You don’t need a tent to go biking and when you are going on overnight cycling trips; however, having a bike tent or other tent along for the ride can be useful in areas where there are large populations of bugs or adverse weather and bike tenting is one way many cyclists enjoy the outdoors.  Since you don’t want your ride to be weighed down anymore than it has to be, a light  1 man tent or 2 man tent.  You can find tents specifically designed for bikes that use the wheel instead of tent poles.  The biggest advantage of bike tents are that they can be a lot lighter than other tents because they use your front wheel to prop up the tent instead of tent poles. At the same time this method can prove to be a hassle in setting it up and will not make your bike as easy to start riding either.  Compact tents will allow you to strap them down to the handles or bike rack.  Of course, you don’t need a tent that is necessarily a cycling tent but you do want to make sure you still get one that is lightweight and compact to make it easy to travel with.  Bivy tents and sacks are a great options for cyclists who don’t want to use their wheel to set up the tent.

As with all tents, you need to make sure you choose one that is going to handle the elements and not just buy cheap tents to feel like you are saving a buck.  No matter how cheap it is it will be overpriced if it can’t handle the weather elements. You don’t want to ruin your trip by waking up wet from a leaking tent or worse one that doesn’t keep any water out.  You may as well not have brought a tent to begin with.  Waking up in these types of conditions are even worse when you are on a long cycling expedition so make sure you do yourself a favor by getting a quality tent for your trip.

If you are looking for a bike tent one brand that specializes in bikes, also manufacturers tents specifically designed for your needs.  Topeak cycling accessories currently makes two tents that are specifically designed for your cyclists.

The 1st is the Bikamper which allows you to use your front wheel instead of traditional tent poles.  Although this can be a hassle to set up it is a great option.  This is a 3 season tent that allows for plenty of ventilation and even star gazing.  The fly is constructed of 70D ripstop nylon in case you are camping when there is bad weather.  This tent weighs 3.6 pounds making it a nice lightweight option.  The bathtub style floor and double seams provide you extra protection from any leaks. 

Their 2nd tent is the Bikamper EXP this is lighter (only 2 lbs) and smaller than the first option and instead of using tent poles this comes with intertubes that doesn’t require your bike’s wheel to set up. The manufacturer says a rain fly is unnecessary for this model and the tent is made of 45D ripstop nylon.  This tent also comes with a bathtub style floor.  This will cost you some money and isn’t cheap.  Despite being only a 1 man tent is a cheaper option than the model it stems from.  However, if a tent provides you years of use, protects you from the elements, and is durable the price tag is well worth it.