Bike Tour Packing List

Traveling with as little weight as possible is essential. The bike tour packing list adds up to about 25 lbs, plus 4 lbs for the optional tent. The clothes list requires a Laundromat about once a week. It includes one non-bicycle outfit. The list also assumes that you prefer to stay in campgrounds (avoid those without hot showers) or hostels.

Bicycle

o Pedals (remove for shipping the bicycle)
o Saddle (ditto)
o Pump
o 2 inner tubes
o 1 foldable tire
o 2 plastic tire levers
o Patch kit (make sure the glue hasn't dried up)
o Allen wrenches (4/5/6 mm; 7 mm for older and 8 mm for newer Campagnolo cranks)
o 15 mm cone wrench
o Chain tool
o Spoke wrench
o Cassette tool to unscrew cogs
o Spare spokes, two of each length
o Spare brake and shift cables
o Lock (key type, not combination; not a simple cable)
o LED red rear light with fresh batteries
o Swiss army knife
o Narrow duct tape
o Cable ties
o Helmet
o Spare Allen screws and washers for the rack
o Chain lube
o 2 large water bottles
o First aid (disinfectant, band aids, something for skin irritation like )

Luggage and personal

o Sleeping bag (water repellant, inside flap over zippers, lightweight, as small as possible)
o Sleeping bag stuff sack, fill with clothes at night to use as a pillow
o Sleeping pad (full-length Therm-a-rest is best by far)
o 5 cloth straps, 1.5 meters each, with locks to secure bags and to string them together to make a clothesline between trees
o Rear panniers (reducing baggage is better than front panniers too)
o Waterproof Bag (Ortlieb) that holds everything at night and sleeping bag while riding
o Waist pouch for camera, wallet, keys, maps
o Lightweight personal tent and lightweight aluminum stakes (not steel wire stakes), not required in some areas
o Hand-wash detergent
o Two small towels are better than one large towel
o Tooth brush, tooth paste
o Sunscreen lotion
o Battery shaver with cable and power outlet adapter (if appropriate)
o Soap bar in a plastic container, shampoo
o Small roll of toilet paper
o Padlock for campground and hostel lockers
o Earplugs for sleeping in hostels (you and the guy who snored will be the only ones who got some sleep)

Bike tour packing list - Clothing

o Walking shoes or sandals
o Riding shoes with cleats
o 3 padded bicycle shorts
o Unpadded long bicycle pants
o Water-repellent long-sleeved jersey
o Water-tight raincoat (preferably Gore-Tex)
o 2 jerseys (sleeved or sleeveless depending on area)
o 2 T shirts (one for sleeping in and one for non-bicycle activities)
o 7 pairs of socks, not too thick, short
o 1 pair of tight-woven wool outer socks for extremely cold areas
o Non-bicycle long and/or short cotton pants plus underwear
o Warm fleece jacket
o Bicycle gloves
o Bicycle sunglasses

Bike tour packing list - Documents

o Maps (see below)
o Cash, including small bills and coins (USA: quarters)
o Traveler’s checks in small denominations ($20)
o Credit card (MasterCard is best, Visa and American Express are ok, avoid anything else)
o ATM card valid in the country you are traveling to (if you have an ATM card, traveler’s checks are optional), make sure there is enough money in the account. Avoid using your credit card for ATM withdrawals, the fees can be staggering.
o Retractable ball-point pen
o Passport if traveling out of the US. Visas as required.
o IYH youth hostel membership card (if you don't have one, get one!)
o Proof of health insurance

Bike tour packing list - Miscellaneous

o Small automatic camera, film for the entire trip
o Knife, fork, spoon
o Plastic bags for storing things waterproof
o Lighter
o Small flashlight or detachable bicycle battery headlight

The best maps for France are yellow Michelin maps. For Germany, use blueADFC maps. Both are widely available in book stores.

For the U.S. west coast, you must have the bible: Bicycling the Pacific Coast, Kirkendall and Spring, The Mountaineers, ISBN 0-89886-232-9, $12.95. This book is absolutely essential.

You might make scaled-down Xerox copies of the relevant pages of the appropriate Let's Go, published by Harvard Student Agencies.

Content by Thomas Driemeyer, www.bitrot.deEdited by Reg Gupton, gupton@growthseminars.com