How long does a journey have to be before you can call it 'touring'?

[randynewmanscat]

Definitely a tour. I’d recommend that riders don’t carry things in a back pack for those distances. Lots of alternatives and can be relatively cheap- seat packs and frame packs if they don’t have racks and panniers. Holland is great for cycling I’m sure you will enjoy it there. If you can, a cabin on ferry will give you a better nights sleep than in the lounge areas ( I’ve tried it both ways and know which I prefer). Enjoy, have fun and remember to enjoy the ride.

If its a put-put night crossing on the longer routes always a cabin. You can tell who has spent the night on the couches and who spent the night in a cosy bed.

 

[randynewmanscat]

Two or four?

Two if you have a tent and a Canon F1 camera with 48, 28 and 135mm lenses plus Sony Walkman and 12 C90 cassettes, an Optimus 8R stove and trangia pan set plus a pair of Church brogues and 10 cartes IGN maps. I am not joking, I did it when I was younger and more foolish. I cheated a bit by piling the carrier up too.
Bike 27lb, luggage 65lb, old times!

 

[Gravity Aided]

And most of that weight was the Canon-F1. You could drive nails with that thing, and take pictures of your work afterwards. A fine camera. Great for touring, although I think I carried mine only once. I usually carried Russian range-finder cameras and lenses.

 

[Venod]

I haven't tweeked this route at all, it's as ridewithGPS spat it out so subject to change.

An alternative route to Howden saving a few mile, might be a bit more climbing though.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30195511

 

[Pale Rider]

Another vote for taking two days for Manchester to Hull.

Seems to me time taken on long rides varies, often for no apparent reason.

I've done York Humber Bridge York (similar distance) in 10ish hours, but equally some attempts at that ride have taken a lot longer.

Touring is a state of mind, riders may want to stop several times to take pics or have a swift look at attractions they pass.

To get across in 10 hours, I reckon you as leader would have to crack the whip.

Is this the type of ride on which you want to constantly badger people to get moving/get a move on?

Then there's the obvious 'barring mechanicals' or just as likely, minor routing fail.

It all adds up to two days - if you want a relaxed, touring experience.

 

[nickAKA]

An alternative route to Howden saving a few mile, might be a bit more climbing though.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30195511

Yeah I'd probably get lynched somewhere along Holmfirth Road but that's a more direct route for sure... I'd do it that way if it was just me I had to worry about defo.

 

[Mike Ayling]

Some time ago on an American site they used to refer to a sub 24 hour tour, i.e. as long as you stya/camp overnight it is a tour!

Mike

 

[Profpointy]

Some time ago on an American site they used to refer to a sub 24 hour tour, i.e. as long as you stya/camp overnight it is a tour!

Mike

IF you're only staying in one place, then it's going somewhere and returning home afterwards, so doesn't logically sound like a tour. I'm only arguing semantics, as someone doing a 300km audax or whatever in a day, whilst not a "tour" is pretty impressive !

 

[toffee]

If I am off work and away from home having cycled there then it's a tour

 

[RobinS]

In my mind:
One day is a bike ride.
Multi day up to a week is a short tour.
Multi weeks is a tour.
Multi months is a long tour.
Am currently half way through month two of this year's trip.

 

[CXRAndy]

I ask purely because I'm thinking of organising a saunter from Manchester to Amsterdam via the Hull-Rotterdam ferry with a some mates... once we're out of Greater Manchester it's a flat 160 miles split 60/40 by an overnight on the ferry, a night or two in the 'Dam & then back... it's not a problem distance-wise (for me) but it'll feel like a "boys own" adventure, especially for the newer riders.
I intend travelling pretty light, one change of clothes (civvies) in a single pannier or a backpack and will be advising everyone else do the same.
The plan is to make this the first of many if it goes to plan, increasing the distances until it's about the journey rather than the destination.
I'd like to refer to it as a 'tour' mainly to appeal to those who doubt their own capacity to do it but it'll probably be laughed off by the mile munchers!

You will kill the new riders with the distance from Manchester to Hull. They will be grumbling before half way and raging when 10hours in red raw arses. They will never ride again with you. Make it two days to Hull and maybe they will survive.

 

[randynewmanscat]

And most of that weight was the Canon-F1. You could drive nails with that thing, and take pictures of your work afterwards. A fine camera. Great for touring, although I think I carried mine only once. I usually carried Russian range-finder cameras and lenses.

Ah the camera, it was stolen along with a bag strapped to the carrier while I was in a butchers shop in Nice. There was a horrendous queue and I was thinking I should try later but pressed on and waited. I looked at my bike chained to a lamp post the whole time but when I found myself inside the shop my view eventually became blocked. It must have been 5 minutes before I was served and I was quite anxious to get out. Relieved to see my bike then that sinking feeling when I realised something was wrong with the "picture". Stupid boy me! Would have taken 30 seconds to dismount the bag but it was 38 degrees and my head melted I think. The lenses I got to keep, they where in the alu case in one of the panniers.
Edited for correction: I got to keep two of the lenses, the 48mm was fitted to the camera. What really brassed me off was losing pictures of a very good party I attended on a ritzy yacht in Menton, girls posed with me for a giggle and they were way outside of my league.

 

[Blue Hills]

well you still have the memories.

Don't suppose they were behind the theft to destroy the evidence?

 

[nickAKA]

You will kill the new riders with the distance from Manchester to Hull. They will be grumbling before half way and raging when 10hours in red raw arses. They will never ride again with you. Make it two days to Hull and maybe they will survive.

They'll all have plenty of miles under their belts before we go, starting with 60 mile manchester to blackpool in a couple of weeks. I'll give them the option of splitting the UK side...

 

[jay clock]

@nickAKA did you go to NL? what happened ?