My Bootstrapped Bicycle Touring Philosophy To Travel Slowly And Enjoy More
How To Cycle The World On $10 A Day Or Less – is it even still possible? A decade of on the road budget bike travel from journeys around the world says that yes, long distance bicycle travel is still the best way to make your money go further!
Want to quench your thirst for adventure without breaking the bank? Look no further than bootstrapped bicycle touring! With just $10 a day, you can pedal your way through diverse landscapes, experience vibrant cultures, and create lifelong memories.
Embarking on a budget-friendly cycling journey around the world might sound daunting at first. However, it’s important to remember that adventure often lies beyond our comfort zones. By embracing simplicity and resourcefulness, you’ll discover countless hidden gems that money can’t buy.
Resource: My Complete Cycle Touring Kit List for Epic RTW Adventures
How Not To Cycle Around The World For Free
I once heard about an attempt to cycle across South America on no money – relying solely on the hospitality of locals – this is anathema to the budget bike travel philosophy. It is imperative that you are self-sufficient and add value as you move through the world.
While it is highly likely that you’ll be greeted with warm smiles and generous hospitality, winging the whole trip on handouts is not the purpose of this article. Accept invitations graciously and reciprocate where possible. Generally speaking, if you’re reading this and planning an RTW bike trip, you are privileged indeed.
Travelogue: Vietnam to the UK with a Bicycle
Bootstrapped Bike Travel For A Round-The-World Adventure
Imagine waking up in a quaint countryside village surrounded by picturesque fields and eager locals. As you hop onto your trusty two-wheeler each morning, every revolution of the pedals becomes an opportunity for discovery – from stunning coastlines to breathtaking mountain passes or bustling city streets teeming with life.
Meeting fellow adventurers along the way is inevitable when cycling the world on a shoestring budget. Shared stories around campfires or impromptu encounters during roadside picnics will open doors into worlds far different from our own. These connections may lead to unforgettable collaborations or newfound friendships across borders – reminding us of the unifying power of human connection.
Resource: Is A Steel Touring Bicycle The Best Choice For A RTW Bike Trip?
How To Travel The World By Bike for $10 A Day And Enjoy It
Here are 10 bullet points on how to cycle the world on a shoestring budget. I draw inspiration from the budget bike travel philosophy I’ve established over the years and attempt to convey in my writings on ReallyBigBikeRide.com.
My multi-month bicycle tours were budgeted at $10 a day. This is the dollar amount spent largely on food and very occasional accommodation. I purchased all my bicycle touring kit out of savings when I first committed to bike travel to see the world. At the time, I was employed on a salary and collected the kit over the course of five years or so. That investment enabled my first multi-month bike tour around Europe – a charity bike ride to 20 Countries in 100 Days.
Resource: Cycle Touring Panniers and Bike Bags for RTW Adventures
Bootstrapped Bicycle Touring Checklist:
Opt for Second-hand or Affordable Bikes
Choose a durable, cost-effective bike for long tours. I started by borrowing a bike before I road-tested a second-hand Dawes Galaxy. Eventually, once I was happy with the setup, I purchased a new bike based on my requirements. At this point, I had already covered many thousands of kilometres on multiple long-distance bike tours. It’s possible to travel the world on a cheap second-hand bike.
Resource: Is A Brooks Leather Saddle The Best For RTW Bike Travel?
DIY Bike Repairs and Maintenance
Learn basic bike maintenance skills to avoid costly repairs. Perhaps the key determining factor in choosing a bicycle is the ability to mend it. I once asked my friend, Peter, about his London to China ride, and he suggested that had he known how to repair and maintain a motorcycle, he may have done that instead. I can repair almost every mechanical aspect of a bicycle when needed.
That said, I’m quite laissez-faire when it comes to maintenance. I once washed my London commuter fixed gear bike and discovered that the flex in the frame I thought was normal was in fact, a snapped frame. I recommend these videos as a starting point, and then figure out how to do stuff on our actual bike by getting your hands dirty.
Resource: My Favourite Apps For Bike Travel And RTW Adventures
Wild Camping For Long Term Bike Travel
Find free camping spots to save on accommodation costs. This is the single most important money-saving, budget-friendly thing you can do to travel the world for longer. The art of finding a wild camp is part skill and part preference. It is possible and easy in most places, and once you’re in the habit, it becomes second nature. I expand on the principles of wild camping in this article.
Resource: Is the MSR WhisperLite Multifuel the Best Bike Touring Stove?
