The Adventure Cycling blog covers bicycle-travel news, touring tips and gear, bicycle routes, organizational news, membership highlights, guided tours, and more. Follow us on Facebook or Twitter for daily updates. Interested in becoming a guest blogger for Adventure Cycling? Share your story with us.
Photo by Colt Fetters
Welcome to the second installment of 'It Came From the Pacement.' Last month we dug up some great treasures from the depths of the Adventure Cycling Pacement, and today we're going to showcase a few items pulled from random boxes. Here's what we found.
Consuming food is something I'm completely on board with, and I appreciate the amount of food that cycling allows me to take in without too many consequences. Preparing food, on the other hand, is a different story. Whether at home or on the tour, I'm attracted to anything that keeps me from turning on a stove. This for sure saves me a lot of time, but considering the nutritional value of peanut butter sandwiches and chips, it might not be the best thing for my longterm well-being.
Few have dared entered the confines of the Adventure Cycling Pacement. Many years ago, the Pacement was simply the basement. The basement contained a massive out of commission boiler and asbestos that made it an unsuitable space for employees to move about or store materials in.
Bacteria, viruses, and protozoa can knock you flat on your back through water borne illnesses. Harness the power of UV light in your hands, and give those annoyances the ultimate burn with a SteriPEN.
Unless I were to punture a tire while rolling into my driveway at the end of a ride, I can't think of a flat tire scenario that wouldn't cause my heart to sink. Flat tires aren't the worst thing that can happen on the road, but they are extremely annoying. In fact before we get too much further, let's run through my top five reasons flat tires are annoying, counting down from pretty annoying to most annoying.
Packing around a bike lock on a bicycle tour is not something I particularly like to do, but as much as I like to put my trust in strangers, there are few worse feelings than walking out of a restaurant to see an empty space where your bike should be.
It's been a while since I've ridden with a dynamo hub, so I was happy to get back on board one earlier this spring with the SV-8 from Shutter Precision (SP).
Smartphones are becoming a pretty standard piece of equipment for anything from a casual day ride to an expedition tour. You can use them as a cyclocomputer, GPS navigation, ride tracker for later uploading and analysis, service directory, and bicycle maintenance guide. I've even heard rumors that you can make phone calls in case of emergency.
All throughout the summer months we see traveling cyclists riding some pretty cool bikes when stopping by our office. While each bike is unique, all riders have a similar level of appreciation and attachment to their ride. The Adventure Cycling staff is no different, and as we wait for the masses of travelling cyclists to descend upon us, here's a spotlight of a few staff bikes that grace our courtyard yearlong.
There's no shortage of bicycling apps available for your smartphone. Every week I find myself reading through press releases for the latest and greatest app. Here's a quick rundown on three apps I've played around with over the past month that are worth taking a look at.
In the most recent issue of Adventure Cyclist magazine, I reviewed Garmin's Touring Edge Plus GPS unit. To supplement that article, I would like to share a few common questions I've received about the unit, as well as peek into Garmin's latest creation.
We appreciate the support our 46,500+ members provide us, and in return we work hard putting together affiliate discounts to help all of our members get the most bang for their buck when plotting a course for adventure. Here's the scoop on all of the benefits we currently offer.
When seeking out event rides to fill up my summer calendar, I've found that it is almost hard to find a ride that isn't built around a cause. If you have a cause in mind that you would like to ride for, or build an event around, there are a great deal of tools available to help you promote the ride and collect donations for the cause. Here are just a few options you can take advantage of:
Maintaining a keen awareness of your surroundings is one of the best things you can do to keep yourself safe when cycling on the road. Since bicycles don't come stock with rearview mirrors, and not everyone can turn their heads without veering out into the road, an aftermarket rearview mirror can be a huge asset.
In the February issue of Adventure Cyclist magazine, I highlighted five smartphone apps that I've found to be useful for bicycle travel. Since writing that, I've come across three more apps I want to bring to the forefront. These new apps aren't necessarily bicycle travel specific. Instead, I would consider them to be geared more towards active lifestyle, making them great for adventures on and off the bike.
When you're touring with your special man or lady friend, it's pivotal to set up a damange control plan, as relationships can be made or broken when you spend an extended amount of time in close quarters in adverse conditions. Here are five bicycle-touring tips for couples to get you started on your way.
Keeping the pedals turning through the winter requires a little more motivation than the rest of the year, but with the right approach, it can also be a lot of fun. Here are a few ways I've managed to tackle winter riding over the years.
It's hard not to be attracted to shiny things, which is one of many reasons I've been spending a lot of time this week checking out the Velo Orange Grand Cru Drillium 110 Fluted Double Crankset. That's a pretty impressive name for a component. Before getting into the details, I thought it would be fun to break down the name of the crankset first.
Unless your bike tour begins close to home, transporting your bike can be one of the most difficult tasks in preparing for your journey. Flying with bikes can be outrageously expensive and shipping can cause all sorts of headaches in regards to where you're going to send the bike, and whether or not it will arrive on time. If you're struggling with these issues, you might want to turn your attention to BikeFlights.com.
Cats are legit, and they also happen to be strongly represented in the bike industry. Cycling and cats share plenty of attributes, such as agility, intelligence, adventuring, and curiosity. Cats are also a great pet for a bicycle tourist since they can fend for themselves for days on end while you're out exploring the unknown by bike. Today we're going to take a look at some bicycle companies that have embraced cats in their branding. Enjoy!
Whether you're searching for those last few gifts for the holidays, or just getting started with your holiday shopping, here are some of my favorite gift ideas for Christmas, or any gift-giving occasion.
Not just for physical therapists anymore, Rocktape brings kinesiotape to the masses.
Recently I've been playing around with the Quick Cage from Twofish. This bottle cage is available in a standard size for your basic 24-ounce water bottle, a mid-range 40oz size that will handle Nalgene bottles and 40-ounce Kleen Kanteen bottles, and a 64-ounce model that will take care of 64-ounce reusable stainless steel bottles. Since I've got a lot of Nalgene bottles hanging around, I went after the 40oz version of this cage.
As if daylight savings didn't mess with my post work riding schedule enough, a week of mixed snow and rain topped it all off. While I was sitting around feeling sorry for myself, I came across the book Endure: Ballet in the Mud. The book features over 300 photos of the 2013 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships held in Verona, Wisconsin, last January.
Daylight savings ends in a little over a week, and that's a sad day indeed for cyclists hoping snag a few hours in the saddle after the 9-5 grind. If you're looking for a light to extend your ride time, or perhaps keep yourself visible for those dark commutes to and from the office, the Solite 250EX from Light & Motion is a solid option worth checking out.