Traveling to another country with a different climate and culture can
create some uncertainty as to how to prepare. This feeling can be compounded
since we are preparing for 2 weeks of travel and training.
Here are some helpful guidelines, tips and suggestions.
Travel Requirements:
Passport
Airline Tickets
$100 US Currency to Purchase Visa
Casual Clothing: After riding 4 - 8 hours each day, there is a considerable amount
of time to just hang out and relax. We stroll around town during the early
afternoon and often eat dinner near the ocean in the evening. Everything
is very casual, but you will need to plan for cool early mornings and
late evenings.
2 Pairs of jeans
3-4 T-Shirts
3-4 Pairs of socks and underwear*
Sneakers and/or comfortable walking shoes
Light Jacket
Medium weight sweat shirt or fleece.top
Baseball cap for the sun (or to hide helmet-head)
Light-weight liner gloves
Casual short
Swim trunks
Sunglasses
*Turkey is a textile country. You will find some great quality clothing
and very affordable prices so why not buy some stuff you always need.
Some of us only bring 1 or 2 pairs of socks and underwear and then buy
what we need when we get to Turkey.
Cycling Clothing: The temperatures will range from mid 60's to mid 70's. It is
recommended that you ride with your arm or leg warmers in your pocket
since it is common for the temperatures to drop at higher altitudes (when
we are climbing and descending). It is usually very sunny, so even if
you start the day wearing arm or leg warmers, you will most-likely shed
them 30-40 minutes into the ride.
3-4 Kits (jersey and shorts)
3-4 Cycling socks
Helmet
Cycling shoes
1 Long-sleeve jersey
Arm warmers
Leg warmers
Knee warmers
Wind (or light-weight) booties
1-2 Cycling caps
Wind jacket
Rain jacket
Cycling Gloves
Long-Finger Gloves
Sunglasses
Cycling Gear:
Bike (just trying to be thorough)
Pedals
Saddle bag (or method of carrying extra tubes and personal identification)
2-3 Water bottles
Pump
1-2 Extra tubes (we will have a good supply)
Patch kit
Tire levers
TOOLS: We have a full set of tools and a fair amount
of spare parts. Avoid bringing very specialized / customized bkes and/or
components since you will most-likely not be able to find parts or a
replacement in Turkey.
Cycling Food and Miscellaneous Stuff: We will have most of what you need, however if you has specific
requirements, you should plan accordingly.
Powerbars or the like
Power Gels, GU packets or the like
Powder sports drink (we will supply either Cytomax or Extran)
Massage and Sports creams
Sunscreen
Chamois (saddle) cream (you don't want to forget this)
Heart Rate Monitor and Transmitter
Altitude Monitor
Packing: You should be able to fit everthing you need for the trip in
either your bicycle carry case and 1 carry-on bag. Here are some suggestions:
Pack all clothing in "bowling ball" size plactic bags and
stuff them in the frame of your bike. This is a great way to eliminate
carrying extra luggage and provides additional protection for your bike.
Make sure items such as your saddle, bike computer and food items are
wrapped in plastic. There is a chance luggage can get wet if we are
flying through rain.
220 Volts - Power adapters for your electronic devices.
You may only need the plug adaptor since most newer devices can deal
with 110 to 220 conversion. It should specify this directly on the plug
or unit.
Packing your Carry-On (Strong Recommendations): It is a long flight each way. One needs to plan for comfort
and the unexpected.
Toiletries
1 Pair of socks and underwear
Breath mints
Magazine (CycleSport or VeloNews of course)
iPod or CD Player
Cell Phone
Camera
Laptop
Airline Tickets
Passport
Travel Tips
Security Checkpoints and Endless X-Ray Machines
Since September 11th, airport security has increase 10-fold. Since you
will be going through a number of security checkpoints, avoid carrying
anything in your pockets or on your body proper. Keep EVERYTHING in
your carry-on. This makes going through these checkpoints much easier.
All you will need to do us place your carry-on on the x-ray machine
(with your shoes) and walk through.
Avoid the following:
Clothing with metal zippers
Shoes with a metal buckle or eylets
Belts with a metal buckle
Loose chain in your pants pockets
Pocket Knives or Multi-tools (you will not get them back)
NOTE: if you really need to bring an item and you
think it may be questionable, pack it in your bike carrier.
DO NOT LOCK YOUR LUGGAGE or BIKE CARRIER
Security will need to check inside your bags. If you lock your bags
they will cut your lock.
Travel in Comfortable Clothing
We spend the better part of a day traveling on both ends of the trip.
Dress comfortably. We recommend wearing jeans, comfortable shoes or
sneakers, a light shirt and a sweat-shirt or fleece. We will need to
transfer between planes and spend time in airports. The temperatures
can be unpredictable and will vary.
Snack and Food Money
Bring a long some cash (in addition to what is required for your Visa)
to buy snacks and food along the way.
Don't forget those Loved-Ones and Friends Back Home
Bring some cash or a credit card to purchase some gifts to bring home
to those who have suffered in your absence. There are many places to
purchase gifts in Turkey, plus we often spend time in Zurich (good chocolate)
and London between flights.
