Things to Keep in Mind for a Cycle Trip in the Countryside

There are different kinds of bikes that are used for touring purposes. The list includes names such as racing bikes, mountain bikes, road bikes, tandems, shopper bikes and hybrids. There are people who have achieved the distinction of touring even on unicycles. Bikes are designed in a way that they serve a particular purpose. For example, a professional racer would require a bike with a light frame, a high ratio for greater speed and a tight geometry for greater power so that it is easy to manoeuvre them. There are multiple options when it comes to a touring bike and if you wish to cycle in Ireland along the paths and trails, you can look for the following features in your bike.

It should offer a comfortable and relaxing riding position
It should have reliable components
It should have a strong rims, wheels and spokes
It should have the correct frame size
It should have a strong frame so that it can carry a heavy load, have bottle cages and mudguards and be replete with bosses and fittings for mounting racks.
It is necessary to choose a frame of an appropriate size
It should possess a good range of gears ranging from low to high

Professional riders cycling in Ireland need to carry a map or a GPS device at all times so that they do not get lost on the way and can be easily traced by the rescue forces. There are several advantages and disadvantages of using a GPS system. The advantages of using such a system include:

The system helps to track your movements during the entire course of the journey and shows your location on a display screen
You can programme the route in advance and the system will guide along the way
The system offers a detail streetwise navigation system through towns and cities with proper labelling of street names
There is no need to keep on changing the map on a frequent basis
You can also add way marks to the system so that your movement is recorded at all times
Such a system will also offer you a precise calculation of the distance covered and the scaled altitude in case you are cycling through a mountainous terrain.
It helps to know the altitude that you have climbed so far

Using a GPS system has its share of disadvantages as well.

If you are not one of those who like to plan their route in advance and carry out all the planning even before you embark on the trip, then a GPS system would not serve its purpose.


Also GPS based mapping systems are not as detailed in comparison to paper maps and therefore may not provide a detailed account of he cycle paths or routes.


A GPS system operates on batteries and these turn out to be expensive if you happen to use alkaline batteries. These are hardly environmentally friendly.

You can use a paper map or a GPS system as per your own preference but do not forget about these whenever you embark on a cycling trip.