Dear friend, if you are reading this, it means that you are traveling with the Russian Altai team for the first time. We hope that this information will be useful and will help you to properly prepare for the trip.
What should I take on a bike trip?
Maybe you've been to the mountains before and know what to take with you. We remind you once again.
- Things for cycling. A light T-shirt or jersey, bicycles, shorts, leggings (you can wear a diaper), a helmet (cap, headband), socks, gloves, windproof trousers and a windbreaker with protection from water, cycling masks or sneakers.
- Clothes for the evening and "to change clothes". Comfortable trousers and a fleece jacket, jacket, socks, hat, gloves, raincoat.
- Sleep clothes. Pajamas or a set of thermal underwear made of natural materials (cotton + wool).
These are approximate categories for types of clothing. You can choose from your personal preferences. If you list everything, then here is a specific list of things:
- A serviceable bike. Go through the planned maintenance: inspect and, if necessary, replace the gearshift and brake cables, pads, carriage and transmission elements. Pay attention to the condition of the bushings, pedals and steering column, make the shock absorbers! (If you don't have a bike, you can borrow one from us)
- A protective helmet (an extremely desirable headdress, it will not only protect your head in case of a fall, but also looks very good in the photos). If you are an adept of faith in A supreme providence and a Russian maybe a sun hat is quite enough.
- Sleeping bag (also available from us).
- Travel mat (see points 1 and 2).
- The tent. Or arrange a place in a tent with other participants (although you can also rent a tent from us!).
- A pair of T-shirts (including those with long sleeves to protect from the sun).
- Shorts.
- Trousers made of windproof fabric.
- Windbreaker.
- A jacket with insulation or a tank top, you can use a powder puff.
- Raincoat.
- A warm jacket.
- Thermal underwear or pajamas.
- The cap.
- Gloves.
- Shoes (cycling shoes + sneakers + flip-flops or sandals).
- Socks (thin for skating and warm for the evening).
- Lingerie.
- Swimsuit / bathing trunks.
- Towel.
- A water bottle.
- Thermos.
- Knife.
- A mug, a spoon, a deep plate.
- Personal care products (soap, shampoo, toilet paper, comb, toothpaste and brush, deodorant).
- Sunscreen.
- Sunglasses.
- Lantern.
- Passport (in the case of foreign routes, a valid passport), insurance policy.
- Vaccination or tick insurance (if the tour takes place in a tick-borne activity area).
- Personal medicines (patch, zelenka or iodine, something like "teraflu" in case of fever, you can take an ointment like "rescuer", hydrogen peroxide, bandage).
- Personal bicycle repair kit (pump, camera, patches, hexagon socket, replaceable "rooster").
- A camera, an action camera, a phone with the numbers of the guide, organizer, and supervisor, as well as chargers for them.
- A power bank for charging your favorite gadgets at any convenient location, not just at the camping outlet or at the inverter in the escort vehicle.
- A shoulder backpack that can be used both on a bicycle and on a walking route. Recommended volume: 15-30 liters.
It is convenient to pack things in a large backpack or a bag that will go in the luggage, distribute the things inside the bag into regular bags so that they do not get wet, and it is so convenient to store them. Take a small backpack with personal belongings into the car interior, put in a bottle of water, documents, keys, money, phone, flashlight, jacket, in case it starts to rain on the road and you need to get out during a stop.
On the route, all things travel in an escort car, the participants only have a backpack, a volume of 15-30 liters. We put a raincoat, a camera, a snack (lunch box) and maybe some personal belongings in there.
The bike rides in a trailer or on the roof of a car, you can protect the frame by wrapping it with food wrap or film with pimples (sold in construction or hardware stores), you can pack it in a bicycle case. But the best way to transport a bike safely is to remove the handlebar from the takeaway, remove the pedals, and the front wheel. Place the steering wheel between the fork legs and wrap them with stretch film. When the front wheel is removed, do not forget to tighten the eccentric tightly.
The car drop-off on the routes is often quite long, and we always stop at a trusted canteen along the way, where you can have a delicious and inexpensive meal.
Food
In cycling tours, we DO NOT have A NUTRITION PLAN, such as "three candies – two cookies" per person. We feed them so that everyone is WELL-FED. If you think you need a lot of sweets and other goodies, COME AND TAKE THEM!
Menu:
- breakfasts: muesli with milk, milk porridges, sandwiches, tea and coffee, sweets, fruits.
- lunch – a "lunch box" is provided, plus an organized snack stop: cheese, sausage, smoked meats, canned food, sandwiches, sweets, fruits. On difficult routes, we add energy bars and gels to the diet.
- dinner – soup, salad or second course with meat, fish or barbecue, sweets, tea and coffee
We won't leave anyone hungry, if you have your own food preferences, please let us know in advance. Vegetarians, vegans, and raw foodists are not a problem!
We don't cook hot meals for lunch, because there isn't enough time for this on active tours, and lunch often takes place far from the camp. Therefore, we plan the day's meals in advance, and in the morning we distribute "lunch boxes" to participants who do not want to depend on an escort car.
See you!