I bought my first ten-speed in 1980. The year before I had made a biking holiday to England -- the first holiday I spend on my own -- and I wanted to have something smarter than the average Dutch bike. I bought a black RIH (still made in the Westerstraat, Amsterdam), a Dutch brand which is famous for the indoor bikes they make. I still have this bike. I had it repainted and almost completely rebuild -- only the handlebars and the seatpost are now original, and the frame of course.
In the mean time, I also bought a mountain bike, first an American Eagle (now disappeared in the company which owns the brand, Concorde) and later on a Presto (it seems they don't make their own bikes anymore), partly because I did not really enjoy using the American Eagel (without being able to say why; I think the frame is a bit too long), but now we have at least two good bikes to go on a bike trip together.
Most of my advise is based on my trips with the RIH, but I did do some good trips on the American Eagle as well. The Presto has not beenn on a long distance adventure yet. Travelling on the RIH has always been a pleasure, though it had some problems with a rim which led to frequent broken spokes in the beginning. I learned how to repair the bike while on the trip, with the result that I never bring my bike in for repair.
First, follow the Bob den Uyl principle. This Dutch author has written the first and only philosophy of biking. His most important insight: forget the 'goal' of the trip. Just go wherever the wind will take you. He has written lots more, and I probably will translate his vision into English.
Second, keep your bike in good condition. That's obvious. For me, it does not mean that I keep my bike always bright and shiny. It means that I change those parts which will wear by use rather a bit earlier than too late. For example the tyres: once they have rolled for 1000 km I buy new ones when heading off for a trip of a couple of days.
Contrary to most advice, I use 23 mm tyres even when I have a fully loaded bike on a camping trip. Never experienced these small tyres as uncomfortable. The biggest discomfort were the original wheels with high flanges with spokes cross-4 -- perfectly stiff for the indoor piste, no mercy on the road. My new wheels (Shimano 105 + Stylus Vuelta rims) are now a bit on the soft side. But keep in mind, I always ride on normally paved roads. On rougher roads, 25 or 28 mm. might have an advantage. Or take a mountainbike.
Whenever on a longer trip, take enough equipment with you that you basically can take your bike apart. Essential is that you can at least fix your tires and repair your chain.
Because of the stiff wheels of the RIH, I had a broken spoke in my rear wheel about every 200 till 500 km. That meant at least one broken spoke in an average holiday. I became very handy in taking off the freewheel (of course they always break on that side when on holiday), putting in a new spoke and re-aligning the wheel. My new wheels (Stylus) are less likely to have the same problem (after more then 9000 km I haven't had a single broken spoke) but I still will take some precautions. And with the light weight miniature equipment which is available, it does not add much weight.
Always carry a spare innertube, it is much handier to only change the innertube then fix it on the side of the road.
Luggage can be stored either in a backpack or on a carrier on the bike. I used to think that a backpack would be unpleasant, but for short trips (up to 3 or 4 days), a small sized backpack proves to be handy. Sweating you will do anyway (and I sweat a lot!), so the added layer of the backpack does not make much difference. When you have to carry more, go for the carrier on the bike. A big backpack makes you top heavy.
Eating and drinking are the problem and the pleasure. The problem is that not all drinks nor all food agrees with your biking. There is a lot of information available, the best is also to experiment a bit and find out what you like. I don't believe the story about the 'isotone' drinks, i.e. that your body takes them in easier. Their biggest credit is that they contain the minerals and vitamins and other stuff which you loose by sweating and using your muscles. Plain water is still the best drink. Also after a long trip you should drink lots of water -- I learned it the hard way in 2003, when I got quite depressed drinking only sportsdrinks for two days. When I started to drink normal water again, I felt much better (see Amsterdam to Paris). Cucumber, by the way, is a good vegetable to nibble on during a ride: it contains lots of potassium (K) which prevents you from losing too much sodium (Na) when you are sweating; bananas contain the same element, and a lot of energy.
It is a good thing to eat at regular intervals, for me about every 50 km on long trips. I learned that it is better to let the distance dictate your eating instead of going als long as possible till your body starts protesting. Another interesting fact hidden here, is that you can stay away from all kinds of energy bars etc. most of the time. For me, 50 km is about two hours riding, and than a normal sandwhich is enough to fuel up. So, for most rides up to 50 km, you don't need to think about taking any food with you. Enough water is more important.
When planning a longer trip, count on doing at least 80 km a day. In that way, you have done some real biking. Average distances of about 100 km are a good rule of thumb. With a full load of bagage a distance of more then 120 km becomes a pain in the ass. With less luggage, one can do it. I once biked from Amsterdam to Paris in 4 days of about 130 km each. Right, that does not add up to the distance, I cheated a bit between Bergen op Zoom and Tournai: that would have been a trip of almost 170 km, and as the day started with rain and southerly winds, I took a train connection between Antwerpen and Kortrijk. But on another trip, I mananged to get form Reims to Paris, which is about 150 km.
Even with distances of about 120 km, one has enough time to look around in the villages you pass through. But fight the temptation to visit everything you pass by. Write down the things that look interesting for a next trip.
Though I am getting a bit old, I still like to use Youthhostels. They are cheap and because of the informal character, one does not feel alone sitting in a hotelbar. The ones in Holland and Belgium do have a real bar, much to the horror of older 'professional' youthhostellers from Germany.
Decent and up-to-date maps are a must. They serve a threefold purpose: before your trip, you can plan en travel the imaginary route. On the trip they give you the information where and how to go. After the trip, they function as a reminder of where you went. A scale of 1:200.000 most of the time suffices.
Now mark that using maps seems to be contrary to the Bob den Uyl principle. However, this principle defines in the first place a state of mind. The road is free, even when one sets oneself to arrive at a specific place, one has to be open to what happens before one gets there. Do not plan your experiences, and adjust your plans accordingly. The secret of the Bob den Uyl principle is that one does not find what one is looking for, and finds that for which one is not looking. If you can live and bike like that, you are a good biker.
© 1998-2008 j.f.groen
This page modified: 06 July 2008
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