Bicycle travel

Hi there, I’m planning to cycle the EuroVelo 8 route from Nice to Izmir in Turkey (about 2,500 km), but I’m not finding much info or tips for this itinerary.

I’d like to leave at the end of September and complete the route in a max of 2 months, as self-sufficiently as possible (I have a tent, sleeping bag, and camping cookware).

Is this a good idea (will it be too cold starting in October)?

Are there any precautions I should take? Any areas to avoid? Since multiple countries are involved.

And are there any places worth visiting that aren’t on the main route?

I’m used to cycle touring in France but not abroad, so I’d appreciate any tips!

Thanks in advance.

Hi everyone, I’d love to bike from Lyon to Marrakech or Agadir. I’m looking for someone around my age (23) to join me. I’m also after some tips on routes, things to know, etc. This road trip is planned for September 2026. Looking forward to your replies and advice!

Hello fellow cycle-tourers! First post on this site for our first big family cycling adventure with our two teens (12 and 16 years old) over 2 months. We're preparing to leave in June/July from Erdeven by bike, then take the train from Auray to Paris, followed by a FlixBus from Paris to Copenhagen with our 4 bikes. After that, we're looking to refine our route: Should we go to Sweden via Helsingborg and then head up to Stockholm along the west or east coast? Maybe passing through the Gotland islands, then via the Åland Islands, why not Turku? Then off to Estonia to Tallinn, ride a bit along the coast, and return by bus if we can find one that takes 4 bikes. :))

Could you share any tips on routes in Sweden: west coast or east coast to prioritize in the south? We’ve heard it’s a shame not to go up to Norway, but we’re worried about the elevation and don’t see how to make a loop work in our 2 months / 1500 km. Any ideas? And the southern Finnish coast: should we go all the way to Helsinki or not? Maybe at the expense of Estonia?

In short, we know choosing means giving something up, but if we can do it with advice from fellow cyclists, that would be amazing! Thanks in advance for your tips! Anne-Sophie and the whole Breton family: David, Axel, and Maude

Hi there, I’m planning to cycle around Taiwan in 2026 and I’d love to know if it’s possible to do the whole island on bike paths, how many kilometers that would be, whether wild camping is easy, and so on…

Hi everyone, We’re planning to spend 5 months cycling as a family in Central Asia. To align with the weather, we’re thinking of arriving in Uzbekistan in April, heading toward the Ferghana Valley in late April/early May, and wrapping up with a long stretch in Kyrgyzstan from mid-May to early August.

I haven’t really dug into the third part (Kyrgyzstan) yet, but from what I’ve seen on the forum and online, cycling across Uzbekistan doesn’t seem all that appealing: long, straight desert stretches with lots of trucks.

Has anyone come across any "hidden gem" routes they’d be willing to share? I’ve already noted that it’s best to avoid riding toward Tashkent. I’m looking for routes between Bukhara and Samarkand, and any nearby areas that are nice for cycling.

I’d love to fly into Dushanbe to reach Samarkand, but we all agree that it’s not a good fit for the season (early April) if we’re cycling, right?

Thanks for your feedback! Ludo

Hi, I’m planning a bike trip in Italy starting from Pisa to Cinque Terre and I’m looking for a company to transport two suitcases. The suitcases are picked up in the morning at our hotel and dropped off at the next hotel along our route. I’m looking for something like *La Malle Postale* in France, which some people use on the Camino de Santiago. Thanks for your feedback!

Bonjour,

J'envisage de traverser une partie du Maroc à vélo durant les 3 premières semaines de décembre. J’ai prévu de partir en autonomie, avec tente et tout le bazar.

Comme je ne connais pas du tout le Maroc, je vous sollicite pour m’aider à préparer un itinéraire sympa. Pour le moment j’imagine aller de Tanger à Agadir mais ce n’est pas figé et surtout je ne sais pas par ou passer. J’ai entendu parler de la N1 mais les pistes non goudronnées ne me font pas peur et je voudrais surtout éviter les voitures !

