This poll ran from several months starting in the winter and ending in the early days of spring. The next few paragraphs contain a summary with the more detailed results after that section. 107 responses were received.
If I take the top answer in each category the description of a successful bicycle touring adventure goes like this.
"When departing on a successful bicycle tour you will be wearing shorts and a t-shirt, lots of sunscreen and a pair of running shoes. While traveling you enjoy people asking you questions and when the opportunity presents itself you love to visit with other bicycle tourists. Entering a town for the first time has you searching for nice restaurants and historical attractions that you can visit and explore.
Your prefered place to ride is on quiet farm lanes and even when it rains you can be found riding provided that the temperature is reasonably warm. If possible you ride in areas of flat land with occassional rivers, lakes and rolling hills. When you come to a scenic place you are known for stopping, taking a breath and savouring the view. Your favourite sound while touring is the wind rustling through the trees, birds singing and the sweet sound of your tires humming on the pavement.
The animal you fear the most is the dreaded free roaming dog and you often enjoy a combination of cooking your own meals and eating in restaurants."
Here are the final detailed results:
What makes a tour successful and fun for you?
Pick the most correct answer for each of the questions that follow.
(Final results - As of May 8, 2005)
(107 responses received)
1. When you picture a perfect bicycle touring adventure you are wearing what type of clothing?
| Answer | Percentage | Responses |
|---|---|---|
| Shorts and a t-shirt with gobs of sunscreen for flavour | 69.2 | 74 |
| Lightweight full length sleeved shirts and pants | 23.4 | 25 |
| Jeans and a jacket | 0.9 | 1 |
| Complete cold and foul weather gear | 6.5 | 7 |
2. Your perfect touring footwear is....
| Answer | Percentage | Responses |
|---|---|---|
| Sandals | 38.3 | 41 |
| Running shoes | 43.0 | 46 |
| Ankle high shoes | 12.1 | 13 |
| Boots | 6.5 | 7 |
3. When meeting people on tour you enjoy...
| Answer | Percentage | Responses |
|---|---|---|
| When they come over and ask you questions about your tour | 64.5 | 69 |
| When they tell me stories about the area without asking me questions about my tour | 29.0 | 31 |
| When they leave me alone in my own bubble of silence and serenity | 6.5 | 7 |
4. When you meet other bicycle tourists on the open road you...
| Answer | Percentage | Responses |
|---|---|---|
| Stop and have an impromptu chat wherever you happen to be | 74.8 | 80 |
| Look for them later at your campsite for a fireside discussion | 24.3 | 26 |
| Ignore them and move right along | 0.9 | 1 |
5. When you come to a new town you...
| Answer | Percentage | Results |
|---|---|---|
| Look around for nice restaurants, historical attractions and interesting things to do while you stay and visit | 63.6 | 68 |
| Find a place to eat before moving on | 31.8 | 34 |
| Keep on moving to leave the town behind you as quickly as possible | 4.7 | 5 |
6. When it rains you....
| Answer | Percentage | Results |
|---|---|---|
| Keep riding and hate it! | 5.6 | 6 |
| Keep riding and enjoy it as long as the temperature is reasonably warm | 84.1 | 90 |
| Immediately stop and seek shelter if already out. If still in camp then you stay put | 10.3 | 11 |
7. Your favourite kind of bicycle touring roads are....
| Answer | Percentage | Results |
|---|---|---|
| Busy highways with paved shoulders | 3.7 | 4 |
| Secondary highways with no paved shoulders | 10.3 | 11 |
| Quiet farm lanes or very low traffic roads with shoulders of any kind | 75.7 | 81 |
| Gravel roads with low to non-existant traffic | 6.5 | 7 |
| Fire roads | 0.9 | 1 |
| Quiet singletrack through the woods | 2.8 | 3 |
8. When it's time to eat you....
| Answer | Percentage | Results |
|---|---|---|
| Stop at the nearest acceptable restaurant | 12.1 | 13 |
| Pull out the stove and cook or purchase deli type stuff and make a sandwich etc. | 26.2 | 28 |
| Combination of one and two depending on time of day. | 60.7 | 65 |
| Scavenge in the woods and live off the land | 0.9 | 1 |
9. You prefer to camp ....
| Answer | Percentage | Results |
|---|---|---|
| In public campgrounds with hot showers | 61.7 | 66 |
| All alone in the woods | 21.5 | 23 |
| In nice clean motels, beds and breakfasts and hotels | 8.4 | 9 |
| By the side of the road | 8.4 | 9 |
10. When you see a scenic view while pedaling along you immediately ....
| Answer | Percentage | Results |
|---|---|---|
| Don't notice it because you are too busy pedalling | 0 | 0 |
| Stop, take a deep breath and savour the view | 31.8 | 34 |
| Stop and call an immediate snack/meal break while enjoying the view | 22.4 | 24 |
| Pull out your camera and take a single picture | 24.3 | 26 |
| Pull out your camera and take a series of pictures from multiple angles and positions | 21.5 | 23 |
11. While on tour your favourite kind of music is .....
| Answer | Percentage | Results |
|---|---|---|
| The sound of the wind rustling through the trees, the birds singing or your tires humming on the pavement | 72.0 | 77 |
| The humming, whistling and singing that you do throughout the day | 13.1 | 14 |
| The music that you brought with you on your mp3 player | 3.7 | 4 |
| The music cd's in your cd-rom player | 0.9 | 1 |
| Listening to random radio stations on the am/fm radio | 9.3 | 10 |
| Listening to news bulletins, radio books and documentaries on your short wave radio | 0.9 | 1 |
| The sweet sound of the daily report on your weather radio | 0 | 0 |
12. Your favourite kind of cycling landscape includes
| Answer | Percentage | Results |
|---|---|---|
| Mountainous climbs and descents | 24.3 | 26 |
| Short rolling hills, up and down throughout the day | 26.2 | 28 |
| Flat lands with occasional rivers, lakes and rolling hills | 33.6 | 36 |
| Flat lands with occasional rivers and lakes but absolutely no hills at all | 5.6 | 6 |
| Waterfront views along a reasonably variable shoreline | 10.3 | 11 |
13.You have the biggest worries about the following kind of animal while touring .....
| Answer | Percentage | Results |
|---|---|---|
| Free roaming dogs | 42.1 | 45 |
| Snakes | 2.8 | 3 |
| Bears | 10.3 | 11 |
| Large cats like lions, tigers etc | 0.9 | 1 |
| Water beasties like alligators and crocodiles | 0.9 | 1 |
| Bugs (mosquitos, black flies, deer ticks etc) | 22.4 | 24 |
| Animals never bother me | 20.6 | 22 |
14. I would like to add the following extra comments.
Due to the Privacy Policy I will not provide the individual responses here. Just a quick reminder that if you would like me to respond to a question from you in the poll you either need to leave your email address in the poll somewhere or you should drop me an email directly. Polls provide only an ip address for their source so I have no practical way to get back to you.
I received tons of very good feedback, some of which has already been implemented or is in the process of being implemented.
A big thank-you to all who have provided feedback!
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