Coping with Time Off the Bike

December 25, 2015

Merry Christmas! The holidays are for family, food, and friends. If this also leads to time in the saddle for you, then count yourself among the lucky ones. For many others, this is a time where you really need to let go of your riding aspirations temporarily, and give into the season. If your bike is relegated to the garage this week, here are some ways you can cope:

Pencil In Your 2016 Travel Plans

What's better than actually going on a bicycle tour? Planning a tour. It's a big world, and there's a lot to explore. If you need some guidance, take a gander at our 2016 Tours catalog, which features more than 100 of our guided bike tours.

If you want to set out on your own, we've also got over 44,000 miles of bike routes throughout the United States for you to consider. Request either our Tours catalog and/or Map catalog today, and we'll have them in your mailbox shortly.

Oh yeah, you'll probably want to track your schedule on a calendar, and if you join Adventure Cycling at the Patron level or above within the next week, we'll send you a free 2016 Adventure Cycling calendar with your membership.

Sift Through Old Memories

Hopefully you took a lot of photos on your last adventure. This is a great time to look back on those moments, and reminisce on the times you had. Sometimes looking back at what you've done gives you the confidence and inspiration you need to plan big for next time!

Bike Maintenance

Just because you're not riding your bike doesn't mean you need to completely neglect it. Just 20 minutes with some soapy water, a rag, and some chain lube can go a long way... Other projects may take a bit more time.

Last Minute Gift Membership to Adventure Cycling

If you are just now realizing that you spaced a couple of gifts you intended to give, we've got an out for you. Join or renew your membership right now, and you can give as many gifts memberships as you want for 1/2-price! We've even got a gift card for you to print.

Photos by Josh Tack

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TOURING GEAR & TIPS is written by Joshua Tack of Adventure Cycling's member services department. It appears weekly, highlighting technical aspects of bicycle touring and advice to help better prepare you for the journey ahead. Look for Josh's "Fine Tuned" column in Adventure Cyclist magazine as well.