Bike Touring: The Sierra Club Guide to Travel on Two Wheels (Sierra Club Outdoor Adventure Guide)

First published in 1979, Bike Touring introduced tens of thousands of riders to the joys of bicycle travel, and quickly became the go-to reference for an entire generation of bike-touring enthusiasts. But much has changed in the last three decades—and this fully revamped edition provides authoritative information on both the latest equipment and the ever-expanding universe of touring options for a whole new generation of riders.

Readers learn how to train, equip, plan, and pack for tours of any length and difficulty, from overnight trips near home to multiweek journeys abroad. Author Raymond Bridge surveys the wide range of touring options, which now include extensive commercial offerings and roof-to-roof (or “credit card”) tours, as well as independent, self-contained travel. Chapters covering bike styles—road, mountain, and world-touring models—along with bike frames and fit, drive trains, wheels, brakes, saddles and handlebars, and accessories, offer up-to-date guidance on the myriad equipment choices from the booming bike industry. And chapters on camping, transporting bikes, and roadside repairs are full of expert advice to help both novice and experienced bike travelers get maximum pleasure from any journey while saving money and staying safe.

 (10 customer reviews)

Raymond Bridge's book, Bike Touring: The Sierra Club Guide to Travel on Two Wheels, is the second, completely revised edition of a book Mr. Bridge originally wrote 30 years ago. In the thirty years since the first edition, some things have changed. We now have Internet forums to discuss our tours, we can track our routes using GPS and the Adventure Cycling Association has mapped out thousands of more miles of routes, but the lure of the open road is still the same.

In this age of Internet wonder, Raymond Bridge has created a book that does the thing that books still do best: he's created a compact, clear guide that condenses a wealth of practical how-to information into a portable, organized form. He explains the various types of bike touring a person might do from commercial tours to roof-to-roof and independent bike camping trips. He discusses a variety of bikes, explaining both fit and function, telling not just what options exist, but why a person might choose one bike...Read more

I am relatively new to bicycle touring but I have jumped into it with both feet conducting extensive research on the subject including types of bikes, equipement, etc. This is by far the best book for both the beginner and those who want to keep abreast of the changes that have occurred since most of the other books on touring were written. Everything you need to know to select your bike, outfit it and yourself and begin your journey is there. Highly recommended.

I got this book in preparation for my first bike tour. I was trying to learn the ins and outs of traveling by bicycle so I could survive my trip from Vancouver to Mexico along the pacific coast. I found most of the info presented in this book to be common sense and rather elementary. I read a few chapters and then returned it. My advice is to save you money and get the details by talking to people who have experience touring. If you are planning on riding the coast, make sure you buy "Bicycling the pacific coast" by kirkendall and spring.