For gear I suggest looking in the local army surplus store, high quality stuff at low cost. Test things out, including yourself, with some close to home short trips first, better and cheaper to learn your mistakes close to home rather than hundreds of miles away.
Good advice. Another cost saving possibility on the road or before is to learn how to work on a bike yourself. Not only can it save you money but it can make a person more self sufficient on their trip.
Hi Sheelagh, great presentation , we just finished our ride across America, Florida to California and took 8 weeks to complete. Out total cost including shipping our bikes and gear back to Florida after we finished the ride, plus airline travel expenses back to Florida came to, $7688. 22. Even though we camped out often we still stayed in motels at least twice a week Because of the Covid-19 scamdemic the Hot Showers share program was shut down. We did eat out often just to get a hot meal every day. During our daily rides we would snack on fruit, cold pizza, and nutritional energy bars (CLIF BAR), and we would devour Pedialyte lemon lime Sport drink and a lot of water. We did find out the hard way that alcohol and long distance cycling does not work. We had partied with some friends in Austin, Texas and when it was time to move on it was like our bodies had been robbed of it's muscle protein synthesis. Will never do that again. We had zero flat tires on this trip, mainly because of the research and prep work we did on touring tires and tubes, and rims.....
My total cost including a new bike in the beginning of my interest in BikeTouring; Camp gear purchased on E-bay a lot of small pieces deriving from China; Good price deals on Amazon, and now they have TEMU. My total cost came to around a little over $1800.00 for everything; Don't forget about the dollar stores too. :)
Fuel issue is good to think before trip. Round of globe, gasoline is most available. Short trip is no critical. If you choice esbit solid fuel or some its clones, you need some cooking pot from your home and some windshield.
Excellent video! Thank you. I found that provincial park costs cab be quite expensive for solo travelers (in Ontario). This may not be the case in other provinces/countries, but Ontario camp ground fees are a bit on the spendy side. I have yet to be brave enough to stealth camp, but will do.
Great tips Sheelagh! I agree that borrowing things is a great idea. I am upgrading things as I go along as I am able to see what works well and what doesn’t. How is your wrist?? Hopefully coming along slowly but surely. It takes time.
Bicycle touring is dame expensive too... Especially those metal basic working equipments of bicycle can very expensive.. cheap product can cause more bad than good...especially if we are thinking of touring, its a misconception that bicycle touring will be cheap but it's not,,, that's why we don't see many developing countries people on cycling tour
I really enjoyed this video and I will check out more after this. For buying cheaper equipment, it's always worth having a look on sites like AliExpress. I've found some great bargains there but it's becoming more and more expensive, especially shipping costs. Amazon is regularly cheaper now. Speaking of which, when looking for something on Amazon, set the search filters and look from lowest price to highest. For example, I just bought two sets of albeit cheaper double pannier bags for every day use for less than €10 each. The same one's are available from different sellers at over €50 each. Holland Bike Shop online could be worthwhile too especially for bargains. I'm in Ireland so I don't know if that would be good for north America? I am only planning a first ever bike tour for later this year. After much consideration I will do a mix of camping and b&b etc. Mostly because I want to do a lot of the real touristy things in different places and it's just not viable to leave your bike and everything else for extended periods of time and expect it all to still be there when you return. So I will stay in places where I can safely leave all my stuff and head out on the bike to be a tourist and visit the sights and attractions.
Thank you for sharing your tips! I am so excited to hear you're heading out on your first bike tour! I really like the mix of camping and B&Bs (or hostels/warmshowers as often ended up being the case for me :)) for the exact reason you said -- it's nice in cities to head out and see the sites without worrying about all your things. Plus a cozy bed and shower doesn't hurt either! Enjoy!!
