You can go touring on any bike you fancy – unless you’re a serious tourer who plans multiple trips a year, you are best off using your existing bike and making a couple of adaptations.
Check out 10 of the best women’s bike for touring
Your route is an obvious consideration. Technical off-road trips will probably need a mountain bike – a hardtail will be lighter but full suspension will offer you more comfort on more difficult terrain.
A lot of touring holidays are based around tarmac – you can see more of the area you’re visiting and get around more quickly – and a hybrid or road bike will serve the best for these trips.
If you’re choosing a road bike, you may want to optimise it for comfortable long days in the saddle by setting the handlebars slightly higher – but if you feel no discomfort in your normal set up, you may be safer not making changes.
A sporty hybrid bike, or better still a Cyclocross bike (less racey varieties being called Adventure Road or Gravel Bikes) will provide clearance for wider tyres – giving you the ability to take detours and short cuts off the tarmac if you want to, and disc brakes – handy in the wet, and sadly we can’t promise you sunshine every day.
Tyres do make a difference – wider 25c, 28c or 32c tyres will give you more cushioning on rough roads, and will also have a wider surface area, giving a sturdier feel and better grip in the rain should the weather not be so kind.
