Are you thinking about getting away on a cycling holiday? It can be a fantastic way to see more of the world, but it might not always be the best idea to have a trailer with your tent and other equipment on the back of the bike. Sometimes, you just need to take your car with you.
Have a Good Quality Bike Rack
You need to make sure that you have a good quality bike rack on the back or roof of your car. You might not be on the road all of the time, after all. There might be a stretch where it is simply not advisable to be on a bike. Instead, it will be advisable to drive for a little bit, then cycle when it is safe again to do so.
Make sure that you find a bike rack that is compatible both with your car and with the bike itself. It is also important that you can load the bike on your own if needs be, and that it is always properly secured. Take the extra time and attention needed to secure it in this way – the last thing you want is the bike falling off on an interstate or some other busy highway.
Ship Your Car to Your Starting Point
If you are going to be cycling a specific trail, one option for you is to ship the car to the start point rather than roadtrip there. This could be a fantastic option for those who are not the most comfortable driving with their bikes attached to the car in some way. Use car shipping calculator apps to find out if this is a feasible option for you.
If you do decide to opt for shipping your car, you need to make sure that you go with the right firm. A company like Vehicle Haul, trustworthy auto transport firm, is going to have the expertise to get your vehicle where it needs to be. If the cycling holiday is just one part of a much grander adventure, this can be incredibly useful.
Have the Car Be Base Support
Many long-distance cyclists use the cars as a travelling base. They will get on their bikes at the start of the day, pedal constantly, and then pitch up somewhere in the evening to rest and get ready to do it all again the next day. This is quite common when riding specific bike trails, such as the Colorado Trail.
However, you don`t want to have equipment while doing this. Trying to bike up a hill with a tent and other equipment strapped to you is never going to be good. Instead, you need to focus on keeping yourself as light and as speedy as possible. This is where the car comes in – it is base support for your journey. They are going to make sure that camp is set up for you to return to, and will help to prepare the food and other items that you will need for each day out on the trail.
Agree a Schedule with Your Support
If you are going to be going off without your base support, make sure you are on the same page at all times. You might be cycling into areas where there is no cellphone signal, so you might not be able to get in contact with each other.
Agree on a meeting place each day, and ensure that you each have maps and compasses so you can get there. Don`t rely on technology like GPS or electronic maps on phones – there is always the chance that they could run out of charge or glitch. Get a paper map, and know how to use it. Try to arrange a time to meet up too. Although it can be difficult to talk about, you should also set a time limit for when support will act if you fail to show up at your meeting point. If you are out cycling in the wilderness on your own, a discussion like this could prove to be vital. You have to know what you are going to do in an emergency.
Cycling holidays can be a lot of fun, but you might not want to spend all of your time on the bike itself. If you know that this is going to be true for you, think about how you can take your car away with you. It could prove to be a vital piece of support that you are happy to have with you.