companions wanted 7 waypoints 8 47 Cy AdventureClist · 2013-01-07 · GO THE DISTANCE. AprIl 2012 $4.95 CyAdventureClist companions wanted 7 waypoints 8 open road gallery 47 How

GO THE DISTANCE. AprIl 2012 www.ADvENTurECyClING.OrG $4.95

Adventure

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How to plan your trip

images from abroad

Buyer’s guide:

Today’s Touring Bikesstarting tHe kids early

profile: ibf and bike africa

plus:

A DV E N T U R E C Y C L I S T AP R I L 2 0 1 2 A DV E N T U R E C Y C L I N G. O R G2 A DV E N T U R E C Y C L I S T AP R I L 2 0 1 2 A DV E N T U R E C Y C L I N G. O R G 3


Adventure

CyClist

ErIC SCHAmbION

is published nine times each year by the Adventure Cycling Association, a nonprofit service organization for recreational bicyclists. Individual membership costs $40 yearly to U.S. addresses and includes a subscrip-tion to Adventure Cyclist and dis-counts on Adventure Cycling maps. The entire contents of Adventure Cyclist are copyrighted by Adventure Cyclist and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from Adventure Cyclist. All rights reserved.

Our COverIn Mauritania Gostelow rests under the first tree he’d seen for 2,000 miles. Photo by Peter Gostelow.

(left) In Niger a camel carries more than Amaya Williams.

MissiOnThe mission of Adventure Cycling Association is to inspire people of all ages to travel by bicycle. We help cyclists explore the landscapes and history of America for fitness, fun, and self-discovery.

CAMPAignsOur strategic plan includes three major campaigns: • Creating Bike Routes for America • Getting Americans Bicycling • Supporting Bicycling Communities

How to reach usTo join, change your address, or ask questions about membership, visit us online at www.adventurecycling.org or call (800) 755-2453 or (406) 721-1776

email: [email protected]

Subscription Address:Adventure Cycling Association P.O. Box 8308Missoula, MT 59807

Headquarters:Adventure Cycling Association 150 E. Pine St.Missoula, MT 59802

d e PA r t M e n t s

07 COMPANIONS WANTED

08 WAYPOINTS

42 MARkETPLACE/CLASSIfIEDS

47 OPEN ROAD GALLERY

l e t t e r s

04 LETTER from the EDITOR

05 LETTERS from the READERS

06 LETTER from the DIRECTOR

C O l u M n s

36 ROAD TEST / Patrick O’Grady The Pashley Clubman is an absolute classic

10 TOURING BIkE BUYER’S GUIDE by John Wider What to look for when shopping for your next (or first) touring bike.

16 A TWO-WhEELED GAP YEAR fOR GROWN UPS by Amaya Williams Ready to plan the extended bike tour you’ve always dreamed of? here’s how.

24 A WORLD Of IMAGES by Peter Gostelow A selection of photos from an adventure cyclist’s world bicycle travels.

32 PASSING DOWN ThE BIkE by Eric Butterman You want to pass on your love of cycling to your kids, right? Just don’t be too pushy.

38 A WORLD VIEW WITh SPOkES by Dan D’Ambrosio A profile of David Mozer, the man behind the International Bicycle fund and Bicycle Africa.

April 2012 · Volume 39 Number 3 · www.adventurecycling.org

4:2012 contents


Letter from the Editor

2012 nAHBsIncredible bikes and a good vibe in Sacramento

who manufacture (mostly) custom bicycles of an amazing variety. Most are the kind of bicycles that the average cyclist would trade all of their fac-tory bikes for, and they’d need to because the price tags on most of these machines would make the majority of riders blanch noticeably. But from what I could tell, that’s not the point of the show. The exhibitors at NAhBS are there to show off their frame-building chops, and I’m telling you, there were some seri-ous chops to be shown.

Compared to the borderline mad-ness of Interbike, which is the largest bicycle show in North America, the three-day NAhBS was a real pleasure to attend. from 9:00 to 11:00 AM on friday, the first day, only industry folk were allowed into the convention hall. That time flew by and I didn’t even make it through the second isle of exhibitors because I was able to chat up each and every builder when I stopped to check out their creations. To be fair, Interbike is an industry-only show with no con-sumer time and NAhBS is focused on consumers, so there’s not the break-neck pace set from Moment One to sell, sell, sell. Builders were eager to talk about their designs and the reasons behind them and, if you’re into talking about why cable guides are where they are and how they’re welded, this is the show for you. It’s also the show for you if you like fantastic looking (and performing, I pre-

sume) bicycles. There were so many

memorable bicycles I couldn’t write about them all, but a couple stood out. One was a replica Whippet built by Paul Brodie, an instructor of Bicycle frame Building at the University of fraser Valley in Abbotsford,

British Columbia. Whippets were safety bicycles built in England in the 1880s and were some of the first pedal bikes to become popular after the penny-farthing craze of roughly the same period. The other was an almost completely wooden bicycle made by Bekes. Unreal. Both of these were representative of many of the bikes displayed in that they are not meant for sale but simply to show what is possible in the field of bicycle build-ing.

for more information about NAhBS, visit handmadebicycleshow.com.

• • • I’ve got to fess up to a serious mis-

statement that I made in the february issue. In the review of the PDW Danger Zone on page 50, I said that most cyclists involved in a collision with an automo-bile are hit from behind. This is statisti-cally not true and I was rightfully taken to the woodshed about it. for more see the opposite page.

Michael DemeEditor, Adventure Cyclist [email protected]

I recently attended the The North American handmade Bicycle Show (NAhBS) for the first time. This version of the NAhBS was inSacramento, California, and was the eighth iteration of the event, which is a congregation of independent bike builders

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misstatement v. statisticsIn the article “Seeing the Light” on page 50 of the february issue, I read the fol-lowing statement: “In car-bike collisions, most cyclists are struck from behind so be sure you can be seen.”

The conclusion of that sentence is good advice but the premise is wildly inac-curate. Research shows the figure to be more like seven percent. fatal collisions are more commonly rear-enders, but they are rare, and the percentage is under 50 percent. Car-bike collisions are only about 20 percent of serious bicycle crashes and account for about 80 percent of bicyclist fatalities.

It is important for cyclists to be seen both from the rear and from the front — also, to see ahead. I’m pleased that the article includes a review of a headlight as well as a taillight. Way too many cyclists use only a taillamp, because they believe that the main threat is from the rear and because, until recently, white LEDs didn’t perform well. Now, they do, and inexpen-sive, convenient headlamps are available.In 1976, Dan Burden and Bruce Burgess of Bikecentennial produced one of the cornerstone research studies of bicycle crashes. (It is in the public domain and I’m pleased to have been able to repub-lish it on the Internet at bikexprt.com/research/bikecentennial/index.htm.) I

hope that Adventure Cycling will main-tain the tradition of gathering and dis-seminating factual information which Burden and Burgess started. Thank you.

John S. Allen, bikexprt.comWaltham, Massachusetts

crosswalk confusionYou’ll probably get a blizzard of mail about Bruce Wright’s “Who has right of way?” letter in the february issue, but it’s an important question that deserves discussion.

I’m not familiar with the vehicle code in Virginia, but I doubt it is much dif-ferent from California. According to the California vehicle code (CVC 21950), vehicles must yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk. A person riding a bicycle is not a pedestrian; bicycles are treated the same as vehicles under California law (CVC 21200). Another law requires that a driver (or cyclist) entering or crossing a highway must yield to all traffic on the highway (CVC 21804). It seems pretty clear that if you want the right of way in a crosswalk you must become a pedes-trian, that is, get off the bike and walk it across the street.

I agree with Wright that it is important that cyclists act predictably. That includes yielding the right of way when the law

requires it. The problem with motorists stopping when they have the right of way is that it puts the cyclist in a difficult situa-tion. Do you cross or not? There is no guar-antee that other drivers are also going to stop for you. If you cross and get hit, you are likely to be found at fault. It’s better if everyone just follows the rules of the road.

Alan BloomSanta Rosa, California

False statement about bike-car collisionsmore crosswalk talk

Your letters are welcome. Due to the volume of mail and email we receive, we cannot print every letter. We may edit letters for length and clarity. If you do not want your comments to be printed in Adventure Cyclist, please state so clearly. Please include your name and address with your correspondence. Email your comments, questions, or letters to [email protected] or mail to Editor, Adventure Cyclist, P.O. Box 8308, Missoula, MT 59807.

Letters from our Readers

In the February issue of Adventure Cyclist:

a we incorrecly commingled the lobster ride with the maine bike rally, for which the dates are cor-rect. The maine lobster ride will be July 21, so sign up if you love cycling and eating lobster!

correction: february


Midwest MOMentuMFrom new U.S. Bicycle Routes to expanded cycling co-ops, the Heartland hearts bikes

Letter from the Director

Embarrassing but true: despite seven years at Adventure Cycling, I had not done a speaking tour in Ohio, the home state of all four founders of Bikecentennial (the group that got us going in 1976). That omission was fixed in late february when I did a wonderful eight-day trip from Detroit through Ohio and on to Pittsburgh. The main reason was to announce our new 518-mile Underground Railroad (UGRR) Detroit Alternate Route. But I was also there to join

others in sparking the Midwest’s grass-roots bicycle movement — and did we!

Every room was packed, every official welcoming, and just about everyone was beaming as we got together to celebrate cycling. I was tipped off to the enthu-siasm this trip unleashed on my first

night in Troy, Michigan. We had 47 RSVPs for an event at the local REI (and incidentally, REI helped sponsor the new UGRR route creation with a $20,000 grant) — and 150 people showed up! Like good bike adventurers, we improvised and set up an instant amphi-theater to accom-

modate the crowd. Other events had big turnouts, including grand openings for two vastly expanded bike co-ops in downtown Toledo and Cleveland, and an awesome annual membership meeting for Consider Biking, the largest advocacy group in Ohio.

In between eight events, I met with city officials and advocates in Detroit, Columbus, and Oberlin (aiming to attract more bike tourism), bike entre-preneurs (at Over the Bar Bicycle Café in Pittsburgh and Swerve Bicycle Shop

in Oberlin), media representatives, and supporters of our movement for better bike travel. They included long-time life members (like Bob Allen, Mike Johnson, and Glenn Savarese), new life members (like Ray Bourey, Dave Short, and Nancy and Mike fortney — we now have more than 1,700 life members!), cool families (like Eric and Rachael hittinger, who named their baby daughter Abby after Aberdeen, Mississippi, a joyful stop on the Underground Railroad route) and on-the-ground heroes, like Adventure Cycling’s Volunteer of the Year Chuck harmon, and Mary Shaw and Roy Weil of Pittsburgh, who were critical in devel-oping the superlative Great Allegheny Passage rail-trail (see page 9).

There is more to report, includ-ing Michigan’s second(!) U.S. Bicycle Route ready for national approval this May (USBR 35 along the shore of Lake Michigan), Pittsburgh’s cool new air-port connector bike route (see page 9), and Columbus’ “connect the core” bicycle lane campaign. But simply put, it was wonderful to see this region — so pivotal to the creation of Adventure Cycling — doing so much to spur the national cycling renaissance. We look forward to heading back in the near future for another taste of Midwest (and Pennsylvania) momentum!

Jim SayerExecutive [email protected]

A bike-friendly journey from Detroit to Western Pennsylvania

Iconic trail advocates (and Adventure Cycling life members) Roy Weil and Mary Shaw with Jim at the Over the Bar Bicycle Café in Pittsburgh.

