Bike touring checklist
The bike carries the weight a backpack would otherwise put on your shoulders, so the list is built around keeping it running rather than around what you'd pack for a walk.
27 items
Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.
The items
- Bike serviced before setting offChain, brakes and tyres especially — a worn chain fails away from any bike shop.
- Panniers, front and back as neededLoad the back pair first — a front-heavy bike steers badly.
- Helmet
- Lights, front and backCharged the night before, not assumed to still hold charge from last time.
- LockHeavier than you'd like to carry, but the one thing that isn't optional in a town.
- Puncture repair
- Spare inner tubes×2
- Tyre levers
- Pump or CO2 inflator
- Puncture repair patches
- Multi-tool with chain breakerA snapped chain is fixable at the roadside if you're carrying the right tool.
- Spare spokes and a spoke keyFor a longer tour on loaded wheels, where a broken spoke is a when, not an if.
- Route loaded offline, with paper backup for the first day
- Accommodation or campsites booked for the first few nights
- Sleeping kit, if camping
- Lightweight tent
- Sleeping bag and a compact mat
- Small stove and fuel
- Waterproof jacket and trousers
- Padded shorts×2One to wear, one drying — riding in a damp pair the next day causes saddle sores.
- Chamois creamThe difference between day three being fine and day three being unbearable.
- Water bottles or a hydration bladder
- Snacks for riding, not just meals at stops
- First aid kit, small
- Phone, charger and a power bank
- Cash for anywhere a card doesn't reach
- Bike insurance details, if the bike is covered separately
Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.
Questions people ask
- How many spare inner tubes should I carry?
- At least two, plus a repair kit for a third puncture on the same day. Punctures rarely arrive alone once a tyre has picked up something sharp.
- Front or back panniers?
- Back panniers first, since most bikes take them without a front rack. Add front ones only once the rear pair is genuinely full — a front-heavy bike steers badly.
- Should the bike be serviced before a long tour?
- Yes — chain, brakes and tyres especially. A worn chain or a brake pad down to the metal is a cheap fix at home and an expensive delay two days into a tour.