1. I have panniers and wouldn't have it any ohter way. A trailer seems like a hassle to me. My only argument is agut feeling, though :)
2. I recently went on my first bike tip and averaed 60-80 kms a day in high temperatures (Cuba). More should easily be possible: I had too much luggage and a health problem that slowed me down.
3. Foods I brought and would
bring again: muesli, protein powder (lighter than bars for the same calories),muesli bars, couscous (it works with dold water, too). I longed for driedfruits, and wished I had cookies, too, If I had cooking equipment, Id also bring small pasta (it cooks faster than big varieties)
small lentils and/or rice, instant soup.

Hi Chadwick.

1. Panniers vs Trailer is an open "religious" question, so often not a good one to ask. I've used both, they're both great. You'll find all the arguments you could ever hope to find on the web. The way to avoid theft has nothing to do with either. It's to keep control of your equipment all the time, never leave it unattended.

2. Miles per day: Bike touring is about touring, not about the bike. So go at whatever speed you go and hope it works out. I'm sure you can figure something out. If you wanted to get there in a hurry you would have flown. Beginners often ride between 20 and 50 miles a day, but if you're having a good time and doing what you set out to do, that's far more important than any mileage number.

3. Vegans do it successfully, even in Latin America, but it baffles me how. I'll leave this one for somebody else.

-Randy

Hi Chadwick,

I had a British couple as guests who are both vegans and are on a tour to South Africa that will last three and a half years max.

They have a device that can make a sort of raw noodles out of any greens, amazing.

You can contact them here: http://www.warmshowers.org/users/squidgy

I wish you all good luck. Go for some BOB Yaks or the BOB Metropolitan, they are single wheel trailers. It should be possible to lock the Metropolitan as it has a sturdy Rubbermaid box which we also used as a sort of table when we camped out.

Jörg.

1. I ride a trike so I use a Burley Cargo trailer. The trailer has two wheels so it works quite well. I keep an eye on the trailer at all times. If I happen to spend a night in a motel, I bring it inside the room. When I camp, it is always beside the tent.
2. Last year I did a 2500 mile trip and averaged 50 miles/day including rest days. I have found it is really best to have real rest day at least every seven days. My longest day ride was 110 miles. I try to time rest days at places of historical interest.
3. I am vegetarian but not a vegan. I eat lots of pasta and veggies that I can find fresh. I have found using chicken bullion with pasta works great. Also fresh fruit is now found in almost every large grocery store. Buy enough for two days.
4. I have ridden for Livestrong...Armstrong foundation. (Raised 100,000 last year. They take the contributions direct and can handle credit cards or checks. Also you should journal your trip on something like Crazyguyonabike.com
5. This year I will be riding 5000 miles and raising money for Farrah Fawcett Foundation. I only donate to adult stem cell research.
Have a great time and do not sweat the small stuff. ON the days you feel crappy, just get on the bike and ride.
tom

1 - Up to you... quick tip for security, just make sure your bags cannot be easily separated from the bikes. We have nice orlieb panniers, but they are too easy to steal. To make it more difficult, we add a carabiner. This ensures that if anyone tried to do a snatch and run, they'd get caught up in the carabiner.

2 - If you really want to stop and see things, I'd recommend counting on about 30 miles per day. Speed will vary completely on what there is to stop and see / film along the way.

3 - Lots of options, but definitely bring gear to cook for yourselves. We always carry olive oil and a lemon. That makes an easy rice or pasta sauce or salad dressing - add veggies and a can of chickpeas or kidney beans and you are an instant healthy meal. On any tour of more than 1-2 weeks, you want to avoid bars and gels, as these are designed to give you immediate energy at a later cost. When you tour day after day, your body never gets that recharge break. You need to eat lots of REAL food. The old adage is true, if your grandma wouldn't recognize it as food, then it ain't food! Bagels are great cause they don't crush - peanut butter / almond butter / etc. A bagel with peanut butter will provide better energy than a "bar".

Good luck!

Cheers,
Becky

http://goingeast.ca

1. Depends on whether or not you already have a bicycle. If you plan to use a light weight road bike, then use a bob trailer. If you have a heavier bike, such as a hybrid touring bike with 1 1/4" wheels, then go for panniers. They are more stable, and you won't have the drag of the pannier wheel. Use 4 panniers, two front and back each side. Don't buy the traditional black fabric kind, as they WILL leak! Go for the plasticised type, such as the yellow Axion series. Also get one of those cylindrical kayak waterproof bags for your bedroll, and tie this to the top of your rear pannier frame. See my typical arrangement here : http://www.bicycletrek.org/2008/05/. Put all your expensive gear in one pannier with your money and ID, and carry this whenever you leave the bike, and in the tent with you overnight. Always lock your bikes to something fixed when you leave them. In cities you will need to find a safe place - don't leave them locked to a lamp standard downtown!

2. Beginners or not, just start out slowly, and the more you ride, the fitter you become. My bike plus all the gear weighed 110 lbs, and apart from mountains, I could easily do 100 miles per day, and sometimes up to 120 miles - and I am 68 years old. Go to sleep early, and get out of your tents at dawn! Maximize the time spent in the saddle.

3. Food - I started out cooking, but found this required a lot of time riding around towns trying to buy food, and then you are committed to finding a campsite for water. Gave that up, and now camp free or next to all night truck stops (showers cheap and food available 24 hours) The money saved on campsites went towards restaurant meals. As for being vegetarian or vegan, I can't help you!!!

3 1/2. Lots of charities around. I ride for the Lung Association but have to advise that for the last 12 months raising funds has become extremely difficult. I raised about $8,000 on each of my coast to coast rides, but tried to raise the same this year to join the American Lung Association Big Ride from Seattle to Washington DC and that was a complete bust - managed only $200 for almost a year of effort, so didn't make the Big Ride.

go vegan, maybe you can find some answers here:
http://www.organicathlete.org/