A woman touring alone?

[Summer23]

How safe, in your opinion, is it for a woman to tour alone? What does it depend on? What makes it safer/less safe? What would you recommend to a single girl wanting to tour by bike?

I'm still just a weenie newbie on a bike :) but I'm daydreaming of travel, and wondering. :)

[Cassandra_Cain]

Hi summer :)

I think touring alone is very reasonable for a woman. That isn't a blanket statement, rather it can be given the right situation.

If you are going touring I feel you need a high level of self-sufficiency on the bike. Stuff can and does happen, you want to be able to deal with it, rather than being stranded thanks to a mechanical problem.

That aside you want to do your homework when it comes to planning. From choosing your route, to whether you camp or stay in hotels, etc. You want your tour to be within your abilities and comfort level.

There are places around the world (and the USA) I would feel comfortable touring in, and others I would not. That just reflects my own opinions, information, and perhaps, even prejudices. So whether it is because of crime or hostile drivers or seedy surroundings - you have to make that call.

I remember being in Alaska about 6 or 7 years ago in winter . I met this guy at a hostel in the Southeast, (Skagway), who had ridden from Anchorage across to canada, down to the washington state, then caught a ferry/boat up to the peninsula. That's one tour I would not have done for a variety of reasons, but then his perspectives and margin of error were different than mine!

For your first tour, provided you have taken these steps, I'd recommend choosing a well-traveled route at a popular time of year where you would be likely to encounter other cyclists. While you would be out on your own, you'd nominally have other rides to give you a sense of companionship.

BTW....great picture!

[uforgot]

Sometimes you have no choice! My friends think I'm insane to pay more than $69 for a bike, really don't understand why I don't watch tv and movies, and I'm single, so there you go. I've traveled all over Missouri to different trails, mountain and road, and I plan to take a riding trip to other states, Texas, Oklahome, Arkansas, Illinois and I have no choice, I'll do it alone and of course I love it. If I worried about the safety of it, I'd probably have to hole up in my house and miss out on a lot. I made a deal with myself, I work like a demon to get weekend stuff finished on Friday night, laundry, cleaning, etc, and then I hit the road on Saturday (guilt free) to ride a new trail somewhere in the state. I'm enjoying my life a lot more, seeing a lot, and having a blast. I say go for it! Of course get a road id, make good plans in advance and let someone know where you are. And then ENJOY!:D

[Blueberry]

It's something I dream of doing one day:) Though hopefully DH will tag along (I'd go even if he didn't want to or couldn't). I think with careful route planning, adequate preparation and a prudent amount of caution, all would be fine. Sure, something could happen. But someone was attacked and killed in the parking garage where I park to go to the courthouse. Not trying to spook anyone - just trying to point out that you shouldn't not do something you dream of doing because something terrible could happen - we face risks every day! From my perspective, you have to go forward with living your life and not focus on what might happen.

That said, I have the impression that few women have encountered problems touring.

Hopefully DeniseGoldberg will chime in - she's done lots of touring, I believe mostly(?) alone, including a cross USA trip. In fact, I've been following her current tour over on crazyguyonabike.com (speaking of which - that's a great resource - lots of trip reports, with the option to filter by gender).

Enjoy it and, of course, keep us posted on your planning and write a trip report!

[Bad JuJu]

I love bike touring, and have done a couple of multi-day tours with others, but I've only done overnighters by myself. Both ways have their advantages and disadvantages, but the feeling of freedom and self-sufficiency when you're on your own can't be beat. As Cassandra says, you have to know what you're doing, mechanically, or at least have done your homework so you know where to get help with bike problems if you need it. Also, lots of research on your planned route--I actually find this part exciting and fun, kind of like the appetizer before a special dinner.

And yes, DeniseGoldberg comes to my mind, too, as a person on these forums who's done her share of solitary touring. In fact, she's bike touring in Nova Scotia right now, and you can read her tour journals at CrazyGuyOnABike (http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/journal/?o=lt&doc_id=529&v=g0).
Also, look for her posts in the Adventure forum.

To me, if there's a choice between going alone or staying home, I'm definitely going alone.