Je suis surtout à la recherche de coins sauvages et de beaux paysages. Je peux avaler un peu de dénivelé mais j’ai du mal à évaluer l’enneigement et les températures. Je suis prêt à croiser un peu de neige (pas trop non plus hein...) et dormir sous la tente jusqu'à -2°C.

Avez-vous des itinéraires ou des points de passage à me conseiller ? Mon but n’est pas de traverser le pays le plus vite possible. Je ne suis donc pas opposé aux détours. J’aimerais bien aussi descendre du vélo quelques jours pour traverser un bout de désert à dos de chameau ou faire une excursion en montagne... Plutôt vers l'arrivée histoire d'être plus relax sur le timing. Donc si vous avez une suggestion particulière dans le style, n’hésitez pas à m’en faire part !

J’ai vu que le guide “Sur les pistes du Maroc” de Gandini était souvent recommandé mais il y a 7 tomes dispo sur Amazon ! Ca calme un peu.

Merci d'avoir lu jusque là :)

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to get familiar with a route on Locus Map. The issue is that Locus Map’s geolocation isn’t accurate on my PC.

In the link, the red cross shows where I live, and the blue cross shows where Locus Map geolocated me. There’s a difference of about 1.5 km.

My question is: will there always be this kind of error every time I ask Locus Map to geolocate me?

Hi everyone,

I don’t bike much, but I live on the VéloRoute 6, and I dream of adventure. I’m 51 and my old hybrid bike from 20 years ago no longer suits me.

I’d like to get a new bike at a reasonable price, but I don’t know where to look besides Decathlon and Intersport. I’m not after a racing bike—I want something a bit comfortable in terms of riding position (not recumbent) and with a luggage rack. 🙂

All your tips are welcome, with a budget of... let’s say 800 € max.

Looking forward to reading your suggestions!

Richard

What’s the maximum weight of gear I can carry in my panniers: - For a woman on an e-bike - And for a man on a muscle-powered bike Thanks

Bonjour Nous voudrions apporter nos vélo en Sicile début avril pour les fêtes de pâques puis revenir chez nous à vélo en passant par les pouilles jusqu’à région lyonnaise quelqu'un a t, il des infos 1: comment aller la bas ? train ou bateau ? 2: Camping ou autres pour les grandes villes ? est ce vrai que les campings sont très chers ? 3: itinéraire conseillé Sommes preneurs de toutes les infos Merci et bonne fêtes de fin d'année

Hi everyone,

I’m heading to Chile this coming November and I’d love to spend a few days cycling from Santiago (Chile) to Mendoza (Argentina).

Has anyone done this route before? If so, do you have any tips (stages, gear, accommodation spots, etc.)?

Also, to avoid carrying too much stuff, I’d like to rent a bike in Santiago. Any recommendations for a good rental shop?

Thanks so much in advance for your help :)

Clément

Hello, I'm looking for a small town where we can eat and stay near the canals of Brittany to do short bike rides of about 50 km round trip. Ideally, it would be a town at a junction of several canals, but I'm not sure if that exists. Otherwise, a town like Redon with the Nantes-Brest canal and, on the other side, the Vilaine River. But I don’t know if there are paths that can be used along these canals.

Thanks for replying if you have any ideas.

Cheers, Néo.

Hello fellow cycling friends,

I’m heading out very soon for a few weeks in France and elsewhere on my trusty two-wheeled steel steed, with a total of me + luggage = around 120 kg gross weight, and I’ve never really tackled mountain passes before—something I’ll definitely be facing this time...

Currently, I’m running 700c wheels and a Deore XT 10-speed drivetrain (long-cage derailleur) with a 26/36/48 chainring setup and an 11-36 cassette. I’m considering two options (and possible modifications) to get a lower gear ratio (currently 0.72) and spin more easily on steep and mountainous climbs...

1 – Install an 11-42 cassette This would give me a gear ratio of 0.61. Would this be feasible with my current rear derailleur, please?

I have several new chains with 116 links—would these work for this cassette, which would have 6 more teeth on the largest cog, or would I need a longer chain?

2 – Swap the 26-tooth small chainring for a 24-tooth one This would give me a gear ratio of 0.66. Would this be feasible, please?

