Stressed about preparing for a bike tour? We’re here to help!
You’ve booked your tour. You’re bursting with excitement. Now the questions start. What should I pack? Should I take a map? Will I stand out like a sore thumb? These are all natural questions that most travelers ask at some point. Once you book your tour, the team at Outfitter Bicycle Tours immediately starts nailing down the details to make sure you have a flawless experience on your cycling vacation. Questions are natural and we know you likely have lots of questions about preparing for a bike tour.
We create a very thorough document for your perusal that will help you get ready for an exciting cycling vacation! Each document will be different depending on the details of your exact tour but we thought we’d fill you in on the core elements of each major section in the document. Hopefully this peak into our pre-tour preparations will ease your worries and let you know that we got ya!
Route Information
A huge section of your document is dedicated to your tour route. Included are cue sheets, daily schedules, and information on how to download your routes onto your GPS unit or phone. We love the RidewithGPS app. It’s easy to use and very reliable. Our top priority is to ensure you stay on route and make the most of your tour so this is an incredibly important part of the tour packet.
Lodging/Contact Information
We include a list of your hotels including their contact information. This is for you and your loved ones. You can use it as an emergency contact list in addition to your international phone number (if applicable). We will also include other tips for being reached while you’re abroad.
Suggested Reading
We have some great books that will get you in the mood and get you prepared for your tour. One suggestion we often make is to read the Michelin Green Guide for the particular region you visit. This will be a huge help, especially if you’re interested in exploring a bit off the bike.
Cultural Tips
We love to suggest wines and seasonal foods where applicable! We also love to mention tips and tricks for getting along safely in some of the city centers and rural areas.
Your Guides
This will be your first introduction to your guides. Even if you’ve secured a self-guided tour, we still provide a concierge/guide that will be there to ensure your trip is as smooth as possible.
Packing Lists
There are multiple ways to think of packing for such a comprehensive vacation. We break suggested items down into “on the bike” and “off the bike.” This exhaustive section includes electricity considerations for chargers or other electronic items you decide to bring.
Like we said, this is an exhaustive document. We didn’t give away all of our secrets but as you can tell, this is an incredibly helpful packet when preparing for a bike tour. Of course, if you notice some vital piece of information that was left out, please let us know! We’re here for you and want to help you make the most of your cycling vacation!
