Have you heard about bikepacking? It is the combination of all-terrain bicycling and backpacking. That's right, a way to travel around at your own leisure and choose the paths that you want to travel along.
1. Get a sturdy bike. A mountainbike will take you most places. But an ordinary city bike can also take you far if you stay to paved roads or gravel paths. And we have plenty of those in France and Germany.
2. To equip your bike, you will need a seat pack, frame pack, top tube bag and a handlebar roll. Those bags will cover most of your bike, so you might want to go for a test ride for a couple of hours one day before your bike trip. Just to see that you are not over optimistic with what you will bring.
3. Pick your region wisely. Chances are that you can take your bike by car or train to a nature reserve only a few hours away. Depending on how much time you want to spend travelling to the scenic region, you could also consider just biking there. For some inspiration for French national parks, check out this blog post “seven national parks in France you have to see“.
4. Plan for leisure but be ready for a fitness challenge. Bikepacking can be a proper fitness challenge if you don't plan ahead. Depending on the trail or nature reserve that you choose, you will find different slopes and terrain. So to plan for leisure, make sure to book a nice hotel where you can relax before or after your bike trip.
That's it. That is how simple it can be to get out into nature by bike. Now, certainly, each step can be completed more or less rigorously. It is highly recommended that you plan well, because, as the saying goes, by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.
Happy biking!
More about bikepacking!
Check out this informative video on how to get started with bikepacking.
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