Bicycle Touring: Expectations vs Reality

19 Dec Bicycle Touring: Expectations vs Reality

Like many people, I am an optimist when it comes to planning a bike tour; I don’t believe that anything bad will happen. Because of my naive outlook, my expectations can be unrealistic as I’ve been told. That is why it is important to examine these expectations and the accompanying reality to help you prepare for any mishaps on your own journey. As you know with life, expectations vs reality is entirely different.

Here are 5 areas where my expectations did not align with reality. This post is more or less a reality check to make sure you’re thinking on the right track and have a plan to address any issues that may come up on your own trip.

Donau mist after thunderstorm

The Weather

• Expectation: The weather will be perfect
• Reality: Weather is unpredictable. Be prepared for variations.

One of the biggest blessings of living in Southern California is perfect riding weather all year-round. It’s such a given that we often overlook the weather. I know that has been the case for many of my trips, where I always assume that the weather will be perfect. When traveling locally, I am usually right about this, and the weather stays sunny, hovering around 70 degrees. The reality is, many locations have very unpredictable weather. This was certainly the case when I was traveling across Europe. We had all sorts of weather to deal with. While we did come prepared with rain gear, as well as fast-wicking clothes for hotter days, I had to get used to the fact that rain can continue to fall from the sky for days-on-end.

If you live in Southern California or other areas in the world that has similar climate, make sure you are prepared for a range of weather. Check resources, like almanacs and other people or travelers who have been through the region for better insights. You can rely on weather forecasts, but you’ll be lucky if they get it right half the time.

The Directions

• Expectation: I have all the turn-by-turn directions. I won’t be lost.
• Reality: You will be lost. Ask for directions.

Many people spend a great amount of time pouring over maps and making sure they have all the right turns before a trip, but unfortunately, you’ll encounter unexpected conditions, like steep hills or road closures. Even if you have the latest GPS and the most up-to-date maps, you just can’t plan on not getting lost.

It is part of the adventure!

The reality is that YOU WILL BE LOST.  Accept that reality and have a plan of action when you face obstacles.

One of the most useful things to do when you’re lost is to open your mouth and ask for help. Most people will try their best to point you in the right direction, but make sure they’re giving you the correct ones. Always reconfirm by asking someone else. Talk to at least 3 people before proceeding. When we were traveling across Europe, the language barrier made things a lot more interesting, but we managed to stay on track for the most part by following this rule and listening with our BS meter.

The Bicycle

• Expectation: My bicycle will work perfectly.
• Reality: Anything could happen. Have tools and skills to fix them.

Whenever I go out on a trip, my bike is the least of my concerns. I don’t expect any break-downs or flats. But the reality is, you can’t predict anything that may go wrong. Situations like running over a nail on the side of the road or having your chain fall off can happen frequently.

The key is being prepared to fix anything that comes your way. In a previous post, I recommended that you should have the proper mechanical skills to do this and have time to practice.

Although I can only wish that you avoid all issues and dodge all debris on the road, I rather you learn and be comfortable with working on your bike. Be sure to know how to address common issues. Please read The 5 Essential Bike Repair Skills to Know for what to learn.

Trip Documentation

• Expectation: I’ll have my entire trip documented from beginning to end.
• Reality: The first half was documented well…the last, not so well.

Before I go on any trip, there’s always this fantasy that I will have several creative ways to document the trip. I will capture all events with a variety of video footage, beautiful photos, and a daily journal of my trip.

The reality is, I can only do 2 of these 3 things effectively. It is usually either journaling with photos or journaling with video footage. I’ve mentioned that it is very difficult to document a trip using multiple devices. Sticking to 2 things has worked very well for me. You can even dial it down to one to keep things simple. There is something to be said about keeping things simple and being in the moment rather than watching things unfold behind the lens of a camera all the time.

Towards the end of a trip, you are not going to feel motivated to record everything. The novelty will soon wear off once you’ve logged a few thousand miles, and you are eager to keep moving forward. I know that was the case for me while traveling across Europe. I had to constantly remind myself to shoot videos and take photos. I can honestly say that the pictures came easy during the first half of the trip, but towards the end, we just wanted to chuck our cameras into the Donau river. Not because we didn’t enjoy taking photos, but because we just needed to shed some weight.

Your Health

• Expectation: I’m as healthy as an ox. Nothing will happen.
• Reality: Things are out of our control. Anything can happen.

I have been lucky. Even with the thousands of miles I have traveled, I have avoided being sick or injured. So it is somewhat difficult for me to focus on my health when it comes time for a bike tour. I am and have been healthy on trips, why would I need to worry about it?

As proven by my recent Pacific North trip down from Washington, you can be at the wrong place at the time and some guy can still take you out with his car. Sometimes, things are out of your own control. You have to come to terms with that and understand the risks of the road.

My only suggestion to mediate these situations is to be aware of your surroundings and have the proper safety equipment, like your helmet and mirror. Be sure to use them and check them frequently. On top of that, have all your medications and medical insurance card with you. If not, I highly suggest paying for medical insurance or getting travelers’ insurance for major catastrophes. Check out my previous post on what kind of insurance you’ll need for your own bike tour.

Final Thoughts on Expectations vs Reality

Hopefully, this gives you something to think about when you’re planning your own bike tour. I am sure you are probably more realistic about things than I am, but just in case you overlook any of these areas, this should put you on the right track. Expectations vs reality has been a huge theme for me on all my trips. I allow reality to shape my original expectations so that my journey is richer and more fulfilling.

Let me know in the comments below if you have other expectations that may need a better reality check like the 5 mentioned above. It’ll be good to share other issues that I may have overlooked myself.