Ok this was posted on /out/ but I thought it would also fit this board well as it is bike-specific.
I want to do something special during this years summer holidays and the best thing I could come up with is doing a bike tour to the sea and go back home by train. The only problem is that I have never done a bike tour before, I only hike and camp in the forest. So I have a couple of questions:
1. According to google maps I would have to go about 550km. Are 5 days a good estimate?
2. I only have backpacking gear and a bike. I assume the only things I would still need to buy are proper bike bags and maybe a repair kit. I own a tent and the ususal camping equipment.
3. How am I supposed to buy stuff without leaving my bike alone? I cant just buy a lock for every single bag of equipment.
4. How much training would I need, assuming that I am in relatively good shape but a bit skinny? I dont ride my bicycle more often than once a week usually atm.
5. How does one find a good camping spot while biking? When walking through the forest I usually just go away from the path to find a lonely place where nobody is going to see me, but I will probably just cycle on proper ways without good opportunities. Do I just drive away from my road into less crowded areas in the evening?
Please share all your experience bike camping, bonus points for including pics. If you have different ideas for trips that dont force me to spend a ton of money I am also happy about it. Thank you everyone.
PS: I am living in Germany if that matters.