The last item of the list below is a summary for those who want to bypass the discussion. I have also included a more thorough list written by another biker for those of you who are campers.

So, besides bicycles, here is what we think you need:

Bike bags (panniers). Originally, we wanted the largest rear panniers we could find. Then we discovered that the smaller the panniers, the more lightly you are forced to pack and that is a good thing.

There is no such thing as a waterproof pannier unless it costs a fortune and is brand new. You might as well poke holes in the bottom so the water that will get in, can get back out. I keep everything inside the panniers in plastic bags, or in these roll-up, travel size, vacuum bags available at storage stores.

Many prefer is to keep almost all of the weight on a bike on the rear to make the bike easier to handle going down hill. Others recommend splitting the weight 40% on the front (but as low as possible) and the balance on the rear. This recommendation is more pertinent to people carrying the weight of tents and sleeping bags. But, I do use front panniers even though we do not camp. We have found the weight of credit cards or folding money to be easier to carry up hills than a tent and sleeping bags.

A front handlebar bag for your map, sunscreen, etc. We don’t use any of the map holders one can find on the market because neither of us can see well enough to read it without picking it up and holding it just at the right distance for our bifocals. Don't forget, we both belong to the Over-Fifty-with-Bad-Knees Club (a club you automatically join as soon as you qualify). We did find that a one-gallon zip lock bag works great as a waterproof map cover. We folded the map so we could see most of the day’s route, and kept it dry inside the zip lock bag. If no rain threatened, the zip lock bag was not used.
A Map – Each ride has recommended maps but other maps are available at German Book Stores. Any good map that shows bike routes and has a scale not larger than 1:100,000 will work but the 1:50,000 scale maps will help you ride through the towns and cities.
Bike tools. We carry the Alien from Topeak and a Leatherman Multi-tool. If I was not so macho and hung-up on tools, I could do without the Leatherman but I would need a small channel lock pliers if I didn’t have my Leatherman. Consider carrying wrenches in sizes 8mm, 9mm, 10mm, 13mm, and 15mm (for axel nuts). Remember, you might need two wrenches to adjust your brakes and a chain tool is handy. I also carry a short, multipoint screwdriver because the screwdrivers on the combination tools are hard to use. As Red Green says, "If women don't find you hansom, they should find you handy." (Not familiar with Red Green? -- you aren't watching enough Canadian public TV.)
A good bike lock. Bicycle theft in Germany is a problem. Sure, there are many bicycles for thieves to choose from and the chance they will pick yours depends on how nice it is, how easy it is to fence, and how easy it is for them to steal. If you keep your bike inside overnight, as you can at most bicycle friendly over night accommodations, and if you keep it locked too, you will have a much better chance of finding it in the morning - assuming that you want to find it and have not decided that a stolen bike is an excuse to take a bus home. All rental bikes will come with a lock.
At least one water bottle per person.
A short of rope or cord of about 10 feet in length for tying bikes to fixed objects on trains and busses. This is valuable. Keep it handy – we use it often for something or the other. Mostly we use it to secure our bicycles on public transports so they do not fall over on curves. We notice that others use a bungee or their bike locks for this but I like the flexibility of a short cord. In the evening, it can become a clothesline.
Small bungee cords. Only a few and the smaller the better – mine are about 12” long by 3/8” in diameter.
An array of plastic bags. The grocery store size for covering your bike saddle in the rain or picking berries in the fall. Plastic shopping bags without any holes work great for both organizing your panniers and for keeping clothes, etc. dry when it rains. Bring some zip-lock Baggies for lunch or snacks you buy along the way. Bring a large 30-gallon size plastic bag for covering your bike bags (panniers) in wet weather. Some panniers come with a rain covers, that is very handy. Rain covers are another option to the large trash bags Rain covers work great to keep prying fingers of ne'er-do-wells out of your bags. I found that trash bags, secured with the rope or the bungee cords mentioned above, make an inexpensive and handy bag cover. If one gets a hole, toss it and purchase another. Plastic bags can be rolled up tightly so they take only a small amount of space and they do not weigh much. It sounds like I have stock in a plastic factory doesn't it?