HOSTELS Advantages of hostels: - They usually cost a couple of € less than a proper budget pension / bed & breakfast. Disadvantages of hostels: 1. Your things may be stolen, as you sleep, shower (if there's even a shower in the hostel), have a breakfast, etc.. Ca. 50% chance of losing some of your belongings in a hostel. Also, depending on your bicycle, it might be damaged, stolen, etc.. Storing the bike in a hostel room is, for various reasons, usually not an option, nor is it safer in the room than outside. 2. The chances are, you'll be repeatedly awaked by fellow guests' wind, snores, walks to the toilet, etc. halfway through your sleep. 3. Hostels are not exactly the most comfortable accommodation. 4. Hostels cost fractionally less than bed & breakfasts. 5. Hostels are not the classiest of ways to spend the night on travels. In other words, hostels are a cultural statement. Perfect for hippies, but thoroughly impracticable for everyone who cares about his or her equipment / belongings, likes comfort and so forth. They're particularly unsuitable for solo cycle tourists. WILD CAMPING Advantages of wild camping: - With the exception of some camping gear, wild camping will hardly require expenditure. Disadvantages of wild camping: 1. They're a lot of faff. To scout for a suitable area, to set up a tent (in a suitable location), to break it down in the morning - it is all effort that could be spared. 2. Camping of any sort is a dirty affair: one cannot help but touch the dirty ground (or the tent footprint that touches the ground, squashes insects, snails, slugs and worms, rests on particles human snot, piss, faeces and murdered animals), tent pegs, etc., or after a stool. No way to properly wash hands afterwards. Forget about a shower. This is, however, a non-issue for hippies. 3. Tricky to ensure the safety of your gear, and more specifically - the bike. Locking it to a tree trunk is an option, but a thick one will require a really long cycle lock, a thin one could be snapped and the bike - stolen. 4. Because bureaucrats prohibit wild camping (hopefully, for the right - not the wrong - reasons, but it is hard to ascertain with any certitude), the chances are you will be spotted by policemen on patrol and pestered / asked to pack up and leave. 5. No way to charge equipment. Some hippies do not care, admittedly. 6. To have a stool in the forest is not exactly the classiest way to contribute to its ecology / leave own miasmic humus footprint. 7. The need to take along half a cubic metre and 10 kilos of extra equipment means a lot of inconvenience and a somewhat augmented likelihood of issues with the bike long-term. CAMPING Advantages of regulated camping. - I can't come up with one. I guess, compared to wild camping, you can wash hands, sort of, in a dirty camping bathroom (make sure to have own soap, as campings usually run out of soap in no time - folks like My ex don't mind, as in their interpretation, rinsing anything dirty equals properly washing them) or have a stool on a dirty (usually pissed on by males!) toilet seats. Disadvantages of regulated camping. See the paragraph above on wild camping. The only difference being - that policemen will not send you packing. And that regular camping costs as much as hostels and almost as much as affordable B&Bs. I recall being awakened in the middle of the night by the clatter of the heavy rain against My tent, and instantly discovering that the tent was leaking. That was My very first day of camping of My 2009 Amsterdam - Rome cycle tour. A few nights later I woke up in the tent to a very unpleasant scorch. It felt as though I was being grilled: it felt felt very dry and hot - apparently, the pitch location chosen could have been better - there was no shade to help against the heat of the rising sun. Needless to say, on that very tour I spent a mere 5 days in a tent. And ca. 17 - in pensions. I must say, I miss that tour terribly much. The sense of freedom and adventure. of the first [solo] cycle tour, after years of confinement to a country I was not allowed to leave - was exceptional. And now, highly nostalgic. Pardon My departure from the subject. B&B / PENSIONS / MOTELS / HOTELS Advantages: - Everything that every other option lacks. For hippies, all of these points are utterly moot. For Me - they're thoroughly defining. Disadvantages: 1. Requires expenditure. Usually slightly more or much more than hostels & commercial campings. Once in a while - the same or slightly less. In long run can be unsustainable, unfortunately. As far as I'm concerned, that is their own disadvantage. Also, some pensions can be as bad as hostels or even campings. But that is usually rare. For Me, it's a no-brainer. I recall taking My tent along
I went to a convention abroad and stayed at a hostel for 4 days. There were lockers in the room and I got a woman's room, where there were not many problems at all. I didn't lose anything and sleep wasn't much of a problem. I think it's better to look at reviews before deciding on the hostel.
I hope you found some of these tips helpful! Have a budget bike touring tip I missed? Please share!
Sales can be a great savings. Be patient.
When you have tent, you have place to wash yourself. When tent is empty, no matter if it get wet. Just collect used water and let it dry.
So informative Thanks
For gear I suggest looking in the local army surplus store, high quality stuff at low cost.
Test things out, including yourself, with some close to home short trips first, better and cheaper to learn your mistakes close to home rather than hundreds of miles away.
Good advice. Another cost saving possibility on the road or before is to learn how to work on a bike yourself. Not only can it save you money but it can make a person more self sufficient on their trip.
Oooh I love this one! Yes, definitely can be such a cost savings and beneficial in so many other ways too. Thank you for mentioning that!
