4. Services and supplies

Next, think about what supplies and services you’ll need and where they can be had on your route. Make sure there are places to stay (or camp, if you’re into that) at reasonable intervals, and places to fill up on food and water.

Being able to cover a lot of ground in a day is one of the great attractions of bike travel, but there are stretches of rural California with no services for 50 to 100 miles. For instance, a trip my wife and I took last summer featured a 55-mile stretch in rural Siskiyou County where there were no supplies. For small towns that have only one restaurant or general store, call ahead to confirm they’ll be open when you’re passing through. Churches, fire stations and schools sometimes have water spigots outside in the absence of businesses. All these considerations mean you’ll likely end up tweaking your route as you plan the trip: Keep refining it until everything lines up.

5. Must-have gear

We won’t bore you with our full packing list, but here are some things we only started bringing after learning the hard way:

Pocket knife: Use this to slice food and pick bits of glass out of your tires.

Duct tape and zip ties: For fixing minor issues, like holes in your travel bags or loose water bottle cages.

Extra plastic bags: For holding laundry or snacks. If you get caught in a rainstorm, put them between your socks and shoes for some instant waterproofing.

First-aid kit: Because of course.

Paper route maps protected in Ziploc bags: Don’t rely on GPS or phone service in remote areas.

Warm layers: Even in summer you’ll need something to keep warm. Bring lightweight, synthetic fabrics, not cotton sweatshirts.

Bicycle multi-tool: This is the rider’s Swiss army knife. It has hex wrenches, screwdrivers and chain tools.

Inevitably, there will be some item you forget, some route detail that doesn’t work out as planned. A good plan will set you out right, but an openness to what the ride throws at you is just as important as anything listed here.