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
A few months ago I put up a post about S&S couplings. Reading through some of the comments on that post, I was thrilled to see someone mention the Ritchey Break Away system. While Ritchey does not offer a true touring bike, their Steel Break-Away Cross Bike is an excellent choice for long distance touring, and it's the bike I chose for my most recent, month-long, loaded tour of Mexico.
It's 1991 and I'm on my first bike trip in a non-English speaking country. I don't speak the language. I've been warned not to drink the water--not to eat at roadside restaurants. I'm traveling alone. I'm nervous. I'm lonely. I'm hungry.
Photographing people can be a challenge on a bike trip. Sure, you can get all kinds of shots of groups of people smiling directly into the camera lens. But sometimes it feels like that's all you can get.
Blosting. This is fun. See, I already made up a word, but it's cool, it's the internet (is that supposed to be capitalized?) This being my first blost, I'm just going to flat out say I'm not sure what I'll be blosting about.
I'd like to share a pair of slide shows involving the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail that I personally can't get enough of. Both of them I first found three or four years ago.
Whether you prefer your pedals to be platform, clipless, or toe strap, the Shimano PD-M324 pedal can accommodate you. While Shimano bills this as an all-purpose mountain bike pedal, it has rapidly become one of my favorite pedals for touring.
Photos can capture the the face of a country, but I find more often than not, it is the music that captures its soul.
One of the things I most enjoy about my association with Adventure Cycling is the fascinating stories I often get to hear or read. Consider the following, a correspondence sent recently by a fellow named Nick.
No matter where in the world your bike travels take you, one accessory to remember to drop in your pack is a bike lock. It's not that people can't be trusted, for the most part, the strangers you encounter will be far more courteous than you would expect. But there is a great deal of money and often sentimental value put into a bike, and you want to make sure it is safe from misfortune (especially if you are camping, and are unable to store your bike behind a locked door).
You are leaving on long trip to Africa or South America or Asia or an extended world tour ... what do you bring for gifts?
This entry is the first in a series showcasing milestone routes in the Adventure Cycling Route Network. A milestone route is one that is viewed as a notable landmark in Adventure Cycling Association history: a first of its kind or marking an important milestone in total network mileage. Over the years, a lot has been written about the history of the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail so I won't even try to cover that territory. Instead, let me tell you a bit about an oft unsung pioneer of the Bikecentennial movement, Lys Burden.
A few days ago it came to my attention that VeloPress, the book-publishing arm of the bicycle-racing journal VeloNews, has issued a pair of new titles that could help cyclists and aficionados of other outdoor activities reach their 2010 athletic goals. Alternatively, if you have no such goals, one of these books might help you think of some.
The FiberFix Spoke is one of those products I would rather not have to review, but two days ago I heard the unfortunate 'ping' of a spoke breaking. Normally I tote along a few spare steel spokes, but I've heard a lot of talk about the FiberFix option, and decided to give it a shot.
The sad truth is that while many countries are making progress on bringing back the bicycle as viable transportation, in many developing countries ... the trend is just the opposite. People are trading in their bicycle for a scooter and (when they can afford one) a car.