When switching to a 24T, will the gap be accepted by the 36-tooth middle chainring, and will shifting remain as smooth as it is now? Will this setup (24/36/48 + 11-36 cassette) still work well together, in your opinion?

Which of these two options do you think would be more feasible and preferable?

What drivetrain and gearing do you use on your bikes for loaded touring that sometimes involves climbing mountain passes and other steep ascents?

So many questions... Thanks for your answers and advice! Have a great day,

Spady

Hi there,

The full route from Burgos to (just before) Murcia is 1,300 km.

If you’ve done the whole thing, do you think the entire route is worth the trip, or can some sections be skipped?

Thanks.

We’re planning to cycle along the Baltic coast this summer, from Flensburg all the way to the Polish border—and maybe even a little farther along the Polish coast. By e-bike and staying in hotels (we’re not exactly spring chickens). Any tips? Challenges, places to stay, signage? Other thoughts?

Hi everyone, I’m new to the forum! I’d like to buy some panniers for bike travel made of Cordura. I initially went for the Ortlieb Back Roller Plus, but while browsing the cylo-randonnée website, I came across the Extrawheel Wayfarer Premium panniers. They’re also made of Cordura, manufactured in Poland with German materials, and each has a 25-liter capacity—10 liters more than the Ortliebs. Has anyone here tried them or knows this brand? I know Ortlieb is super reputable, but I figured there might be other brands that are just as good. 🙂 Gabriele

Hi everyone, We’re planning a trip to Cambodia from November 30 to December 21, 2025. We haven’t decided yet whether we’ll land in Phnom Penh or Siem Reap. We’re thinking of covering between 800 and 1,000 km by bike, but we’d rather not bring our trusty rides all that way. Has anyone here already tried buying bikes locally? Do you know if it’s easy to pick one up once we’re there? We’d love to hear about your experiences and any tips you might have. Thanks so much, everyone!

Logo à suivre en route vers les Dolomites Nous voici de retour de nos 6 jours à vélo entre Innsbruck et Venise du 30 juin au 6 juillet 2019 sur l’itineraire Munich Venise bien balisé. Nos impressions générales : le parcours est très beau surtout pour nous les trois premières étapes : Gries am Brenner (AT) à Muhlbach ou Rio di Pusteria (IT) - les villes ayant un double nom - Rio di Pusteria à Toblach ou Dobbiaco - ville que nous avons beaucoup apprécié et Dobbiaco à Pieve di Cadore.

Le passage dans les Dolomites sur une piste moitié en goudron moitié en chemin blanc est vraiment splendide même si ça monte bien.😀

Nous avions choisi des hébergements en auberges et heureusement car peu de camping sur le trajet. Il y avait quelques cyclistes mais pas trop. Nous avons eu beau temps, voire très chaud sur la dernière étape Trévise Mestre. L’arrivée à Mestre n’est pas trop bien indiquée plusieurs directions se chevauchent et ne nous font pas arriver directement à Mestre. Une fois le bon itinéraire trouvé c’est assez facile. Nous avions un guide papier et le GPS et cela nous a beaucoup aidé. Si besoin d’infos sur l’itinéraire On peut échanger sur le sujet Bon voyage

Excellente voie cyclable presque entièrement à l'écart de la route, très joli tracé. Nous l'avons rejoint à Bad Tölz en venant de strasbourg et l'avons quitté100 klm avant venise pour rester en altitude et rejoindre à trente la fin de la via claudia au programme de l'an prochain sans doute. La piste est souvent en gravillons tassés mais même si de courts passages ne sont pas top, nos pneu 32 C suffisaient même si plus gros eu été mieux. Une majorité de camping sauvage souvent au bord d'un lac ou d'une rivière. La signalisation est top. Le seul défaut c'est le bruit des voitures dans certaines vallées, loin des yeux mais proches des oreilles. Les sites qui disent mieux que moi : https://italy-cycling-guide.info/ un site en anglais voir rubrique INTERNATIONAL CYCLE ROUTES

C'est presque trop complet, une carte au 200 000 suffit Et puis la photo pour donner envie

Hi there, I’m traveling to Denmark this July with my three boys, aged 12, 14, and 17. I’d like to plan a little cycling trip and I’m thinking of doing the Copenhagen–Malmö route via Helsingborg. The idea is to take our time and stop along the way based on points of interest or for a swim if the weather allows. I have a few questions: - How many days should we plan for? 2, 3, or 4? - What are the recommended stopover towns? - What are the points of interest along the way? - Do we need to take a ferry for the Helsingør–Helsingborg stretch? Should we book in advance? If anyone has great tips for accommodation along the route, I’d love to hear them! Thanks! !

