Retrobike Touring.

[dirttorpedo]

Later this year I will try a hammock for the first time. Maybe this is an alternative?

I really like the idea of hammock camping (saw some kayakers doing it a few years back), but it limits you to areas with good trees at a reasonable spacing which is not always easy to find here (I have one of those cheap costco hammocks for car camping, and it can be a challenge finding a good place to set them up).

 

[dirttorpedo]

And the prevalence of bears!

If the bear is hungry, being in a tent or bivy isn't going to dissuade him/her either.

 

[dirttorpedo]

France is great for cycling
Normandy, the food! (and the landscape)
Brittany, the landscape! (and the food)
Most drivers show you respect.
Camping Municipal is cheap, charming and clean.
Oh, and did I mention the food?

I've suggested to my wife that we should tour the whole Rhine bike path from Switzerland to the Netherlands. She might actually go for it - due to the length of the ride it might have to wait for retirement.

 

[KayOs]

We spend several days travelling in the forest, so there are certainly enough trees that fit. There are bears here too, not just wolves, but they usually stay away.

I also want to test the hammock because of the back pain I always get on the sleeping mat in the tent. I'm really looking forward to it.

 

[Titiritero]

I've suggested to my wife that we should tour the whole Rhine bike path from Switzerland to the Netherlands. She might actually go for it - due to the length of the ride it might have to wait for retirement.

Although following a river in central Europe is one of the best options for non-keen cyclists, the Rhine is one of the most boring options, if you exclude the central part between Mainz and Koblenz.

I'd rather recommend to only do that part, and then link it to the Mosel river, and maybe the Saar to make it longer. Equally flat and easy cycling, but with some hills on the sides and less mega-cities on the way. At least in Germany there are usually trains parallel to the river so you can always skip the boring parts or shorten the trip...