This list is what we send to clients before any of our tours. It’s been refined over eight years and several thousand rider-days. Tweak it for your specific destination, but most of it carries.
We’ve tried to keep it short. The biggest packing mistake is bringing too much.
On the bike
Two cycling kits is enough for a 10-day tour. Three is plenty. Four is too many.
- 2 to 3 jerseys (one short-sleeve, one long-sleeve, optional one mid-weight for cool mornings)
- 2 to 3 pairs of bib shorts. We do laundry every 2 to 3 days at hotels.
- Arm warmers and leg warmers. Light, fold to nothing, save you from buying anything mid-tour.
- A packable rain jacket. Not the gravel-event-bombproof one. The 200-gram one.
- Cycling shoes (clipless if you ride them, otherwise SPD or flats — we don’t care)
- A helmet you actually like. Bring your own; rentals are okay but yours fits better.
- Cycling glasses with interchangeable lenses if you have them. One pair if not.
- Cycling socks. Three pairs minimum.
Off the bike
You’ll wear the same things over and over. That’s fine.
- 2 to 3 t-shirts or polos
- 1 pair of long trousers (chinos, not jeans — jeans are heavy and slow to dry)
- 1 pair of shorts
- A light jumper or fleece for evenings
- A pair of comfortable shoes (we recommend trainers, not flip-flops, because some restaurants are uphill from your hotel)
- 1 swimsuit (mandatory for Taiwan and Sri Lanka, optional for Japan, useful in Sicily for the rest day)
- Pyjamas / sleep clothes if that matters to you
Tools and spares
We carry the workshop. You carry the basics.
- 1 spare tube in your saddle bag
- A multitool (we have spares but bring your favourite if you have one)
- A pump or CO2 (we have these too)
- Your own pedals if you’re particular (we have SPD and Look on hand)
What NOT to bring
- A floor pump. We have several.
- A track stand. Definitely don’t.
- A second pair of cycling shoes. One pair is fine.
- Three rain jackets of varying weights. Pick one.
- Books. You’ll read on your phone in the evenings, or you’ll sleep, or you’ll talk.
- A spare helmet.
- A laptop, unless you’re working remotely on the rest day.
A note on luggage
A 50-litre duffel or wheeled bag is plenty. We move your luggage between hotels in the support van — you don’t carry it. Hardshell suitcases are fine but soft luggage packs more efficiently into the van.
If you’re flying with your own bike, a soft bike bag (Scicon, Evoc) is easier than a hard case. We’ll meet you at the airport and ferry the bike box to your first hotel.
The thing nobody tells you
Bring half what you think you need, and a small dry bag. By Day 3 you’ll have figured out what you actually use, and the rest stays in the van until the end of the tour.
