People are looking to exotic locations for their next biking tour. Exploring the world from the seat of a bike is one of the last great adventures. From Scotland to Australia, Alaska to Africa, there are many great places to experience heaven on earth - if you are prepared.

You must consider several things before buying a plane ticket and globe trotting with your bike.

Grades

While the grades you'll experience on the journey seem like a minor thing. However, the grade of the hills can be the difference between a fun excursion or a back breaking chore.

A tour guide in Scotland will have a drastically different idea of a 'good' bike trail than someone from a suburban area. A Scottish bike trail may consist of nothing more than a ledge on the edge of a mountain that is relatively clear of debris.

A bike trail in Australia may go 22 miles between water holes. Africa may have hours of trail exposed to the sun with no shaded rest areas.

This makes it important to hit the bike touring websites and take a look at the ratings of each trail. This website is an excellent place to find a good place to go touring: http://hobby.rin.ru/eng/articles/html/183.html

Have you taken workshops on handling hills? Have you practiced? An accident on a hill can have repercussions that last for months, even years. Never assume that the brochure is accurate. Always, prepare for the worst.

Elevation

Elevation is a common concern. Higher elevations have thinner air. Thin air effects endurance, muscles, heart rate, and oxygen absorption. Touring the mountains is no place for a weekend warrior or a desk jockey.

If you have your heart set on touring the mountains, get some physical training from climbers and people who have experience on mountains and high altitudes.

Escape Routes

When you visit websites that promote bike holidays, you'll find tour routes that include escape routes. Face it, no one wants to ruin their holiday because they chose a trail that was too strenuous or dangerous for their tastes.

When planning your own trip, you loose some of the advantages of a professional review of the trip. While it may be fun to blaze trails, experienced cross-country bike enthusiasts should only try planning their own tours.

Lodging

Ten miles between lodging may sound comfortable to most people planning a biking tour. However, experienced cross country tour fans are not taken in by things that appear easy. That ten miles may edge stone fences, cross rivers, past foul smelling breweries, hog farms, or swamps, and over impossible ridges.

Visiting blogs and reading magazines will help you avoid problems when you embark on your own adventure.

The distance between lodging will become very important if the weather turns foul. There is nothing worse than being caught in a freak storm or a heat wave.

Repairs

Some of the out of the way locations lack shops that can fix high-end bikes. Something as simple as a broken lug can ruin an entire trip. It is better to take along some spare parts, even if you toss them in the garbage before the home trip.

Following these simple guidelines can make the difference between an exciting adventure that captivates audiences every time you tell it, or a nightmare that you just want to forget.