Common mistakes you need to avoid on an all India cycle tour
Touring India on a cycle is an already daunting task. Making mistakes can cumulatively add up to make it tougher in the long run. You need to avoid some of the rookie mistakes that could hold you back in the journey. Even the best in the business who have been travelling for a long time have made some of these mistakes during their journeys.
To make sure that you do not set off on the wrong foot, I have made a list of common mistakes most tourists make when they begin cycle touring. Make sure you have these checked off so that you sail smoothly right from the beginning.
Packing too much
Cycling in India is a journey that lasts for years on end. This may subconsciously make us feel like we need to carry as much stuff with us as possible to cover every possible situation under the sun. But the goal of the journey is to make it as comfortable as possible, and comfort does not come from carrying a lot of stuff but carrying as little as possible. The entire weight load of all the packing should not exceed 25 Kg and should be easily packed within 100 litres worth of bag space, however you decide to split it. In my case, I have a total of 5 bags, each of 20 litres capacity and the total weight of the luggage comes up to 21 Kgs.
The largest weight can be cut off in the sleeping system we carry which includes the tent, sleeping bag, floor mat, and pillow. Make sure you purchase the right equipment which is not just light but also less voluminous. To understand how to pack your luggage into 100 litres bag space weighing less than 25 Kgs weight, read this blog: What and how to pack for an all-India cycle tour? The complete checklist.
Wrong bike sizing
After starting on the journey, every mistake already made can be compensated for except this. Wrong bike size is the alternative name for pain. Question yourself if you want to carry the pain with you throughout your journey.
Having the right bike fit will make the journey seem like a breeze with even the tougher sections of the ride seeming enjoyable. Your shoulders and back ask for little rest on the way, allowing you to ride more. To understand what a bike fit is, and what goes into the process of a bike fit, read this blog: which cycle is best for touring in India?
Not practising bicycle service and maintenance
Learning bicycle maintenance is not a hard job. It takes up at the most half an hour time twice a month to have your bike running smoothly for all its life. All you need is some detergent water, a brush, a dry cloth, and a lubricant. Make sure to learn bicycle maintenance from this blog: How to service, maintain, and fix my cycle breakdown on an all-India tour?
Some of the frequently occurring cycle breakdowns also have been listed in the above article. Make sure to practice before leaving. Riding the bike without the awareness of its maintenance and service is the biggest rookie mistake all riders make. You can invest your time into this aspect if you do not want to learn it the hard way.
Getting disc brakes on the bike
If you visit a bike store today, 8 out of 10 bikes have disc brakes on them. The dealer will convince you that these brakes are exactly what you need on your journey and turn the bike expensive by making it look fancy. In reality, having disc brakes is going to be one big menace for a cycle tourist. Most remote locations in India are not equipped with spares or well-trained to handle disc brake issues. A disc brake rub is a problem you don’t want to bare on your tour. Make sure that is out of the window when you look for bikes. If you already have disc brakes on your bike, consider replacing them with V-brakes. It will also help you shed off quite a bit of weight from the cycle.
Not preparing for worst-case scenarios
It is wishful thinking to hope for a completely safe journey without a single fall or not having some of your luggage getting misplaced/stolen. It is equally important to plan for such situations as much as it is to stay safe, to begin with. Having some of these issues covered is going to help you enjoy the tour with a much-needed ease of mind and also a preparedness to handle a tough situation quickly and responsibly.
In my blog: How can I plan a safe all-India cycle tour, I have already highlighted how important health insurance is and also given some tips and tricks on handling the loss of your electronic gadgets. Make sure to have all the emergency contacts and health information accessible in every circumstance of your journey.
Not carrying medications
Since you are going to pass through different weather situations and consume food and water you have not been exposed to earlier in your life, it is better to be prepared for commonly occurring illnesses such as a cold and upset stomach. Being stuck in the middle of nowhere without any sort of medical assistance is the last thing you want to face. I have already made a list of commonly required medicines in the article: How can I plan a safe all-India cycle tour? Make sure to be safe than sorry.
I am a 31 year young PhD graduate who has decided to travel the length and breadth of India on my cycle, to document the journey of meeting a vast array of people. In my journey, I intend to understand the characteristic features of the people of this nation and categorize them based on their demographics, age, profession, gender, traditions, and cultural differences.