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Companions Wanted

Providing partners for tours, domestic and abroad, since 1978

seeking a sag driver(s) for my dog Spring 2012 I’m a 51-year-old female open to cycling almost anywhere in the U.S., Europe, or the Middle East. I have a dog with whom I travel. I’m not yet strong enough to tow her, thus, until I am able to, it would be great to have assistance. If you are traveling for three to six weeks in any of these locations and would like to offer sup-port (either sag or towing her with your bike), I can offer money or barter my skills. I rode across the U.S. 14 years ago and am ready to ride again. Email [email protected].

northern tier — north dakota to maine 62-year-old retired male looking for one or more com-panions to ride all or part of the Northern Tier from fargo, North Dakota, to Bar harbor, Maine, via the North Lakes. Plan on averaging 60 miles a day and camping most of the time with some motels. One rest day per week. I rode Anacortes, Washington, to Grand forks, North Dakota, last summer. I’ll be starting from fargo on June 28, 2012. Email [email protected].

tacoma, washington, to lake tahoe I plan on leaving Tacoma during the second week of August and catching the Sierra Cascades Route just south of Mt. Rainier. I hope to ride 50 to 80 miles per day with one rest day per week. Mostly camping but will also stay with friends along the way. female, 35 years old. If you’re interested in joining for some or all of it, email [email protected].

trans-canada west-east Self-supported bike tour, starting in Victoria, British Columbia, around June 1 and ending on the Atlantic Coast about 90 days later. We plan on riding 50 to 70 miles per day. Mostly camping and cooking with some motels and eating out. Both of us

have bike touring experience and our ages are 74 and 62. We would like companions for all or parts of the ride. Email carolinedonnelly@bell south.net or [email protected].

northern tier (bike for bread) In June 2012, I’m planning to ride West to East to raise money for a local soup kitchen. I would like to ride the Northern Tier but would be willing to start as far south as San francisco. I’m looking for some-one to join me for the whole trip and planning to average 65 to 80 miles a day unsupported. I anticipate stopping at National Parks and enjoying nature. I’m 21, and completed a cross-country trip in 2007. I look forward to repeating the same great experience. Email [email protected].

transam — west to east in 2012 Male, 69, look-ing for companions, starting June 24 in Astoria, Oregon. Self-contained, mostly camping, bed & breakfasts, and some hotels. 60 to 70 miles per day depending on terrain, weather, and motivation, with one rest day per week. I rode the Southern Tier in 2010 and I also have bike maintenance experience. You don’t have to have touring experience, but I would prefer you have some cycling experience. What are you waiting for? You’re not getting any younger, so you might as well do it now. Email [email protected].

southern tier — west to east in september 2012 Male (age 64) looking for fun companions on a southern route across the U.S. Mostly hotels/hostels and some camping, but I’m flexible. Looking to ride 60 to 70 miles per day with rest days at intervals we agree on. Come ride across a beautiful country with me. This will not be a race but a tour. Email [email protected].

cross country along the northern u.s. I’m hoping to ride eastbound from Washington to Maine along the Adventure Cycling Northern Tier and North Lakes routes. I’m all about the journey and the pure enjoyment of cycling, less about the destination, and plan on having at least one or two off-days per week to explore small towns along the way. 50 miles a day sounds good. I also like stopping to take naps in wide open plains. Camping and warmshowers.org are my shelter plans. I’m 27 and my name is Zoe. Email [email protected].

midwest to southwest — spring/summer 2012 I’m looking for some friends to join me on a trip from central Wisconsin to Silver City, New Mexico. flexible schedule and very flexible route (Northern Tier, Sierra Cascades/Pacific Coast?) Planning to leave May/June 2012. Semi-experienced, hoping for stress-free 50 to 70 miles per day. Self-supported and super low-budget equals camping, Warmshowers, eating cheap (but healthy!), and being flexible. I’m a 26-year-old woman who is riding for fun, adven-ture, and good living. Email [email protected].

touring companions I’m looking for touring companions in the Boise, Idaho, area. I’m recent-ly retired and have free time. Drop me an email at [email protected].

Adventure Cycling Association assumes, but can-not verify, that the persons above are truthfully representing themselves. Ads are free to Adventure Cycling members. You can see more ads and post new ones at www.adventurecycling.org/mag/comp anions.cfm or send your ad to Adventure Cyclist, P.O. Box 8308, Missoula, MT 59807.

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News you can use from the world of bicycle travel by Michael McCoy

WayPoints

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BIKE OVERNIGHTSInspiring travel by bicycle

At the heart of one of Adventure Cycling’s newer programs, bike Overnights, is a website that aims to motivate

folks to pack up and head out for a short, one- to two-night trip (the subtitle: “Don’t wait to go cross country. Go overnight.”) Since launching in February 2011, bikeovernights.org has attracted thousands of readers and dozens of con-tributors who have shared sto-ries and photos from rides in places as far ranging as New york and New Zealand.

The target audience includes commuting cyclists who have yet to use their bike for travel, as well as veteran touring cyclists who have perhaps drifted away from bicycle travel due to time, family, or physical constraints. A bike overnight on the road or trail can involve much of

the fun of a longer trip with a fraction of the time required for preparation and deploy-ment. It’s a great way to get an

inexperienced friend or family member hooked on bike travel, and a terrific way to hatch and nurture dreams of future trips of your own while getting in a quick adventure fix.

Our inspiration for the site came from a piece written by rivendell bicycle works founder Grant petersen that appeared in the January 2007 edition of this magazine: “S24Os: bicycle Camping for the Time Challenged” (pronounced ES-two-four-oh, it stands for sub-24-hour overnight). we’ve expanded the concept to include out-ings comprised of two or even three days afield, and we’re encouraging riders to embrace all types of accommodations:

camping, of course, but also motels, hotels, hostels, and b&bs. The point is to inspire all types of riders to embark on adventures more often and in spite of their time constraints.

In addition to featuring bike Overnight destination stories (some five dozen at last count), bikeovernights.org includes a lot of tips, resource listings, and inspiration to help readers get started. Special categories include: Gear reviews, How-to’s, Travel Tips, recipes & Food, and photos of the week. The core destina-tion pieces run the gamut of bike-travel styles from pedaling rail-trails and low-traffic byways on road bikes to tackling dirt roads and trails on mountain bikes.

If you’re interested in con-tributing, we’d love to see

your work. before you pitch a destination piece, have a look at the site to make sure it hasn’t already been covered. we have a surplus of rides in states like California and washington, but zero rides in about half of the states — from Florida to Alaska to Hawaii. And think of a unique twist.

To make a submission, go to the website and click on “Submit a Trip.” If you would like to contribute to one of the special categories, query media specialist michael mcCoy (mmccoy@adventure cycling.org) and he’ll tell you how to proceed.

And check out adventure cycling.org/bikeovernights video for a how-to trip report from America byCycle about their recent overnight from Santa barbara to los Angeles.

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A view of Lake Tahoe from a recent bike overnight.


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PittsBurgH PrOgressbicycling from pittsburgh International Airport to the ultra-popular montour Trail is now a safe and enjoyable option, thanks to the newly opened montour Trail Airport Connector. A little over six miles in length, the trail leads from the extended term park-ing lot at the western end of the airport complex to Clinton road, and then on to mcCaslin road, a.k.a the airport security road. Once on mcCaslin, it trends southeast to join up with the montour Trail at the Enlow ball park Trailhead. The montour Trail, in turn, links with the Great Allegheny passage rail-trail at mcKeesport, which con-tinues southeast all the way to Cumberland, maryland — where it joins up with the C&O Canal Towpath, leading to washington, DC. The montour also connects, via pA bicycle route A, with the pittsburgh Spur of Adventure Cycling’s underground railroad bicycle route, over a distance of about one mile.

It took a decade of discus-sion and planning for the con-nector to come to fruition, and the grand opening was held on march 31. Here’s hoping other cities will follow pittsburgh’s wonderful example and create airport connections to a grow-ing network of regional trails and bicycle routes. you can learn more about the montour Trail Airport Connector at linkup.shaw-weil.com/airport connector.htm.

BICYCLE ROUTE 66Two wheels on the Mother Road

As you may already know, Adventure Cycling’s newest routing project, bicycle route 66, will follow the famous highway corridor from Chicago to los Angele, and wherever possible, incorporate existing remnants of America’s “mother road.”

“For our route network, this is a critical link through areas where we have no routes, such as Oklahoma,” says Adventure Cycling routes and mapping Director Carla majernik.

Established in 1926 (though far from entirely paved at the time), route 66 led a parade of Dust bowl migrants and vacationers along a stretch of some 2,450 miles, from the upper midwest through the great Southwest. The route encountered such major cities as St. louis, Oklahoma City, and Santa Fe, and linked a host of smaller communities as well, which burgeoned in the wake of a fresh stream of motorcar travelers.

Those smaller towns — largely bypassed today by the interstates that replaced route 66 — will be an important feature of bicycle route 66. They are precisely what touring cyclists are looking for as they strive to connect with land-scapes, history, and locals.

Endurance rider and race Across America (rAAm) co-founder lon Haldeman is an expe-rienced route 66 bicycle-tour leader who generously provided his route notes to aid in our research. majernik explained, however, that

we won’t be following Haldeman’s cue sheets exclusively. “lon’s trips take in certain route 66 attractions that are accessed by unpaved roads,” she says. “He can do that because his trips are supported. we’re planning this as a paved route for self-contained travelers so it won’t include unpaved sections.”

u.S. 66 was officially removed from the united States Highway System in 1985, a vic-tim of the Interstate Highway System. with the 2014 release of maps for bicycle route 66, we hope to see scores of travelers returning to the historic highway, this time aboard non-motorized machines.

MISS IDAHO 2011A chance LTC connection results in a terrific representative for cycling

A posting on Adventure Cycling’s Facebook page earlier this year grabbed our attention and held it. “Genevieve Nutting, miss Idaho 2011, was born of the Adventure Cycling family,” the post began. “Her mom and dad met while attending a bikecentennial leadership Training Course (lTC) and have led multiple cycling trips for bikecentennial/Adventure Cycling. when she was two years old, Genny toured from Spokane, washington, to mexico in the back of a burley bike trailer. 22 years later, she continues to be an active outdoor enthusiast and enjoys cycling, running, rock climbing, snowboarding, hiking, camp-

ing, and more. She is also very active in her community and, in particular, is a strong sup-porter of the Girl Scouts.”

This info was posted by Genny’s father, Todd Nutting, of boise, and when waypoints caught up with him, he told us that he and his wife, mary beth (née Hughes), met at a 1988 lTC course in Sangraal-by-the-Sea, virginia, where Todd was an advisor and mary beth a participant. “In addition to instructing at two of the lTCs,” Todd wrote, “I have led the Northern Tier, Glacier-waterton loop, and the New Englander trip. mary beth led a Glacier-waterton loop.

“bikecentennial Art Director Greg Siple designed the birth

announcement for Genny,” Todd added. For more informa-tion about Genevieve and her enthusiastic platform, check out her blog at genevieve nutting.blogspot.com.

