Cycle touring
Multi-day bike trips with your kit packed on the bike, on roads or rough tracks.
Cycle touring
- To start
- $600
- Each month
- $20
- Time
- 5 hours a week
- Sessions
- 8 hours or more
- Where
- Out and about
- Who with
- On your own
Is it for you?
- It keeps taking you somewhere new.
- Every session brings something you haven't tasted, heard or seen.
- It has a steady rhythm you can sink into.
- There's no one to beat, ever.
You’ll like it if
- You want to have adventures
- You want to get moving
- You want to get really good at something
Maybe not if
- You want to spend very little to start
- You want something for any weather
- You want something gentle on your body
What it feels like
Cycle touringAverage sport & Fitness hobbyCalm
Company
Physical effort
Creative freedom
Brainwork
Hands-on
Outdoors
Quick wins
$600Costs more to start than 99% of hobbies
$20Less over a year than the kit
$840About $3 an hour at 5 hours a week
Before you buy
Rent or borrow gear at the facility for your first few sessions, before you buy anything.
Your first session
Load a bike with borrowed panniers, ride 50 km to a campsite or B&B and ride home the next day.
8 hours or moreOut and aboutFairly easy to start
Questions
How much does cycle touring cost to start?
About $600 if you rent or borrow where people usually do, then about $20 a month once you are going.
How much time does cycle touring take?
About 5 hours a week to enjoy it and get better, in sessions of 8 hours or more.
Where do people do cycle touring?
Anywhere outside, like a park, a trail or a street.
Is cycle touring good for beginners?
It takes a bit more setting up than most hobbies. A good first session: Load a bike with borrowed panniers, ride 50 km to a campsite or B&B and ride home the next day.
Do I need other people for cycle touring?
No. It works fine on your own, though plenty of people do it together.