I know what you’re thinking — there are a lot of commas in that title. Just know that they’re there for emphasis.

You might also be thinking about creating videos on your bike tour and posting them to your web log, or “blog” as the kids call it these days. Well great! That’s why we’re all here. You’ve learned how to make a bicycle touring video, you’ve learned what tripods to use, and you’ve learned the art of storytelling thanks to the other bloggers and judges so far.

But how can you do it? How can you balance your time between riding, shooting, and editing? Can you figure it out with the Pythagorean Theorem? No one really knows for sure. Ancient cyclists say that there are many ways, and that they’ve been passed down on secret documents that only a select few have ever seen.

And as luck would have it, we at America ByCycle have come across those ancient documents and have translated them for you in great detail! Unfortunately we’re having trouble locating them at this time, so here are some alternatives that we could think of off the top of our heads.

Preparation, Not Expectation

Be prepared. The boy scouts are, so why shouldn’t you be? As long as you’ve got the most basic tools to be a cycling filmmaker (camera, computer, editing program), you’ll at least be ready (to attempt) to match your expectations for producing videos along your incredible journey. Whether or not you can ACTUALLY match them is another story (trust us). If you expect to be publishing a new, well-produced video every day, think again. Setting unrealistic expectations for yourself can lead to huge problems including stress, fatigue, and worst of all, less cycling. The best thing you can do is have your camera readily available (and tripod, if you’ve got one) and make sure you’re fine with sitting in front of a computer and editing, even if that means you’re inside your tent.

Bend, Don’t Break

Remaining flexible with your content creation is an absolute necessity. Some days require more cycling, and some days require more shooting and/or editing. However, don’t let your quest for a fully-edited video or a certain shot or landmark get in the way of a better story. Yes, your sunset was beautiful, but was it more interesting than that group of ninja clowns playing Cribbage behind you? Probably not. Don’t sacrifice your unique experience for getting the “perfect” shot. Some of the best video we’ve ever gotten was from those unexpected encounters. Let the trail decide where you go and what you shoot. And seriously, if you see any ninja clowns playing Cribbage, SHOOT VIDEO OF IT!

Every Day You’re Hustlin’

In order to keep it fresh and not burn yourself out by working too much, do a little bit of everything each day. Start off with some morning shooting, bike for a little bit, and then finish the day with a little more shooting and editing. Blasting out 70 miles leaves little time for anything else other than stuffing your face and going to bed. In our case, the times we bicker with each other the most are the times we’re doing all cycling or all editing. We fall behind with our videos if we’re only cycling, and we never get anywhere if we’re only editing. That being said, a couple days of only one or the other are fine, just don’t let that mountain of footage get too big! (Psssst — it’s not a real mountain, it’s a metaphor.)

Get Organized

Put all of your camera/shooting gear in a place that’s dry, padded, and easily accessible. Dump your footage into folders that correspond to each day/event you’ve shot. The more organized your footage is, the less time you have to spend figuring out file locations. This leads to a more streamlined work process. And most importantly, BACK UP your data. Use a cloud service like Google docs, buy an extra hard drive, hire a droid, do anything and everything to ensure that you will not lose your footage. Like the saying goes, if you have two you have one, if you have one you have none. If you have none you have problems.

Step Away From the Lens

There’s no point going on an adventure if you’re only going to experience it through your camera. From our personal experience, we’ve learned it’s a good idea to put down the camera once in a while and actually absorb the world around us. You can shoot gig after gig of an event or a beautiful place in which you’re staying, but the lasting impressions come from direct interactions with your environment. I’m not saying you should skimp on shooting, but just remember take a few moments for yourself and look through your own eyes! We can’t stress this enough.

Weather the Storm

“Whether” (get it?) it’s a literal or figurative storm, make sure that you’re making the best of a bad situation. If you’re caught in a storm, film yourself getting rained on (as long as the camera’s PROTECTED). It shows your vulnerability and helps you learn new ways of shooting. As Tom Allen pointed out, conflict can really drive your story and be the most compelling footage for your viewers. Embrace how terrible it is and show everyone. It can actually be cathartic as well as incredibly fascinating to watch. Taking something that could be a momentum killer (like a flat tire) and turning it into a part of your narrative helps you stay in control of the situation, leading to better video. When life gives you lemons, add it together with your pre-existing avocados and make guacamole!

