How to pack for your cycling tour

Perhaps one of the most important items to pack for your cycling tour is a helmet. We don't supply helmets on our trips but recommend bringing one for your own safety and protection. Wearing a cycling helmet is usually a travel insurance requirement too, so check your paperwork. If you don't already have a cycling helmet, visit your local bike shop for advice on the best style to suit your head shape and budget. If you're cycling in hot countries, try and pick a helmet that has plenty of ventilation.

Pack a pair of stiff-soled shoes to wear on the bike. Whether you're taking it easy on a Cycling Tour of the Baltic States or challenging yourself to a UK-based Coast to Coast Cycling Expedition, stiff-soled shoes will transfer energy more efficiently through the pedals making riding easier and more enjoyable. Cycling-specific footwear is not essential, but if you do choose to bring your clip-in cycle shoes and pedals, be mindful that cycle shoes with protruding cleats are not easy to walk around in and therefore are not always the best option for trips with lots of sightseeing. You can opt for a cycle shoe with a recessed cleat or no cleat at all that is comfortable to both walk and cycle in, or consider carrying some lightweight trainers or sandals in your day pack to wear off the bike.

When spending lots of hours in the saddle, it's essential to stay hydrated, especially in warm climates. We suggest bringing at least one reusable water bottle, ideally two. This will save you from buying bottled water and helps us to eliminate single-use plastic from our cycling trips. The Tour Leader will explain where tap water is potable as well as the best places to refill your bottle each day and on each ride. Wherever possible we aim to use large recyclable water containers carried on the support vehicle, from which you will be able to refill. Many of the bikes have bottle cages fitted. You may like to consider the Water-to-go bottle. It has a built-in filtration system that eliminates over 99.9% of contaminants from the water, plus, as an Explore customer, you can get a 15% discount. A water reservoir in your backpack is a good option too - something like a CamelBak.

When you're freewheeling down the lavender-draped hillsides of Hvar on our Dalmatian Coast Cycling tour, or exploring the riverside markets of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam on our Asia Cycling trip, it's easy to underestimate the intensity of the sun beaming down on you. We recommend using a high factor sunscreen, whatever the weather, to prevent sunburn that could make future days in the saddle very uncomfortable. And a good pair of UV-filtered sunglasses will protect your eyes from sun glare as well as dust and pollen.