A spare inner tube for each size bike tire you have in your group. Consider wrapping the spare tube with a wheel liner. You know, the rubber thingy that goes over the spoke ends inside the wheel between the metal and the tube. You only need one for each size of tire in your group. If you don't patch inner tubes as a matter of religious preference, you can alway purchase another at the next bike shop you pass. In German, an inner tube is, ein Schlauch.
A small rag to wipe your hands after handling a greasy chain. We also carry a waterless hand cleaner that comes in small containers but I think we are obsessing on that.
And a good bicycle tire pump that you have tried out in the last few weeks (the rubber gasket gets old and brittle and stops working. Those of you in the OFBKC stop working too when you get old and brittle). Topeak makes a great pump (Mountain Morph) that attaches to your bike frame like any other pump but it has a folding foot stand and a handle that turns sideways so it looks for all the world like the one in your garage. Also consider a pressure gage or educate your thumb to act as the pressure gage.
A first aid kit that include some spray disinfectant and a few very large Band-aids. Road rash is the most reoccurring problem and a rash must be cleaned, sprayed, and covered for a couple days. What is road rash? It is the rash you get from rubbing body parts on asphalt, cement, or even gravel at speeds over 4 mph.
Pepper spray for dogs. We have not had a problem but a few people in Germany think it is cool to keep breeds like Pit Bull, Rottweiler, and Doberman Pincher. This is optional because in ten years of biking, we have never had to use our spray.
Shorts. Biking shorts with crotch padding are best but any type of shorts will work. Two pair for a weeks’ trip normally will do nicely. We wear the biking shorts during the day and have a pair of regular light weight shorts to wear in the evening. In fact, we carry ultra-light pants that have zip-off legs.
A skirt. A reader suggests that women carry a lightweight wraparound skirt that can be worn over Lycra bike pants for sightseeing or dinning out with non-biking folks. I don't wear one at least not in public and never over Lycra bike pants. Maxa might however.
T-shirts. I used to think that light weight cotton was fine but now I don't carry anything of wool or cotton. If cold weather threatens, I also bring along a long-sleeve t-shirt. There are several new fabrics (like CoolMax by Dupont) that are lightweight and wick moisture away from your skin keeping you cool in hot weather and warmer in cold weather. Unfortunately, the new fabrics are more expensive.
Briefs or panties. Try to find some without seams across your sitz bones like most briefs have (both men's and women's). You can purchase underwear that has a padded biking seat in most bicycle stores. These will convert any pair of shorts into biking shorts. (By the way, please decide before the ride which you will wear -- briefs or panties. Your riding companions will appreciate it.) There is a myth that real bicycle riders don't wear underwear beneath their tight Licra bike shorts. It is true. Don'tchaknow.

Socks. We like to change into clean socks every day but we only pack three pair. One pair to wear, one ready to put on and one that we just washed in the sink the night before. If you buy socks made of CoolMax, they will dry overnight. Remember, the lighter the better.
Hand, Face Soap. A hotel size bar will do. In a pinch you can use it to do the laundry, see #25 below.
Raingear. In Germany, it will rain on the average of 20 to 22 days per month for each month of the year. That means you will probably get rained upon at least once unless you ride only during the other eight to ten days. Your chances of experiencing a shower on a 5-day ride is high. Try to find lightweight raincoats (and rain pants perhaps but these are not as important) that allow lots of freedom of movement. Poncho’s don't work unless you like to sail. A lightweight bicycler's rain suit works better. When it gets cold but is still dry, raingear will substitute for warm, wind-breaking clothing.
Something to wear after biking. Shorts are OK but if it gets cold some long pants or a pair of lightweight nylon shell pants are ideal (they are light and don't take up much room). I like the kind of hiking pants that you can zip off the legs to make into a pair of shorts.
Consider an ultra-lightweight fleece jacket that you can layer under your raincoat if it gets cold.
Personal kit, including cosmetics, hygiene supplies, etc. But pack it lightly. You only need a few days’ supplies so don’t pack a months’ worth. It is best to use small travel size toothpaste, shampoo, etc.
Other considerations include; medications, sunscreen, toilet paper, sewing kit, sunglasses, sun hat (for off the bike), insect repellant, rubber bands, compass, emergency first aid, blister kits, photograph of your family (for making friends), camera, earplugs (for sleeping), wristwatch with an alarm, and an undergarment style money wallet or a money belt.
A washcloth. It will substitute for a towel in a pinch. Most hotels, Zimmer, etc. provide towels but only the most expensive provide washcloths.
A small Flashlight for finding the bathroom in a strange room in the middle of the night or reading your map after dark. If you belong to the OFWBK club (Over Fifty with Bad Knees), finding the bathroom in the middle of the night may happen several times each night.
A few of those plastic things that hold two things together and go "click, click" when you snug them up. You, know, police use large ones for handcuffs. I think they are called cable ties or zip ties. Also a small roll of duct tape or electricians tape. Like Arthur Dent’s multi-use towel that he carries in Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, duct tape can accomplish anything a bigger hammer won’t.
A small tube of laundry detergent. After two days, clothes stink. We carry enough stuff that we can make it two days but then then we must do laundry. We do it by hand in the sink. We wring the washed and rinsed clothes dry inside a towel to remove as much moisture as possible, then we hang it to dry on the short length of rope. Nowadays, we even carry a few clips with us and a 20 foot long light weight cord, just for laundry.
Here is a short checklist from the above:

Tour leader: Maps, first aid kit, tools, multi-tool, tire pump, a few plastic bags in various sizes, bungee cords, duct or electricians tape, a couple plastic cable ties, a short rope, a spare tube for every size tire in the tour, tire repair kit with a set of rim pry bars, some waterless hand cleaner, and a small grease rag. Also consider a few extra spokes, some miscellaneous nuts and bolts of bicycle size, an extra rim liner, some bailing wire, and a little chewing gum. (Just kidding about the gum, but I do carry some wire.)

