On the Road

A rack is essential, and get the strongest one you can. How much luggage will depend on where you are going – smart people travel light and don’t carry much in the way of food, water and clothing. I managed just two rear panniers with a small rucksack across the top for a four-month trip across Pakistan, Tibet and Nepal. Most other people I met on the way had front panniers too – useful additional capacity, but their bikes were usually too heavy to lift off the floor, and I often wondered what they had in there that I didn’t!

Also, bear in mind that the airline will fly your bike (phone and check first though), but it will be included in your luggage limit. So unless you want to pay excess, you aren’t going to have a lot of extra baggage anyway, once your 14 kg bike is weighed.

A clip-on electric speedo is handy for logging distance so that you can get some idea of how far you’ve come that day and how far away the nearest hotel with a hot shower and a cold beer will be.

And take some kind of lock, preferably a combination one. Bike thieves are everywhere, even if it’s just a snotty-nosed kid who wants to try your bike out for fun.

Back to Top - More On the Road Articles - Print this page