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Let’s face it. how we use loaded-tour-ing bikes (LTBs) has evolved from the 1970s, when you installed a rear

rack on your trusty 40-pound Schwinn (didn’t they all come with a rack anyway?) and loaded it to the sky with baskets and bungee cords. Not to mention balance-defying backpacks designed for walking. Now we consumers demand a wide array of specialized bikes. Good if you have $1,000 or more to spend, bad if you’re on a tight budget. While every imaginable type of bike exists (I could name seven without diving into sub genres), the availability of stock, factory-made bikes suitable for loaded touring has shrunk. Yes, if you use a trailer, your selection greatly expands, with a “light” touring model (not to be confused with the bike being super light weight) serving quite well. for we old fashion tour-ists, who think panniers provide the ideal system, except in some circumstances (for which I’m sure to get passionate, logical arguments for trailers), I’ll concentrate on LTBs for this article. If you wish to weigh the pros-cons of trailers, you can dig into Adventure Cyclist’s publications archive (adventurecycling.org/library) to find pre-vious articles on this very topic.

So the primary challenge these days is to:A: find an appropriate bike in stock

(possible in some urban areas, if you look diligently) that you can take out for at least an hour and put through its paces.

Or more likely…B: find a few “light” touring bikes that

fit you well so you can get an idea of what features and qualities you want to concen-trate on before ordering an LTB, which, typically, you have to buy before ship-ment, with a no-refund policy. Even if you can return it, it’s likely you’ll face a hefty reshipping/restocking fee.

Before you begin looking for the perfect LTB (if there is such a thing), ask yourself “how much am I going to use the bike for

loaded touring?” If the answer is “not very often,” then the range of bikes that will fit your needs expands to include many mountain bikes, hybrids, commuting, and light touring bikes. This article is focused on “conventional” LTBs, but can still be used to select a multi-purpose work horse. Adventure Cyclist will cover non-standard diamond-frame bikes in the June issue, so I’ll put these aside for now. But don’t get me wrong, my wife and I owned a recumbent tandem for years, so we have experienced the joy that a machine like this can bring.

If you live within a day’s ride of a bicycle shop (arriving under your own power gives you street credibility), spend time talking with anyone on the staff who has toured. Stay away from department stores, sporting good stores, or anywhere that carries only one brand or that doesn’t have a full-service mechanic. Of the many things you take on the road, the backup you’ll need from a well-regarded bike shop is invaluable. Not only can they help you find the best touring bike for you and ensure you’ve got all the proper tools before sending you on your way, they can serve as your remote road-side assistance if you need a part shipped to (or near) an inevitable breakdown.

Assuming you already own an LTB, you’ve already begun the process of find-

ing a new one by having a well-researched data point — your current steed! But by all means, riding a few light touring bikes will give you great insights on whether one will work for you. If not, it gives you multiple data points to extrapolate from as to which LTB is worth purchasing. One of the first questions you need to ask is “what is my budget?” factory bicycles suited for fully-loaded touring can be had for roughly $1,000 to $2,000, with very few offered below the $1,000 mark. If you can’t afford that, a light touring bike might be had for $500. If you’re out for a custom hand-built touring bike, a minimum of $3,500 can be spent before you can say “What have I gotten myself into?”

Design qualities of a good LTBI’ve ridden many a mile on my 16-year-old

Trek carbon fiber Y-22 mountain bike, and while I’ve done light-duty touring on the San Juan hut System from Telluride to Moab, I wouldn’t recommend carbon fiber for any fully-loaded touring beyond civilization (i.e. bike shops and hospitals). Given this is the extent of my mountain-bike–touring expo-sure, I’ll narrow our search to road bikes.

Much has been said in the past about frame dimensions and the importance of a properly relaxed geometry to give the rider the stability needed to cruise for many

Touring Bike Buyer’s Guidehow do I find the loaded-touring bike that’s right for me?

by John wider

Tout Terrainpanamericano

hours a day. The steeper, short-wheel–base geometry of a typical road racing bike is highly responsive to a rider’s need to jostle in the pack and for an agile response to a high torque, high speed, rocking (literally and figuratively) sprint. A LTB is not opti-mized for acceleration or lateral responsive-ness but for a naturally steady ride. One cautionary note is that the rider must look further ahead for potholes or cars to avoid, given the touring bike won’t change direc-tion as quickly as a racing bike.

As for specs, bicycle company websites can be a great resource. But rather than dwelling on technical minutia, get out there and try several bikes, including racing or sport bikes (it can be a sub $1,000 model) for the sake of getting the feel for what you do and don’t want in a LTB. Before I get too far down the road about what to look for in a good ride, let’s back up half a wheel revolution and think about our future bike from a designer’s point of view.

10 Designers = 200 OpinionsEven most custom bikes will hit the road

with many voices having influenced their designs, hopefully yours being one of them. Imagine for a moment that you were given a seat at the proverbial drawing board with nine renowned designers. Let’s walk through some of the key design areas in order to consider a variety of options. Remember, imagination is a wonderful thing, but cold hard logic is what will keep you on the move when far from civilization.

frame size. A well-fitted $1,000 bike will serve you better than a misfitted $2,000 ride. Although most fit-kits seek the best race-oriented fitting, a mechanic well versed in the needs of a tourist should be able to optimize your fit for just that purpose. A crude approximation is that your inseam should be two inches longer than the height of the top tube for road bikes. Old-school thinking was one inch of clearance, but this measure-ment has lately been sensibly increased. Straddling the top tube’s midpoint, pick up the bike as high as you can, with front and rear wheels approximately the same height above the ground. have someone measure the height of the wheels. Even if the average is three inches, go ahead and try this small size just to see how if feels compared with other bikes you’re trying out. Make sure the seat and handle bars are adjustable with sufficient travel so that you don’t have to excessively stretch to grasp all hand positions on the handlebars.

frame geometry. Many writers go on and on about geometry. I prefer to save my long-windedness for other topics (as you’ll soon read). The main consideration for those with big feet is to ensure there is clear-ance from both the front wheel and both sets of panniers. If you wish to research further, head back to the archive for past “Cyclesense” articles and buyer’s guides (adventurecycling.org/features/ buyersguide.cfm). You can also help out the researchers at the Bike Geometry Project (home.comcast.net/~pinnah/dirtbag-bikes/geometry-project.html) who are doing some interesting things in this regard.

frame material. The gang of 10 have weighed in. Steel, aluminum, titanium, and carbon fiber, in that order. Steel is an afford-able material that if maintained properly is less likely to fail catastrophically without warning when put under excessive stress, such as hitting a large pothole. And, yes, it is also more serviceable abroad. Weight is a sec-ondary consideration given the need to sup-port a heavy load. When considering weight, keep in mind that you should concentrate on your load and your body. But going over-board in any of these categories can get you into trouble. Loaded touring should allow you to enjoy your surroundings, not shave minutes off an eight-hour touring day and miss the beauty around you.

Life on the road is about more than your frame.

A frame is just one aspect of a bike, and a bike also needs maintenance and repair. More of the former results in less of the latter, but both should be factors in your bicycle purchase decisions. If your brain is race-dominated, rewash it and start fresh. Rather than getting from Point A to Point B in the minimum amount of time, with mechanical breakdowns being a nuisance, your mindset should expand to embrace the maximum enjoyment between A and B. You’ll be pleasantly surprised that you don’t have to trade off much speed for peace of mind and panniers full of adventure.

This is as good a time as any to intro-duce the concept of “borrowed” rides. Even if you’re fortunate enough to find a touring bike that you can take for a pre-purchase trial, borrowing a friend’s bike for a long day ride allows voices to speak to your needs more directly than gather-ing touring experts in a room. Encompass as many aspects of your tour as possible. Mountains? Ride mountains. Rough roads (with construction you may get more than you bargained for)? Ride those too.

wheels. These are the most failure prone components of a heavily-loaded touring bike. When riding in most of the developed world, 700C or 26-inch wheels are the most easily replaceable. Replaceble? Plan for it and it is less likely to be needed. 36-spoke wheels (32 minimum) with three-cross lac-ing (each spoke crosses three other spokes) provide maximum carrying capacity. Beefy rims with a box construction also reduce your chances of a seriously warped wheel after pothole diving. What am I giving up with this slow-me-down package you ask? for touring, nothing at all. If you’re a track-racer, where acceleration is king, every

Kona Sutra

Tout Terrainpanamericano

online extras: Need more tips and inspiration for your tour? Michelle Cassel and Ryan McAfee of America ByCycle are contributing four online exclusives this month to our blog. Read them on Tuesdays in April via this quick link: adventurecycling.org/onlineextras.


Lightweight, Easy to Use, Aff ordable. No matter the adventure, Celestron’s handheld devices will enhance your experience without weighing you down.

TrekGuide – Advanced digital compass with barometer, altitude and temperature readings for Under $35

WindGuide – Obtain live wind speed, wind chill and temperature readings for Under $35

reTrace Deluxe – Personal GPS navigation device that stores trail data for uploading to a PC for Under $100, and check out reTrace Lite for under $60

Learn more about Celestron’s Handheld devices by scanning the QR code with your smart phone or

visit www.celestron.com/handheld

YOUR ADVENTURE STARTS HERETrekGuideTM WindGuideTM reTraceTM Deluxe

extra ounce in the wheels slows you down as much as two ounces elsewhere due to a rotational property called moment of inertia. for steady speeds while touring, accelera-tion is minimal, so this property is not really a factor. A final bit of good news is that the extra stiffness will give you better handling and energy transfer (less flexing) than an expensive feather-light wheel. And make sure the wheels you buy have all spokes tensioned well and trued. Once the wheel is true, if some spokes are tensioned too loosely or too tightly, insist on a replacement wheel at no extra charge. Your life depends on it, so depend on your shop to make it right.

tires. As for where the rubber meets the road, tires should have the same beefy qualities as the wheels they go on. Seat stays, rims, and brakes that accommo-date wide tires are the primary consid-eration. how wide? It depends on what surfaces you’ll be riding and, you guessed it, your personal preferences. here we’ll focus on 700C tires, since 26-inch wheels are best kept for trails. While light touring on smooth roads, you can get away with 25-millimeter tires. Tackling rough roads with big loads? 35 millimeters should be your minimum. As with wheels, saving

weight should not enter into the equation. Beefier tires not only save you money and give you superior handling quality, they are less prone to flats. And keep a close eye on the rear tire. It wears faster and is often covered from sight by fenders and gear.

When it comes to velocity change, most people gravitate toward acceleration. Given how much momentum has to be brought to a stop, the the focus should be on decelera-tion. So how do you best stop your big rig? With highly-leveraged, dependable brakes.

Many prefer the tried-and-true cantilever type. While I’ve only ridden a few days with disc brakes, I was instantly drawn to their superior stopping power. Many people will speak about the pros and cons, with the most apparent drawback being susceptibility to damage, though these brakes are getting to be nearly bullet-proof these days. No matter what kind of rim brakes you use, if you’re descending steep mountains, you should stop periodically to check how hot the rims have become.

Devinci Caribou


SYNCRO 10MULTI-SPORT / CYCLING / VENTILATED BACKPANEL

ospreypacks.com

PHOTO CREDIT / Ben Knight

SEE SYNCRO IN ACTION

Otherwise, you’re in for a not-so-nice sur-prise when the tire pressure becomes too high and the tire too pliable. fortunately for this author, the load wasn’t too heavy when his tire blew, and surprise, he sur-vived with only a small scar.

What about the creature comforts?We handful of imaginary bike design-

ers could go on and on about things such as drop handlebars giving your hands so many more pressure-relieving options than almost any other handlebar configuration. But alas, we’ve spent so much time talk-ing about things critical to a safe journey, that you’ll have to scour other articles in Adventure Cyclist to pull out comfort-relat-ed tips. But hey, if you read this magazine, you’ll know the biggest challenge to get-ting (and staying) on the road is getting the fundamentals right. So get out there and do what it takes to make the right purchase so you can finally hit the open road!

