Bycling touring and topographic maps

Bicycle touring attracts a lot of people not only by feeling of high speed, freedom, but also by interesting sightseeing and close contact with nature. That’s why bicycle touring is a real positive adventure if you only have the desire and health to pedal and skill to read topographic map.

Examining the map of the world you will see that there are a lot of different directions for bicycle touring in Russia: fascinating, cognitive routes in the central region, in the north-west, in Ural, Altai, Baikal region.

Travel agencies in vast majority usually offer to cycle light, as much comfortably as possible regardless of duration of the tour (weekend or multi-day). The participant’s luggage is carried by accompanying vehicle and is delivered to the camps, besides servicemen, guides always follow the group to repair bicycles and to help in reading the topographic map. Hotel reservation and all necessary camping equipment are always provided by the agency.

Bicycle tour on Zolotoe Koltso

The most impressive tour in the central part of Russia is a bicycle trip on a Zolotoe Koltso. Picturesque nature scenery with quiet woody streams and wide field scopes, pinery and bright birch wood, original architecture of ancient russian towns Vladimir, Suzdal, Rostov, Ples and Kostroma, Yaroslavl and Uglitch give special attraction to 9 days traveling.

Bicycle tour in Pushkin Mountains

A bicycle tour in Pushkin Mountains – Izborsk – Pskov is very rich on sightseeing too. During this trip tourists are expected to get acquainted with one of the most ancient town of the north-west of Russia, with the history of russian defensive architectonics, they will be impressed by the charm of marvelous sceneries, which famous poet A.S. Pushkin got inspired by.

For bicycle touring amateurs as well as all active people, who are fond of spending their rest close to nature, a special tour to the source of great russian river Volga are designed in the central part of Russia. In the north-west of Russia travel agencies organize bicycle tours around Lake Ladoga, along Karelian Isthmus with the possibility to visit national park Balaam, Spaso Preobrazhensky Cathedral, cells and those places where hikers rarely get to.

Bicycle tours in Karelia

In Karelia the most popular tours are one or two days traveling to 2d according to the length flat waterfall in Europe – Kivach, and to the 1st russian holiday resort - Martsyalnye Vody. One of the most beautiful karelian tour passes through the territory of landscape is national park – “Tolvajarvi”.

Karelia map set is available for purchasing.

Acquaintance with primeval world of Taiga waits for cyclists in the Republic of Mariy-El. A lot of forests, unique in nature, lakes, a big variety of plants and animals are on dispose for participant. There are a lot sandy spits along the rivers with convenient camping places.

Bicycle tours in Ural

In Ural bicyclists will be met by nomad’s and gold digger’s roads. Routes, stuffed with excursions to various nature monuments, which pass through forests paths, through mountain passages and rivers.

Ural map set is available for purchasing.

Bicycle tours in Altai

Bicycle tours in Altai offer a big variety of trips, mainly combined ones, where the participants are expected to cycle, as well as go by cross country cars or ride a horse and raft along the rivers. Overcoming the passes bicycle tourists, see intermountain hollows and ranges of Altai. Going down in steppe – archaeologic monuments, dated from different stages of historic evolution of Altai. While traveling along rivers bicycle tourists explore various confluents of the river Katun and then by raft the valley of this wayward and beautiful river.

Altai map set is available for purchasing.

Bicycle tours in Baikal region

The peculiarities of Baikal relief make bicycle tours especially attractive, from high bank they can admire marvelous view of the lake Baikal. One of the most interesting Baikal tour starts in Taiga zone of Primorsky range, stretched out along south-western bank of Baikal. Then the tour passes Tazheranskaya steppe – region with infrequent ravines and small salty lakes and magnificent view over Baikal, and finishes in under a veil of legend Olkhon - island with primeval nature, warm water in bays.

Baikal map set is available for purchasing.

Bicycle Gear

To take part in regular bicycle tour you should have cycling skills, for serious multi-day tours you should train beforehand to keep the established speed and of course to be a good map-reader. Cycling on the route requires not only good physical condition, but presence of comfortable clothes. For multi-day bicycle tours you’d better buy special clothes for bicycle: bright breathing shirt, and wind- and waterproof jacket, which not only provide comfort, but raise safety on roads by means of reflecting insets. Very important part of clothes, which bicycle tourist should pay a special attention, while selecting gear is bicycle shorts or longer variant for cold weather – bicycle trousers, which make you trip on bicycle much more convenient. The shoes you supposed to wear must be very comfortable, must have rigid sole, of course they mustn’t slide down from pedals.

One more very important bicycle gear, which provide extra protection for hands and in general which raises safety are gloves. Gloves with cut fingers are designed for bicyclists and make possible for skin of the hands to breath. Choosing a bicycle helmet, you should remember that it should guarantee head protection as well as wide field of view.

2d important bicycle gear after bicycle is bag. A majority of bicycle tours are designed in the way that bicyclists are not expected to cycle with bags. But, accompanying bus or car can not always follow bicyclists, that’s why there is a necessity to carry some gear always with you. For this you can have bicycle bag which is fixed to bicycle carrier or just usual backpack which allow fixing flashing tail light, pockets (holes) for water system and also ventilation back system.

Nowadays bicycle producers are constantly improving equipments and clothes introducing new technologies and materials, improving quality, doing their best to make bicyclists holidays as much comfortable as possible. In any case bicycle touring in Russia has very prosperous future, which contribute populiarity of bicycle as economic, rather quick means of travel, possibility of cycle in many parts of the world, big demand, when conducting fashionable nowadays eco tours.

Bicycle touring is one of the most ecofriendly and healthy means of tourism.