DIY Cycle Touring

Tips & Tricks

Go Tubeless 

Both our bikes are fitted with tubeless tyres. 

Within 3 days of cycling in Saudi Arabia I had a piece of glass in my rear tyre that the sealant/plugs could not seal. So the only option was to go tubed - this proved very difficult in the following days as riding on motorway hard shoulders for miles caused multiple small punctures from road debris in the tube tyre (mainly blown truck tyre wires!)

So our top tip is to carry a garage tyre compressor adaptor and these 'internal tubeless repair plugs' and spare sealant so you can get to a garage and return the tyre to tubeless!

BE AWARE THAT IN VERY HOT CLIMATES THE SEALANT MAY BECOME CONGEALED AND THEREFORE INEFFECTIVE 

Below - proof that tubeless work - this Goodyear Gravel tyre had done nearly 4000 miles when we changed it (tread worn out) and no idea how long this nail had been in there for! Never once went flat! 

Below - internal tubeless repair plugs (guess there are others on the market) great bit of kit 👍

Spares and Tools

It's impossible to carry every tool, gadget, part that you may need.

Essentially it's down to choice. 

For instance when your pedal falls off, as happened to Charlie in Austin Texas (due to worn thread!) or your bottom bracket bearings collapse, as happened to Molly in France, are you really going to be carrying  spare crank arms/pedals and a bottom bracket tool/bearings!! Maybe not!?!

So you sometimes have to find the nearest bike shop, (make your own way or hitch a lift, bus, train, taxi)

But there are lots of bits you can carry to deal with the minor issues that will occur.... Punctures etc

Below - stuff we carry - plus we carry 1 spare tyre, tubeless sealant and chain oil (not in photo) 

Above - spares and other bits:-

Top row:-

Zip ties, various sizes (great for so many quick fixes) 

Hose or Banjo clamps (used these to temporarily fix my luggage rack to the frame, after screws sheared off) 

Pump (this one is a good quality with a pressure guage) 

Tyre levers - puncture repair kit 

Old tyre cutoffs - these can be used if you have a cut in the tyre, put inside tyre over the cut and then fit tube/wheel

Spare tubes - we carry 4

Middle row:-

Derailleur Hanger - specific size for your bike - a must carry!

Quick lock chain links

Spare disc brake pads - we carry 2 sets

Petrol station tyre compressor adaptor 

Spare tubeless valves - we carry 2

Tubeless repair kit (only in emergency!) plus the Lezyne internal repair kit and sealant.

Bottom row:-

Good quality multi-tool - pliers - flat edge and crosshead screwdriver. 

Keep that bike drivetrain clean and oiled !

Goes without saying really - the more you care for your chain and cassette, the more miles you will gain from them !

Not always easy on the road, but you can often make do without any special cleaning materials - a rag, some warm water and a bit of detergent or soap/shampoo will do it! Charlie even cleans in-between the chain rollers with 'cotton wool buds'!! 

We do carry a small bottle of chain oil. Wipe off the excess after oiling the clean chain, or it acts as a dirt magnet.

 

Practice packing your bikes

Finding cardboard bike boxes before the flight can be a challenge in itself.

Make sure you know how to pack your bikes safely - YouTube provides some good tips on how to do this or if you're travelling from home your local bike shop may help you. 

Cycle stores, even motorbike stores will often keep some spare. But the search can sometimes take a couple of days, so we prefer to book our next flight only after finding bike boxes! 

Be prepared to box the bikes at the airport. On a few occasions, we've been unable to find a taxi big enough to carry the loaded bike boxes. Top tip: IT'S FINE TO FOLD the empty bike boxes for easy transport! You'll need plenty of strong packing tape to seal them.

Think outside the box !

We've been amazed how some of the nicest hotels have been happy for us to store our bikes inside the room. And we can usually coax a loaded bike into even the smallest lift, using the "wheelie" manoeuvre (below).

It sometimes makes sense to use alternative transport. The photo (below) tells the story - we use it to show coach companies how easily our bikes can fit into the luggage compartment.

We can't resist taking a ferry when the opportunity arises..... it's so much easier than flying with the bikes, as they don't need to be boxed. 

We even managed to cross the Atlantic on a repositioning cruise ship last year (above)! It was easy enough to stow both bikes vertically inside our cabin wardrobe, after popping the front wheels off (below).

Some cities have bike racks at the front of their local buses - easy peasy!  

Rail travel with the bikes can also be an option. New Zealand's famous TranzAlpine train was happy to transport us. Sadly, Japan's bullet trains weren't !