Bicycle Touring and Camping

Why Bicycle Touring?

And how about environmentally sustainable touring? Per kilometre of touring, I expect that bicycle touring has a very small carbon footprint. 

Type of Bicycle

I reviewed several library books on bicycle touring before shopping for a suitable bicycle. My plan was to ride on paved roads or gravel tracks. I acquired a hybrid / comfort bicycle with front fork suspension and seat post suspension. The rear sprocket has 9 cogs ranging from 11 to 32 teeth. The front chain wheels have 22, 32 and 42 teeth. Hollow section wheels were promoted as being more suitable to touring. The spoke eyelets help to distribute the forces from the spoke over a larger area of the wheel rim. The only non standard accessory was enclosed (sealed) lower bracket bearings in place of the standard bearings. Based on my touring experience I have now replaced the seat and seat post with lighter components

Carrying Touring and Camping Equipment

The bicycle touring books and internet web sites provide advice as to pannier racks, bags, etc. My hiking rucksack has a capacity of 72 litres. A typical pair of rear pannier bags for touring have a capacity of less than 40 litres. Another 14 litre bag can be mounted on top of the rear pannier rack. However, adding front panniers increases the unladen mass by  approximately 2 kilograms - so there is an incentive to keep the volume less than 54 litres. With bicycle touring, food can often be obtained each day. Based on my experience on a 5 night tour of the South Australian Barossa region, reasonable comfort is achievable within the 54 litre baggage limit.

The bicycle touring web sites showed examples of pannier rack failure relating to rough roads and luggage mass. From my  motorcycling perspective - bicycle panniers racks would be rated as fragile. Rough roads would contribute to early failure of the bicycle pannier rack and pannier bag mounting hooks. I also used a bungee cord to further restrain the horizontal motion of  bags.

Strategies for Reducing the Mass of Carried Clothing and Equipment

For me, camping and cooking are essential elements of the touring experience. Here are some of my strategies for reducing the overall mass of clothing and equipment. 

• Methylated Spirits burner for cooking. The fuel is available in hardware, paint or larger grocery stores.
• Minimise the amount of food carried during the day. Purchase food when convenient and close to meal times. 
• Plan ahead and determine when and where food and water will be available. 
• Use the layering principle for clothing - this adds flexibility. High performance fabrics can help to reduce mass. 
• Take no more clothing than you can wear all at once. I have found that the four layers of clothing is the maximum in practice - for example underwear, shirt, jacket and rain jacket.. Remember  that it is nice to have something to wear while most of the clothing is being laundered.
• light weight 3/4 length  1200 mm) self inflating mattress 
• sleeping bag suited to the overnight temperature conditions. 
• Tent suited to the weather and temperature conditions.
• When in a group, plan and share tools and equipment with others in the group.
• Photocopy or remove the pages from the guidebooks rather than taking the entire book. 
• Light weight cable lock - Kryptonite 5 mm by 900mm and padlock

Improving the Warmth of the Lightweight Sleeping Bag

I used my Black Wolf Micron 50 sleeping bag for my early September tour of the South Australian Barossa area. The sleeping bag is rated at +6 degrees C made with Power Loft 3D fill (50 gm/sq metre). Weather forecasts indicated that temperatures should remain above 5 degrees C overnight. Actual ground temperatures outside the tent in the morning over the 5 days were 0, 0, 2, 4 and 6 degrees C. Weather observations record the temperature at about 1.2 metres above the ground. Morning temperatures are often considerably colder at ground level. 

In the evening, I put my Windstopper / visibility vest around the foot end of the sleeping bag. As the temperature dropped I put my rain jacket over the mid section of the sleeping bag and my long sleeve shirt over the upper section. The hood portion of the sheet was over my head, the draw cord around the neck and hood of the sleeping bag was pulled to minimise the uncovered area. On the colder mornings, my balaclava was pulled down over my face and neck. I also wore two pairs of socks on the colder nights.

The Black Wolf Micron 50 sleeping bag weighs about 800 grams. It has a full length zipper with draft tube. These add to the weight and allow the bag to be opened up fully in hot weather, or used as a blanket / cover in other situations. Perhaps a sleeping bag with a half length zipper would offer better performance for bicycle touring. In hot weather I sleep outside the sleeping bag in the silk sheet, until the temperature falls as morning approaches. 

I used a silk sheet. Perhaps a flannel sleeping bag sheet would have performed better in the cool conditions. A flannel sheet is substantially heavier that a silk sheet of similar dimensions.

Sleeping Bag Strategies

My down sleeping bag is a One Planet Bushlite Super Abyss, a model where the short Thermarest mattress is inserted into a pocket in the back section of the sleeping bag. It has a rating of -7 degrees C and mass of 1700 grams. It was well suited for my style of motorcycle camping and hiking. I found it advantageous to select a lower mass and lower volume sleeping bag for bicycle touring. I found that 0 to 4C is a typical dawn temperature for some good bicycle touring daytime weather of spring and autumn (in South Australia). 

