A reader writes: I am going to order in September a new Oxford Bikes Expedition — what panniers would you suggest? I really only need to carry clothes, a very small tool kit and a lap top. Basically, I want to ride to my office down various gravel tracks and roads — my office is 550 miles from home! Thanks for the question! And congratulations on your excellent choice of bike – not that I’m biased or anything… Anyhow. Along with a few other factors such as budget, pannier choice has a lot to do with what the contents will be. And the fact that you want to carry a laptop on a kind of extended ..read more

A reader writes: My stupid question (asked with the understanding that you are not a medical professional but a great resource and researcher): Can biking on a touring bike be bad for your back? Can biking on inflated tires on bumpy roads – because you’re too lazy to reduce pressure or anxious about reinflating them – be bad for your back? How can you mitigate potential back problems from biking on a touring bike? Are recumbent bikes less safe on busy roads – they look that way to me, even with the flag on back? Thanks for the question! As you mentioned, I am not a medical professional, but ..read more

Last week I had the pleasure of hosting a French couple on a mission to cycle round the world – preferably without flying – who had spent eight months riding across Europe, Turkey and Georgia, and had recently arrived in Armenia after almost 10,000km of pedalling. Their company evoked feelings of nostalgia for the time when, aged 24, I first arrived in Armenia on a mission to cycle round the world – preferably without flying – and had also spent eight months riding across Europe, Turkey and Georgia. Anyway. As they were packing up to leave, I noticed that the bikes to which they were attachi ..read more

I rarely post about outdoor industry sales and promotions, and when I do it’s truly in my readers’ interests! On this occasion, Seattle-based Cascade Designs (parent of MSR, Therm-a-Rest, SealLine and more) have launched a major sale on many cycle touring gear classics across their brands, running from May 17–27 – although I expect the most popular items will be gone in a matter of hours. Of special interest is the legendary MSR Hubba range of lightweight freestanding tents, whose 1‑, 2- and 3‑berth models have been circling the globe under pedal power for decades (I have one of each). Among r ..read more

It’s the time of year when long-haul cycle tourers who earlier set off from Europe are approaching parts of the world where information about logistics – visas, border crossings, money exchange and transfer, taking bicycles on public transport, etc – is scarce and rapidly changing. And where forums such as Lonely Planet’s now-defunct Thorn Tree used to be the digital grapevine where cycle tourers would exchange such intel, it seems today’s version is the private WhatsApp group. Rather than duplicate existing resources, with this post I wanted to try and highlight this collection of invite link ..read more

A reader writes: I can understand ‘brifters’ (brake/shifter) for racers (or audax), but not for tourers. The only time I ‘drop down’ is to adopt a streamlined tuck position for >50kph descents. I do not need to change gear in this position, but I definitely need my brakes available. At all other times, I am on the top of my handlebars (enjoying the scenery), where I need secondary brakes, and gear shifters for optimising cadence on flattish parts, and moving to lower gears upon ascents. It seems this tourer usage of drop handlebars has been forgotten about. It is increasingly difficult to ..read more

As an inherently DIY-oriented bicycle traveller, I don’t normally post about new commercial products in the context of cycle touring and bikepacking. But I do want to highlight a development in the personal entertainment industry that has changed the way I engage with digital audio on the road for the better, and which I think would benefit a great many more riders. The headphones I’m testing out right now are the OpenRun model from Shokz, who seem to be leading the field right now. They rely on the principle of bone conduction to make possible a means of hearing that doesn’t involve blocking ..read more

A reader writes: Hey Tom, I’ve got a nice one for you: ‘Longer bike trips for the older generation, how to go about? How to train?’ Everywhere we get slapped around our ears with bike trips, bikepacking and more on social media. Not only the bikes look new, the gear high-tech, but the riders all so young? I’m mid 50’s (only), and wanting to take a bike trip, but was wondering about training schedules on my my (t)rusty old steel frame… Thanks for the question! It sounds like you’re concerned that cycle touring doesn’t look quite as simple as perhaps it should. This can be confusing ..read more

A reader writes: I’m sorry to be awkward but my question is about race. I’m planning to embark on a cross-Europe cycle tour this spring. I’ve read a lot of people’s blogs on similar journeys but I’ve noticed that they tend to be white travellers. As a North Indian looking guy with a very Southern English accent, I wondered if Islamophobia / anti immigrant sentiment was something I should worry about in Eastern Europe? I’d love some pointers to blogs I might have missed, as well — I understand if this might not be a topic you feel totally comfortable explaining. Thanks for raising an import ..read more

A reader writes: [What is] the future of cycle electrics? Dynamos vs power banks. Lights are becoming much more efficient, but there’s more and more requirements for charging eg: mobile phones and navigation. Any thoughts? Thanks for the question! I’ve had a fair few questions about tech and cycle touring, specifically about getting the best out of smartphones on bike trips – but none about what the future might hold in terms of electronics and their ever-increasing demands for power. It’s an interesting one! Well – I don’t know exactly what the future of bicycle electronics holds, of course ..read more