For reasons of schedule, distance, geography and my own disagreeable disposition, the majority of my adventures on a bicycle thus far have been solo affairs.

Perhaps driven by the thought of sharing my tours with other people, I wrote this post to introduce a few types of exploratory cycling:

Bicycle Touring, Bikepacking and Randonneuring.

Bicycle Touring

 

This expression conjures different images to different people. Rolling hills in wine country while snacking on bread and cheese or perhaps a multi-year journey across a continent or around the world.

It may involve a heavily laden bike with camping goods, clothes, tools and plenty of dirt, a wicker basket for fresh produce or perhaps just a credit card.

The essence of touring is exploration. Environment, people, food, history, culture, self. As Robert Pirsig explained in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance:

“In a car you’re always in a compartment, and because you’re used to it you don’t realize that through that car window everything you see is just more TV. You’re a passive observer and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame. On a cycle the frame is gone. You’re completely in contact with it all. You’re in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming.”

You set the pace, choose when and where to stay or to camp. You can hear the birds, race cows along fence lines, get to know the locals and enjoy a craft beer at the end of a long day’s ride. For me, it is pure freedom and pure pleasure.

Common configurations for this type of bike ride consist of a sturdy fixed frame road bike, racks for mounting panniers and the panniers themselves. Or maybe just a milk crate strapped to the back.

In reality, the bike you have will do. A mountain bike will be slower. A skinny-wheeled road bike may struggle on gravel. People even do it on unicycles.

Some great resources for further reading are:

• https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/
• www.adventurecycling.org
• https://cyclingabout.com/
• http://travellingtwo.com/
• https://www.reddit.com/r/bicycletouring/
• https://vimeo.com/groups/wereldfietser (for an incredible collection of videos and documentaries)

 

There are hundreds of blogs out there.

Bikepacking

Bikepacking takes touring to more extreme locations with a focus on minimalism.

Free riding over mountains, challenging single tracks, skimming across snow or skirting the shore, this type of ride usually involves rugged mountain bikes or fat bikes with ultralight equipment strapped directly to the frame. However this principle can just as easily be applied to road bikes or others.

This type of riding opens up possibilities of cycling in places where no one has ridden before. The light setup enables the rider to move quickly and efficiently over terrain that would be impossible for a more heavily laden bike and the use of mountain bikes can open up some amazing down hill opportunities.

• www.bikepacking.net
• www.pedalingnowhere.com
• http://www.adventurecycling.org/resources/how-to-department/bikepacking-off-road-touring/

 

Randonneuring

Randonneuring (Audax in Australia) is long distance cycling in the style of a sport. It has fixed distance rides, with official rules and time limits. Generally these rides are contested on lean roadbikes with minimal baggage (perhaps a handlebar bag if anything).

Emerging at the end of the 19th Century in Europe, Randonneuring boasts the oldest (still running) bicycle event, the 1200km Paris-Brest-Paris. These can be high intensity events with minimal sleep and a focus on making distance in a set time. People often catch forty winks on park benches and have even been known to jam themselves into phone booths for a quick rest.

This type of cycling may fall into “Type II” fun – awful while you are doing it, but immensely satisfying once done. For me, any ride is a good ride.

• http://www.audax.org.au/public/index.php

 

Bicycle touring comes in many forms. You don’t have to be like Francis Birtles (pictured) who cycled across Australia in 1905, but get out there and get On Yer Bike!