Take your bicycle on the ride of a lifetime with the help of The Bikepackers' Guide to the World. Lonely Planets experts tell you how to prepare, what to take, when and where to go.

Bikepacking is the fast-growing adventure activity that gives people the freedom to discover the world in a sustainable and slow-paced fashion on their bicycles. The number of new purpose-built, long-distance cycling routes is increasing all the time and this comprehensive book selects the top 75 to add to your bicycling bucket list. Lonely Planet describes the route in step-by-step detail with a large, accurate map and elevation profile helping cyclists pick a route that suits their experience.

The routes are graded from easy to challenging and cover a range of distances from a weekend to a month or more. The rides vary from easy-going rail trails to rugged off-road routes. Accommodation recommendations and options for eating and drinking along the way are also included.

The Bikepackers Guide to the World explains how to pack for each trip, what you will need and all the practical considerations. It also highlights some of the top sights along the way and suggests how to maximise your time in a new and exciting region by experiencing local foods and customs. Large images paint a picture of each place.

Practical advice for first-time bikepackers is also provided, covering how to prepare physically, what sort of bicycle is best for each route, how to perform basic repairs on the road and how to carry baggage and eat and sleep comfortably.

Routes and countries covered include:

• The Tahoe Rim Trail, the Oregon Timber Trail and Missouri's Katy rail trail in the US
• The Tour de Mont Blanc and Scotland's North Coast 500 in Europe
• The Annapurna Circuit and Trans-Hokkaido routes in Asia
• The Murray to the Mountains rail trail and New Zealand's Old Ghost Road in Oceania