John Wider is a 53-year-old spacecraft engineer living in the Los Angeles area, which he claims is more bike friendly than most people think, especially paths near the beaches. He has owned almost every kind of bike there is, racking up over 80,000 miles, with most of those on his 1996 Trek 520.


We’ve tried to limit this table to true touring bikes and light tour-ers only — not bikes that might make good touring bikes. Many of the bikes in this table come in several configurations, including

custom versions, with varying costs associated. No prices reflect shipping costs.

touring bikes for your consideration

611 bicycle company Handmade Touring model ($2275 and up). sixeleven bicycleco.com, 540-929-0611.

ahearne cycles Custom Touring model ($750 de-posit). ahearnecycles.com, 503-473-2102.

bianchi volpe ($1200). bianchiusa.com/bikes/road/steel/volpe, 510-264-1001.

bilenky cycle works Steel midlands ($3700 and up); S&S coupled Travel versions ($3850 an up); Tourlite ($3545 and up). bilenky.com, 215-329-4744.

boocycles boo T (bamboo with integrated rear rack: $3215 and up). boocycles.com, 515-554-9226.

bowen bicycle works Custom Touring frame, fork, headset ($2195). bowen-bicycles.com/TOurING.html#, 860-836-9765.

brodie Elan ($1649); Argus ($1299). brodiebikes.com/2012/bikes/speed.php, 604-325-2033.

bruce gordon Hand-built 700C rock ‘n road Tour and 26-inch Tour-Ex ($2999; with racks $3349; frame & fork $1600); and the factory-made blT – basic loaded Touring (fully loaded $1725; basic $750; frame & fork $500). bgcycles.com, 707-762-5601.

co-motion cycles 700C Americano ($3845); Americano rohloff with Gates ($5200); 26-inch pangea $(3845); pangea rohloff with Gates ($5200); 29er Divide ($3925); Cascadia ($3845). co-motion.com, 866-282-6336.

cyfac replica ($2600 and up); randoNerv ($2600 and up); vintage ($3500 and up); Integraal ($4800 and up); Custom Horizon

($11000 and up). Custom available for all models. cyfac.fr, +33 (0)2 47 24 67 42.

dawes cycles offers a line of nine touring models from the £599 vantage to £1799 ultra Galaxy. dawescycles.com.

devinci Caribou 1 & 2 ($949 & $1549). devinci.com, 888-338-4624.

ellis cycles lugged Tour/randonneur ($3,400 and up). elliscycles.com, 262-442-6639.

fuji Touring model ($1119). fujibikes.com/bike/details/touring5, 800-631-8474.

gilles berthoud Highly-customizable 26-inch and 700C steel touring bikes (€1875 and up): www.gilles berthoud.fr (English also), +33 03 85 51 46 51.

gt peace Tour ($850). gtbicycles.com/peace-Tour, 800-843-2453.

gunnar bikes rock Tour, a 26-inch mountain bike designed for loaded touring and the Grand Tour, a tra-ditional 700C touring (both $1025 and up). gunnar bikes.com, 262-534-4190.

Hewitt Cheviot (£425); Cheviot SE (£625); Gram-pian (£899). All models frame & fork. rohloff avail-able. hewittbikefitting.co.uk, +44 01772 424773.

idworx bikes A variety of trekking bikes with rohloff hubs and Gates belt drives, including the Easy rohler, Off rohler, and Easy Tirohler ($3400 and up). idworx-bikes.de, +49 228 184700. Site in German.

independent fabrication Independence touring and the Club racer light-touring frame sets (steel $2295; titanium $4095). www.ifbikes.com, 603-292-5673.

innerlight cycles Hand-crafted Touring H1 and 26” H2 (Click on Options for price list). innerlightcycles.com/hybrid.htm, 530-795-3454.

ira ryan cycles Touring model (custom only: $2300 and up) iraryancycles.com/bikes/tour, 503-810-2504.

Jamis bicycles offers three touring bikes with chromoly frames including the classic Aurora ($950,), the Aurora Elite ($1600), and cyclo-cross-inspired bosanova ($1275). www.jamisbikes.com, 800-222-0570.

kona Sutra ($1499), a steel tourer with mechanical disc brakes. konaworld.com, 360-366-0951.

kross Trans Sander, Trans Arctica, Trans pacific, and Trans Global (all models 1519 plN and up). kross.pl, 029 722 44 45.

littleford custom bicycles Standard Tourer ($3220); Classic Tourer ($3990); urban utility ($4725); Sport Tourer ($5025); randon-neur ($5150); Expedition rig ($5495). many options available including frame sets. littlefordbicycles.com, 503-922-1934.

lpy cycles Touring Frame and fork (£350). www.lpycycles.com.

marioni Tourismo ($875/$1000); Tourismo Extreme ($925/$1050). marinoni.qc.ca/html/Touring.html, 450-471-7133.

mariposa Touring and randonneur frame and fork (Custom only: $1950). mariposabicycles.com, 416-423-0456.

mitch pryor bicycles (map) Custom touring frameset ($3000 and up). mapbicycles.com, 503-285-0446.

moots vamoots (various configurations: $3195 and up). moots.com, 970-879-1676.

motobecane Gran Tour-ismo ($800). bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/gran_turismo.htm.

mt. airy bicycles Carries many hard-to-find and clas-sic touring models. They have access to the remain-ing Koga miyata touring models. www.bike123.com, 301-831-5151.

naked bicycles Hand-crafted Grand Adventure models basic ($1595); Americano ($2495); Globe-trotter ($2295; Stainless: $3295); Deutsche (rohloff: $3995). Custom also avail-able. timetogetnaked.com, 250-285-3181.

nashbar Double-butted Aluminum Touring Frame ($99-$199). nashbar.com, 877-688-8600.

novara by rEI Safari ($899), randonee ($1199), and light touring verita (1199). rei.com/novara, 800-426-4840.

pake C’mute frame ($260). pakebikes.com/product/F8EF09/C’mute+Frame.Opus Touring; legato, largo (pNA). opusbike.com/en/bikes-5-road.html.

pashley cycles offers the ultra-classic Clubman Coun-try ($2,695). britishbicycle.com, pashley.co.uk, +44 01789 292 263.

pereira cycles Touring and randonneuring bikes (frame & fork: $2700; complete bike: $3900). www.pereira-cycles.com, 503-333-5043.

peter mooney cycles/belmont wheelworks Touring and randonneur models ($2650 and up). peter-mooney.com, 617-489-3577.

raleigh bicycles Sojourn ($1200) and the port Townsend ($850): www.raleighusa.com, 800-222-5527. rando cycles basic (€999), the Camper (€1999), the Globe-Trotter (€2999), the Tourer (€1999), and the voyager (€3999): rando- cycles.fr (click on liste des valor), +33 01 43 41 18 10. Site in French.

raleigh bicycles Sojourn ($1200) and the port Townsend ($850): www.raleighusa.com, 800-222-5527.

ridgeback bikes pan-orama (£1249); Journey (£1149); and voyage (£849). ridgeback.co.uk.

rivendell bicycle works Atlantis (frame, fork, and headset $2000), Hunqapil-lar, a touring-trail bike (frame, fork and headset $1800); custom touring frames ($3,500 and up). rivbike.com, 800-345-3918.

roberts cycles offers the Clubman (£995), Transcon-tinental (£1050), Cumbria (NA), roughstuff (£1100), and women’s Compact Tour (£995). robertscycles.com, +44 (0)20-8684 3370.

rodriguez bicycles Adventure ($1,899 and up); S&S-equipped ($2,699 and up); the willie weir co-designed uTb (ultimate Touring bike from $2,099); Custom models with rohloff ($3999 and up). rodcycle.com, 206-527-4822.

salsa vaya TI complete bike ($2999); TI frameset ($1999); vaya 2 (complete: $1699; vaya 3 complete: ($1350); vaya 2/3 frameset: ($599); 29er Fargo (titanium complete: $3299; titanium frameset: $1999). Fargo 2 (complete: $1749; frameset $599); Fargo 3 (complete:

* pna = price not available at press time


$1399; frameset: $599); Casseroll (complete: $1199; frame/fork/front rack: $599). salsacycles.com, 877-668-6223.

santos Travelmaster ($1549 to $3399); Trekking ($1639 to $3399), Trekking Comfort ($1999 to $3699), Trekking lite ($1749 to $3599), and Travel lite ($3299). santosbikes.com, +31(0)252 426123.

seven cycles Expat; Ex-pat S; Expat Sl (frame only $2095; $2795; $3595): sevencycles.com, 617-923-7774.

soma fabrications Heavy duty Saga Touring (frame and fork $500), and the Tradesman Cargo front loading frame ($699): somafab.com.

spectrum Steel and titanium custom touring bikes ($2850 and up). spectrum-cycles.com, 610-398-1986.

steelman cycles Steel custom touring bikes ($2750 and up). steel-mancycles.com, 650-364-3939.

surly long-Haul Trucker (lHT frame: $469, bike $1275; Deluxe frame $849) and the 26” Troll (frame: $430, bike: $1399). surlybikes.com, 877-743-3191.

sycip 26” or 700C steel Touring roadster (produc-tion and custom models: $1295 and up): sycip.com, 707-542-6359.

terry bicycles valkyrie Tour (hand built by wa-terford precision $3500). terrybicycles.com, 800-289-8379.

thorn cycles Expedition Nomad (£2099 and up); raven (£1949 and up); Sherpa (£1330 and up). rohloff hubs and Gates drives available. All bikes can be completely outfitted. pDFs online loaded with information on all models. thorncycles.co.uk.

tout terrain Full-sus-pension panamericana (€3890 and up); Grand route (€2790 and up); Silkroad (€1990 and up). en.tout-terrain.de, +49 761 20551000.

trek 520 ($1,479.99). www.trekbikes.com, 800-879-8735.

true north cycles 26”, 700C, or 650b models from expedition to light touring; many options available ($1500 and up). truenorthcycles.com, 519-585-0600.

vanilla bicycles Touring and randonee models. wait time currently over 5 years. www.vanillabicycles.com, 503-233-2453.

velosmith Jota ($A6360), Cyclotouriste ($A4650), and Great Southern ($A4650). Custom also. Available in Australia only. velosmith.com.au, +61 (0)3 6266 4582.

velotraum Konzept (€1300 and up). velo-traum.de/system/velotraum-konzept, telefax: (07033) 81505. Site in German.

waterford cycles T-14 and T-22 Adventure Cycle models (all bike custom built, check for pricing). waterfordbikes.com, 262-534-4190.

windsor bicycles offers the steel touring bike, the Tourist ($1,495): windsor bicycles.com.

note: The June issue of Adventure Cyclist will cov-er non-standard bicycles and will contain a table of tandems, recumbents, fold-ing bikes, and more.

BIKE FRIDAY800-777-0258 // BikeFriday.com

Reflecting on 20 years of touring memories

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A twO-wHeeledgAP yeAr fOrgrOwn uPswe All knOw tHAt feeling — A twO-week CyCling tOur is winding dOwn And it’s BACk tO tHe grindstOne. tHe freedOM And siMPliCity Of Bike tOuring COMes tO A CrAsHing HAlt, And suddenly...

Story and photos by Amaya Williams


... you’re overwhelmed by an onslaught of emails, deadlines, and meetings.

“Why can’t I just keep on pedaling?” you ask yourself.

