I can also revommend just asking before you turn up. In my experience it’s no problem in 99% of cases to get your bike stored. Sometimes the answer might be grumpy if the owner is not too keen on bikes (had a fun conversation in Switzerland) but even then they may not be the same person that is manning the reception desk and your fortunes will turn around.
General tipp and I will die on that hill:
Get yourself some good pairs of socks!!
Life’s too short for bad socks on bike trips. I like merino blend (because of course). Café du Cycliste got some nice relatively thin ones, that last a long time. I can speak from hard earned experience: Don’t bring cotton socks.
They take forever to dry and even in the depths of summer, they are not great to have on a trip.
I also might recommend taking a look at Bikepacking.com . One of the best things they have is a Bikepacking 101 section that answers a lot of basic but necessary questions, stuff I wish i could’ve known when I set off on my first trips.
I started bikepacking last year, and did two races until now.
I was planning to buy Apidura bags, but ended up going for the cheaper Topeak bags and they have served me very well. They are a little heavier but very good quality.
With bikepacking gear you can spend a lot of money if you buy the best of all the items you need, but cheaper solutions often exist.
The good thing is that once you have the stuff, you can use it for years to come.
I can’t tell you which baggage system to buy, it depends on how you ride, what you like the look off and how big your budget is. I can give you some small tips, I learned the hard way, after 2 seasons of self supported ultra rides and races in western Europe.
1 : always carry a spare set of lights. They don’t need massive amounts of lumen or be expensive, they are backup. There isn’t much more miserable than being alone in the dark on a bike and not being able to see what’s in front of you
2 : always pack your puffer jacket. Even in the current European heatwave, if there is a chance you’re going to ride through the night you bring it. An exhausted body can get cold really quickly.
3 : eat a lot. Doesn’t really matter wath you eat, just eat. Even if you don’t feel hungry, eat.
4 : wash your bib shorts every 24h. Nobody wants to do it, when you stop you just want to rest, not do cleaning. But if you mess up hygiene down there your ride is not going to be a fun one for very long.
5 : smile! You’re on a bike, you’re self sufficient. You don’t need anything from anyone and nobody needs something for you. Is there any place you’d rather be?
The setup that I ultimately went with for my first bike camping trip.
The Tailfin Speedpack (10L) was really only big enough to stuff my sleeping bag inside and a pair of flip-flops on the outside. I regret a bit not getting the larger CargoPack (18L).
On the non-drive side of the Tailfin Journey rack, I had mounted a 10L Tailfin Fork pack. I had most of the tent (tent poles, being too long, were in the half frame bag) in it, in addition to an inflatable sleeping pad, a pillow, and a puffy jacket.
On the drive side of the Journey rack, I mounted a large Tailfin Cargo cage. I didn’t get two Tailfin Fork packs because I wanted the flexibility to strap something that may not fit inside the Fork pack. On the Cargo cage, I used a couple of Voile straps (with Voile strap extenders) to tie down an old Ortlieb roll-top backpack. I removed the shoulder straps from the Ortlieb bag and in it, I stored some toiletries, extra clothing, and some snacks and a pack of dehydrated meal (Backpacker’s Pantry mango sticky rice. Don’t get this, it does not taste anywhere close to sticky rice). The private campsite had outdoor kitchen facility so I did not bring any cooking or dining utensils. I probably would not have used my Ortlieb backpack had the majority of the roads getting to the campsite been unpaved.
I attached a bottle cage on the cage bosses on the underside of the down tube but didn’t get to use it.
In the half frame bag, I had the tent poles, a power bank, a USB-C cable, a rain jacket, and an Outer Shell magic musette. I wrapped pieces of 3M protective film on the bike frame to protect it from the velcro straps of the frame bag.