Hi Sheelagh, great presentation , we just finished our ride across America, Florida to California and took 8 weeks to complete. Out total cost including shipping our bikes and gear back to Florida after we finished the ride, plus airline travel expenses back to Florida came to, $7688. 22. Even though we camped out often we still stayed in motels at least twice a week Because of the Covid-19 scamdemic the Hot Showers share program was shut down. We did eat out often just to get a hot meal every day. During our daily rides we would snack on fruit, cold pizza, and nutritional energy bars (CLIF BAR), and we would devour Pedialyte lemon lime Sport drink and a lot of water. We did find out the hard way that alcohol and long distance cycling does not work. We had partied with some friends in Austin, Texas and when it was time to move on it was like our bodies had been robbed of it's muscle protein synthesis. Will never do that again. We had zero flat tires on this trip, mainly because of the research and prep work we did on touring tires and tubes, and rims.....
Thank you for sharing your experiences and total cost -- super helpful! Sounds like a great trip. Happy riding!
My total cost including a new bike in the beginning of my interest in BikeTouring; Camp gear purchased on E-bay a lot of small pieces deriving from China; Good price deals on Amazon, and now they have TEMU. My total cost came to around a little over $1800.00 for everything; Don't forget about the dollar stores too. :)
I appreciate all the bike touring tips, which inspires me to plan another, and also the nutritional tips and recipes. But mostly, I'm here for 10:46
Awwww haha thanks so much for saying that Robert! 😄
Fuel issue is good to think before trip. Round of globe, gasoline is most available. Short trip is no critical. If you choice esbit solid fuel or some its clones, you need some cooking pot from your home and some windshield.
That's a good one to think about for sure! Thanks for sharing the tip :)
Good tips, I hope touring one day too
Good luck! I hope you do :)
If you are new to camp/outdoor cooking, try it at home, outside and try those recipes.
That’s a great tip!
These are great tips! 🚴
Thanks for watching! :)
great video!
Excellent video! Thank you. I found that provincial park costs cab be quite expensive for solo travelers (in Ontario). This may not be the case in other provinces/countries, but Ontario camp ground fees are a bit on the spendy side. I have yet to be brave enough to stealth camp, but will do.
You’re absolutely right, they can be expensive sometimes! (Especially in Ontario - I’m from Ontario too! 👋) thanks for mentioning that!!
Great tips Sheelagh! I agree that borrowing things is a great idea. I am upgrading things as I go along as I am able to see what works well and what doesn’t. How is your wrist?? Hopefully coming along slowly but surely. It takes time.
Yes!! Upgrading as you go is the way to do it for sure 😄 my wrist is getting a little better each day - thank you for asking ♥️
Awesome
if oyu do naturally longer and longer tour.. for short tour you need less equipment, and you have to buy new things over time .
Bravo!! Very helpful.
Greetings from Santa Barbara California
I'm so glad you found it helpful! :)
Interesting as usual, precious advices.
By the way, I am heading to Shawville tonight, and the final destination....Winnipeg (from Montreal) 🙏
Ahhhh I'm so excited for you! Have a blast!!
True it's a blast, but not only that, there is also a cause behind this touring bike.
Bicycle touring is dame expensive too... Especially those metal basic working equipments of bicycle can very expensive.. cheap product can cause more bad than good...especially if we are thinking of touring, its a misconception that bicycle touring will be cheap but it's not,,, that's why we don't see many developing countries people on cycling tour
Nothing touches credit card touring. It is unfortunate expenditure adds up in the long term.
DO NOT BOROW.Just dont.Either buy it cheap or steal it.
I really enjoyed this video and I will check out more after this.
For buying cheaper equipment, it's always worth having a look on sites like AliExpress. I've found some great bargains there but it's becoming more and more expensive, especially shipping costs. Amazon is regularly cheaper now.
Speaking of which, when looking for something on Amazon, set the search filters and look from lowest price to highest. For example, I just bought two sets of albeit cheaper double pannier bags for every day use for less than €10 each. The same one's are available from different sellers at over €50 each.
Holland Bike Shop online could be worthwhile too especially for bargains. I'm in Ireland so I don't know if that would be good for north America?
I am only planning a first ever bike tour for later this year.
After much consideration I will do a mix of camping and b&b etc.
Mostly because I want to do a lot of the real touristy things in different places and it's just not viable to leave your bike and everything else for extended periods of time and expect it all to still be there when you return.
So I will stay in places where I can safely leave all my stuff and head out on the bike to be a tourist and visit the sights and attractions.
Thank you for sharing your tips! I am so excited to hear you're heading out on your first bike tour! I really like the mix of camping and B&Bs (or hostels/warmshowers as often ended up being the case for me :)) for the exact reason you said -- it's nice in cities to head out and see the sites without worrying about all your things. Plus a cozy bed and shower doesn't hurt either! Enjoy!!