More recently I acquired a Caribee Firefly Extreme sleeping bag with 0 degrees C rating. The fill material is Thermal-loft Micro. Mass is about 1200 grams. It has a nylon draw cord around the hood and another nylon draw cord around the neck / shoulder muff. The foot width is 600mm compared to 500 mm for the Black Wolf Micron 50. This might permit more of the loose sleeping bag material to be piled on top of the legs and body - in cold conditions. I used this sleeping bag on my September 2007 Mawson Trail (South Australia) tour - it was more suitable for the temperatures near freezing - particularly due to the hood and draw string, and neck / shoulder muff and draw string. 

For bicycle touring - two sleeping bags might cover the range of temperatures that I tour in. I have mostly used the 0C rated sleeping bag - the best touring weather seems to be in spring or late autumn. The lighter +5C sleeping bag is fine for overnight and summer touring - although afternoon temperatures above 30C are less pleasant for pedaling. 

Selecting a Tent

Overnight temperature has a bearing on which tent will be suitable. The tent's mass is lower if the upper part of the inner tent is screen rather than fabric. With this type of construction the temperature inside the tent will be similar to that outside. The screen panels also allow drafts if there is a breeze. In cooler weather, a heavier sleeping bag may be needed, if a light weight tent is selected. 

Challenges and Disciplines of Bicycle Touring

I built up to multi day bicycle touring by starting with overnight tours. The first overnight tour, I camped within 20 km of home and involved a 50 km ride the next morning. The second overnight tour involved a 65 km ride the next morning with more hills. On the early tours I packed the amount of equipment that I would need for multi day tours. This increased my resolve to reduce the mass and volume of equipment carried. My earlier packing lists were influenced by my hiking and motorcycle touring experience.

On my first multi day bicycle tour I averaged around 60 km per day. My knees were sore for the next five days. On my second multi day tour (a month later), I averaged more that 75 kilometres per day without sore knees following the tour. 

I enjoyed touring more after developing the discipline to take regular breaks. Even with a 10 minute break every hour for a drink and a snack, there was still plenty of time for further enjoyment at the end of the day. Digestion of food requires energy. While riding, the body consumes energy through pedaling, etc. When starting to ride after a meal break, my muscles felt sore and tired - probably because to the energy being diverted to digestion. Hourly breaks and easy to digest carbohydrates seemed to help. 

Cost and Equipment for Bicycle Touring

For those who prefer to not sleep at ground level on a 25mm thick 3/4 length mattress - Bed and Breakfast and On-Site Cabins at campgrounds may provide more attractive  alternatives. Assuming the current bicycle is suitable for the type of touring to be undertaken - a rear pannier rack costs around $60. A pair of acceptable rear pannier bags cost around $90.  A small handle bar bag can improve access to the close at hand necessities. 

Mawson Trail Tour - September 2007

I rode the Mawson Trail in South Australia during the last two weeks of September 2007. I took the Stateliner scheduled bus service between Adelaide and Port Augusta. To get freight cost for the bicycle reduced from $25 to $15 I removed the front wheel, lowered the seat and removed the pedals. The bike could then be stored upside down in the luggage space. I cycled the highway between Port August and Wilpena and followed the main road to Blinman for the start of the Mawson Trail. Most of the trail is unsuitable for road bikes. The trail follows minor roads, road reserves and forest tracks. Occasional sections of main roads are encountered. The riding conditions involve rocky and rough tracks as well as some smooth or sandy sections. 

My bicycle was a hybrid / comfort style (Shogun Metro GS) with front fork and seat post suspension. I used Continental Travel Contact tyres - advertised as having "extra puncture sidewall protection". I had no tyre punctures during the tour and took care to avoid sharp rocks, wire, sticks and other debris.  

I rode with the aim of minimising bounce and oscillations that might result in dismounting the panniers. I used only rear panniers. The total luggage volume was about 50 litres. My average speed for the "main road" sections was 20.6 km / hour and for the Mawson Trail sections was 15.6 km / hour.

I carried my lightest tent (Walrus Micro Swift) and 0 degrees Celsius rated sleeping bag. For cooking I used a Trangia methylated spirit burner with a home made wind shield / pot support, 1 and 1.2 litre aluminium pots. Drinking water is not readily available on some sections of the Mawson Trail - I planned in advance to use the re-watering points, thus reducing the all-up mass.         

I met only one other cyclist on the trail that was touring and camping. I met a cycle touring group that had a support vehicle to carry the luggage and meet at designated locations. Many parts of the trail are on road reserves that would be seldom used by other than the neighbouring land owners. 

Here are some of my notes from my September 2007 tour.

