Bike tours can be interesting and should be interesting but there are a few things you need to do to avoid ruining your tour. Speaking from experience, I’ve had those days where I got lost after cycling for almost 5 hours on a dusty and very hilly terrain. Believe me, it was not a good experience.
a) Study the route
Having a good tour starts with understanding the route you will be using. If you are fond of playing games like NFS or Asphalt nitro you have an idea of what a route looks like . Having a sketch of the route you will be using, you are able to know how friendly the road will be, whether is a stretch or full of curves and whether you will want to use another route.
b) Use navigation tools
Google maps will be very helpful in showing the distance and directions of different routes. It will also help you understand the terrain using the photos uploaded by users and local tour guides.
c) Choose a friendly road
Mountain and road bikes can manage to go up very steepy roads but I would recommend you to choose a more flat area to do your tour. Choose smoother and well maintained roads to enable cycling for longer distances without wearing yourself and your bike
If you are using the tarmac avoid roads with high traffic. Opt for roads that are wider or those that have a cyclist’s lane
d) Be physically fit
The next thing you need to do is be well prepared mentally and physically. Do a litte warmup if you can, drink some water if you need to and eat something to add to your energy.
If you are covering more than 20kms, you will need to carry refreshments. This will depend on your preferences but to avoid too much baggage just carry what you need.
e) Gear up
A helmet to protect your head and goggles to protect your eyes are the most important. The goggles will protect your eyes from flying insects and dust particles while the helmet is useful incase of accidents where a cyclist might fall or hit an object.
f) Set the bike
To avoid fatigue make sure to set your bike’s saddle to the right height. Standing next your bike the saddle should be either at the same level with your waist ( that is where you tie your belt) or just above your hip bone. In most cases, the higher the better.
Also remember to set the gears. Nowadays most bikes are going upto 29 speed. That is 29 chain rails at the rear wheel. They also have two derailleurs, front and back and sometimes it can take time before you know which gear to use in most terrains.
In most cases you will need a gear that is strong enough to climb mountains but also light enough to save your strength. For example, in a 6 speed bike, gear number 4 will work well with most terrains.
While going down hill, use the highest gear, uphill use one of the first three gears. To avoid conflict between the front and back derailleurs, make sure you lessen the gears in the front derailleur every time you lessen the number in the rear derailleur. To make it simpler, the largest gear/chain rail at the pedals should go with the smallest gear/chain rail in the back wheel and vise versa.
Check the brakes to make sure they are working and test the handle bar to make sure it’s stable and tight enough.
g) Equip your bike
The following accessories will be very helpful.
- Bike Light. For late nights
- Bell. To warn road users
- Reflectors. To remain visible to road users
- Water bottle. To carry water
- Pump. To inflate your tyres incase of puncture
- Spanner. To tight or losen some parts of your bike
- Side mirror. To give you a rear view of he road in case you are using the tarmac.
h) Call some friends
Like they say, if you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far go together.
Having friends accompany you can make your tour more interesting, more exciting and more meaningful.
I) Opt for morning or evening hours
Just like a flat tire can ruin your tour ,the same can happen with bad weather. A day that is too windy or too sunny can be exhausting. Morning hours between 8:00 am to 11pm or evening hours between 3pm to 6pm are best for cycling.
These are a few things you can do to make your bike tour better. Don’t forget to consider other factors like the weather. Have a nice tour.
Msafiristop 
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