[uforgot]

I love bike touring, and have done a couple of multi-day tours with others, but I've only done overnighters by myself. Both ways have their advantages and disadvantages, but the feeling of freedom and self-sufficiency when you're on your own can't be beat.


Well said, JuJu, but then again I'm a loner and I don't necessarily want a sense of "companionship" when I'm riding. I would never go riding, or anything, with someone JUST so I have company. I prefer solo... "The Loners Manifesto" could have been written by me, and others on this board have referenced the book, so I bet they feel the same. Biking must be the perfect sport for those of us that prefer solitude...

[jobob]

One of our TE members, Rai Sue, is on a solo cross-country tour even as we speak !

Here's her journal, check it out:

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/journal/?o=lt&doc_id=1810&v=ap


and Denise is on a solo tour in Nova Scotia :

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/journal/?o=lt&doc_id=529&v=gc

[MomOnBike]

As someone who has toured by herself I say that it isn't all that different from riding in your own neighborhood. You just don't turn around and head home halfway through the day.

I rode from southern Minnesota to Sioux City Iowa - didn't quite make it back to Lincoln, NE - by myself and had a gas. I did take a cell phone and checked in with DH every night, but that was as much to keep him from worrying as anything else.

Anyway, even though I wasn't on an "official" bike route, I never felt unsafe. I even had the feeling that the local truckers were watching out for me. No, safety was not one of the concerns. Hypothermia, on the other hand...

As the commercial says, Just Do It. You tend to regret the things in life you didn't do.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/journal/?o=lt&doc_id=941&v=6i

[Bad JuJu]

You tend to regret the things in life you didn't do.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/journal/?o=lt&doc_id=941&v=6i
Roger that, MOB. You know that question they say you should ask yourself--If you knew you only had a day or so left to live, what would you be sorry you didn't do? Bet it wouldn't be stuff like painting the dining room, mowing the lawn a few more times, spending more time at work. But it MIGHT be taking more bicycle tours.....

[Summer23]

Wow, thank you everyone for your responses so far! I wasn't expecting everyone to be so positive about it. It's really encouraging - it must be a pretty awesome thing to do if you guys are so encouraging about it. :) I'm off to read the journals suggested right now (I'm getting kind of hooked on crazyguyonabike the last few days... CA in NC, you mentioned being able to filter by gender on there... how do you do that? I'm not seeing it.) and daydream some more. :)

Edit: Uforgot mentioned getting a road id. What's that?

[bcipam]

I've done it. Can't say it was what I wanted to do. Would have much rather had a riding partner. There were times I had no worries and times I was very concerned. I think you really have to know your route and have a plan. Be very self-sufficient.

I have a friend whose travelled all around the world by herself. She spent 4 weeks riding across mainland China. She's never been afraid or concerned.

[Bad JuJu]

RoadID is a personalized engraved metal plate attached to a strap that you wear around your wrist or ankle (or on a chain around your neck). It gives vital info about you in case you become incapacitated enough that you can't provide the info yourself, to people like police, paramedics, etc. You get the idea. Check it out here: Road ID (http://www.roadid.com/id.asp?referrer=2258)

[Summer23]

Oh, okay! Cool idea. I always wondered why there wasn't something like Medic Alert for people who didn't necessariliy have medical conditions.

I was thinking about this some more today, and it occurred to me that anymore I do most of my traveling on my own, and I seem to enjoy it that way. I'm just extra careful, and I suppose touring by bike would be similar, just that the self sufficiency would be even more important.

Anyway, it's a fun thing to think about. I wish the weather weren't so rotten up here, and getting closer to rotten! I'm getting the urge to go try it for just a weekend or something, or just an overnight. No camping equipment or anything, though... hmm. I wonder how far it is to my mom's new house... hee :)

[Brandi]

You know it seems at times it is easier to be just by yourself. You don't have to worry about anybody but yourself. But you better make sure you know your bike and how to repair it!
The ride i was just on had one guy who built bikes he knew how to repair everything including a broken spoke. I would not have known how to do any of that except change a tire and fix my chain. One guy lost a bolt out of he's rack, they fixed it with bailing wire (I could have figured that one out) .
It just seems better if you could have at least one person you really like with you. Then you could share the load you know what I mean?

