How to prepare for a first bike trip?

Bikepacking is a great way to see the country and practice responsible travel.. However, it is not always easy, when you start out, to preparing a first bike trip. Here are our tips to guide you in organizing cycling holidays : from the itinerary, to the equipment, to the accommodation.

Find a bike travel route

The great European cycle routes

In Europe, we have a wide range of cycle paths, including the EuroVelo. This is a network of 17 long-distance cycle paths, to travel across Europe, about ten of which pass through France, with 9,000 kilometres of path. That's plenty to do!

Each course EuroVelo crosses several European countries, over a minimum of 1000 kilometers, and is well identified thanks to signage specific to the route and therefore easy to follow. On the site EuroVelo, you can search for a route by country before being redirected to the dedicated sites of the greenway in question.

The Komoot app to prepare your cycling trip

For find a bike route but above all to let you guide you in your cycling trip, O'rentees recommends the Komoot application. Komoot offers a great dose of inspiration, via thousands of cycling routes with points of interest.

In the tab Discover, scroll through the outings published by your friends, guides based on your location and collections selected by the Komoot algorithm, to present you with safe routes. Within each collection you will find different bike tours, or even the different stages of the same circuit.

To find a ready-made circuit “all that’s left to do is ride”, in the tab to plan choose bikepacking as the activity type, then search by area (near or around a specific location). Once the route is defined, the GPX track allows you to follow easily your route.
To build your tailor-made itinerary, taking inspiration from different day trips, which can be compiled (or to find your day bike ride), in the tab to plan choose bike ride

It is also possible to create your own route via the tab to plan of the application, by entering your criteria: type of bike route (mountain bike, cycling, gravel, bike), your fitness level, the type of route (simple or loop).

In its Premium version, the application offers more possibilities such as the use of offline maps, live-tracking to share your position live, or the creation of personal collections to keep track of your adventure, in text and images and share it with as many people as possible.

What equipment should you bring for a bike trip?

Rent a touring bike

The big question that arises when the idea of preparing a bike trip is that of the mount: Which touring bike to choose? ? For a first bikepacking trip, on a cycle path, we would like to direct you towards a VTC type bike or a simple gravel bike.

Since buying a bike can be particularly expensive, and testing it is particularly important, we recommend renting a bike. If you happen to regularly get caught up in the game, then it would be time to consider the question of buying one, but, At first, renting seems to be a more economical solution and what's more, practical. Indeed, for some relatively touristy bike routes, rental companies offer the “one way” option, that is, the collection and return of the bike at two different points to take full advantage of roaming. In your browser, enter the query bike rental + the name of the cycle route, For example bike rental Vélodyssée. France Cycling Tourism has also developed an interactive map to find a bike rental company in France.

Rent bikepacking bags by bike

To equip your touring bike with panniers, here again, renting is recommended. Financially, renting is more advantageous if you do not use your equipment regularly, because you will be able to benefit from quality technical outdoor equipment at reasonable prices ! O'rentees offers Bikepacking bags for hire: fork bag, frame bag, handlebar bag, saddle bag. Its lightweight panniers attach directly to the bike frame and do not require a carrying system as is the case for conventional panniers. They allow good load distribution and weight savings that provide stability and comfort on the road.

In addition to your panniers, O'rentees rents complete Bikepacking packs, including sleeping equipment (tent, mattress, duvet, etc.) if you are embarking on an itinerant adventure by bike and bivouac!

Find bike-friendly accommodation

If you do not opt for bivouacking by bike, Where will you sleep during this first bike trip? Hotel, guest house, gîtes… there is no shortage of choice! However Some establishments will be preferred during your cycling trip, because they are better suited to your needs as a cycle tourer.

Accommodations labeled Accueil Vélo, located near cycle routes, specifically offer services dedicated to bicycle travelers, such as a bicycle storage area, a repair shop, charging stations for electric bikes, or access to a washing machine for doing your laundry. The Accueil Vélo search engine from France Vélo Tourisme also allows you to locate restaurants, tourist sites equipped to accommodate you, as well as rental companies, repairers, etc.

Another way to you accommodation during a bike trip : the community platform Warmshowers connects bike travelers with passionate hosts offering accommodation. It's a great way to connect with other travelers!

And now, saddle up, friends!