We're planning to cycle through Slovenia on touring bikes from July 14th to August 14th. We're used to camping, but I get the feeling there are large areas without campsites. Is wild camping allowed? If not, is it easy to stay with locals?

Could you tell me about the must-see spots in Slovenia? I'm thinking of finishing in Istria, at a seaside campsite to relax and enjoy the sea. Is it pretty quiet there?

Thanks so much, Mireille.

Hi, I’m traveling from Budapest to Belgrade. I had a map up to Budapest. If you have a marked route (Route 6) starting from Budapest, that’d really help me out since the signage is pretty poor. Thanks

I’ve gotten used to crossing Europe by bus to return by bike. It was really convenient to take the bike without having to disassemble it. But FlixBus no longer accepts bikes... What alternatives do you know about? Thanks.

Does anyone know an easy way to get from Bilbao to Nantes by bus or train with a bike that isn’t disassembled? Nothing on DB.DE, nothing on FlixBus... Thanks.

Hi everyone,

With summer just around the corner, I’m looking for ideas for organized bike trips in France or Italy. I’m pretty used to traveling independently, but this time I’d like to try something more structured—either in a small group or with minimal logistics (accommodations booked, luggage transport, etc.).

I’m open to different difficulty levels, as long as the setting is pleasant (countryside, seaside, well-known routes, or even a bit more off-the-beaten-path). If you’ve already tried this kind of trip or have good recommendations for agencies or providers, I’d love to hear them!

Thanks in advance for your tips! 🚴‍♂️☀️

Hi fellow travelers,

I’m an old-school cycle tourist, traveling by bike... and I’ll be heading to England, Scotland, and Ireland in September. I was wondering if cash is still used in supermarkets, grocery stores, and generally—do people still use cash in the UK?

Thanks for your replies, happy travels!

Je suis à la recherche de pièces détachées Shimano pour Nexus 8 SG-C6001-8R

soit Y73E98020 CJ-8S20 Cassette Joint Unit for Belt drive system soit Y73E98030 CJ-8S20 Cassette Joint for Belt drive system

j'ai beaucoup cherché mais pas trouvé. si vous connaissez un site qui vend ces pièces merci d'avance.

mon site préféré pour les pièces Shimano http://bicikli.de hélas n'en a pas en stock.

Hi everyone, I’m seriously considering going bikepacking with my Brompton (6-speed model) on a mixed route of roads and bike paths for a trip lasting a few days or even a week. I know the Brompton isn’t the typical touring bike, but its compactness and practicality really appeal to me for combining train + bike travel and staying super mobile. I’ve got a few questions, and I’d love to hear your experiences or tips:

What panniers or luggage setup do you recommend for a Brompton in travel mode? Have you run into any specific limitations (comfort, carrying capacity, elevation gain, etc.)? Should I adjust any components (tires, gearing, saddle) to make it more durable for multi-day trips? Do you prefer wild camping or lightweight accommodations (hostels, campsites, etc.) with this kind of setup? Finally: what types of routes do you think a Brompton handles well? (And what should I absolutely avoid?)

I’d love to chat with others who’ve tried (or are considering) the Brompton bikepacking adventure. Thanks in advance for your insights! 🚴‍♂️ Happy riding,

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to figure out how to get from Paris to Marseille or Montpellier with non-disassembled bikes by train in early July 2025... and it’s a total flop!!! Can’t find any trains that offer the bike-on-board option! It’s so complicated between SNCF-CONNECT, OUIGO, and TER INTERCITÉS!!! Nothing’s simple! I want to take my teens and their cousins on a bike trip to the Camargue, but I’ll have to start planning way ahead to sort out bike transport!!! So glad I found VoyageForum for tips! !