What is a Micro-Tour?
- nocellajoe
- Nov 12
- 5 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
I've led over 175 trips since 2014, and I really wanted to challenge myself to see if I can truly describer what a Micro-Tour is. I guess the elevator pitch would be it's a short (2 or 3 day) self-supported bike camping trip where no one gets left behind.
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See what others have to say about our Tours on our Testimonials Page.
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Here's what it's not about:
"It's not about you gear, not about your bike, and not about your fitness level".
Also, forget about the weather, how long the ride is, or how hilly it is. Most of the times, I have no idea what kind of bike most people are riding.
I always tell folks that the above statement falls under the category of "It's easy for me to say", but after observing thousands of people on hundreds of trips, I do believe it is about 2 things:
You wanting to do it
The people you'll be doing it with
Check out our Testimonials. There is not much mentioning of bikes of gear, but a ton of reflection on the people and community.
Self-Supported?
So, let's talk about what "self-supported" means. In some bike touring circles, this type of adventure is called "unsupported",but I feel the term "self-supported" is more constructive and supportive. Self-Supported describes an event where the rider carries all that they need to survive and exist (tent, sleeping bag, food etc.).
On the other end of the spectrum are tours that are "Supported" (and very popular) where your gear might be shuttled from stop to stop, hotels and restaurants are probably involved, and there is a "SAG Wagon" (support van/vehicle). There are lots of hybrid options between Self-Supported and Supported Tours.
The reason we exist in the Self-Supported end of the spectrum is purely a function of how I got exposed to the lifestyle in 2013 or so. I had employees in the shop who would escape on little mini-adventures on their days off, and eventually I was invited along. Pretty soon thereafter, customers stated asking if THEY could come along. We used to joke that we were bikepacking before "bikepacking" was a term.
What this all means is that you have to make decisions about what gear you are bringing and how you are attaching it to your bike. For someone who is new to it all, this can be daunting. Understanding this pressure point, we provide a lot of support in this area mainly through the WhatsApp Group that is created for each trip. Having people with some experience along with newcomers in this forum has proven to be a great support mechanism. We also host a series of free "Bikepacking 101" classes (mostly in the off season), that can serve as a great starting point.
Community
The part of this that cannot be understated is the community that has grown around these trips over the last decade plus.
These trips are a welcoming and inclusive environment, where aggression and arrogance have no place. This is what I strive for on these trips. These trips bring out the diversity that New York City is built on. the inter-generational component is also fascinating, as we have riders that range from in theior 20's to their 70's.
No one is born with the information on how to do these trips in their heard, so I consider this all a teaching/learning environment....and very beginner friendly above all else. There is nothing lamer that being a newcomer to a community where everyone seems to already know each other and has no time for people who are new.
These trips have fostered new friendships, new ride groups and even a marriage!
We have people who go on the same trip over and over again, as its the community that makes each trip so special and unique.
Type of Bike?
Ok, so now I will touch on the bike part of this all. I have seen SO MANY types of bikes make this happen (fixies, single speeds, cargo bikes, e-bikes, recumbents, folding bikes, tall bikes, old 3-speeds bikes, mountain bikes, BMX bikes, department store bikes, carbon racing bikes, etc). Ultimately, it generally comes down to the following:
It's your bike: What I mean by this is that your bike is so familiar to you, and you will feel most comfortable on a bike you have a lot of experience with
Gear Mounting: You do need a way to attach gear to the bike. In most cases, this is the ability to mount some sort of front or rear rack on the bike. This isn't a dealbreaker, however.
Gears: Generally accepted bike "wisdom" is that one would have an easier time with gearing that allowed for easier hill climbing. Again, this isn't a deal breaker as people have done these trips on all kinds of set-ups.
And, that's kind of it about bikes. The biggest qualifier (in my opinion) is that it is something you are familiar and confrontive with.
Gear
The gear required is also a big hurdle for someone who is new to it all.
Bike Bags to put gear in
Tent
Sleeping Bag and Pad
Clothes
Cooking Supplies (for newcomers, I often suggest just forgetting cooking supplies as you can get items from markets along the way to eat or put over the fire at camp. This is what I basically do. Getting rid of the cooking side as a beginner can alleviate some of the stress).
Bike Tools (Tube, pump, multi-tool)
Personal Care/Hygiene stuff (toothbrush, sunscreen, etc)
Buying these things new can get expensive, so here are some tips:
Borrow or Buy Used: NYC is filled with people who have small apartments and no longer need their camping gear (this is what Facebook Marketplace is all about)
In addition, there are some community resources that can be tapped into:
Our Discord Server (NYC Cycling), check the Gear Buy-Sell-Trade-Donate Channel
Check out our Blog Post on Affordable Gear to Get Started With
Online Sales: REI is know to have great sales
If you are going to buy new gear, I would gently steer you away from items that are too good/cheap to be true on Amazon. That $50 tent will be a miserable experience and will not have you excited about hitting the trail again.
Again, the WhatsApp group for your particular trip (and our WhatsApp Community in general) is a great place to borrow things. It happens on just about every trip.
Also, because this is a collaborative group environment, you have a safety net in terms of forgetting something at home. If you forget bug spray, 20 people will let you use theirs.
Conclusion
I know this is a long answer with a lot of words to answer a simple question (What is a Micro-Tour?). Just know that if you want to do it, we will make it happen.
Beginner Friendly? Oh, Heck Yeah!
We have beginners join us on every Micro-Tour. I define a "beginner" as someone who might bike or camp a lot, but hasn't put the 2 together in a sustained way. This is how we all start off, by the way!
In terms of the physical part, I think of being able to ride 45-60 miles a day at 10mph as a benchmark. We stop every 8-10 miles, and have sweep riders who make sure no one gets left behind.
Note:Ā For better or worse, I do not use AI to create my posts. This is all me, with my misspelling, poor grammar and tangential thoughts. I didn't get into this line of work to hand over my thoughts, expertise and experience to AI to spit out blog posts.
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