Bike touring isn’t particularly difficult once one makes the decision to go for it. However, finding the inspiration and resources to complete a long ride can be a bit of a challenge.
Here are some resources that I have found helpful as I prepared to take a long bike ride.
www.crazyguyonabike.com Online journals from touring cyclists around the world. Tours range from overnight trips to multi-year world wid travels. Also has a forum, articles, product reviews and a marketplace.
http://www.adventurecycling.org/ Membership organization and bike travel experts. They produce detailed maps specific for touring cyclists. They have a forum for finding companions and with route specific information.
http://www.warmshowers.org/ Like couchsurfing, but for touring cyclists. They also has an iphone app for use in the field.
http://travellingtwo.com/ The website of a couple who biked around the world. They have a great blog with a basic touring “how-to” guide that is free. They also produce a bike touring podcast with rather good production values and very useful topics.
Overall, the best way to get into bike touring is just to try it out. Take a ride out to a local hotel and back in a weekend. Ride to a state park and camp overnight as a Sub 24-Hour Overnight ride. Try out different gear and bikes. The hardest thing about starting a bike tour isn’t the equipment or the route…it’s really the time that it takes to actually do it, but by doing a weekend ride, you can really get a good taste for what a longer tour would be like.