Prepare Your Own Meals
Purchase local ingredients and prepare your own food to reduce expenses. Since food is your fuel, cooking for yourself and maximising your thrift makes financial sense. However, I go a step further these days; I tend to carry only dry foods and ready-to-eat snacks – the whole cooking and cleaning thing is a bit annoying and unnecessary. I eat fresh fruits when I can and dry fruits on the road. Roadside meals are affordable and widely available in many parts of the world. Sometimes, I take an extra portion if needed later that day.
Resource: Camp Cooking Tips For Long-Distance Bicycle Touring
Unless you’re on an extreme bike expedition, which some folks will be, it’s likely you’ll sustain yourself in the immediate surroundings. Foraged, gifted and found in the forest, grocery shops or friendly locals. Letting go of the idea of cooking is a wild liberation. Give it some thought, Doc!
Use Free Navigation Tools
Rely on free apps and maps for route planning and navigation. On my most recent long-distance bicycle trip, I navigated either with the Ocean to my right or the sun to the West. In some countries, though, you will inevitably require a map. Parts of Europe are rich with cycle paths and dedicated routes, so its prudent to have a vague notion of where you intend to arrive. I like Komoot and have used Strava. Maps.me is handy, as is the offline function of Google Maps. Free paper maps at tourist information centres are also useful, especially for quiet routes and immediate tips for the local area.
Resource: Paper Maps vs Apps: How Cyclists Really Navigate the World
Travel Slowly
Reduce transportation costs by cycling more and taking fewer aeroplanes. I still love trains. They are a great way to get around and are far less polluting than planes. I’m a huge fan of sailing by ferry, too. The crossing from Aktau to Baku across the Caspian Sea was surreal and sublime. The bits in between are where the magic happens. There’s no hurry with a bicycle tour, so take your time, stretch out and wait. Enjoy the trip!
Avoid Tourist Traps
Stay clear of expensive tourist areas; seek out local, less-expensive options. And if you do choose to visit the major attractions, do it by bike! I visited Angkor Wat on my bike with a packed lunch. I met a fellow RTW cyclist and we shared a feast at Ta Prohm (also known as the Tomb Raider temple). A bicycle really is your Access All Areas pass to an immersed and enriching experience anywhere in the world. This is an attitude to foster in real life ahead of your bike trip – think about it, where else in your life can you enjoy the experience more by being self-sufficient?
Resource: Fool In The Rain: My Waterproof Cycling Gear Review
Carry a Water Purifier
Save money on bottled water and ensure safe drinking water. This is as much an environmental consideration as it is a money-saving tactic. Single-use plastic sucks. I carried a Sawyer water filter. It was cheap, lightweight and easy to use. The pump is good for something like 50,000 litres, so you’re good for longer-range expeditions. A water filter also means you can use alternative sources with a degree of confidence, such as tap water and high-altitude rivers.
Resource: Is This The Best Filter Water Bottle For Bike Travel?
Earn Money on the Road
Consider remote or freelance work opportunities. This is something that I came to later in my long-distance solo bike travel career. The Hippie Trail by Bike was undertaken for the joy of the ride. I’d saved enough to enjoy the journey for its own sake without the thought of paid employment. Later, once I’d become more fully involved in the digital nomad lifestyle, did I return to the possibility of using my skills as a free lance.
Resource: Camping Mat vs Air Mattress: How to Choose the Best Sleeping Pad for Bike Travel
Embrace Local Experiences
Engage in cultural exchanges or volunteering for accommodation or meals. If that’s your jam, there are many opportunities for Wwoofing and house-sitting worldwide. These interactions provide the potential to meader slowly and dive deeply into the culture and customs of places more intimately. Perfect for those seeking a longer-range, more permanent travel lifestyle.
These ten principles point the way to beginning a budget-conscious world cycle adventure based on my experiences and insights over the last ten years.
Resource: My Bike Travel Tech Stack: Useful Gadgets for Travelling the World on Two Wheels
Beyond Bootstrapped Bicycle Touring
Bootstrapped bicycle touring requires flexibility and adaptability but rewards those who embrace spontaneity wholeheartedly. This isn’t just about making your travel money go further; it’s about challenging yourself physically and mentally while immersing yourself in all facets of this beautiful planet we call home.
I found so many gifts on the road. Cycling itself is a meditation. I wrote about it on TomsBikeTrip in 2017 (it’s become a very popular practice since then). I discovered a sense of deep inner peace and contentment. That’s free and available to us all. It helped that I attended a Vipassana meditation in India.
