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
Earlier this month, the first eight miles of a planned system of more than 40 miles of separated bicycle and pedestrian pathways (and enhanced road shoulders) opened in Grand Teton National Park. The completed stretch of pathway connects the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center at Moose with the bustling south Jenny Lake area.
I'm often asked by touring cyclists about tools. They are generally heavy, so you don't want to carry more than are necessary, but at the same time, not having the correct tools can leave you stranded. There are a lot of factors to take into consideration when packing for the road. Terrain, climate, and bike setup can all influence your tool selection. To take some of the guess work out of the equation, here is my general roster of tools that keep me rolling with confidence.
Chester, Illinois is not only the home of the legendary Popeye the Sailor, it is also houses a first class Cyclists Only Camping location run by the Fraternal Order of Eagles.
In September 2005 my wife Nancy and I joined a few hundred other riders in the 8th annual Mickelson Trail Trek in South Dakota. The George S. Mickelson Trail — or "the Mick" for short — is a 114-mile rail-trail connecting Edgemont near the south end of the Black Hills with Deadwood in the north.
While I don't recommend riding at night, there are times when it's simply unavoidable. For us eight-to-fivers, night rides are the only way to get out during the work week. There are those moments where a wrong turn or mechanical issue will set your arrival time back, and there are other times where you just don't want to finish your ride. Whatever puts you in the dark, you want to make sure you're safe, and prepared.
Local clubs can be a great resource for finding new places to ride and new people to ride with. They can also offer opportunities to affect positive change for cycling in your own community.
What follows is a special post from our executive director, Jim Sayer, on his recent trip to Bozeman, Montana, for a wellness and health summit.
There are some basic services cyclists expect to see on our bicycle-travel oriented maps. These generally run the gamut from various lodging options, grocery stores, restaurants, and bike shops. In the early 2000s, we reviewed the possibility of adding a new service that might offer internet connectivity and landed on libraries.
When touring loaded, your braking distance is increased. Making sure that your brakes and pads are in proper working order is always important, but having quick and easy access to your levers can also prove to be very beneficial.
August is a huge month for the bike industry, and for consumers as well. Manufacturers everywhere are starting to hint at their 2010 lineups, and closeouts on 2009 gear mean incredible deals for you. This leaves many cyclists asking themselves, what's the hottest item out there? Well, sit back and let me tell you. It's not a sleek, lugged steel frame, or a bombproof set of touring wheels. It's far from puncture proof tires, or an indestructible helmet. It just so happens that the biggest thing going on for cyclists right now is the weather.
You already probably know about bamboo shirts, skirts, socks, underwear, furniture, floors, paper, sheets, towels, plates, bowls, spoons, kitchen utensils, cleaning wipes, etc. But you may not have heard of the bamboo bicycle.
The Power Grip pedal strap is a great addition to just about any bike. Simple design in motion, it consists of a single strap, and just a few nuts and bolts. The strap attaches to most standard platform pedals, and installs in a matter of minutes. The tools needed for installation consist of a small Phillips screwdriver, needle nose pliers (to secure the nuts while turning the screws), and a 3mm allen wrench.