5 Tips To Survive A Bicycle Tour

Sang Hyun & Portlan

5 Tips To Survive A Bicycle Tour

Sang Hyun & Portlan

One of the most crucial parts of bicycle tour is making sure you get back home safely. Having enough food, water and shelter is important for a bicycle tour, but if you don’t get to your campsite or return home, it’s all a moot point.

Let’s take a look at 5 tips that will keep you on the road, rolling to your destination and eventually back home.

Trance Messenger
Trance Messenger by Kurt Bauschardt

1. Don’t be plugged in

I understand riding with music is very appealing for some travelers. I also understand that being on the road with both ear buds in is dangerous, but yet I see people doing it everywhere I go. For the record, it is illegal for bicyclists to be riding with both ear buds on; only one is allowed according to the California Vehicle Code. I personally do not travel with any ear buds when I’m sharing the road with other motorized vehicles. I do occasionally use them on bike trails when I know I don’t have to worry about cars and trucks running into me.

San Onofre

2. Use a rear view mirror

The cool factor goes down, but the safety factor comes right up with a rear view mirror. Hearing that there’s been a trend of people being fatally struck from behind by cars has gotten me to break out my mirror for longer rides. I highly recommend getting one and trying to use it. The ones on your sunglasses or helmets are much better than the ones on your bicycle handlebars, in my opinion.

Night photo

Photo credit: Errin Vasquez

3. Ride with the sun, not the moon

When I travel, I always try to make it into camp before sunset. People expect cyclists to be out on the road during the day time, but not so much at night. Of course, there have been times when we get to camp after sunset, so make sure you bring both front and rear lights, as well as a high visible jacket. Be seen, be alive.
Break Time

4. Keep track of yourself

What do I mean to keep track of yourself? Simple – if you’re feeling hungry, eat; if you’re thirsty, drink. Actually, drink even before you’re thirsty. If you’re tired, rest. If your muscles are sore, stretch or massage them. It’s a matter of listening to what your body is telling you and not exhausting yourself to lead you to making poor decisions on the road. You don’t want to be wobbling on the road, you want to be predictable and alert.

Detour_in_Satsop.JPG

5. Take a detour

Sometimes your cue sheet or maps lead you onto a busy street where the best course of action is to take the lane. You don’t always need to battle it out with the cars. Find an alternative route to your destination. Ask the locals to see if they know a detour to your destination. It’s better to ride away from the chaos. It may give you extra miles or take longer, but I would rather arrive less stressed and safe.
Riding down the Oregon Coast

Final Thoughts

So you read and comply with these 5 tips of survival, but yet you get angry drivers flipping the bird at you or yelling at you. Instead of giving them a piece of your mind, just let it go. Is it worth the trouble? I don’t think so. Just ignore or give them a wave and let them go on their merry ways. At the end of the day, they are behind a 2 ton vehicle and you’ve only got your panniers to buffer your fall. Let’s all just move along and get to our destinations safe.

Do you have other survival tips you can share? Please share them in the comments below.

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