What are the benefits of bicycle touring, as opposed to motorcycling or even backpacking?
• Bicycling offers an unparalleled opportunity to see a country and meet it’s people. I have done a lot of backpacking prior to this trip, but you don’t have the same freedom to go where you want – you are reliant on public transport and therefore inevitably spend the majority of your time in towns. The major advantage of travelling by bicycle is the slow pace at which you cover the ground. It means you see so much more – you can appreciate the scenery, you see smaller towns and villages which those travelling on a motorbike or 4×4 would drive straight on through without a glance. And it is this which enables you to meet so many more of the locals, where tourism is often unheard of. You can get a real insight into life in the country you’re travelling through and the cultures that pervade. • If I went on holiday in the future, I would almost certainly take my bike as well. You have the advantage of being able to cycle if you want and if you feel like a break or doing something differen
