Mila is the co-author of the blog Un monde à vélo, a true benchmark for cycling travel. On his site, you will find many ideas for tested and approved cycling getaways, but also many practical tips. Mila and Denni indeed share all their resources on the stages of preparing a bike trip and its progress.
In this podcast, Mila answered my questions about organizing a bike trip for beginners (but this remains valid for the most experienced!). Thanks to it, you will be able to clear up a lot of topics on this theme, such as equipment, preparation, the bike route, etc. You can listen to this content in our podcast “behind the scenes of the trip” by activating the player below or read the written transcript of the episode below.
The main brakes for a first bike trip
Following the coronavirus crisis, cycling travel is on the rise. Many of us have taken our bikes out of the garage. And for good reason, it responds perfectly to our need for nature, our desire to escape and the feeling of being free.
There could be only one step (or a pedal stroke) between the Sunday ride and the bike trip, yet there are still many brakes that can prevent us from cycling for several days. Mila talks to us about the 3 major obstacles that her community tells her and shows us that they are often overestimated.
organize a bike trip. A bike trip is too physical!
For many cycling is associated with difficulty and physical effort. This image of sporting performance is undoubtedly linked to major competitions such as the Tour de France.
However, there are 1000 ways to practice cycling. For those who are afraid of difficulty, there are many cycle routes with impeccable surfaces and no drop. You can also adapt your steps according to your abilities and your desires. We are not all yellow jerseys in the Tour de France and that’s fine.
If you respect your pace and stay tuned to your body, it is quite possible to take a bike trip without suffering. We must not forget also that the body is trained as the experiences progress. The distance or the difficulty can therefore evolve gradually.
A bike trip requires a lot of equipment
The second fear recorded by Mila is that related to the initial investment for the purchase of the bike and associated equipment.
Again, it is important to ask yourself what equipment you need for your bike trip , so that you only buy what will be useful to you. If we rely on the material of others, it can mislead us about our own needs.
For example, the question of the quality and performance of the bike arises more strongly if you go on a long-term bike trip, for several months. For shorter stays, you have to be careful to have a bike that holds up, but not necessarily to have the latest bike.
Even if the purchase of a bicycle and its accessories has a certain cost, it should be seen as a long-term investment. By bike, you save on other transport and even on accommodation if you choose to camp or bivouac. These purchases can therefore quickly pay for themselves.
If you have planned a one-off bike trip over a shorter period, you can turn to bike rental or consider reselling your equipment once the trip is over.
Cycling trip is not comfortable
Sore buttocks, sore thighs, cycling can present some discomfort. But again there are ways to reduce these disadvantages. For this it is important to be adequately equipped. Another important point, give your body time to adapt to these efforts and positions.
It’s often when you try to do too much, to go too fast that pain occurs. Listen to your own rhythm and your body’s specificities and don’t be afraid to slow down if necessary.
Define your type of bike trip
As I said above, there are plenty of ways to travel by bike. To optimize his preparation and the constitution of his equipment, the clarification of his cycling trip project is therefore essential.
Frame the duration of your bike trip
How long do you want to leave for this first bike trip? A few days ? 1 or more weeks? Several months ? By already framing this data, you will see that certain questions will surface or on the contrary will disappear. Just ask yourself the questions that concern you.
Define the overall approach of your bike trip
In connection with the duration, there are also the objectives and the philosophy of your cycling trip that will have to be questioned. Is it more of a bike trip in relaxed discovery mode? A rather sporty getaway? A nomadic way of life? A personal challenge? A moment of sharing with the family?Many pieces of material will flow from these answers.