Ultimate bike touring packing list

Bike related things to do before you go

• Service your bike (or have it serviced)
• Pre-book a bike space on your flight (if necessary)
• Think about how you’ll transfer to the start of your ride
• Check the weather so you can tailor your packing list (we love the WeatherPro app and there are free versions available)
• Check your travel insurance is up to date and covers bike touring (our guide to picking cycling travel insurance should help!)

Print this list so you know what to add to your bike touring pack list – and of course leave yourself enough time to pack it all neatly!

Bike touring packing list

Before embarking on your bike tour or gravel bike adventure, consider including the items below. Note that this assumes you’re bringing your own bike rather than hiring a bike.

It also assumes you won’t be camping. For extras you’ll need to consider if camping, keep scrolling!

Bike gear

• Bike
• Bike box or bag (if necessary for travel)
• Front and rear light with fresh (or spare) batteries
• 2 large (750ml) water bottles (plus 2 bottle cages!)
• Cable ties
• Bike lock (optional – but highly recommended)
• Essential saddle bag items:

• • Pump (compressed gas canisters may be confiscated if you’re flying)
  • 3 or 4 inner tubes (and valve extenders if you ride deep section rims)
  • 2 plastic tyre levers
  • Multi tool
  • Pedal spanner/allen key for your pedal
  • Any torx keys or bike specific tools you need
  • Chain lube

Spares and tools

A lot of equipment now requires spare parts and tools that are specific to a model, year or type.  This can make finding spares in local shops a bit of a hit and miss. If there aren’t many bike shops on your route, you forgot to service your bike before, you’re on an unsupported trip somewhere remote or you just want to play it safe, consider adding the following to your cycling trip packing list as well.

• Leatherman. Has pliers and other tools for cycle repair and camping.
• Quick links or chain powerlink for patch repairing a broken chain
• Chain
• Chain splitter
• Spare tyre
• Duct tape. Can be a godsend for small repairs to camping or bike equipment.
• Puncture repair kit/s and sealant
• Heavy duty curved needle and nylon thread. For sewing up a tear to a tyre.
• Tyre boots. For patch repairing tyre holes.
• Superglue. Helps to seal a sewn or plugged area.
• Spare derailleur hanger
• Extra hardware including bolts
• Spare brake pads (2 spare sets or more)
• Spare brake and shifter cables
• Spare cleats
• Extra spokes

Clothing

The number of clothes you take will depend a huge amount on your set up, the route you’re taking and the time of year. It will also depend on your tolerance for being a bit grimy! That’s why we haven’t included the number of items of each thing you should take. However, if in doubt, remember to wear layers and usually the lightest and most compact options are best if you’re carrying your own luggage!

Essentials

• Helmet
• Sunglasses (and clear lenses)
• Bib shorts or padded shorts
• Base layer(s)
• Mid layer
• Short sleeve jersey(s)
• Long sleeve jersey(s)
• Cycling gilet
• Arm warmers
• Leg warmers (or cycling tights/over trousers)
• Water/windproof cycling jacket
• Short fingered gloves/mitts
• Long fingered gloves
• Bike shoes
• Socks
• Overshoes

Casual wear

Whatever off-bike clothes you want! We would suggest including these on any touring or gravel bike tour packing checklist:

• Evening / Training / Casual Shoes
• Flip flops
• Jacket
• Beanie or hat
• Buff
• Swim kit
• Towel (depending on whether or not your accommodation supplies this)

Electronics

Some of these may not be necessary for your packing list for bike touring. Yet many of these items might normally be included on a packing list for any holiday:

• Phone and charger
• Bike computer with GPS, mount and charger (or mount for your phone)
• Multi-charger adapter
• Battery power pack (or a dynamo charging hub)
• Small flashlight or headtorch
• Camera and charger (optional)
• Bike camera and charger (optional)
• Laptop or tablet and charger (optional
• Heart rate monitor (optional)

Personal items

• Stash of your favourite energy bars (we like these – 20% off with code EPIC-20, more details at the end of this article)
• Energy gels or equivalent (optional – we like these – 20% off with code EPIC-20)
• Energy drink powder (we like this – 20% off with code EPIC-20)
• Recovery drink powder (we like this – 20% off with code EPIC-20)
• Hydration tablets
• Suncream (we like this) and lip balm
• First aid kit (painkillers, disinfectant, insect repellent, plasters or band aids, antihistamine cream)
• Personal medication (particularly prescription items)
• Wash kit (tooth brush, tooth paste, body wash, shampoo and conditioner)
• Earplugs (better safe than sorry if your sleep suffers from night-time noise!)
• Waterproof phone pouch for jersey pocket (optional)
• Plastic bags for storing things
• Compression bags (useful for getting more into your bag and to separate clean and dirty clothes: we like these)
• Holiday reading (optional)
• Toilet paper (depends on accommodation) and tissues
• Menstrual products (if needed)
• Hand sanitiser gel (for these post-Covid times!)