Learn to Keep Learning

You don’t have to be an amazing editor to tell a great story. The same goes with shooting. The key is to continue to work on your storytelling as you ride and learn what’s working and what isn’t. Experiment with different camera angles. Get out of your comfort zone, because it’s there that you learn the most about yourself and your capabilities. Challenge yourself to tell a different story each time. Literally stop and smell the roses, and then film yourself smelling those roses. How was your framing? Was it out of focus? Now you’ll know next time what you need to do to improve it. No one ever says “I especially enjoyed the part in your video where it was really shaky, then it went dark, and then it was hard to tell what was going on.” But then again, the Blair Witch Project made like 250 million dollars. I’m not kidding.

Have Fun

Girls just want to have it. The Beach Boys will have it until her daddy takes the T-Bird away. I mean, fun is important. And I’m not going to sit here and pretend that every minute of producing a bike touring video is like eating a love pizza topped with children’s laughter; it’s REALLY difficult. Michelle and I have had to take a break from our current tour to de-stress and take time for editing. As I’m writing this, our last piece of new content on our site was almost 2 months ago! My point is that you can really end up making your tour the most fun experience you’ve ever had, or you can make it the biggest pain in your butt (it will most likely be both). Either way, as long as you’re having fun while you’re traveling then it’s worth it. Whether you make one video or crank out weekly episodes when it’s all said and done is up to you; just know that when you’re having fun so are your viewers. Now get out there and shoot, edit, and you know, BIKE!

Most of the time we’re silly and are purely out to have fun, but in this case we wanted to take a serious angle and show you this side of our filmmaking.

We may love dancing just as much as we love filming ourselves dancing, but we also love telling good stories. We’ve got plenty more to tell, and we’re going to bring them to you in the same way we’ve always done.

This is our mission statement, in a way. It gives us a chance to be completely unhinged in telling you more about us and what to expect from us.

And let’s face it, having to push your bike up Afton Mountain because you’re carrying two heavy bike locks isn’t fun. Fewer things that serve multiple tasks should be your M.O. If you’re stuck, think to yourself, “what would the 1976 Bikecentennial cyclists do?”

So let’s figure out what you don’t need to bring. 10 things, to be exact:

1. An Expensive “Touring” Bike

People have been riding bikes long distances for many decades, and plenty of them weren’t necessarily suited for touring. Sure, having a strong frame and nice tires on your bike is reassuring, but is not absolutely necessary. The bottom line — you need to find a bike you’re comfortable riding, and one that can carry your load. It doesn’t hurt to find one you like looking at, either.

2. Cleated Shoes and Clip-in/Clipless Pedals

We started our bike tour with cleated shoes and pedals, and quickly learned that we didn’t need them. About 3/4 of the cyclists we came across wore cleats/clip-ins though, and some thought we were crazy for not using them! To us, shoes and clips are a little on the pricey end, and unless you’re a serious cyclist you probably won’t notice a difference in your pedaling. Plus, you’ll fall over a lot when you start using them, and people in cars will laugh at you. (Just me?)

3. Lots of money

Money is a huge obstacle for people wanting to tour. They think they don’t have enough of it. But if you’ve read or watched anything we’ve done, then you’ve no doubt seen us cut costs and do things as cheaply as possible. It’s 100% possible to be safe, warm and well-fed while at the same time being cost-efficient. Make sure you set a budget, and stay as close to that daily budget as you can. $10 a day, $20 a day, or whatever you can afford. Things like bananas and peanut butter are way cheaper than any restaurant, camping out is way cheaper than hotels, and it will be VERY easy to cut out your Ebay addiction when you’re biking all day. Trust me.

4. Cycling Jerseys

If you want to buy a cycling jersey, buy a cycling jersey. They can look cool, they hold some of your loose items effectively, and there’s even an Oberon Jersey, so they’ve got to be cool. That being said, people who did the first TransAm ride in 1976 were crossing the country in tank tops and cut-off jean shorts, so think about that before you think you really NEED a cycling jersey. You know what else keeps you cool while biking? No jersey.

5. A Wealth of Knowledge of Bike Repair

Chances are you don’t know everything about repairing bikes. Neither do we. The best thing is to watch some free online tutorials on how to do some basic maintenance, or you can go to free classes at your local REI (if you have one). If you don’t have these options, then go to a local bike shop and just ask if they’ll show you how to repair a tire! That’s not even a joke, you should really try it!

6. Several Days Worth of Bike Clothing

We carried lots of clothing, and it took up a lot of room in our panniers. Then once we neared the end we realized that we were carrying too many different layers, and that we could get the same comfort and warmth from fewer items that were higher quality. You’ll end up paying a little more for these items, but they drastically cut down on the amount of clothing you have to carry. Look for clothes that wick the sweat away from your body. Wool clothing keeps you cool in the summer and warm in the winter, so it serves two purposes. Also, almost every town has a place to do your laundry, so it’s very likely that you’ll be able to wash your dirty pair while wearing your clean pair, and switch when necessary. This cuts down on the amount of clothing you pack, and also lets you get rid of that old change jar you’ve had sitting on your shelf for years!

