You’re about to spend a lot of time in the saddle, every day – and that makes the need for a comfortable saddle great. Saddle perfection is hard to define and harder to achieve – but try to set off on a saddle you’ve tested on long rides and know is comfortable.

Well-fitting shorts and chamois cream will help to complete the equation that results in daily comfort, and washing your shorts and body after every ride is absolutely necessary for avoiding saddle sores.

If you’re adding extra weight to your bike, you will need to carry that extra weight up every hill – so it is worth considering your gearing. Swapping chainrings is a bit of an ask, and it’s likely you have a compact, or even a triple chainset on your bike already – which should be fine. You can make your life easier by opting or a wide ratio cassette.

A close ratio cassette – such as an 11-23 – means that every gear change is tiny, which enables you to find the perfect gear, but it’s not so suited to climbing. Comparatively, a wide ratio cassette, like an 11-32, gives you plenty of scope to shift down into a little gear, with less resistance for the tougher climbs. You can change a cassette at home, but you will need a cassette tool, so if don’t have one, it might be cheaper to pop to a local bike shop and ask for them to swap it.

Pedals are also worth considering. Road shoes and pedals are perfectly adequate – but mountain bike style SPDs can be easier to clip in and out of, and when you’ve got a fair amount if gear on the back of your bike, this can be helpful in the case of a ‘hill start’. Mountain bike, or specific touring, style shoes also give you the option of leaving casual shoes at home, and make walking around at café stops and the like much easier thanks to the recessed cleats, where road shoes are lacking.

Feeling inspired? Here’s some advice on planning a touring weekend plus 10 incredible touring holidays to get you started with your mapping.

Before you set off, check out our introduction to cycle touring for some more advice.