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I will be riding my bicycle from Czech Republic to London this April. Even though I cycle quite frequently, this is my first time I will be doing such a long distance.

I am not doing this for charity, awarness or whatever super meaningful reason (even though if you know some good cause I dont mind to slap a sticker on my jacket...). Simply I got new bike, moved to London and when thinking about how to get it there I thought why not to just ride it.

Here is map of my planned trip:

enter image description here

As I planned it, it should take 13 days, 1600km, average of 120km a day. I don't think I am aiming for a crazy goal.

To the question:

To all of you who done some long distance around europe, what would you recommend for a gear to take with me? I have vague idea about what I want to take, but I probably missed something so better to ask. Would you recommend bringing tent and a sleeping bag? I am not against sleeping outdoor at all, but after all we are in europe and not middle of sahara, I think I will always be able to find somewhere to sleep, eat etc.

Any advice from experienced long rider would be much appreciated.

Update 1

The Bike I am going to be riding Kellys TNT 30

More info about the bike

This bike comes with very thick tires, I will be changing for thinner flatter tyres. something around 1.95 should be comfortable enough

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  • My main concerns are that you're planning to ride on too many consecutive days. I would suggest 6 days riding and 1 day off. Also the plan calls for 120km per day. So some days might be longer, say 140km. Are you used to riding such distances on consecutive days?
    – andy256
    Feb 10, 2015 at 12:54
  • What kind of bike? Is this a touring bike built for racks?
    – paparazzo
    Feb 10, 2015 at 13:15
  • @andy256 Yes I am a little concern about that as well. I think I can handle the way to the lake in switzerland, if I am too tired I might take day off there. And yes some days have as little as 90km, there is one day that has 150km... I can share my whole plan if anyone interested
    – Tomas
    Feb 10, 2015 at 13:18
  • @Blam I updated the question
    – Tomas
    Feb 10, 2015 at 13:22
  • @jimirings Again, same as in comments under answer from Blam, I am not sure why would this be too broad or whatever.. Michael's answer is perfect, not long, exactly what I was looking for. Now I would just like to see if other people can mention what they found important on their trips.
    – Tomas
    Feb 10, 2015 at 16:44

1 Answer 1

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I took part in a charity ride from Scotland to Italy in June last year, and that was made a lot easier with the use of a support team to help carry everything. Since you are going it alone, you need to consider quite a lot of things:

  • Directions

    • It's fine planning a route, but they often don't go to plan. Always be prepared to make alterations at the last minute. A detailed road map of the area / GPS device is essential for this.
    • Know roughly where you're going to end up at the end of each day. Plan ahead and maybe pre-book your accommodation. Most places allow you to reserver a room for free and pay when you leave, so it comes at no initial cost. If you don't make it to a given town, find somewhere else to stay. You suggest camping in a tent - although feasible, bear in mind the amount of kit you may already be carrying.
  • Nutrition

    • Undertaking long mileage takes its toll on your energy levels, so its important to replace the calories and replenish water loss. You can carry sandwhiches or even pop into cafés, but another alternative is the use of energy gels and flapjacks etc. These are easy to carry and provide enough fuel to keep you going.

    • Hydration is really important, so carrying water or some other hydrating fluid is essential. Try mixing it with energy drink powder to hydrate and keep your energy stores up.

  • Spares / Tools

    • Long-distance cycling takes it's toll on your bike, but also increases the likelihood of hitting a problem along the way.
    • Carry a set of bike tools such as a chain link tool, spanners, hex keys to help you make adjustments and repairs along the way.
    • Inner tubes, tyre levers and a puncture repair kit (and a pump!) are also vital. You can always find a petrol station or another cyclist to help, but be prepared and be self-sufficient with repairs.
  • Clothing
    • Take a variety of clothing to help with the different weather conditions. There's nothing worse than getting into wet clothes when you could have had a dry set to hand.
      • Waterproofs
    • Hot-weather gear
    • Base layers

If I think of anything else I will add it to the list, but these are some of the main things to consider that I can think of.

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  • Geat, thanks @Michael ! Everything you wrote I am accounting for in my list, thats great and please if you can remember anything else essential add it to the list! For the navigation, I hope I will be fine with map and compas. I already do have a rough plan in what town to end up each day
    – Tomas
    Feb 10, 2015 at 16:41
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    You're welcome. I'd much rather you have a pleasant ride than suffer because of lack of preparation. I'm currently in work, so I'll dig out my notes from my ride when I get home and update my answer accordingly.
    – Michael
    Feb 10, 2015 at 17:00

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