[MomOnBike]

I've also done a small amount of touring with DH. I find both fun, but in different ways. We're not really into micro planning our tours, a general destination and compass direction works for us. Man, the things we discover... :eek: :D :rolleyes: And if things don't work out exactly "right" there is no stress.

I'll keep my groups to at most the two of us, the thought of a long tour with a dozen or so people I don't know sounds a lot like Hell to me, perhaps because all the decisions are already made. Where's the adventure in that? Other people love that style.

One last thing. There is no "right" way to tour. Tour in a way that is fun and comfortable FOR YOU. And let us know all about it.

[Summer23]

Mom and I've been talking about this a lot lately. She's extremely nervous about riding in traffic at all, and loves her motorhome very much, so two thoughts we had were to 1) take a motorhome trip and take the bikes along for exploring, and/or 2) she could drive motorhome and I could ride my bike, and we could meet up in the afternoons or something to explore and all. Either might be a good start for us. We're thinking about it, anyhow. :)

I was also looking at the... oh, what was it called. Vermont Touring Company or something like that? Vermont something; I thought that might be fun to go do on my own sometime.

[Bad JuJu]

Either of your ideas with your mom and her motorhome sound good. You'd get to do the long-distance cycling you want to do, and your mom would feel less worried about you. Plus you'd have your very own support vehicle along--nice bonus!

Was it Vermont Bicycle Touring that you were researching? I took a short tour with them back in the late 80s, and it was great. Very friendly, supportive guides, well-researched routes and maps, wonderful B&Bs that we stayed at. I think that sort of thing is more expensive now (what isn't?), but worth considering if you want to tour but have no one to tour with and don't want to do it alone, at least your first time out. And don't forget to check out other touring companies. I highly recommend Womantours--took a nice tour with them in Maryland last spring, and I'm thinking of joining them on a longer one next year, either riding up along the Mississippi River or a week-long tour in southeast Alaska.

[Summer23]

Just got a catalogue I requested from the company I was looking at in the mail, and it was Bike Vermont (http://www.bikevt.com). I'm checking out Womantours (http://www.womantours.com) right now before I forget. Ooh! They have some on the west coast, and in Alaska even! Yay! Lower airfare! :)

[Bad JuJu]

Touring companies can be expensive, but in my experience, I really got my money's worth. This may not be true of every tour with every company, but I can highly recommend Womantours.

[DeniseGoldberg]

Sorry I missed your posting, but I was off touring on my bike (as jobob noted above).

I started touring many years ago by going on supported group tours, but I switched to solo self-supported touring in 1998, and I haven't looked back. I find that traveling alone is magic from the standpoint of meeting people who live in the areas that I am passing through, and traveling self-supported gives folks an easy opening to start conversations. From a safety standpoint, it's really no different than wandering around your home area alone.

If you have specific questions, or if you need to talk to someone who has somehow managed to calm the fears of friends and family (they're used to my travels now, but they weren't happy when I first started out on my own), please let me know. I love talking about touring!

--- Denise

[indysteel]

Denise, in researching tour companies, I've seen a couple of posts from you regarding your experiences with Backroads and Bicycle Adventures. What, in particular, didn't you like about BA? What, in particular, did you like about Backroads? I'm thinking of taking BA's trips (in particular, Crater Lake), but am also considering Backgrounds' Bryce/Zion/GC tour. My biggest issues in finding the right tour/company are daily mileage (I want to average at least 50 miles a day), itinerary (I would prefer a 7-8 day tour), price (I'll be on my one and the single supps. sting), and age/attitude of fellow travelers (I'm 37 and pretty active). I'm otherwise pretty easy to please. I don't need luxury accomodations or meals.

I just started riding this summer and am not yet comfortable with the idea of touring alone, although that might be an option for future trips. Also, I would note that I'm read some negative things about Backroads in Bicycling.com's forums. The comments suggest that perhaps Backroads has become too big/corporate. They also indicated that their bikes are in bad shape--which really concerns me since I don't think I'll be bringing my own bike along.

