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
Two of my favorite topics are 1) bicycling and 2) rock 'n' roll music (going all the way back to the '50s). That's why I'm making it a personal mission to compile a list of rock 'n' roll songs that delve into the subject of bicycling. But I need some help, because so far my list is woefully short.
Black Friday may be over, but that doesn't mean you can't find some great gifts for the cyclist in your family or circle of friends. Whether you're buying for the holidays, a birthday, or just because you in a generous mood, here are ten bike products under $25 that any rider can appreciate.
I knew this was going to be painful. The violin is one of the sweetest instruments on the planet ... when it is played well. In the wrong hands, it sounds more like a dying animal.
Winter will be setting in shortly, but that doesn't mean the riding season is coming to an end. While we don't see a lot of people on extended tours through the winter months, there are still plenty of folks hitting the road to stay in riding shape for their early 2010 tours. Here are some tips to help keep you as comfortable as possible while riding outdoors in the cold, and hopefully they will make the winter months seem less intimidating, and get you in the shape you need to be in to make your next tour more enjoyable.
I've never been a racer, choosing instead to pedal up scenic mountain passes at whatever speed strikes my fancy. But that doesn't mean I can't admire the beauty, the power and the passion of those who fly passed me sans panniers.
I'm so excited about this news, I can hardly sit still! Back in May, we mentioned that Twin Bridges, Montana, was setting up a cyclists only campground. Little did we know (though we did suspect) the impact it would have on this small, rural community.
The Rough Stuff Fellowship is a poetically named organization in Great Britain whose beginnings date to 1955. On the home page of their website, they point at that this was "long before anyone had heard of Marin County."
As airline fees for bikes continue to climb, so does the popularity of bike couplings. The most common option right now is the S & S system, which allow the main triangle of your bike to be disassembled at the top tube and downtube by threaded couplings. Through doing this, you can get most bikes to fit in a case that can be checked as regular luggage on a plane.
But that day I learned the intensity of bicycle travel works both ways. It also relates to the raw, ugly and horrifying scenes this planet has to offer. There was no way to roll up the windows, turn on the stereo and drive quickly away.
When it comes to self-propelled travel, there's no reason to stick to a single mode of getting from point A to point B. Consider, for instance, travel writer and Chicago resident Ted Villaire's recent 10-day trip along the western shores of Michigan, which he made by bicycle and kayak.
One trait many touring cyclists share is that they are not fair weathered riders. Even in the most predictable of climates, predicting the weather can make fools of us all, and I've been in that camp many times over. While this can seem disheartening to some, you can always be prepared for the worst. Rain jackets, pants, booties, gloves, and pannier covers are all easy choices for protection, while fenders are often forgotten.
First off. If you haven't been there, you need to put Turkey on your travel list. I've never met a globe trotting traveler (or cyclist) who didn't love Turkey—great food, amazing history, hospitality that rivals any country on earth, and lots of hills and mountain passes to climb (and descend).
If you've used our route maps you know they are chock full of useful information. We attempt to include camping, lodging, and food source information in a 10 mile wide corridor (5 miles each side of the route) along with library and bike shop locations. These services are compiled and listed in the Service Directory. Most of these listings are tangible. However, there is one category that is less so, that is, until you need it: law enforcement.
Adventure Cycling member Bob Youker of Bethesda, Maryland, is a former World Bank employee and current cheerleader of all things rail-trail. He emails me on a fairly regular basis, telling me about trails he's recently ridden and urging me to promote them. I guess his efforts work, because here I go ...