Well I’ve got good news for you. You probably can.

Round-the-world touring is all the rage. Since 2006, when my husband and I began our ongoing global bike tour, we’ve crossed paths with students and seniors, construc-tion workers and consultants, couples with toddlers in tow and bankers between jobs. All were enjoying the freedom of an extended two-wheeled adventure.

In part the Internet is responsible for the growing number of cycling enthusiasts crossing continents. Much of the mystery of how to manage an extended leave from “real life” has been dispelled as cyclists blog about their adventures and share practical tips on everything from how to plan a route across Asia to the art of wild camping.

Tales from Alastair humphreys, a young Brit who completed his 46,000-mile round-the-world tour in 2005, convinced me that I too might have a shot at pulling off a long-distance bike tour.

Now I’d like to convince you — whether you’re an absolute beginner to bicycle tour-ing (as I was) or a lifelong cyclist — that you can do it too.

Setting off to cycle around the world may sound daunting, but I assure you it’s within reach for most individuals. Sure, there’ll be sacrifices. But for those who dare to take the plunge, a multi-month cycling tour offers an unforgettable adventure that will be physically demanding, mentally challenging, and immensely rewarding.

Although all the nitty-gritty details of a round-the-world trip are beyond the scope of this article, I’d like to touch on some of the basics of long-distance touring abroad. I won’t talk too much about gear-related issues as this information is widely avail-able on the Internet. Instead, I’d like to focus on a few broad concerns.

step 1: Commit and set a departure date. This first step is crucial. Without a firm goal in mind, your bicycle dream is likely to get shoved off further and further into the future until you suddenly realize you’re too old, too busy, or have too many commitments.

The perfect moment to take a break

from “real life” and go cycle touring rarely presents itself. If you know in your heart that a world tour is something you’d like to accomplish, set the project in motion now.

step 2: Start saving and budgeting for your bike tour. Most people are curious about how we managed to save enough money to be able to quit our jobs and embark on a multi-year cycling tour. There’s no big mystery to it: we lived sim-ply and saved.

Being frugal is no longer something shameful. In fact, given the current eco-nomic situation, living below your means is quite fashionable.

If you can slash big-ticket items such as rent or mortgage payments, savings will grow more quickly. Canadians karen and Michael (twowheeledwanderers.ca) moved in with his mother for almost a year in order to boost savings by eliminating rent expenses. Sheila Poettgen and kai forlie (2cycle2gether.com) re-evaluated their pri-orities and designed their own economical Tiny house. Nancy Vogel and family (fami-lyonbikes.org) rented out their mortgage-free home in Idaho to help finance their South America tour. When Scott Mullins (powercycle.net) found himself out of work in florida, he wasn’t yet tied down to a mortgage and could easily slip off on a round-the-world tour.

Our trick was to discipline ourselves to live on one paycheck instead of two.

Budgeting: How much is enough?how much you need to save depends on

how you want to live while touring. Are you comfortable stealth camping and self-catering or is your idea of fun a cozy bed and breakfast, dinner on the terrace, and wine tasting in the afternoon?

If you’re traveling with a partner, be brutally honest with each other about your needs, expectations, and budget limitations before you set off.

Some cyclists (usually solo guys under 30) manage to scrape by on around $10 per day. Most cyclists prefer to upgrade from ramen noodles and camping out behind gravel pits to a few comforts and occasional pleasures.

In our first five years of travel — between 2006 and 2011 — our total expen-diture was around $50,000. Total expendi-

ture. That includes the initial purchase of high-quality touring bikes, tent and gear, computers, cameras, electronic gadgets, air-line tickets, insurance, health-care costs, food, clothing, and accommodation.

That amount of money is less than the average U.S. family makes in one year. We spent that amount over five years, travel-ing through almost 80 countries on five continents.

Most couples find that $15,000 to $20,000 is enough to cover the entire cost of a year-long bicycle tour, depending on where they travel. Solo travelers can prob-ably tour comfortably for 12 months on around $9,000 to $12,000.

step 3: Get geared up. A snapped frame or a busted rim is the last thing you want when you’re stranded on some high moun-tain pass miles from civilization.

If you’re planning a long tour, it’s prob-ably worth it to invest in a quality touring bike. Touring bikes are specially designed to support the extra weight and stress of heavy baggage. Mountain bikes are not.

Despite over 60,000 miles of wear and tear, my sturdy koga Miyata World Traveler is still going strong. Although the $3,000 price tag seemed steep initially, the invest-ment in a dependable touring bike was one of the best decisions of the trip. (Check out the Buyer’s Guide on page 10 for tips on finding the right bike for your ride.)

Many long-distance cyclists we meet confess to having spent far too much time fretting over the best water bottles to buy or which travel pillow to purchase. Although it’s important to equip yourself with quality gear — stuff that will keep you warm and dry, and won’t fail after the first 1,000 miles — there is no need to get the latest ultra-light, super high-tech, insanely- expensive equipment.

The bottom line: keep it simple. Invest in quality gear that will hold up through-out the tour but don’t get sidetracked by all the bells and whistles.

step 4: Outline a route. If you haven’t traveled much beyond the borders of the U.S., planning a route in some far-flung region of the world might seem over-whelming. It needn’t be.

Intrepid adventurers have been criss-crossing the planet by bicycle since Thomas

tip #1: Get travel health insurance. why take chances? For $70 each per month, we’re covered for everything from minor illness to repatriation in the case of a major medical emergency. The cost and benefits of travel insurance vary greatly; this is one area in which it pays to research your options.

tip #2: Find the right partner (and maybe that means going solo). Nothing will ruin a tour quicker than an incompat-ible touring partner. Can you really func-tion with another human being by your side 24–7?

There are some notable excep-tions (the teams from revolutioncycle.ie, ridingthespine.com, and cyclingsilk.com), but the fact is few friendships can withstand the strain of bicycle tour-ing. Couples usually fare better, but I can think of more than one big breakup brought on by a bicycle tour.

Give your relationship with your poten-tial partner a serious assessment before committing to a major bike tour. Do you work well together as a team? Are your individual strengths complementary? Are your physical abilities evenly matched? How does your partner handle stressful situations? Can you laugh together? Do you have the same touring rhythm in mind?

tip #3: Balance out cycling with other activities. It’s surprisingly easy to get burned out on bicycle touring. Cycling sud-denly loses its zing, and you might as well be back behind a desk.

we all need mental stimulation. Cyclists develop many strategies to stay sane and balanced on the road. many plan their tour around a theme or project. mel and Kate (cyclingsilk.com) explored environmen-tal conservation as they cycled the Silk road. Anna and Dave (permacyclists.com) took a look at permaculture in Africa, and peter Gostelow (thebigafricacycle.com) gives presentations at schools as he rides through Africa.

tip #4: Ride your ride and nobody else’s. I spent the better part of four years being down on myself for not being as hard core as certain cyclists. I’d berate myself for wanting to call it quits after six hours in the saddle instead of 10, longing for a hot

shower instead of a quick dip in a river, or throwing in the towel and hopping on a truck when the headwinds in patagonia became unbearable.

Finally, I realized I was chasing some-body else’s dreams. Attempting to mold myself into a hard-core adventurer would never bring me happiness. Finding the

right rhythm, your personal right rhythm, is the key to staying happy on a bicycle tour. Some go slowly while others race around the world. One’s no better than the other.

tip #5: Embrace hospitality networks. Not only are free hospitality networks, such as couchscurfing.org and warmshowers.org, a great way to stretch the budget, they’re one of the best ways to get to know a culture and better understand your surroundings. Some of my fondest tour memories come from the time we’ve spent with the 200 families who have hosted us everywhere from Nicaragua to Namibia.

tip #6: Slow down. Although you may have no problem knocking off back-to-back hundred-mile days at home, cycling abroad is usually better suited to a more leisurely pace. One of the greatest joys of cycle touring is being able to stop and chat with the locals when the mood hits you, wandering through a market you stumbled across, or silently meditating on the great natural beauty that surrounds you.

being constantly on the go, and expos-ing yourself to novel environments can be stressful in itself, and adding ambitious dis-tance goals can spell disaster. Slow down and allow yourself to soak it all in.

bicycle touring isn’t non-stop fun and adventure. There will be days when

you’re bored out of your brains, exhausted beyond belief, or just plain fed up with life on the road. Accept this and you’ll be bet-ter equipped to soldier on when the going gets rough.

tip #7: Understand the basics of bike maintenance and repairs. Although you

don’t need to be an ex-bike mechanic to keep your machine running smoothly, you should be able to execute some basic repairs. A simple youTube search will turn up scores of informative vid-eos detailing everything from repairing a flat to replacing the bottom bracket. Other solid resources include biketutor.com, the Park Tool Big Blue Book of Bike Repair and The Bicycling Guide to Complete Bicycle Maintenance and Repair by Todd Downs.

Don’t worry about mastering all the ins and outs of your bicycle. In develop-ing countries, you’ll discover amazingly

inventive locals who are able to fashion ingenious solutions to any problem from a broken bike rack to a snapped frame.

tip #8: Learn a little of the local lan-guage. I firmly believe it’s possible to cycle through any country on the planet without speaking the local language. Sign language will cover most basic needs such as eating, sleeping, and quenching your thirst. more complex ideas (“I don’t eat meat” or “where is the bank?”) can be communicated by pointing to a sentence in a phrasebook.

but by learning the local language, even a few words, you’ll have a much richer experience. languages are far easier — and cheaper — to learn during an intense, in-country, full-immersion course. whether you decide to spend two weeks at lake Atitlan, Guatemala, honing your Spanish or a month getting a handle on Chinese in yangshuo, the time spent will provide big payoffs during your bicycle tour.

tip #9: Plan ahead for your re-entry. One day, your bike tour will come to a close, and you’ll want to be prepared. At first, you may feel a bit blue after all the excitement of visiting new countries and seeing the world slowly change as you cycle by. with time, most people readjust to the world they left behind.

9 tips: Things we’ve learned along the way

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Stevens circled the globe by bike way back in 1886. Today, many cyclists use historic routes established in the days of Marco Polo, even before bicycles were invented.

Asia LightA favorite for first-timers is Southeast

Asia. In six months, you could eas-ily bike around Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and even take in a bit of southern China. Sure, there’s the tropical heat to contend with, but you can always head to the interior highlands to cool off. Cyclists flock to this part of the world for the excellent cuisine, cheap and ubiquitous accommodation, varied terrain, and fasci-nating cultural sites.

The Pan-American HighwayIf you can carve away a larger slice of

time for your tour, riding the entire length of the Americas is within reach. Set off from above the Arctic Circle at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, in June and arrive in Ushuaia, Argentina — the southernmost city in the world — 18 months later in December at the height of the South American sum-mer. You’ll have gotten a taste of some 22 countries, survived a few bear encounters on Canada’s Cassiar highway, experienced

Bolivia’s desolate altiplano, conquered high Andean passes, and surely found yourself awestruck at the stunning landscapes of Patagonia.

If you want to save on airfare or are short on time, set off from home and start cycling south.

African AdventureAfrica was the first continent we toured

by bicycle, and it will always remain my favorite. It’s a place where you can expe-rience solitude and silence like nowhere else on the planet. You’ll have the privilege

of meeting some of the warmest people on earth and riding through landscapes that range from dense tropical rain for-est, wide-open savannah, and wind-swept deserts, to rolling hills covered in forests of eucalyptus. The 12,000-kilometer ride from Cairo to Cape Town is the continent’s most popular route. An adventurous spirit is an absolute must on this nine-month trip.

