Tents for Cycling Trips
The size and kind of tent should reflect your requirements. A bivouac bag or one-man tent may be sufficient on a short, fast trip. A tarp is sufficient in insect-free areas and costs very little. A cheap, light-weight discount store tent can provide happy nights if the weather is not bad. A single-wall, two-person tent will weigh 1-2kg and can be bought for about £100, but is now hard to find. Double-wall tents can be found that weigh and cost a little more. Good four-season, two-person tents can be found that weigh 2-3kg but will cost £150 and on up. Remember that a few nights in a motel room will cost more than a tent. Four-season tents are overkill for summer use. Especially pay attention to tent pole length as long poles are a problem on a bicycle.
Sleeping Bags
The sleeping bag should be of the light-weight "mummy" design. Do not buy the heavy-weight discount store version. A two-pound synthetic bag is sufficient for summer-time camping at low elevations. In the mountains or in the spring and fall, a 2kg pound synthetic bag is usually sufficient. A 3kg bag is overkill except for use in the winter. While down bags are both lighter and smaller than synthetic bags with the same insulation, they are ineffective when wet.
Stoves and Cooking Gear
Cooking with gas cylinders is good in Europe, the burner is less than 100g and the flame adjusts to a simmer for all you chefs out there. However, its not possible to buy gas cyclinders in more reports, then a petrol burning stove is the answer. The MSR Whisperlite International can burn any fuel, sounds like a jet enjoining, and has one setting, ie jet.
Rain Gear
The most important clothing to carry in most regions is rain gear. Even here opinions vary. At low elevations in hot weather during the summer, getting wet is no problem. However, considering the fact that temperatures drop during a thunderstorm or rainy spell, I think some raingear is manatory at times. A vinyl plastic rainsuit, while cheap and will quickly tear up. Better is an inexpensive waterproof nylon suit, but such a suit lacks ventilation and is useless while cycling; some of these suits are made for cycling and do have extra ventilation added, for what it's worth. The most recent and expensive solution is a Gore-Tex jacket. Note that even Gore-Tex will not keep you dry during the heaviest downpours, but you should not be riding at those times. I would recommend against buying a heavy, insulated rain suit for touring.
Touring Clothing
Those on bicycle touring trips don't have exactly the same clothes requirements as sports cyclist. Shoes must be practical for walking in as well as for riding. Pants should have pockets and be comfortable both in mixed company and in the woods. Shirts should be visible at long distances. It's also a good idea to tone down your image for easy mixing with non-cyclists. However, you should wear bright-colored shirts and jackets for better visibility on the road.
Cotton is generally the poorest fabric for exercise as it holds sweat and odors, and it stains and wrinkles easily. Tougher cotton fabrics may be OK for shorts, but buy synthetic underwear, socks, and shirts. Polypropylene and Coolmax are excellent, and newer nylon fabrics (which I have not tried) are now available for shorts and pants.
One decision affecting clothing is how often you wish to do laundry. A college friend of mine would wash his clothes in the bathtub every night, and a touring cyclist staying in motels could do the same. A camper could carry two sets, washing one every day. I prefer to carry tow sets of clothes and four sets of underclothes, washing every fourth day.
Other Gear
Maps are an important part of the trip. The ultra-light traveler will want to buy a new map just before entering an area and to discard it upon leaving. The person heavy into planning will want to carry maps of the whole trip. Be sure to double wrap all items that can be damaged by water.
Tools should not be overlooked. At the very least, you need to be able to repair flats, make adjustments, and tighten loose nuts and bolts. I carry enough tools to almost completely disassemble my bike. Some spare parts are a good idea as well, especially water-bottle bolts, which are also used to attach the racks.