Resource: My Ultimate Guide to Bicycle Touring: How I Plan, Ride & Thrive on Two Wheels
The tools and techniques for budget bike travel are helpful to get you from A to B. But beyond the low-cost long-distance bike trip, there is a mindset that supports an even greater fulfilment. Self-sufficiency and mental preparedness are life skills that transcend the pressures of consumer society. Awareness and acceptance of how things act are superpowers in these heady days of instant gratification and social media nonsense.
Embrace Your Inner Nomadic Monk
The road holds many lessons and bestows great gifts for those with the mind to receive them. Nature shares freely of it’s bounty and blesses us daily with the means of survival. Jump into your next adventure with an appetite for growth and you’ll benefit ten-fold. It’s all part of the process of self-discovery and begins with a simple plan to travel lightly in the world.
FAQs How To Cycle The World On A Budget
What does “cycling the world on $10 a day” actually mean?
It is an average, not a daily rule carved in stone. Some days you spend nothing. Some days you blow $30 on a visa, ferry or a bed when you are wrecked. Over a year, it balances out.
For me, $10 a day covers the bare bones. Food, occasional campsite or guesthouse, phone data, small repairs. Big one-off costs like flights, insurance and visas sit outside that daily number. The philosophy is simple: live light, spend late, travel long.
Resource: Why A Thermarest Is The Best Sleeping Pad For Bike Touring
Is it still realistic to travel on $10 a day with today’s prices?
Short answer: yes, in many parts of the world. Longer answer: it depends where you ride and how committed you are to a low-cost lifestyle.
Eastern Europe, Central Asia, parts of South America and big chunks of Asia can still be very cheap if you wild camp, cook your own food and avoid expensive cities. Western Europe, North America, Japan and Australia will push your average up, so you ride through them faster or work there to refill the kitty. The point is not to hit $10 exactly. The point is to keep your daily burn rate low enough that the journey can continue.
Resource: Bicycle Touring Tips, Bike Life And Travel Advice From A Decade On The Road
How do you keep accommodation costs close to zero?
Three words: tent, tarp, tolerance.
My main tactics:
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Wild camping: Quiet woods, riverbanks, edges of fields, abandoned buildings. Leave no trace.
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Stealth spots: Behind churches, sports grounds, industrial estates, picnic areas, lay-bys.
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Invites and hospitality: Friends of friends, Couchsurfing, Warmshowers, people you meet in cafés and at petrol stations.
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Occasional paid nights: Cheap guesthouses or hostels in big cities so you can wash, work and reset.
Most nights I sleep for free. The trick is to roll into camp late, leave early, and respect the land and locals.
Resource: A Beginners Guide To Bicycle Touring: How To Prepare For Your First Bike Trip
What do you actually eat on $10 a day?
A lot of shop-bought basics and a few small daily treats. Typical day:
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Breakfast: bread, peanut butter, bananas, tea or coffee.
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Lunch: bread, cheese, tomatoes, boiled eggs, leftover pasta or rice.
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Dinner: big one-pot meal. Pasta, rice or noodles with vegetables, lentils, beans, a bit of meat if affordable.
I buy like a local. Street food over restaurants. Markets over supermarkets. Tap water with a filter over bottled water. When people invite me for dinner, I say yes and do my best to contribute with stories, washing up or a bottle of something.
Resource: Is The Rab Neutrino 200 The Best Down Sleeping Bag For Bikepacking and Cycle Touring?
Do I need expensive gear to ride around the world?
No. You need gear that is simple, durable and fixable.
If money is tight, spend it here:
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Bike: steel touring or solid MTB/hybrid you can repair anywhere.
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Racks and bags: strong rack, waterproof bags or decent second-hand panniers.
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Sleep system: good sleeping bag and mat. You will use them more than any hotel bed.
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Shelter: a reliable tent or bivvy/tarp that keeps you dry.
Everything else is negotiable. Cheap clothes, second-hand stove, basic tools. High-end gadgets are nice, but not essential to move your legs and watch the world change one pedal stroke at a time.
How do you handle visas, insurance and other big costs on a tiny budget?
These are trip-shaping costs rather than daily expenses. I treat them as separate “project” items.
My approach:
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Visas: Plan routes that favour longer, cheaper visas. Avoid hopping back and forth across expensive borders.
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Insurance: I buy long-term travel or adventure insurance that covers bike travel. It is one of the few non-negotiables.
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Flights and ferries: I ride overland as much as possible. When I have to fly, I work before or after to fund the jump.
