Top 6 Bicycle Touring Hacks

Below is a collection of our top 6 Bicycle Touring Hacks that are practical, save a little time and can make those difficult days a little easier!

1. Can’t park your bike on an incline??

Tired from the road and you just want to park your bike and take a seat. But there is a slight incline and your bike rolls around testing the last ounce of your patience.

The secret, add a parking brake. A simple Velcro strap that is attached to your handlebar. The strap I use is designed to hold skis together when travelling to the slopes. As you park your bike, use this to hold your brake on. Very useful for both bicycle with and without a kick stand

2. Plastic Tubing/tape to protect your ride

No product is resistant to wear. Covering your wear points with a sacrificial material is the best way to maintain the structural integrity of your bike. Plus your racks will polish up nice and shiny after your tour!

– Add a plastic tube to the connection point of your Ortlieb panniers.
– Add Heavy duty tape and padding to where panniers rest on side racks.
– Add heavy duty tape to your cables where there is a rubbing point.

3. Have a Bungee cord at the ready

The uses for this one is endless. I think most Bicycle tourer’s will own one! I strap mine around the seat post and my back rack when not in use. I’ve used the strap to hold the bicycles secure on the roof a bus in India, hold my smelly wet shoes on the back rack to air out, holding your wheel firm to the frame when boxing your bike for a flight. Very handy indeed!

4. Where’s that tie down strap?

Another bicycle transporting tip. Need more than just one Bungee cord to keep your bicycles secure on a bus. We are often searching for that little piece of rope to do the job. After 1 year we realised that we had 10 straps on our Ortlieb panniers. The variable strap with the plastic buckle that is used to connect the two rolled edges together. It’s A perfect tie down strap.

5. Your Bicycle as a Clothes Line

Not always can you find a tree or pole to support your clothes line? If your touring with another, simply turn your bicycles upside down and string your line between the two. front rack to front rack is the most stable. Or if you just have that one tree or your just solo touring. Tie the close line to the tree and then your front racks.

6. Coca-Cola-Can-Camp-Stove

If your in serach for a lightweight, cheap and hassle free stove then i have just the thing! I have used this on past adventures and built one with a Warmshowers host on this trip. Its a stove made from any soft drink can. You need only the can, a few moments of cutting, alcohol for the fuel and a lighter. Here is a link to a Youtube Video detailing it all! 

Bonus tip just for you!

Your very own Spice army!

You don’t have to sacrifice taste when your on the road. You can turn those noodles into something very edible. Tic-tac packets are the perfect little seasoning dispensers! Buy a couple of these, add your spices from home or that you find along the road, bon appetite.