Challenges

There are a lot of challenging aspects to a long distance biking/camping trip like this. I will briefly go over the top three most challenging things to doing a ride like this. So here they are in no particular order:

If things feel like they are falling down around you, just keep climbing.

1. Roughing it

This was something I struggled with a lot at the beginning of my first bike tour. Being out there in the wilderness day after day without all the conveniences of home is hard. When I'm hot and dirty and stinky I can't just walk to the bathroom and take a shower. When my stomach is empty and my body is weak I can't just walk to the pantry and get food. When I'm tired and ready to sleep I can't just hop in my bed and go to sleep. 

All three of those situations I mentioned occur on a very regular basis. I just need to ride on until I reach a town with a hostel to take a shower, or the next town with a restaurant or grocery store so I can eat, or until I find a stealthy place to pitch my tent. These things are all challenges, but these are some of the things I love about riding and camping out. A bike tour wouldn't be as rewarding if there weren't obstacles to overcome.

2. Changing Plans

Plans always change, in regular everyday life, but even more so on a bike tour. That's why I try not to make very many plans on a bike tour, especially not long term plans. Even though I try not to make long term plans, I inevitably make short term plans on a day to day basis. Where I will get more water, where I will eat lunch, which road I will take to get to town, things of that nature. What I've learned is that you can make these plans, but can't be too disappointed if they don't end up happening. 

There could be a protest and the road could be out, or you could get to the so-called town on the map and when you arrive there is nothing there except a few farms and abandoned houses, or there could have been a landslide and the whole road is out. These things may sound crazy and uncommon, but you would be surprised how often they actually happen. By the same token, many plans change for the better too. I may be riding to the next village to get lunch when a farmer sees me and invites me to eat with his family. Or I might hear from a local that there was a new road built that is actually a lot faster than the route I was going to take. You just need to keep an open mind, and accept the changes as they come.

3. Weather

This is definitely something that makes rides like these challenging. I won't sugar coat it, the weather can completely make or break a day of riding for you. Being on a bike you are completely open and exposed to the elements. When riding long distances and through various regions of the world the weather is going to be a little crazy at times. I've ridden through raging thunderstorms that dump buckets of rain on me, vicious winds that crush my morale, freezing hailstorms, and boiling heatwaves. You name it I've ridden through it. 

You could say, "Well couldn't you just find shelter or take a few days off?" That would help you to avoid some of the predictable storms, but a lot of times these weather changes happen very rapidly and without much warning. The weather is especially crazy in the mountains. Things can be hot and sunny one minute and pouring down rain or hail the next. There is no way to avoid these squabbles with mother nature, but you can work through them. You just need to think of the good times, and try to enjoy it until it passes or you find shelter.

These three I mentioned definitely aren't the only challenges and hardships that I go through on the bike, but they are three of the most common things I deal with on a regular basis.