• Middlesight Heysen Trail Hut rainwater tank - Mawson Trail Section 3, Map 3 "Blinman" side, kilometre 10 - with no 4 wheel drive access to the hut - rainwater should last longer into the dry season.
• Camping area tank - Section 3, Map 3 "Blinman" side, kilometre 14 - the camping area is on a dead end track - the rain water will last longer than tanks with more frequent vehicle use. 
• Wilpena  - Section 3, Map 3 "Wilpena" side, kilometre 58 - artesian water is brownish in colour and potable.
• Merna Mora bush camp - Section 3, Map 2 "Black Gap" side, kilometre 35 - the bush camp is approximately 3 kilometres from the Mawson trail
• Hookina Creek bush camp - Section 3, Map 2 "Black Gap" side, kilometre 10 - rainwater tank
• Hawker - Section 3, Map 2 "Wilson Road" side, kilometre 23 - the Flinders View caravan park approximately 0.7 km northwest of town seems better suited to bicycle campers. Hawker offers the worst priced groceries in the Flinders Ranges.
• Buckaringa North Heysen Trail campsite - Section 3, Map 1 "Quorn" side, approximately kilometre 43 - the campsite and rainwater tank is located about 2 km from the Mawson trail and 60 metres from the gravel road
• Laura Caravan park - Section 2, Map 2 "Laura" side, kilometre 28 - usually there are few campers - might as well ask to use the most suitable site in such a situation.
• Bundaleer Forest - Section 2, Map 2 "Spalding" side, kilometre 46 to 58. There were several locked gates posing a challenge for getting the bike and luggage over.
• Curnow Hut - Section 2, Map 2 "Spalding" side, kilometre 46 - About 0.5 km west of the trail - rainwater tank. 
• Spalding - Section 2, Map 2 "Spalding" side, kilometre 11 - camping available at the oval or ask to camp behind the hotel. BBQ and public toilets on the main street.. 
• Corner near Sir Hubert Wilkins birthplace - Section 2, Map 1 "Spalding" side, kilometre 73 - the direction signposts might be missing at the junction of Civilization Gate road - I was unable to locate them.
• Rattler Trail - Section 1, Map 3 "Riverton" side, kilometre 18 - the Rattler Trail follows the old railway line from kilometre 18 rejoining the Mawson Trail at kilometre 4.
• Snakes - brown snakes on the road tend to resemble a thin crooked gum tree branch. Avoid running over snakes and thin crooked gum tree branches on the road. 
• Sun Protection - I had the intention to re-apply sun protective cream at each rest break. Lip Balm was also necessary because of the number of hours of sun exposure per day.

Mawson Trail maps (9 maps in the set) are available from Bicycle SA - phone 08 8332 2844. I chose to use the maps rather than a GPS programmed with the intersection way points - the GPS start up time makes it less convenient for cycling. The trail is reasonably well marked. If an intersection requires a turn, the sign post and directional arrow is usually before the intersection. There the intersection does not involve a turn, the sign post is usually on the far side of the intersection. Sign posts are usually marked on one side only. I found myself checking for passed sign posts to determine if I was still on the trail. 

Trans Canada Trail - Kettle Valley Railway

In June 2008 I cycled a 750 km section of the Trans Canada Trail starting at Myra Canyon, south of Kelowna to Sparwood British Columbia. I used a Ground Effect Tardis cordura bike bag for the air flights. Packing the bike involved removing the wheels, handle bar and rear derailleur. Packaging tape was useful for holding the parts in place minimise damage during transit (amongst other things). The bag comes with fork and dropout spacers (held in place by the axle skewers) to minimise flexing / bending in transit. Disk brake damage was minimised by holding the wheels in place using packaging tape. The pannier rack needed to be removed and stowed in my duffle bag with the panniers. The empty bike bag and duffle bag weigh  ~2.5 kilograms and were only used during air travel. I sent the bags to my destination by bus fright rather than carry the extra mass. 

Air New Zealand did not charge extra for the oversize luggage (Tardis bag  and bicycle). The Air New Zealand baggage allowance was 2 pieces of checked up to 23 kg each. Within Canada, WestJet did not charge extra for the bike in the Tardis bag.

Bicycles and Greyhound Canada

Greyhound (coach transport) requires that bicycles be boxed and sent bus freight (Express) in a trailer that is towed by the coach. Cardboard bike boxes were available at the Vancouver, Calgary and Winnipeg Greyhound depot's for $10 to $12 each. The freight cost for the bike was less than the cost of  passenger fare over the same distance. Packing the bike in one of the supplied cartons involved removing the front wheel, pedals, handle bar and lowering the seat. Typically the depot where the boxed bike is being shipped to needs to receive the bike. When the depot is not open, some smaller depots have a small freight locker which is not large enough to store the bike box - and the bike might be shipped to arrive at a time when the destination depot is open. I managed to avoid this complication in one instance by convincing the Freight supervisor that the driver had space and was willing to take the boxed bike in the coach luggage area for the last leg of one coach journey. I had to sign for delivery of the bike before it was transferred to the coach. 

Rail transportation in western Canada tends to be more expensive than advance ticketed air travel. In eastern Canada it appears that Via Rail will carry boxed or bagged bicycles for an extra cost of about $20 where the train has a baggage car. The bike in a Tardis cordura bag would be dimensionally similar to infant strollers that some passengers included as luggage.  

Some Bicycle and Touring Web Sites 

Ground Effect (New Zealand) - bicycle clothing by mail order

Bike Direct - SA Government bicycle maps

Lonely Planet Cycling Guides

Bicycle Fish 

South Australia Trails - Mawson Trail Maps, etc.

Bicycle Express - Adelaide Bike Shop

Last modified 13/06/2009

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