7. A Full Kitchen’s Worth of Cooking Supplies

You should keep it to your essentials when dealing with your food while touring. Your cooking pot can double as a bowl or supply holder, your plate can double as a cutting board, and a spork is both fun to say and easy to use! Just make sure that your knife NEVER doubles as your spoon — soups are really hard to eat with a knife.

8. Makeup/Blow Dryer/Vanity Items

Seriously.

9. A Solar Charger

Solar chargers are fun. They’re cool techie gadgets that charge your phone using the power of the sun! However, you will usually be able to find a power outlet no matter where you are. There may be some campsites or national parks that don’t have any outlets, but for the most part you will be able to find an outlet to plug your phone/mp3 player/tablet/computer into. Libraries, gas stations, post offices, and Yellowstone’s gift shop were all places we plugged in our phones and charged, while awkwardly standing near the counter making the clerk anxious. (Hint: The top plug in the outlets behind vending machines are almost always free and within reach for those who prefer ‘stealth charging.’)
10. Physical Fitness

Our first day on tour we did 13 miles. 13. You don’t need to be in great physical shape to do a tour. You can do 10 miles a day. You can be 80+ years old. You can be a paraplegic. Over the duration of our trip we heard about all of these situations, and the underlying theme throughout is that mental toughness trumps physical fitness. Hills suck, this is true. The wind can be awful, without a doubt. But the best part is, none of these things will stop you. You will get stronger every day, and soon 30-40 miles becomes easy. Then 70-80 miles becomes easy. As long as you don’t lose it mentally, your body will follow. Just make sure you take breaks every now and then and give your legs a rest!

Photos by Michelle Cassel and Ryan McAfee

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If any of the things I just listed sounded like a good idea, then you really need some help. But that’s why we’re here: to make sure you get the essentials before leaving for a long trip. So, without further ado, here are the 10 things that you absolutely need for your long-distance tour:

1. A Bike.

This really goes without saying, but you really need a bike if you want to do a bike tour. Steel, aluminum, carbon fiber, titanium, or even bamboo are just a few of the types of frames out there. Choose whatever suits you and make friends with it, because you’re going to be looking at it every day.


2. Storage.
Some people like panniers, and some people like trailers. Depending on your preference, you need something to carry your clothes, your food, and various other items. You can even just wear a backpack, if you’re one of those minimalist people who hates bike-centric storage.
3. Bicycle Maintenance/Repair Tools.

4. Water.
Duh.

5. Front and Back Bike Lights.
Bike lights are great multi-taskers. They light your route, let cars know you’re on the road, help you read at night, and aid in easing your fears when you hear noises outside the tent and get out, shine the flashlight and see that it’s only a family of foxes rustling around outside the tent, and not that big scary bear that you swore it was.

6. Toilet Paper.
Toilet paper is great for a multitude of reasons. You can use it as it’s intended, as facial tissue, as a napkin while eating, to clean up your silverware, or you can use it to TP your own bike if you’re bored! Just don’t overdo it.

7. First Aid Kit/Duct Tape/Sun Block.
You’re going to be out in the elements all day, every day. Boo-boos, owies, and whoopsy-daisies are common occurrences. Bring a small first aid kit and some sunblock to help keep you healthy. Just remember the difference between SPF 15 and SPF 50 is microscopic, so limiting the chemical intake on your body’s biggest organ is always a good idea. (Coconut oil is a natural SPF 15!)

8. Rain Gear and Bike Shorts.
The only reason you should have some sort of waterproof gear is because you don’t want to be caught riding your bike in a storm WITHOUT waterproof gear. The only reason you should bring bike shorts is because you don’t want to be caught riding your bike WITHOUT bike shorts.
9. Eating Utensils.
Unless you’re accustomed to eating with your hands, then you will undoubtedly have a need for some utensils.


10. Mental Fortitude.
The MOST IMPORTANT thing you can bring with you on tour is BY FAR mental toughness. Breakdowns will happen. Storms will happen. Headwinds will happen. Your physical toughness will sustain all of these. If you can’t tell yourself to keep going and keep pushing forward, then you will not make it. Stay focused and eventually you’ll make it to your destination and celebrate!

Black and White Portrait by Adventure Cycling Association’s Greg Siple. All other photos by America ByCycle.

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