Cycling from france to italy

Cupatae

So, im not really a cyclist have little to no experience long distance cycling, but have a route planned, for early next year thru france, switzerland, austria and finishing in italy, pretty much similar to the euro long distance trail E5 except on roads.

So im pretty much just looking for any advice, on equipment and stuff and just general tips from more experienced cyclists.. as it stands we ve no timeline on it and are just gonna aim to cycle 20-30 miles a day aiming to go from town to town when possible, and camping.

Any suggestions on bikes? would 1k get a good one? or is it over kill?

roadster5

have a look at the bikepacking / touring pages in facebook and post there - you will get lots of info from european and international cyclists on cycling around europe

brocbrocach

crazyguyonabike.com is a good hub for touring blogs. Also have a (slightly weird) forum where routes, resources, equipment etc get discussed.

I don't really know anything about your route but I imagine it's going to involve a lot of climbing, involving the Alps n all. If you're bringing a tent and other heavyish equipment you could find the cycling tough if you haven't trained for it. It's worth starting doing a few extra miles per week at this stage, no matter what bike, as the summer evenings really give you the opportunity to do consecutive days which you might not get in the winter.

Carawaystick

Tom Allen has good stuff on cycle touring also
tomsbiketrip.com