Crossing Continents: EurasiaWhy not build up your strength and

confidence in Europe where things are

A DV E N T U R E C Y C L I S T AP R I L 2 0 1 2 A DV E N T U R E C Y C L I N G. O R G 19

the masked cyclist. Williams’ husband Eric Schambion battles extreme conditions.


fairly familiar, before heading to Asia and a clash with culture shock? If you can finagle a year away from the desk, Britain to Bangkok or Paris to Peking enters the realm of possibility.

Trundle through quaint European villag-es before facing the rigors of cycling Central Asia. After conquering the Pamir, prov-ing to yourself you can tough it out along desolate sections of rough road, you’ll be rewarded with the easy life as you complete your tour in Thailand or China feasting on some of the best food on the planet.

Route options are boundless, but a cross-continent trip is generally done in around six to 12 months, covering between 9,000 and 12,000 miles and around 25 countries.

Which route is best for you?Just as there is no single best touring

bike, there is no single best bike-touring route. Each region has its highlights and challenges and will appeal to different types of cyclists.

Things you’ll want to keep in mind when choosing a route are:

• Airfare cost. Sure, Southeast Asia is cheap once you get there, but $2,000 saved

on airfare could go a long way on a trip through Europe if you can pick up a $500 round-trip flight to London.

• Seasonal climate conditions. Yes, there’s the odd cyclist who enjoys the chal-lenge of taking on Tibet in the dead of win-ter or cycling Thailand during the typhoon season, but most of us prefer more moder-ate weather. Check out climate-charts.com for detailed information.

• Type of terrain conditions. Do you enjoy rugged mountain passes, lonely des-erts, and remote roads? Or are tamer spots with smooth highways leading to notable places of interest and a comfortable hotel at the end of the day more your speed? Some cyclists thrive on constant physical challenge whereas others embrace a gentler adventure. One isn’t more legitimate than the other, so listen to your body and choose the level of challenge that suits you.

• Ability to communicate. If you speak Spanish or are keen to learn, South America is an obvious choice. Asian languages are notoriously hard to pick up, so you’ll more likely rely on non-verbal communica-

tion or end up speaking only with locals who know some English. In East Africa, you’ll find plenty of English speakers, but head over to West and Central Africa, and french is much more widely spoken and will be more useful.


• Potential for hassles. Although the world is hardly the dangerous place fear-mongers make it out to be, there can be an unpleasant side to bicycle touring. Visas for Central Asia are notoriously hard to obtain,

it isn’t unknown for African officials to attempt to wheedle a bribe out of a bicyclist, and on occasion riders are robbed on remote routes in Central and South America. Are you prepared to deal with these risks?

step 5: Get a handle on health, bank-ing, blogging, and bureaucracy. Getting the right vaccinations, learning how to access bank accounts while you’re abroad, setting up travel insurance, starting a blog, and arranging visas — there’s a lot to think about before you set off for your world tour. fortunately, with the advent of the Internet, these chores have all become a whole lot easier. • Staying healthy. It is imperative that you plan ahead and start getting vaccina-tions well before your tour’s starting date.

If you’ll be riding off the beaten track, a rabies vaccination should be a top priority, and cyclists heading into tropical regions should consult a medical professional about anti-malarials.• Money matters. With the exception of Iran and Nigeria, your ATM card will get you cash in almost any country in the world. ATM machines can be finicky and those magnetic strips do fail at times, so be sure to carry at least two different bank cards and ones hooked up to both the Visa and Mastercard networks. In addition you will always want to have a stash of dollars on hand to change at out-of-the-way bor-der crossings. Carrying a small amount of

tougher than the tour de france. Locals cheer Eric up a steep climb.


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traveler’s checks can act as a backup in case something goes wrong.• Sharing your adventure. Blogs are easy to set up, and they’re a fun way to keep in touch with family and friends back home as well as connect with fellow bicycle travelers. Wordpress.com is a good choice for a free blog that offers attractive designs and is simple to use.• The vagaries of visas. Your main bureaucracy issues while abroad will be of the visa variety. Travel to western Europe, Japan, korea, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Central and South America is gen-erally straightforward for U.S. passport holders who are usually granted a three-month stay upon arrival. Many popular tourist destinations in Southeast Asia — such as Thailand, Indonesia, and Cambodia — grant American visitors 30-day visas on arrival.

Things get trickier in Central Asia, many parts of Africa, much of the Middle East, and countries such as China, India, and Vietnam that have a penchant for bureau-cracy. In these countries, you will have to apply for a visa in advance. This means fill-ing out some paperwork, attaching a photo, paying a fee (around $50 to $100), submit-

ting your passport, and then waiting for a few days to pick up your passport stamped with the visa.

Most often you will apply for the visa of the country you intend to visit in the capital city of a neighboring country. You will be granted a length of stay (usually 30, 60, or 90 days), single or multi-entry and a validity period (time frame in which the visa must be used). It is impractical to apply for all the required visas in advance as some will expire before you reach your destination.

Visa procedures and requirements change frequently. Up-to-date information can be found online at visahq.com.

step 6: Put your life on hold; sell, store, and get rid of stuff. Many cyclists, like Sonya and Ali from www.tour.tk, rel-ish the freedom of selling everything and setting off into the unknown.

Others want the security of knowing there’s a home base to return to. Putting your life on hold means hunkering down and ticking off tedious tasks like canceling subscriptions and memberships; finding a home for pets (unless you bring them along like Zoa and fin of cyclinggypsies.word-

press.com); deciding whether to rent out your home, leave it vacant, or search for a house-sitter; finding suitable storage space (I have a brother-in-law with an extra-big garage); quitting your job or negotiating a leave of absence; and, finally, making sure there’s a plan in place for re-entry.

step 7: Say goodbye and set off. If you’ve already got a good chunk of sav-ings, steps one through six can be accom-plished in six months or less. Although we knew we wanted to take time to travel Africa, my husband and I didn’t start toy-ing with the idea of a bicycle tour until late 2005. By June 2006, we were on the road pedaling toward Cape Town.

No matter what the time frame, the key to actually setting off on a round-the-world bicycle tour is committing to a date of departure. Even if your send-off party is still three years down the road, fix the date and it will keep you focused.

Taking a year (or two!) out doesn’t have to be a career stopper. Marketing the qualities and skills acquired while on the road — com-munications, negotiation, creative problem solving, perseverance, teamwork — will be the key to nabbing the job you want.


Discover Queen Anne’s County, Maryland …by bicycle!

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Once you’ve settled back into station-ary life, you can keep the adventure alive by remaining active in the on-line cycling community and helping others live their bicycle dream or by giving talks at local schools or community groups.

Now’s the time.I hope I’ve convinced you that a two-

wheeled gap year for grown ups is within the realm of possibility. We all know how quickly time passes, and most of you are probably convinced of the importance of creating experiences for growth. What bet-ter way than taking a year off to see the world from the saddle of your bicycle?

You’ll have to stretch way out of your comfort zone, but the payoff is a once-in-a-lifetime experience few people will ever know.

Amaya Williams and her husband Eric Schambion are on a quest to cycle every country on the planet. Since 2006, they’ve pedaled more than 60,000 miles across 80 countries on five continents. You can follow their ongoing round-the-world tour at worldbiking.info.


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under a makeshift shelter in punjab, india.


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1. Through the Fouta Djallon mountains during the rainy season in Guinea, West Africa; 2010. 2. Trawling through bike junk in rural Cameroon; 2011. 3. Landmines litter the ground on the unofficial border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. No camping or toilet stops here; 2010.

In 2005, I finished a job teaching English in Japan with one thing in mind; I was going to cycle home to

England. I’d been staring at a world map for long enough, imagining what it would be like to cycle in adventurous places like Tibet, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Iran. The result was a three-year, 50,000 mile jour-ney. A year later, I began The Big Africa Cycle (thebigafricacycle.com) — 30,000 kilometers and more than 30 countries.

-Peter Gostelow

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1. The ancient city of Merv in Turkmenistan was once an important trading center on the ancient Silk Road. In an area of the country with very few tourists, the crum-bling remains stand alone and neglected. 2. Lhasa’s Potala Palace in Tibet, the spiri-tual home of the Dalai Lama, is a must-see sight for those who’ve made it to this magical part of the world; 2006.

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1. Wild camping above the Salween River in eastern Tibet. Spectacular views usually come guaranteed when camping in this high-altitude part of the World; 2006. 2. Laos has some of the quietest roads and greenest scenery in all of South East Asia. No wonder it’s popular amongst touring cyclists; 2006. 3. Dirt tracks and high temperatures make cycling in Northern Mozambique a sweaty challenge; 2011.

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1. Zanzibar off the Tanzanian coast in East Africa has some great opportuni-ties for cycling at low tide along pristine white beaches; 2011. 2. The dry season in Cameroon makes dirt roads very dusty; 2011. 3. Magical sunrises like this one over the Himalayas in Nepal are worth getting out of your sleeping bag for. On Christmas morning, it was the best pres-ent I could have asked for; 2006.

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It’s natural to want your kids to ride bicycles — but how do you share that love without smothering them?

There’s a moment that comes when a kid encounters their first major hill. This is where they’re cycling and, in a way, they are being tested. Do you stop and walk it up or do you try? Just try …

There they go. They’re slowing down but they’re still fighting. They’re slowing down — it could go either way — then you yell out:

Push! Push! Push!And somehow, by the skin

of their bike chain, they make it over. That is one of those wonderful moments where the metaphor is as clear as the sweat on a kid’s brow.

But the question is — when have you push-push-pushed too much? how do you pass on your love of cycling, expos-ing them to a potential lifetime of exercise, travel that doesn’t cost a dime and a com-munity which spans from continent to continent, without pushing them too far, away from it and maybe away from you?

Greg Siple, 66, co-founder and Art Director of Adventure Cycling Association and Tour of the Scioto River Valley (TOSRV), faced that very dilemma. This was especially difficult when you consider that he shared a love of cycling with his father. “Growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, every kid had a bicycle and it was just part of the culture — school bike racks just filled by millions of kids. Of course, those kids eventually dropped them when they became 16. Adults, on the other hand, never rode bikes, it was a children’s toy and, if you did ride a bike, you were considered odd.”

his father didn’t become a cyclist in the 1950s — for him, it was the 1930s.

“What drew him was seeing a six-day bike race in a Pittsburgh arena. he met a handful of local cyclists and they became his good friends,” Siple recalls. “They started riding bicycles, racing, and tour-

ing. Dad’s big ride was from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC, and back on his fixed gear. I looked at his scrapbooks. he had to give up cycling when he enlisted in the Navy when World War II started, so here I was discovering something about my father I didn’t know that well. he told me about the Tour de france and riding 100

miles in a day. To me it was amazing.”

In fact, his father’s

bike is on the wall above his desk in the Adventure Cycling headquarters, a Legnano Roma Olympiad, his old man’s very first 10-speed. So when a love is shared between father and son, it’s quite natural to hope for the same with your own kids. here’s where Siple had to learn the difference between hope and reality.

“My wife June and I were cautious because we didn’t want to push it on Zane, become a stage mother or father, reliv-ing football triumphs through our son,” Siple says. “for six years he was in a bike trailer almost on a daily basis, when he got a little older we had a tandem and he was on that before he finally was on his own bike. When he turned 15, I took him

on one of the Adventure Cycling tours in Montana on the Great Divide. We never pushed so hard that he felt he had to do it and we started to see he was more inter-ested in skateboarding and things on the computer. he found common interests in his own group of friends. Today he’s here in Missoula and he has bikes but they’re hanging in our garage.”

