Cycling
Bike Touring Gear List
What gear to bring on a bike tour?
When I first started out choosing my bike touring gear, I didn’t have a good idea of how long I’d be gone, or what would be needed. Looking back I packed more for Bikepacking than Bike Touring, which is more about covering distance in a good amount of time, and comfort while cycling off-road. After a month cycling across England I decided to go for time rather than distance, bought some camping gear and panniers, and cycled around the rest of Europe.
On this page I’ll be focusing on the bike touring gear I have now, rather than what I started out with. I had to get rid of or buy so many things in the first few months as part of the learning process. Without other cyclists experiences I definitely would’ve been lost trying to decide what to buy, but I’m also glad I started out as light and cheap as I did. Getting out there is the most important first step in knowing what you need, and your first trip should be simple enough that anything missing is just an inconvenience in the short term, to be picked up along the way or before the next trip.
The Bike Touring Gear
Skip to
Bags
Panniers – Ortlieb Back-Roller Classic
Fork Cages – Blackburn Cargo Cages
Fork Bags – Sea to Summit Big River Bag 5L
Handlebar Bag – Cheapie from Amazon
Pannier Rack Bag – Decathlon NH Escape 500 16L Backpack
Top Tube Bag – Jetblack Jetbox
Frame Bag – The glue immediately separated on mine, so it’s not worth recommending.
Hip Bag – Evoc Hip Pack Pro 3
Sleep System
Tent – Copper Spur HV UL2 Bikepack
Sleeping Mat – Women’s Ether Light XT Insulated Air Sleeping Mat
Mini Air Pump for Sleeping Mat – Amazon find
Sleeping Bag (Above 5°C) – Sea to Summit – Flame I
Sleeping Bag (Below 5°C) – Nanga Aurora Light 450 DX
Inflatable Pillow – Sea to Summit Aeros Ultralight
Sleeping Bag Liner (Also used in replacement of sleeping bag above 25°C) – Sea to Summit Reactor Compact
Kitchen
This is where gear really starts to differ trip to trip, and person to person. I choose my gear with the expectation that I will be away from home for around a year, and don’t want to be without things like good coffee for that long.
Camping Stove with Pot – Soto New River Pot +Amicus with Igniter
Frying Pan – Jetboil 10″ Summit Skillet
Moka Pot – Bialetti Moka Induction 2 Cup
Cutlery – Fork, Spoon, Knife, Chopsticks
Crockery – Foldable Cup, Foldable Bowl, Plate
Scrubber and Soap – Camp Kitchen Pot Scrubber and Soap
Dish Drying Towel – Decathlon
Toiletries
Large Quick Dry Towel – Dock and Bay
Pocket Laundry Soap – Sea to Summit Laundry Wash
Travel Pegless Clothes Line – Amazon find
Travel Shampoo, Conditioner and soaps
Clothes
These choices also vary greatly based on trip length and season. I tend to have a lot of clothes because my winter gear is expensive, and I’d rather carry it through the summer than have to buy more.
Jerseys – 2 short, 1 long
Bibs/Padded Shorts – 2 short, 1 long
Thermals – 1 shirt, one pair of pants
Rainwear – Road Coat, Rain Pants, Gaters
Cycling Socks – 3 pairs
Cycling Shoes – 1 pair
Everyday – As needed
Bike Repair/ Maintenance
Even without mechanical experience, there’s lots of small issues you can learn to fix as long as you have a few simple tools. Bike touring gear necessities.
Hand Pump
Spare Tubes – At least 2
Tube Patches – 1 pack, in some countries 2
Cleat Screws – If you’re using cleats
Tyre Levers – 3
Multitool – Must have allen keys on it, I also have one with pliers and a chain breaker
Chain Links – Only useful if you have a chain breaker
Chain Tester – A tiny piece of metal that allows you to check if it’s time to get a new one.
Misc - Necessities
Battery packs – 2 large (40,000mAh), 2 small (10,000mAh)
Sewing Kit – Dollar store purchase
Gear Repair Tape – Gear Aid Tenacious Tape Repair Tape
Bike Lock – ABUS Ultimate 420 + Steel Cable
Head Torch
Tarp
Misc - Hobbies
These are the things that on a short trip you probably wouldn’t bother with, but on a long trip from home keeps me grounded. No bike traveller lives only for bikes, and without the other things you enjoy loneliness will creep in as the weeks pass.
Camera – Sony Nex-5
Laptop – Surface Laptop Go 2
Nintendo Switch Lite
Cross Stitch Kit