“You cannot embrace the immensity,” wrote the Russian classic. These words become more relevant than ever when we go on vacation and plan our route. How I want to see everything. And especially if you went to Europe and got a Schengen visa for a certain period with a single entry. Once in this or that tourist city, we happen to see tourists who rush about like crazy, with a map and a guide in their hands, putting “checkmarks” in them opposite the sights they have visited. But the average speed of a pedestrian is still four kilometers per hour. You can, of course, strain up and go on a trot and even a half-hitch, developing a speed of up to 7 km per hour, but what do you have in mind? By evening, you will feel like a driven horse at the hippodrome, and there will only be a “tick” in the guidebook in the history.
You can give yourself acceleration by taking a two-wheeled friend as an assistant, because the average speed of a cyclist is much greater than the speed of a pedestrian - 25-30 kilometers per hour. These figures are given taking into account the fact that you are driving on a level road with a smooth surface, without luggage, without intense traffic, you are young and healthy. If one of these conditions falls, the speed immediately drops to 15 kilometers per hour. Therefore, if you are going on a bike trip, it is best to proceed in your calculations from the last digit.
If you are an inexperienced rider, a one-day bike ride in nature is suitable as a test of strength. Choose for her a populated area where the distances between the points where people live (which, in which case, can help you) would not be more than a couple of kilometers. Do not be zealous by pressing the pedals: let your average speed be 10-15 kilometers - until the evening you still have time to go home. After the first attempt, you can make a brave outing somewhere in the vicinity (to a lake or a river, to the nearest interesting town), taking with you a small baggage. It can be a backpack or saddle bag, fishing rod or basket. Try to ride on the dirt road, choose hilly terrain for your path. Track your travel time, and check the mileage on the map to see how fast you drove on average.
Having made such tests and strengthening your pedaling skills, you can already seriously dream of multi-day cycling routes. It’s best to choose a country for such a tour, where people moving on two-wheeled vehicles are treated with respect. In Vietnam, for example, there are much more cyclists than car drivers, so all street traffic is adapted "for them." But steering in the crowd is extremely difficult, and the average bike speed there will be no more than 10 km per hour. However, there are countries where the decision of a person to leave the car and switch to the ecological mode of transport - a bicycle, causes the delight of the government. In the USA, Canada and European countries, special bicycle paths are equipped, which (unlike our sad realities) are not allowed to be used by other road users. Even pedestrians are not allowed to enter them. The only obstacle in your path may be other cyclists. Eat yourself and go!
In many European cities, in addition to tracks, authorities offer to rent bicycles. Having a credit card, you can take a two-wheeled vehicle at the terminal, drive it wherever you need and leave it at a completely different terminal. Go to the museum, take a walk ... Then take a bicycle from the third terminal to leave it on the fourth. It’s very convenient: you don’t need to worry that your bicycle can be stolen, you don’t need to spend money on public transport, and the average speed of a bicycle cyclist increases compared to the speed of a pedestrian.
If cycling is your passion, you can go on a real journey with your trusted iron friend. Many travel agencies offer a variety of bike tours in Europe. The average speed of a participant in such a trip is the most sparing: about 15-20 km per hour. On the way, a guide on a bicycle shows you interesting places, your luggage follows you in a car, and in the evening a hotel with a pool awaits everyone, where you can take off your tired legs.