year break. I used to cycle everywhere but travel, injury and moving to the suburbs basically stopped me.

The main rides I'll be doing:

  • 36km (22mi) between my place and my girlfriends - little bit of road, mostly bike path, a little bit of gravel.

  • 8km (5mi) to JiuJitsu class - road/pavement/path.

With at least one loaded pannier, possibly two.

I'm 110kg (~242lb) with a fairly solid build, the steel frames are appealing.

I may do a little touring, I haven't done it before but Australia has some great off road tour options. It might just be a nice idea that I never get around to. I like camping and being alone which is what appeals about touring.

Being in Australia, I'm pretty limited on what bikes are actually available.

I was recommended the Kona Sutra LTD ($4k) (by a sales guy) but I feel that the wide tires aren't a great choice for the commuting and it's a bit more than I was planning to spend. I don't mind spending more on getting the right bike for me but I'm also pretty frugal so would prefer to spend less if I can find the right bike for less.

I've also been considering the Marin Nicasio plus ($1.3K), Nicasio 2 ($2.2k), Surly Preamble ($2.9k), Salsa Cutthroat ($4.9k) or maybe a Bombtrack Hook ($3.6k).

Plus about $1000 for fenders, racks and a big fat lock to lock it up.

Thanks for any input.

View original on lemmy.world
bicycle_touring·Bicycle Touring and Bikepackingbyplactagonic

Where are you planning to go this year?

Bit of conversational question. I have 2 plans and still don't know which one I will choose, maybe you will help me decide.

One is to ride to Spain for solar eclipse, that is 12.7. and ride home. So probably through Austria, northern Italy, France and along Mediterranean coast to Spain.

Other is through Poland, Baltic's towards Finland. I still don't know what next if it would be possible to go to Sweden and Norway and then cross to Denmark...

I will have about 2 months for that so I will probably use some trains and stuff to shortcut it here and there.

So what are your plans, where would you want to go this year?

View original on sopuli.xyz
bicycle_touring·Bicycle Touring and BikepackingbyHanrahan

‘I lived the life I’ve always dreamed of’: the man who cycled around the world for four years

Graf, too, was “hungry for an adventure”. “I wanted to chase some mountains and meet people. And I’ve always felt drawn to self-propelled ways of travel. I wanted to be independent and free,” he says. He considered walking, inspired by The Longest Walk by George Meegan, who trekked across the Americas in the late 70s. He settled on cycling so he could cover more distance while still travelling slowly.

‘I lived the life I’ve always dreamed of’: the man who cycled around the world for four yearshttps://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/feb/12/i-lived-the-life-ive-always-dreamed-of-the-man-who-cycled-around-the-world-for-four-yearsOpen linkView original on slrpnk.net

These Thoughts Just Popped into My Mind, Self-Driving Cycling & Motorized Cycling…

The people doing all the beginning research & work from decades ago should have skipped automobiles-motorcycles & such, as they should phased-out or at worse- replaced with 1 per 10,000 of people or more with: solar panels on bodies, flying & self-driving versions of automobiles, with storage & room for many people. Gone right to our species (the normally used term is sexist) powered cycles, more or less than just two-wheels.

What you think?

I dislike the laziness & getting in the way & on non-motored pedestrians ways of motorized cycles, scooters & Etc..

With the above in consideration, do you consider:

Motorized cycles, scooters & Etc. actually cycles, scooters & Etc. or just different type of automobiles? After all they did exist extremely early on, before motorcycles,

&

Self-driving cycles, scooters & Etc. actually cycles, scooters & Etc. or not?
&
If not, then what do you consider them?

View original on piefed.social
bicycle_touring·Bicycle Touring and BikepackingbyJubilantJaguar

The Rock of Gibraltar comes into view

This after several weeks of bikepacking (literally: see photo), roughly following the coast from Alicante to Gibraltar, with a couple of short legs by train.

Surprise: it turns out that cycle touring in winter is generally more pleasant than in summer, at least in southern Europe. No need to organize the day around avoiding the midday sun and heat, and accommodation is (slightly) more affordable.

The pedelec motor helps with hills (very welcome when there are cars around). On the flat it changes precisely nothing from traditional touring. The dual suspension made the seat miraculously comfortable from day one, which was a genuine surprise and revelation.

Now in Morocco, accessible in 1 hour by a ferry which takes bikes for free.

View original on lemmy.world
bicycle_touring·Bicycle Touring and Bikepackingbyplactagonic

So this year Christmas celebration was pleasantly interrupted by #bikepacker from Japan.

So this year Christmas celebration was pleasantly interrupted by #bikepacker from Japan.

I was half watching new fairy tale from our national TV (which wasn't that good they didn't managed to make good one in some time) and got warmshowers notification.

I didn't told him much but when he just got in the middle of our family gathering he was bit surprised. I think it is the highlight of this year's Christmas for me and my family too.

#bikepacking #biketouring #biketooter @bicycle_touring

View original on f.cz
bicycle_touring·Bicycle Touring and Bikepackingbypedz

Exploring Parc du Corridor Aérobique in the Québec Laurentians

I wanted to explore this rail trail for a while and was finally able to bike most of it. Le Parc du Corridor Aérobique is a 58 km rail trail somewhat isolated from the rest of the cycling network.

As I have no car, I took a train from Montréal to Saint-Jérôme and cycled to the trail head in the village of Morin-Heights, via the very popular P'tit Train du Nord rail trail. Here's my return itinerary and the profile.

The surface quality varies quite a bit. Sometimes it's crushed gravel, sometimes it's dirt with rocks pointing out and painted orange. There's a few bits on roads but the vast majority is a dedicated trail. Wild camping is not permitted in Québec but there are three sites with platforms along the trail, where one can pitch a tent and spend the night.

I just got back and didn't expect such a spectacle of colours. It was glorious. I'll have to go back!

Here are some more pictures.

View original on lemmy.ca
bicycle_touring·Bicycle Touring and BikepackingbyHanrahan

A new start after 60: I rented out my flat and bought a bike. Now home is a tent and the open road

When the urge became impossible to ignore, Sarah Cook bought a touring bike and an “all-singing, all-dancing four-season tent”, and packed her belongings into 68-litre bike bags.

She was 60, and, having rented out her flat in Cumbria, England, set off alone to pedal the Pacific west coast of the US. As she cycled away from Vancouver airport, “I was like ‘See you in six months!’,” Cook says. “Not having the weight of bricks and mortar and possessions was so liberating.” By the time she arrived in La Paz, Bolivia, 111 days later, she knew, “this is how I want to live my life.” Now 67, she has been itinerant ever since, and has cycled 24,000 miles.

A new start after 60: I rented out my flat and bought a bike. Now home is a tent and the open roadhttps://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/sep/29/a-new-start-after-60-i-rented-out-my-flat-and-bought-a-bike-now-home-is-a-tent-and-the-open-roadOpen linkView original on slrpnk.net