Bike touring on your own as a woman

We can't stress this enough: the vast majority of people in the world are actually very nice. People who are genuinely interested in your bike touring trip will go that extra mile to offer a cup of coffee or a space in their home or garden to kip for the night. Other people who aren't naturally curious about bike tourists won't make the effort to come to speak to you, so you're unlikely to encounter them. And if you end up door-knocking to beg a bit of water to refill your bottle or a patch of grass to pitch your tent on for the night, you'll find plenty of good Samaritans who are more than willing to help. All the more so if you're on your own rather than with a buddy, because people tend to assume that two people can look after themselves! 

There are endless accounts of chance encounters in France and beyond where people have lent a helping hand to a cyclist in need, from bringing a morning cup of coffee out to someone pitched up in a field, to making an extra space at the table for an evening meal. Travelling alone restores your faith in humanity!

It's often at night that we're most worried about being attacked. Where can we sleep that will feel safe? Your best bet – especially if you're new to the whole touring thing – is a campsite. You'll find a warm welcome and all the facilities you need for a good night's sleep. We especially recommend local council-run campsites, which are more affordable and popular with families. It's also worth looking out for farm campsites where you'll be pitching up not far from the farmer's own home. It gives them a welcome bit of extra income while giving you the chance to learn more about the area, get in touch with nature, and enjoy some top-notch local food.

Another way to up the ante and be even more adventurous is to bivouac. Bivouacking is when you camp somewhere other than a campsite and don't stay in the same place for more than one night. In France, you can bivvy between 7pm and 9am in areas where it's legal (it's not allowed in places such as national parks and the grounds of listed buildings). The best location is a stretch of path between two fields, or the corner of a field a little hidden from the road but not too far from civilization, just in case. Always remember the countryside code: leave no trace (take all your rubbish with you)! Bivvying is the cheapest option and gets you as close as possible to nature.

And regardless of whether you decide to bivouac or camp, just remember that, when you're inside your tent, nobody outside knows that you're alone or that there isn't a four-time boxing world champion inside... the risk of someone coming in to find out is pretty low!

If you'd rather sleep in a real bed and you don't fancy a youth hostel, then a great alternative is to join the amazing community of bike tourists who offer fellow cyclists a room for the night. It's called WarmShowers. Once you've signed up (there's a one-off fee of $30 for lifetime membership), you can search the map for hosts near to wherever you are and drop them a message asking if you can spend the night. You might also be able to find a bed on a specialist bike touring Facebook group, such as "Héberge un cyclo voyageur" in France. These networks are a great place to share advice, chat with like-minded people about your bike touring experiences, and travel the world vicariously through other people's adventures.

Keeping your bike and bags safe is another concern when travelling solo! Nowadays, there are various lightweight options to stop your bike getting nicked (e.g. a titanium lock or, so you don't have to splash out quite so much, a bog-standard padlock). If you're doing very quick stops – when you spot a cake in a bakery window and just have to nip in and treat yourself – simply clipping your helmet onto your bike's wheel will make stealing it so much harder. As for your belongings, the best thing is to bring all your most valuable and useful items (wallet, electronic devices, etc.) into your tent with you overnight.

That said, if you're somewhere particularly rural, don't be tempted to put your food in your tent or you could end up with an uninvited furry friend joining you for a midnight snack! One way to discourage creatures great and small from paying you a nocturnal visit is to put all your food in a sealed bag and tie it high up – on a branch, for example – a few metres from your camp.

If you're still feeling unsure, here are a few other hints and tricks that might just tip the balance and get you out on your first solo bike tour. First things first: before planning a long trip, go on a weekend-long practice run near home. This is a great chance to try out all your kit, experiment with packing all your bags (it's worth reading this article for some handy hints!), and get a sense of whether solo touring is for you, all in a familiar environment.

For extra reassurance, you could also send one or two friends a map of your planned route and where you're intending to stop each night. If you have a choice of places to sleep, prioritise ones where there are other women as this will increase your sense of safety and self-confidence.

And if you're venturing abroad, make sure to brush up on advice by reading blogs by other solo female bike tourists before you go. They're bursting with helpful ideas on safety precautions (wearing a wedding ring is a frequent recommendation), where to go, and where to avoid. And don't forget the number 1 principle from this article: most of the people you come across will be really nice!