Your next bicycle touring adventure!

This poll was active from early winter right through to early spring. 168 responses were received during that time. The next few paragraphs will give a high level summary based upon the most popular response for each question. More detailed information will following the summary.

"Your next bicycle touring adventure will be self-contained and fully loaded. From your previous, multiple 1 - 24 day touring experience you know that the things you most look forward to are seeing new places, improving your physical fittness and obtaining some well deserved stress relief. It's likely that your next tour will be solo, in the summer months and during vacation time.

You will leave from and return to home using a bike that labelled as a "touring bike". On your bike you will have a handlebar bag and four panniers/saddlebags. Along the way you will stay in public campgrounds (or in a surprisingly large number of cases a combination of public campgrounds and stealth campouts) using a tent."

Here are the detailed responses:

(Final results - May 8, 2005)
(168 responses received)

1. What is your preferred type of touring?

Answer	Percentage	Responses
Never toured before	17.3	29
SAG/Supported touring	3.0	5
Light or Credit Card touring	11.9	20
Self-contained/Fully Loaded	61.9	104
Mix of Supported, Light and Self-contained/Fully Loaded	6.0	10

2. What kind of touring experience do you have?

Answer	Percentage	Responses
Never toured before	19.0	32
Single 1 - 5 day tour	9.5	16
Single 6 - 24 day tour	7.7	13
Single 25+ day tour	1.8	3
Multiple 1 - 5 day tours	10.7	18
Multiple 1 - 24 day tours	28.0	47
Multiple 1 - 25+ day tours	10.1	17
Cross continental tourer	11.9	20
Around the world tourer	1.2	2

3. What motivates you to go on your next bicycle tour?

Answer	Percentage	Responses
Meeting new people	38.7	65
Seeing new places	74.4	125
Improving your physical fitness	48.8	82
Stress relief (enjoying a quieter pace)	42.9	72
Meeting a personal goal	38.1	64
I would like to try something new - bicycle touring!	15.5	26

4. How would you describe your next bicycle tour?

Answer	Percentage	Responses
First bicycle touring adventure	15.5	26
Short weekend tour	7.7	13
Short checkout tour	4.8	8
Vacation tour	48.2	81
Next segment of a multiple segment tour	4.8	8
Cross continental tour	15.5	26
Around the world adventure	3.6	6

5. What season will the majority of your tour take place in?

Answer	Percentage	Results
Winter	1.2	2
Spring	17.9	30
Summer	58.3	98
Fall	4.2	7
Multiple seasons	18.5	31

6. How many people will be in your touring group?

Answer	Percentage	Results
Solo tour	51.2	86
Two person/tandem tour	26.2	44
Team tour (3 - 5 people)	14.3	24
Large Group Tour (6 - 30 people)	6.0	10
Organized ride like RAGBRAI (31+ people)	2.4	4

7. Which one of the following best describes your tour?

Answer	Percentage	Results
Leave from home by bicycle and return to home loop tour.	31.5	53
Leave from or return to home by bicycle. Assistance from family/friend for return or departure.	10.7	18
Bus assisted loop tour	3.0	5
Bus assisted line tour	1.8	3
Train assisted loop tour	2.4	4
Train assisted line tour	6.5	11
Airplane assisted loop tour	9.5	16
Airplane assisted line tour	14.9	25
Boat assisted loop tour	0.6	1
Boat assisted line tour	0.6	1
Car rental assisted loop tour	0.6	1
Car rental assisted line tour1	0	0
Use my vehicle to get started loop tour	14.9	25
Hitchhike to start from home or from end to home	0	0

8. What kind of bicycle will you use?

Answer	Percentage	Results
Converted mountain bike (some customization was needed)	11.9	20
Stock mountain bike (other than a rear rack everything else is stock)	3.0	5
Recumbent tourer	11.3	19
Recumbent trike	3.6	6
Road bike (Light weight racing style bike)	10.7	18
Touring bike (labelled as a touring bike)	44.6	75
Old 10 speed bike	1.8	3
Tandem bicycle	3.6	6
Triplet bicycle	0.6	1

9. How will you carry your gear?

Answer	Percentage	Results
A truck/SAG wagon will do it for me!	7.7	13
Rear trunk only	0.6	1
Handlebar bag and four saddlebags/panniers	39.3	66
Handlebar bag and two rear saddlebags	18.5	31
Two rear saddlebags only	9.5	16
One rear saddlebag	1.2	2
Handlebar bag only	0	0
Single wheeled trailer	6.0	10
Two wheeled trailer	3.0	5
Strap it all on top of the rear rack	0.6	1

10. Where do you intend to rest at night during the majority of your tour?

Answer	Percentage	Results
Hotel	2.4	4
Bed and Breakfast	3.0	5
Motel	3.6	6
Combination of Hotel/Bed and Breakfast/Motel	10.1	17
Public campgrounds	35.1	59
Stealth camping	6.0	10
Combination of public campgrounds and stealth camping	31.5	53
Accompanied by family with a camper/RV	0.6	1

11. What type of sleeping accomodation will you use?

Answer	Percentage	Results
Won't be camping	18.5	31
Tent	70.2	118
Hammock	4.8	8
Bivy sack	1.8	3
Tarp	2.4	4
Bug netting only	0	0

12. What kind of information would really help you to prepare for your next tour?

Due to the Privacy Policy I will not provide the individual responses here. Just a quick reminder that if you would like me to respond to a question from you in the poll you either need to leave your email address in the poll somewhere or you should drop me an email directly. Polls provide only an ip address for their source so I have no practical way to get back to you.

I received tons of very good feedback, some of which has already been implemented or is in the process of being implemented.

A big thank-you to all who have provided feedback!

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