If you try to squeeze these into $10 a day, you will drive yourself mad. Budget them at the planning stage, then keep the road life as lean as possible.
Resource: The Best Bikepacking and Bicycle Touring Tents And How To Choose One
How do you stay connected and still keep costs low?
These days I travel with a basic tech stack. Phone, power bank, simple camera, maybe a small laptop if I am creating content.
To keep it cheap:
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Buy local SIMs or eSIMs with data bundles rather than paying for roaming.
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Use offline maps and download routes on Wi-Fi.
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Charge everything at cafés, petrol stations and campsites.
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Limit streaming and social scrolls when off Wi-Fi.
Tech should serve the trip, not run it. The bootstrapped mindset is still about analogue first, digital when useful.
Resource: Is The Hilleberg Nallo 2 GT The Best Tent In The World?
Is it safe to wild camp and live this cheaply?
There is always risk, but it is manageable. On a long ride, your best protection is your behaviour.
My rules:
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Trust your gut. If a place feels off, move.
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Avoid getting drunk, loud or flashy with gear or money.
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Camp out of sight of roads and houses.
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Be polite and honest if someone finds you and asks what you are doing.
Most people you meet are kind and curious, not dangerous. Human connection is part of the bootstrapped philosophy. You save money, but you also lean into trust, community and shared moments.
Resource: Brooks B17 Saddle – The Best Bicycle Touring Saddle Ever Made?
How much money should I save before I set off?
This depends on your risk tolerance and time frame. For a multi-year trip on a tight budget, I like to have:
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One year of bare-bones costs saved up front.
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Emergency fund for flights, medical issues and family emergencies.
For example, if you aim at $10 a day for daily life plus an extra chunk for visas and flights, you might leave with $7,000 to $10,000 in the bank and a plan to top up on the road. The more flexible you are about work and route, the less you need up front.
Can I work while cycling the world to keep the budget low?
Yes, and it is one of the best ways to stretch your trip. Riders work in all sorts of ways:
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Seasonal jobs. Hostels, farms, bars, ski resorts, campsites.
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Remote work. Writing, design, coding, SEO, teaching online.
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Trade skills. Bike mechanic, carpenter, chef.
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Work exchange. HelpX, Workaway or informal arrangements.
I see work as part of the adventure. You stop, go deep into a place, refill the savings and then roll out again with fresh energy and a fatter wallet.
Resource: Five Cycling Challenges That Steered Me Into Adventure
How do you deal with bike repairs on a tight budget?
Prevention is cheaper than repair. I keep the bike simple and learn the basics.
Minimum skills I recommend:
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Fix punctures and replace tyres.
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Replace brake pads, cables and chain.
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True a wheel enough to limp to a shop.
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Spot cracks, worn parts and loose bolts before they fail.
In many countries, small roadside mechanics are wizards with old steel and simple components. You might not get a perfect job, but you will get rolling again without draining the budget.
Resource: Why I Love My Dawes Galaxy Touring Bike
What about health, hygiene and staying sane when you are living rough?
This is where the “philosophy” bit kicks in. It is not just about money. It is about how you live.
I keep myself functional with:
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Regular rest days. At rivers, lakes, cheap guesthouses or a friendly yard.
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Simple hygiene habits. Baby wipes, river baths, wet flannel, laundromat once in a while.
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Movement and stillness. Stretching, a little yoga, walking, time off the bike.
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Tiny daily joys. Coffee, a good book, a chat with a stranger, a sunset.
Cycling the world on $10 a day is not punishment. It is a deliberate choice to live simply so you can travel longer and pay attention to what matters.
What if I do not hit $10 a day? Have I failed?
Of course not. The number is a guidepost, not a moral score. Some riders will average $5 a day. Others will land closer to $15. Life happens.
What matters is this:
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Are you spending consciously?
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Are you making trade-offs you are happy with?
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Are you able to keep riding without constant money panic?
If you can answer “yes” to those, you are already living the bootstrapped bicycle touring philosophy, whatever your spreadsheet says.
Where can I learn more about your bootstrapped touring approach?
You can read more about how I think about money, simplicity and long-term travel in my core articles on bicycle touring philosophy, bike travel tech and budget-friendly routes on Really Big Bike Ride.
They all come from the same place: ride far, live light, spend just enough, and let the road do the rest.
So why wait? Embrace your inner explorer today and embark on an extraordinary journey where pedal strokes replace dollar bills. Let your intuition and imagination be your guide.
May All Beings Be Happy and Travel Freely!