When I pedaled most of the way across the United States in 1974 (can you say “bicycling in cut-off jeans and tennis shoes”?), Wisconsin was my favorite state for riding. Rolling hills, paved country roads carrying very little car traffic, farm wives waving us in for lemonade and ice cream … And the Badger State has only gotten better since then.

"Daddy, you ain't gonna believe this. There's a man in bicycle britches at the door, lookin' for a place to camp." That had to be my favorite snippet I heard during our bicycle trip across the Deep South.

It's easy to be lured into spending a lot of money on a shiny new touring bicycle but you don't need a big bank balance to start enjoying bike touring. In fact, I've done my last 1,000km on a $100 bike from the local second-hand shop.

Perhaps you’ve heard of the Slow Food Movement, a “nonprofit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that was founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions ..."

Over the years, coffee has become somewhat of a theme in all of my tours, no matter where in the world they take place. While there are thousands of brands available, I thought it would be fun to bring out some bicycling oriented coffee companies, and accessories.

Stereotypes breed best when folks have had no contact with the real place or people the stereotypes reference. Real life isn't as black and white as the media would like us to believe.

In 2005, Donn Olson, a farmer near Dalbo, Minnesota, encountered a couple of traveling cyclists who were dealing with a nasty batch of construction in front of his house. The three got to talking and before long, Donn found himself inviting them in for refreshments and a place to sleep for the night. The two young men introduced Donn to Adventure Cycling and suggested that he offer himself as "cyclists only lodging" option on the Northern Tier Bicycle Route map.

Handlebar tape is a very simple addition to any road or touring bike that can both increase the comfort of your ride, and add some personalized style to your bike. Any new bike will come stock with bar tape, so it's certainly not necessary to replace it right away, but when the time comes, here are some styles to consider.

But even if you have a beautiful porch, you're not likely to sit out on it when it is 42 degrees Fahrenheit. When the sun came out, so did the locals. I describe one of our encounters to Bob.