HOSTELS
Advantages of hostels:
- They usually cost a couple of € less than a proper budget pension / bed & breakfast.
Disadvantages of hostels:
1. Your things may be stolen, as you sleep, shower (if there's even a shower in the hostel), have a breakfast, etc.. Ca. 50% chance of losing some of your belongings in a hostel. Also, depending on your bicycle, it might be damaged, stolen, etc.. Storing the bike in a hostel room is, for various reasons, usually not an option, nor is it safer in the room than outside.
2. The chances are, you'll be repeatedly awaked by fellow guests' wind, snores, walks to the toilet, etc. halfway through your sleep.
3. Hostels are not exactly the most comfortable accommodation.
4. Hostels cost fractionally less than bed & breakfasts.
5. Hostels are not the classiest of ways to spend the night on travels.
In other words, hostels are a cultural statement. Perfect for hippies, but thoroughly impracticable for everyone who cares about his or her equipment / belongings, likes comfort and so forth. They're particularly unsuitable for solo cycle tourists.
WILD CAMPING
Advantages of wild camping:
- With the exception of some camping gear, wild camping will hardly require expenditure.
Disadvantages of wild camping:
1. They're a lot of faff. To scout for a suitable area, to set up a tent (in a suitable location), to break it down in the morning - it is all effort that could be spared.
2. Camping of any sort is a dirty affair: one cannot help but touch the dirty ground (or the tent footprint that touches the ground, squashes insects, snails, slugs and worms, rests on particles human snot, piss, faeces and murdered animals), tent pegs, etc., or after a stool. No way to properly wash hands afterwards. Forget about a shower. This is, however, a non-issue for hippies.
3. Tricky to ensure the safety of your gear, and more specifically - the bike. Locking it to a tree trunk is an option, but a thick one will require a really long cycle lock, a thin one could be snapped and the bike - stolen.
4. Because bureaucrats prohibit wild camping (hopefully, for the right - not the wrong - reasons, but it is hard to ascertain with any certitude), the chances are you will be spotted by policemen on patrol and pestered / asked to pack up and leave.
5. No way to charge equipment. Some hippies do not care, admittedly.
6. To have a stool in the forest is not exactly the classiest way to contribute to its ecology / leave own miasmic humus footprint.
7. The need to take along half a cubic metre and 10 kilos of extra equipment means a lot of inconvenience and a somewhat augmented likelihood of issues with the bike long-term.
CAMPING
Advantages of regulated camping.
- I can't come up with one. I guess, compared to wild camping, you can wash hands, sort of, in a dirty camping bathroom (make sure to have own soap, as campings usually run out of soap in no time - folks like My ex don't mind, as in their interpretation, rinsing anything dirty equals properly washing them) or have a stool on a dirty (usually pissed on by males!) toilet seats.
Disadvantages of regulated camping.
See the paragraph above on wild camping. The only difference being - that policemen will not send you packing. And that regular camping costs as much as hostels and almost as much as affordable B&Bs.
I recall being awakened in the middle of the night by the clatter of the heavy rain against My tent, and instantly discovering that the tent was leaking. That was My very first day of camping of My 2009 Amsterdam - Rome cycle tour. A few nights later I woke up in the tent to a very unpleasant scorch. It felt as though I was being grilled: it felt felt very dry and hot - apparently, the pitch location chosen could have been better - there was no shade to help against the heat of the rising sun. Needless to say, on that very tour I spent a mere 5 days in a tent. And ca. 17 - in pensions. I must say, I miss that tour terribly much. The sense of freedom and adventure. of the first [solo] cycle tour, after years of confinement to a country I was not allowed to leave - was exceptional. And now, highly nostalgic. Pardon My departure from the subject.
B&B / PENSIONS / MOTELS / HOTELS
Advantages:
- Everything that every other option lacks. For hippies, all of these points are utterly moot. For Me - they're thoroughly defining.
Disadvantages:
1. Requires expenditure. Usually slightly more or much more than hostels & commercial campings. Once in a while - the same or slightly less. In long run can be unsustainable, unfortunately. As far as I'm concerned, that is their own disadvantage.
Also, some pensions can be as bad as hostels or even campings. But that is usually rare.
For Me, it's a no-brainer. I recall taking My tent along
I went to a convention abroad and stayed at a hostel for 4 days. There were lockers in the room and I got a woman's room, where there were not many problems at all. I didn't lose anything and sleep wasn't much of a problem. I think it's better to look at reviews before deciding on the hostel.