How To Plan A Bicycle Tour 6 Months In Advance: Step 2 – Create A Plan Of Action

August 18, 2008 by Darren Alff

Step 2 - Make A Plan Once you’ve decided that your bike trip is really going to happen, the next step is figuring out exactly what actions you need to take before you can start your big bicycle touring adventure.

Once you’ve set the date for the start of your tour, you can then begin working backwards by determining exactly what needs to happen before you leave home and head out on your bike.

Here is a list of some of the things you might need to handle before you leave home:

· Tell your boss you’ll be leaving.
· Find a riding partner.
· Rent out your house/apartment.
· Come up with a budget for your tour.
· Buy a new bicycle.
· Get all the gear you will need for your tour (i.e. panniers, tent, sleeping bag, stove, etc.)
· Raise the necessary funds.
· Do your taxes.
· Get your passport.
· Plan out your route.
· Find airline tickets.
· Figure out where you are going to be sleeping every night.
· Send out press releases and inform the local media.
· Build a website about your tour.
· Inform your friends and family about your plans.
· Ask for donations.
· Get into shape.
· Improve your flexibility.
· Start eating better.
· Give your bicycle a tune up.
· Find out if your cell phone will work where you are going. If not, find a new phone provider or upgrade your service.
· Input important coordinates into your GPS device.
· Find someone to watch your house, feed your animals, and water your plants while you are away.
· Put your car and/or other belongings into storage.
· Pay your outstanding bills.
· Research the areas you’ll be traveling through.
· Learn the language(s) of the area(s) you’ll be visiting.
· Set up your online billing.

… and the list goes on! Only you will know exactly what needs to happen in order for your bike tour to become a reality. What’s most important is that you take the time to sit down and write out a list of exactly what needs to transpire in order for your bicycle tour to take place.

Start by writing down exactly what needs to happen. Then put that list in chronological order, starting with the tasks that need to happen right away and ending with the items that can wait until later.

Once you’ve got your list of tasks that need to be accomplished, put a deadline on each task and work hard to never miss a deadline. Having a deadline on each of these tasks will push you to accomplish these objectives in record time. Once you set those deadlines, you’ll be surprised at just how quickly you can make things happen.

Once you’ve got your deadlines in place, begin doing something on a daily basis to knock those tasks off your list. Some tasks will be small and may take only a few minutes. Other tasks will be large and may require a number of weeks to complete.

Make a list of everything that needs to happen before you leave home; put that list of tasks in chronological order; assign deadlines to each objective; and then start working to mark those tasks off your list.

After you’ve done all that, check back soon for the next installment of “How To Plan A Bicycle Tour 6 Months In Advance” when I’ll be discussing how to put together a budget for your bicycle tour.

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