Still Siple doesn’t seem to say this with so much sadness; more contentment in

exposing his son to his interest without forcing it on him. “I feel we played it just right because he saw the day-to-day use of the bike and how we could get around town and did that week on the Great Divide. I don’t think you can go beyond that point.”

Siple felt if his own father had forced his interest it would have most likely pushed him away. he actually marvels that two interests were passed down to him without much effort at all. “I acquired two things from my dad,” Siple says. “he was a draftsman working at his drawing desk at home. I became fascinated with that, sat next to him and would draw. Today I’m an art director for a bicycle organization. It

Passing Down the Bike

three generations. Charles Siple on his fixed gear machine in the late 1930s. Son and grandson, Greg and Zane, during a 1995 cycle-camping ride.

by Eric butterman

JuN

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goes to show you shouldn’t have to push. Just let kids be what they’re going to be.”

Hit And Missfor Arlen hall, the new tours direc-

tor for the Adventure Cycling Association, it was a hit and miss experience between his two sons. “I had them on their bikes at four year old,” he says. “It’s just a great form of exer-cise and you know all the articles that have come out on obesity of Americans, espe-cially in children, so we raised them to exercise.” hall started leading bike trips for teen-agers and preteens, encouraged his sons to be a part of them, and found the key to getting young people into cycling was to create a strong amount of social-izing. “That was true to form whether 10 year olds or 20 year olds,” he says. “Some liked riding, some loved the physical aspect, but it was hanging around their peers without their parents that was spe-cial. They even liked being around the tour leaders because we weren’t their par-ents! I had very few discipline problems on the trips and there really were some amazing conversations. They would talk about what they wanted to do and who they might become as adults, all along just riding their bikes.”

hall believes a great selling point to get kids involved is the adventure component, and the chance for them to have indepen-dence. “They want to figure things out for themselves and get through things,” he says. “I remember passing my son (on a trip) when he was having problems with his bike and I caught up with him later rather than try to solve it for him right there. We barely talked about it later and that’s how he wanted it — he was fine, he didn’t need my help.” In fact says hall, you may find the kids want to help you. “They like to cook their own meals on these tours and they’ve even offered to

cook for the adults …” he says. “They go all the way with it and learn about a lot more than just about cycling. You have to give them the space to learn.”

hall says what’s important if you try

the tour route, is to not underestimate your child. “Some parents push them hard but others can’t even believe their kid can ride 30 miles — they don’t let their kids really see what they can do,” he says. “kids want that sense of accom-plishment. I remember doing a tour from San francisco to New Jersey. We had 3,700 miles to cover. If the kids were unable to ride, we’d let them come in the van — but no one wanted to. We stepped it up and rode 125 miles in a day, and most of the kids were 15 or 16 years old — they’d start at 7:30 in the morning and make it by 5:00 in the afternoon.”

for all the encouragement, the trips, the enthusiasm for the lifestyle that poured

out of hall, only one of his sons caught the cycling bug. “My son Brandon is a tour leader now but Chris is really into ice hockey,” he says. “But I don’t mind that. They both found things they love and

they’re physically active. That’s all we wanted in the end.”

Pro Perspectiveformer pro bicy-

clist Chris Sheehan is another firm believer in letting someone’s inter-est in bicycling happen naturally — his vote is an important one as he’s gotten to see his share of kids with “stage parents” at the bike shop he co-owns, Uptown Cycles, in Charlotte, North Carolina. “The funny thing is those parents don’t realize the track record for kids who are pushed too much,” he says. “They never seem to get very far. They usually

burn out from the pressure. I remember when I was rac-

ing as a junior, 16 or 17, there were always parents around after the finish and every-one was congratulating each other and I’d

see that one parent pull a child aside and scold them. You’d just hate to see it. how does that encourage anyone?”

Sheehan grew up in San Jose, California, and even though he was influenced from seeing his older brother Jim compete, it wasn’t his family that kept him going to the local hellyer Park Velodrome. “I loved it,” he recalls. “It just consumed me. I didn’t care about going to the prom, I just wanted to go to the next event.” Ultimately, turning pro-fessional in 1993 with Saturn, he recalls the

best way to keep motivated as a child was through his fellow cycling friends, not his parents. “If a kid wants to do it, they’ll do it,” he says. “Once I found it, it just became a part of my life.”

Quick tips for getting kids involved

don’t push... this leads to burnout as

easily as trophies.

stress adventure... great places to travel to by bike give more incentive for

them to try a trip.

accept... if it’s not for them, then encourage what they are

interested in. who knows, they may get into cycling later on.

togetherness through cycling. Shaun Decareaux, with Arlen Hall and his son Chris after riding the Hiawatha Trail near the Montana/Idaho border.


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level of support. These corporate membership funds go toward special projects and the creation of new programs. To learn more about how your business can become a corporate supporter of Adventure Cycling, go to www.adventurecycling.org/corporate or call (800) 755-2453.

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silver


Addy Albershardt, 17, the 2011 junior individual pursuit and team pursuit nation-al champion, actually works in Sheehan’s store and if her father, once a member of the National Team, can lay off, then it may not be bad advice for the rest. he never pushed her to be involved — and that she says, was the only way it could have worked. “At first, I hated it. I maybe rode once every two months and then he took me to more rides. he didn’t pressure me, it was for fun. At 13, I found out more about racing, and Robin farina (co-owner of Uptown Cycles and 2011 USA Cycling National Road Race Champion) introduced me to the profession-al sport of cycling. from there I’ve basically been full-on racing.”

Though Albershardt stresses the fun part, what she says is important for young riders who wish to compete is to treat cycling as if it were any other sport. “Be ready for injuries,” she says. “Understand it isn’t inexpensive. Many start slow which can be good — doing things like mountain biking. There are no cars so you don’t have to worry about getting hit by anything. Then, when you grow older, you can transition into road racing or track racing. Step it up as you feel com-fortable.”

Even though Albershardt says her

parents didn’t push her, she credits their strong support in getting her this far. “They like to remind me that they were my first sponsors,” she laughs. “They don’t have to pay for anything now since I have pro sponsors, but during the grass-roots times, they were there.” With almost a full-ride scholarship to college thanks to her talent, cycling continues to pay her

back. She’d be a cycling junkie even with-out any of the accomplishments that have followed. “When I’m out there, it just feels amazing,” she says.

Sounds like the way it’s supposed to feel.

Eric Butterman has written for more than 50 publica-tions, including Men’s Journal and ESPN.com. You can contact him at [email protected].

tandem tradition. Longtime Adventure Cycling members Craig and Rebecca Cassel of Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, ready to roll with their children Avery and Elliot. The family took a cycling vacation in Wisconsin’s Door County last summer.


rOAD TEST pASHlEy

sHOuld yOu jOin tHe CluB?Hand built in Stratford-upon-Avon, this is a touring machine for the ages

by Patrick O’Grady

Road Test: Pashley Clubman

Expo and Convention Center, I immediately fell under the Clubman’s dark spell.

Black magic, it was. The Pashley website displays the Clubman in ivory or rich bur-gundy, but the 2012 model on show at Interbike was all jet black and rich silver, like Elric of Melniboné’s armor, graced with brown accents on saddle, sidewalls, brake hoods, bottle cages, toe clips and straps.

Yes, I said toe clips and straps. They’re standard equipment, making the Clubman ready to ride right out of the box. And if that’s not enough blast from cycling’s past for you, this lugged Reynolds 531 machine also sports eight-speed, down-tube Shimano 105 shifting and old-school Gran Compe brake levers whose cables swoop gracefully over the handlebars toward a pair of Dia-Compe centerpull stoppers. Bonus: The left lever brakes the rear wheel and the right the front — just the way I like it.

The Clubman reminded me very much of a Bianchi that I nearly bought back in the mid-eighties. I eventually went for a lesser, cheaper machine and have regret-ted the decision ever since. So after some discussion with Loring kohrt of Belmont Distribution, which handles Pashley products in the Colonies, I was rolling his show bike through the doors of the

Sands and toward my Subaru for the drive back to Colorado.

I had only done a cursory fit before spiriting the Clubman away from Loring — straddling it, giving it a quick tug upward, and pronouncing, “I can ride this bike.” Only after I got home did I notice the too short, dead-level quill stem parked well below the saddle (I’m a geezer whose chiropractor is on speed-dial) and the 170-mm crank arms (I recently began retreat-ing to 172.5-mm from 175; I don’t recall pushing 170s since I started shaving).

Loring graciously shipped a stem with more rise and extension, but I left the cranks stock and started rolling around town.

The first thing I noticed while riding the Pashley Clubman was the attention it got. I don’t believe I’ve ever had a bike draw as many eyeballs. I could practical-ly hear them click as they locked on. It’s the very antithesis of a hipster rig — a

toff’s cycle. This you ride not to coffee, but to tea.

Sexy as Elizabeth hurley, the Clubman is as well dressed as James Bond at a casino. Brooks accoutrements include a titanium-chassis Swift saddle and black leather bar tape, complete with cork and wood plugs. The starkly lovely GB crankset is a tip of the bowler to the classic Gerry Burgess components, which Uk-journalist Carlton Reid reports Pashley has brought back to life for Uk

builders in a joint venture with Burgess’s son, Jeremy. And the understated graph-ics murmur rather than bellow, a rarity in the modern era.

The second thing you notice is the Clubman’s stout construction, which is likewise unfashionable in this age of plastic wonderbikes that weigh less than the plat-inum card you need to borrow to buy one.

You may recall that the Brits invented the tank. Well, the Clubman is right up there with the Centurion, which debuted in World War II and remained operation-al into the 1990s.

My 21.5-inch Clubman tips the scales at 26.2 pounds, 8.7 of which can be found in the wheels, a pair of Panaracer Pasela Tourguard 700C x 32 tires fitted to double-wall aluminum box rims laced to high-flange hubs with double-butted stainless steel spokes. The robust stain-

If you have two bikes to transport on a rainy day, one of them a Pashley Clubman, and room for only one inside your car, there’s no doubt as to which will brave the storm atop the roof rack.Adventure Cyclist editor Mike Deme and I were on the lookout for the Clubman as we cruised the halls at Interbike 2011, hunting bikes for 2012 review purposes. And once we found the modest Pashley display tucked away at the rear of the Sands

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less steel mudguards add some heft too; it being winter, I never pulled them off to gauge their weight.

The Pashley website proclaims that the Clubman “reflects on the era when one bike would be used for many pur-poses — club cyclists would put mud-guards and saddlebags on their bikes to go touring, strip all accessories off for the weekly club time trial, and ride to work in between.”

fair play to them too. If your bike can’t handle fat tires, fenders, and at least one rack, you’re factory farm, not free range, one step from driving to your destination and cycling laps around the motel. But unless you’re racing in a Clubman-only league, you’ll have to shed more than the accessories if you want to finish that club time trial before everyone else has gone home, showered, and had a nap.

That said, chances are you’re less interested in getting there fast than in simply getting there. On that score, there’s nothing to fear. The Clubman has everything required for cruising, com-muting, or an overnight tour.

The Clubman has the same seat- and top-tube angles as the Soma Saga (see the August-September 2011 issue), but consid-erably more fork offset and a slightly short-er wheelbase, and the steering feels a little livelier. Nothing scary, mind you. And at speed, it’s as solid as the Rock of Gibraltar.

