Touring
Touring on a bicycle is a popular leisure activity and great way to get out and explore whilst keeping fit and being kinder to the environment by adopting a 'greener' mode of transport.
There are a lot of types of touring that you can take part in. Lightweight touring means that the cyclist takes a minimal amount of equipment and a maximum amount of cash, generally staying in hotels or B&Bs and eating in cafes and restaurants. Cyclists often use the phase 'credit card touring' to describe this.
Fully loaded touring is what it says on the tin! Here the cyclist takes his tent, food and any other equipment needed and 'camps' his way along the route.
Expedition touring is really a step on from this and involves basically travelling on a bike. This type of tour often takes in very remote areas or nations and the cyclist needs to take all food, camping equipment, spares and other supplies and be self sufficient - not for the light hearted!.
Supported touring is often arranged by a group of cyclists or a company. Here the cyclist travels light and a van or other mode of transport carries most of the food and equipment. Accommodation is often pre-booked and may be at a hotel or B&B.
It is possible to buy specialist touring bikes and this is a good idea for the keen touring enthusiast. These bikes are comfy over long distances and specially adapted to carry heavy loads. They often feature a longer wheelbase, have frames fitted to the back and front of the bike for carrying loads, and have water bottle mounts. Lightweight tourers may choose a conventional road bike for favour of its lightness and speed. The other option that some people adopt is for a bicycle trailer and this means that a normal bike can be used rather than a specialist touring one.
Some tourers prefer to not plan the route and explore and be surprised as they go along. Others may choose to plan the route ahead. If you are not an experienced touring cyclist this may be your preferred option, though it is of course a personal choice. If cycling in the US the 'Adventure Cycling Association' has many route maps available covering the vast majority of the US.