All riders (at a minimum): Bike bags, helmet, bike gloves, bike or sport shoes, money, cash cards, 1 pair bike pants, 2 t-shirts, 2 sets of underwear, 3 pairs of socks, evening clothes for after riding, toiletries and soaps, prescription drugs, hygiene items, glasses and sunglasses, sunscreen, raingear, fleece jacket, small flashlight, toilet paper (for the occasional emergency), bike lock, some clothes pins, and laundry detergent. Other items to consider include cell phone, paperback book, wristwatch, energy snacks, and a camera.

By the way, we pack the same whether planning a three-day ride or a two-week ride. We just do more laundry. You can purchase more detergent along the way, so you don't have to carry much with you.

PACK LIGHT

After developing the above list, Adventure Cycling published the following list (Bike Bits Vol. 2, No. 21, March 22, 2001) which they call a "minimalist's" list of bike trip essentials: It depends on your goal, but I find that the list below may include many things that those of us over fifty and who aren't camping, just don't need.

Clothing

1. A light bike with front and rear racks (both where you can load on top) and two water bottle cages, strong wheels, and a comfy seat

2. A pair of biking shorts

3. Silk weight Patagonia Tee

4. Mid weight Patagonia long sleeve

5. Super Pluma Patagonia jacket. (rain protection)

6. Helmet

7. Synchilla pile sweater, Patagonia. (mainly for sleeping)

8. One pair polypro socks

9. Cycling shoes, if road riding and light hikers if off road riding

10. Tights

11. Rain pants. pneumatic Patagonia

12. Capilene pants for sleeping

13. Another silk weight or mid weight top for sleeping

14. Patagonia baggie shorts and cotton t-shirt (for camp)

Tools

1. One tube.

2. Patch kit with plenty of extra patches

3. Derailleur (only if off-road)

4. Mini Leatherman tool

5. Mini channel lock pliers

6. Allen wrenches - 1.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10 (only if your bike uses them) my bike only uses 3, 4, 5, 6

7. A few spokes, more nipples

8. Duct tape

9. Ritchey CPR chain tool

10. A few rack bolts, nuts, washers, and a hose clamp

11. Mini-pump

Cooking, Eating

1. One cook pot (1 quart per person) so for two you should have a 2-quart cook pot. (share whenever possible)

3. An MSR Whisperlite stove, with fuel bottle

4. A 1-quart Lexan Nalgene bottle

5. Two bike bottles

6. Spoon, fork (use the knife from the mini-Leatherman)

Camping

1. Ultra-light sleeping bag (under 1.5 pounds; i.e., Kelty light top)

2. Foam pad

3. Light weight floorless tent (4 pounds or less; i.e., Black Diamond Megamid sleeps 4) or "Bivy Bag" if solo

Miscellaneous

1. Two water proof stuff bags

2. Four straps (a good nylon strap works for me)

3. Map, big Zip-locks

4. Folded paper, pen, stamps (a send away journal)

5. Camera, film

6. Sunscreen

7. Bug dope

8. Ibuprofen pills

9. Credit card, phone card, cash

10. Tooth brush, paste

11. Mini-lighter & candle

12. (ed. note: I would add a first aid kit to this list at this point)

Food *

1. Bars (snickers, mars, Cliff bars, Powerbars, harvest bars, Milky Way, a big variety)

2. Cream of wheat

3. Liquid butter

4. Coffee (if required)

5. Sugar

6. Freeze dried meals

7. Milk or soy milk powder

* All this food could be forgotten when traveling in populated areas.

Where groceries are plentiful. General ideas -- Carry so little you don't need panniers. Strap tent and clothes on front rack and bag, pad, the rest on rear rack. Know your bike, your equipment and yourself. Be sure your bike will not have problems. Realize that anything you desire is available within a days ride. The fuel for adventure is creativity, and resourcefulness (you may be able to eliminate a few things due to reuse, multi-use and the fact that you are in a civilized populated area. for example: the food and cooking stuff could go if you didn't mind eating at groceries, and cafes. the tent could go if you planned to look for shelter like overhangs, abandon buildings, friendly invitations, bridges etc.)

This should come to 15-20 lbs.

Revised: July 12, 2009