Documents

• Maps
• Cash
• Credit card
• ATM/debit card. Tell your bank, before you leave, about where you’re planning to go. If your card is used in certain countries, the issuer could cancel it because they might assume it’s fraud.
• Passport or European ID card as required (with picture)
• Visa (if needed)
• Proof of travel and (if relevant) health insurance
• UK Global Health Insurance Card (UK GHIC) or UK European Health Insurance Card (UK EHIC)
• Car hire paperwork – or if you’re taking your own car, car insurance and breakdown insurance paperwork (optional)
• Details of where you’re staying
• Flight details and boarding card (optional)
• Ball-point pen

Camping kit

If you’re going on an unsupported, camping-based bike tour, then you’ll need to add extra items to your cycle touring kit list. When you’re going to be self-reliant, you’ll have to think about equipment for sleeping, supplies of food and water, carrying extra spares and safety items like a decent first aid kit.

Here’s what you might need to add to your cycling holiday packing list when you’ll be cycling unsupported and camping – in addition to the items already listed above.

Sleeping

• Tent. The best types for your bike trip checklist are ultralight or fast fly tents. Alternatively, use a bivvy shelter, a tarp or just a hammock for sleeping in. (We love this one)
• Sleeping mat. Inflatable and foam styles are available (we like this one.)
• Sleeping bag. Make sure you take the correct rating for the overnight temperatures at your destination.
• Sleeping bag liner (optional). This can add a layer of warmth while keeping your sleeping bag cleaner. (We love the lightweight, breathable silk Nod Pod.)
• Inflatable pillow (optional but we like this one)
• Chair (optional)

Cooking equipment

When buying your equipment, try and remember you’ll want to pack it so it all fits inside the cooking pot.

Also remember some food to cook and water both to drink and cook with! How much to take will depend on how long you’re planning to go for and will vary enormously depending on your route. Always have an emergency stash.

• Portable stove. Plus any required fuel you’ll need. (We have and like both this and this.)
• Lighter. More reliable than matches, which could get damp while touring in the rain.
• Mug. Choose carefully, and this may also double up as a cooking pot.
• Cooking pot. Make sure you choose one that’s big enough for boiling water if you want hot drinks.
• Plate or mess tin (optional). You may need something to serve your food onto, especially if there’s more than one of you.
• Spork. An all-in-one utensil that’s a cross between a spoon and a fork. (We rate this one, as the long handle means it can also be used for stirring the pot.)
• Sharp knife. If you have a multi-tool such as a Swiss Army Knife or Leatherman, then you can use that. (We reckon the Leatherman Wingman is a great investment.)
• Salt and pepper or hot sauce to spice up bland food.
• Water bottles. Large bottles and/or a bladder for transporting water, in addition to those you carry on the bike each day.
• Water purification tablets. Or better still, a Steripen water purifier. (We like this.)

Clothing

In addition to the clothes above, if you’re camping you’ll want some extra layers for the evenings and early mornings.

• Merino wool t-shirt. Warmer than regular t-shirts for colder temperatures.
• Merino wool socks. Thermal and breathable.
• Merino wool leggings. Ditto.
• Down jacket. You may need this for colder evening temperatures.
• Rainproof trousers. Ideal for camping when it’s wet.

Electronics

• Portable battery pack/s
• Head torch. (We like the BioLite headlamp.)

Personal items

• Toilet paper. Unscented is best.
• Trowel. For hiding the evidence!
• Pee funnels. May make things easier.
• Wag bags. For removing human waste.

Safety items

• Satellite messaging device (if you’re going out of phone reception range for an extended period of time).
• Backup GPS and maps
• Bear line, bag and spray (if you’re staying anywhere that might be near bears!)
• Emergency whistle. Can attract attention if you go off-grid
• Bell (if riding on shared use paths)
• Extras for your first aid kit: for example tweezers, irrigation syringe, butterfly bandages or steri-strips, gauze bandage, antibiotic cream, Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) and antihistamine meds.

Did we miss anything?!

Is there anything else we should have included on this bicycle touring checklist? Surely not, it is (we hope) a pretty comprehensive packing list for a bike trip?! We hope it does help to make completing your bicycle touring packing list less stressful for you, but do bear in mind you will need to tweak it for your particular circumstances. For example, gravel bike touring in Iceland in autumn is quite a different prospect to gravel bike touring in Catalonia in summer.

If you’re going on more of a road cycling trip, check out our road cycling holiday packing list, here.

And if you’re planning a trip away, don’t miss our trip planning 101 and our guides to some of the world’s best cycling destinations – they include super helpful route information and tips regarding practical stuff such as where to stay.

Also our article on cycling nutrition for long rides should be useful, as well as this article on the cycling snacks we like to take along for the ride – as mentioned above.