Anyway, I'd appreciate your advice/thought/opinions.

Kate

[DeniseGoldberg]

...I've seen a couple of posts from you regarding your experiences with Backroads and Bicycle Adventures. What, in particular, didn't you like about BA? What, in particular, did you like about Backroads? I'm thinking of taking BA's trips (in particular, Crater Lake), but am also considering Backgrounds' Bryce/Zion/GC tour.
Kate -
First, you should know that my experience with both companies is pretty dated. My last trip with Backroads was probably 6 years ago, and Bicycle Adventures was earlier than that.

I found Backroads to run very good trips, and I was happy with both their leaders and their bikes. I did both camping and inn trips with them, although my experience pre-dates their adding the less expensive inn trips (which I believe I probably would have preferred). I did the Bryce/Zion/Grand Canyon camping trip with them, and I'd say that was one of my favorite Backroads trips.

I only did one Bicycle Adventures trip; it was the first year they went to Crater Lake, and that was the trip that I did. On the positive side, there were forest fires in the area, and they did a very good job of re-routing us.

On the bad side - we stayed in some condos for 2 nights where bicycles were not allowed on the roads in the complex but were instead directed to multi-use paths. I do not ride on bike paths unless they are in areas where they get very little use; I feel that because of overuse they are less safe to ride on than the road. I suppose I shouldn't blame the tour operator for that, but I maintain that we should not have stayed someplace that didn't allow cycling on the roads. Beyond that, the level of service wasn't what I expected. For example, on Backroads inn trips, your luggage is delivered to the room. On the Bicycle Adventures tour that I did they just dumped everything next to the van - except for the gear of one woman, and hers was taken to her room. Again, I only did one tour with them, and while I enjoyed the riding, I was unhappy enough with the tour operator to not try another one.

Of course, there are probably other people who don't like Backroads and do like Bicycle Adventures - so that's probably not much help.

I agree that the singles supplements are pretty outrageous. I opted for a roommate, which is pretty much a crap-shoot when you're traveling alone. Of all the trips that I did (and there was probably a 9 to 10-year period when I was going on supported tours), I think I only had one roommate who was a problem. That said, if I do a supported tour again I will likely opt for a single.

I had a lot of the same wishes that you did - especially in terms of mileage. That, plus wanting to go places that the touring companies didn't go (or didn't go for enough time) was what started me on the road to solo self-supported touring. I would highly recommend that you ask whatever company you are considering for references, preferably of people who have done the trip you are considering in the not too distant past. I'm sure they will only give you people who they believe will give you a good reference, but I think it's still valuable to talk to someone who has experienced that company's tours.

Hope that helps; ask more questions if it doesn't!

--- Denise

[indysteel]

Denise, thanks for your prompt reply. You've helped me formulate some additional questions to ask BA if and when I move forward with making plans. I'd like to think that some of the kinks for their Crater Lake trip have been worked out.

I really like Backroads' intinerary for Bryce/Zion/GC because they almost always offer daily mileage options. And the long options are, indeed, long. There is at least one day "off" from cycling, but that might not be such a bad thing after a few days in the saddle. They do offer a "singles" week for that tour, but it's the last week of August. I could be wrong, but I'm guessing that the daily temps--at least in Zion--will be in the 90s. That's just too hot for me.

Did you have a feel for the "average" age of the people both BA and Backgrounds attract? I went on a "small boat" cruise in Alaska two summers ago. My friend and I were one of only a handful of people who weren't of retirement age. I don't want to sound like I have an age-bias, especially since I met so many nice people on the cruise. It's just that I would have preferred more of a mix.

Thanks again for your help! Sorry if I've hijacked this thread a bit!

Kate

[DeniseGoldberg]

Did you have a feel for the "average" age of the people both BA and Backgrounds attract? Kate
If I remember correctly, there were folks at all ages. But that's a question for which you should be able to get a straight answer from the touring company.

On the Backroads Bryce/Zion/Grand Canyon trip, I did take advantage of the day off in Bryce & Zion to hike. I actually biked in the area on the Grand Canyon trip. (I did the camping trip which was 9 days, and we had an option for a free day in each park.)

--- Denise