Shifting is crisp and quick. If you used downtube shifters in a previous life, the technique will come right back to you. It’s not much of a stretch for anyone accustomed to bar-end shifting either.

If you live in hilly country as I do, you may find yourself running out of gears now and then, especially when carrying a load. The Clubman comes with 52/39 chainrings and an 11-30 SRAM cassette, and that 39 x 30 low end doesn’t offer much in the way of comfort on a nine percent grade.

Going down the other side, you’ll find the Dia-Compe centerpulls adequate. A few people had warned me against them, but a panic lockup triggered by a motor-ist who considered stop signs advisory proved reassuring. These work, and they match the overall style of the bike.

The VP Components pedals, clips, and straps suit both street footwear and

my old Sidi cyclo-cross shoes. Like the centerpulls, they go with the bike the way chips go with fish. Swapping them out for a pair of clipless pedals would be a crime against harry, England, and St. George. And by all means, add a real frame pump. The Clubman has a pump peg; why not take advantage of it?

Given that the Clubman seems intend-ed for casual gentlemanly outings, I’d forego rack and panniers for saddle and/or bar bags. The bike cries out for some stylish luggage, like Rivendell’s Sackville SaddleSack Medium ($200) and Sackville BarSack ($175 plus a $70 Nitto BarSack Rack).

If you’re dead set on going the rack-and-pannier route, however, the Clubman is perfectly happy to accom-modate that arrangement. Gentlemanly to the end.

Silver plastic SkS P45 fenders would trim a bit of weight if you were so

inclined, though at the expense of style points. And style should count for some-thing, yes? Cheaper, less elegant steel machinery can be had, but not from the craftsmen at Stratford-upon-Avon, where 86-year-old Pashley Cycles continues to create and assemble bicycles it calls “dif-ferent by design, distinct by nature.”

The Clubman seems designed to slow your frenetic pace, allowing you to see and be seen. Even the refined tone of the stem-mounted brass bell — ping-ing-ing-ing-ing! — evokes a desk clerk summon-ing a bellhop in some tony lodgings.

finally, if you like the idea of a kingly steed but subsist on a commoner’s wages, or just prefer choosing your own compo-nents, the Pashley Clubman can also be had as a frame and fork for $1,495.

Patrick O’Grady has written and cartooned about cycling since 1989 for Velo, Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, and a variety of other publications.

rOAD TEST pASHlEy

Specifications: Pashley Clubmanprice: $2,695 (complete bike); $1,495

(frame and fork)sizes available: 20, 21 1/2, 23, 24 1/2

inches (center to top)size tested: 21.5weight: 26.2 pounds with pedals

test bike measurementsseat tube: 21 1/2 inches, center to toptop tube: 21 1/2 inchesHead tube angle: 72°seat tube angle: 73°chainstays: 17 1/2 inchesseat height above ground: 40 inchesbottom bracket drop: 2 1/4 inchescrank spindle height above ground: 11

3/8 inchesfork offset: 2 1/8 inches (53mm)wheelbase: 40 5/8 inchesstandover height: 32 inchesframe: reynolds 531 butted manganese

molybdenum with investment-cast cutaway lugs; cast dropouts with eyelets for fenders and a rear rack; two bottle-cage mounts and pump peg.

fork: reynolds taper gauge oval blades; investment-cast crown; small radius bend; cast dropouts with fender eyelets

rims: 36-hole double-wall box rims, polished aluminum, unbranded

spokes: 14g stainless, cross threeHubs: High-flange, quick-release alloy hubs

with sealed bearings, unbrandedcrank: Gb square taper with sealed car-

tridge bottom bracket, 170mm arms, 52/39 130mm bCD chainrings

tires: panaracer pasela Tourguard 700x32front derailleur: Shimano 105rear derailleur: Shimano 105shift levers: Shimano Sl-r400 indexed

downtube shiftersbrake levers: Gran Compe traditional (non-

aero)brakes: Dia-Compe drop-forged centerpullspedals: vp Components with steel toe clips

(l) and leather strapsseat post, quill stem, handlebar: un-

brandedHeadset: Tange levin Crmosaddle: brooks Swift with titanium chassisfenders: Stainless steel, unbrandedcassette: SrAm 11-13-15-17-20-23-26-30

8-speedchain: wippermann Connexbottle cages: Zéfal Classic with brown

leather accentsbell: universal Spring bellgearing in inches:

1113151720232630

contact: belmont Distribution, (602) 903-7852, belmontdistribution.com, www.pashley.co.uk, britishbicycle.com.

52127.6108.093.670.282.661.054.046.8

3995.781.070.261.952.745.840.635.1

David Mozer has a hard time getting people to sign up for his tours to Africa. Bicycle Africa, the com-pany he founded in 1983 together with the International Bicycle fund

(IBf), was designed to be the for-profit fun-draising arm of the nonprofit IBf, which Mozer has used to spread the word of the good bicycles can do in the world.

“The purpose of the International Bicycle fund is to promote sustainable transportation and cultural understanding wordwide,” Mozer said in a recent inter-view.

Mozer attributes the difficulties of sign-ing bicyclists up for his African adventures to a variety of factors, including what may be his own shortcomings as a promoter, but believes that these are mostly out of his control.

“It struggles,” Mozer said of Bicycle Africa. “The early 2000s were not good for international travel. I don’t go to main-stream places. People hear about problems in Somalia and hesitate to go to Ghana even though those two places are in the same proximity as New York and Los Angeles. I have a love of bicycling and I have a love of Africa, so I keep perservering.”

On his website, ibike.org, which covers

all of Mozer’s various two-wheeled inter-ests, including the IBf and Bicycle Africa, Mozer lists what he calls the “15 Myths of Bicycling and Travel in Africa.”

first is the myth of the void, followed closely by the myth of wilderness, both of which essentially posit that you’d have to be crazy to ride a bike in Africa unless you want to get lost or eaten. Africa is more than wildlife and vast open spaces, says Mozer.

“Wildlife constitutes a very small part of Africa, and only a very small por-tion of Africa contains wildlife,” Mozer writes. “Africa is about people and culture: people with a long history, a multiplic-ity of complex cultures with sophisticated governmental structures, elaborate artistic expressions, diverse religions, ontology, and colorful traditions.”

Next Mozer tackles what he calls the myths of violence and disease. The first holds that the people of Africa are “violent and dangerous.”

“The exact opposite is probably closer to the truth,” Mozer contends on his web-site. “It is safer in many African capitals to take a late-night stroll than in many North American cities.”

Mozer is not naïve about the violence

that certainly does occur in Africa, but he says we have a twisted view of what it’s like on the ground in many of the countries there.

“Granted, people must be selective about where they go; however, there are more choices than one can manage to get to,” Mozer writes. “The violence associated with Africa is tragic, but it is also isolated to specific geographical pockets.”

And disease? There are a number of serious ones, Mozer says, but the chance of contracting them is miniscule.

“Of diseases with higher infection rates, easy effective prevention is available,” he writes. “You will be 95 percent of the way

A World View with Spokes

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David Mozer of the International Bicycle Fund and Bicycle Africa believes in the transformative power of the bicycle

by Dan D’AmbrosioPhotos by Melissa O’hearn

to being safe by being current on your immunizations: tetanus-diptheria, polio, and measles are pretty routine.”

The myth of pollution holds that the water is unsafe in Africa.

“Generally, African countries are less industrial and use few or no chemicals for agriculture,” Mozer writes. “The ground-water in Africa can be as safe or safer than that in industrialized countries.”

Not only that, he says, but in the past 20 years there has been a “massive effort” to develop water resources, thanks to the World health Organization and other aid

organizations in the U.S., Canada, and the Scandinavian countries.

Mozer goes on to cover myths of sani-tation, pestilence, famine, AIDS, climate, hygiene, civilization, and suicide, the last of which has to do with the way Africans drive, leading to the belief that in Africa, bicycling is suicidal.

“The endless stream of negative images of Africa is amazing,” Mozer writes in his conclusion. “Even as I finish this article, I have a hunch that many readers will find one more reason for not considering Africa. Whatever it is, I suspect it’s not as serious

as they imagine. Year in and year out, I go, I have fun, and I return. I have seen people from nine to 75 years old do the same.”

Mozer, 57, has been a self-described bicycle activist since junior high school in Seattle, where he grew up and still lives. his introduction to Africa was through the Peace Corps in 1975, when he was assigned to Liberia. Mozer had thought he might be sent to South America, but was just as happy to go to Africa.

“I took my bicycle with me, which was unheard of in 1975,” Mozer said. “Not much bicycle touring was going on at that

••

man on a mission. David Mozer in his hub, where he researches and deconstructs the myths about bicycle travel in Africa.


DAmbO IbF - 2

point — anywhere. If you wanted pan-niers, you found somebody in the Uk to get you canvas saddlebags.”

Graduating from Evergreen State College with a nontraditional bachelor’s degree that covered history, economics, and “behavioral stuff,” as well as biology, math, science, and teacher training, Mozer taught math and science in a middle school in a Liberian village called Gorblee, a trad-ing center.

The second year, Mozer was in fisebu, where he was more involved in developing curriculum, and traveling back and forth to villages in roadless areas to help them make their schools more effective and effi-cient. When he was done at one school, the administration would send him off to the next school with a group of students to guide him.

“I’d grown up in western Washington. I threw my cards to the wind and the Peace Corps was the first thing that came through,” Mozer said. “I tend to be a sponge wherever I am. I take an interest in the complexity and diversity of the world. I didn’t know enough to be scared. I didn’t fixate on hollywood images of Africa. I was just going someplace to have a job.”

In January 1978, Mozer completed his

three-year tour with the Peace Corps and left for his own “serpentine exploration” of West Africa. his bike had served him well while working for the Peace Corps, but for this adventure — from Ivory Coast to Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and across the Sahara to Algeria and Tunisia, then on to Malta for a boat to Italy — Mozer relied on various forms of local ground transpor-tation, from motorcycles to shoe leather.

he hitchhiked across Europe to Austria, Germany, and the Netherlands before find-ing his way to the Uk for a flight back home to the U.S. In Italy and the Netherlands, he was able to borrow bikes from friends, see-ing for the first time in the Netherlands how it was possible to have an entirely separate infrastructure just for bikes.

Back in the States, Mozer applied to graduate schools and was accepted at American University in Washington, DC, where he started a master’s program in applied economics with a focus on Africa. In 1981, he returned to Liberia as a gradu-ate intern at the American embassy.

“The day I arrived, I had more time in country than anybody else in the embas-sy,” Mozer said. “It was good in terms of being prepared, but it reinforced for me that I was not cut from the right cloth to

work for the State Department. I tended to leave town every weekend instead of hang-ing out at the bar with people.”

Mozer says there are four main func-tions for an embassy: political, econom-ic, counseling, and general services. he served in all four areas, including what ended up being his favorite job, manag-ing a discretionary fund of $50,000 that allowed the U.S. embassy to help villages throughout the country.

“I was in charge of reviewing these requests for development, grants of $1,000 to $3,000 matched with labor in kind,” Mozer said. “If they wanted to build a school, they might ask for money for cement but cut their own timber and pro-vide labor.

“So I was in charge of reviewing their progress, doing site visits, making recom-mendations, monitoring projects, going to dedications. It was fun. It got me out of town every weekend, and when I arrived, they would help me find lodging and food. It was life at its best.”

By the fall of 1981, Mozer knew it was time to move on. he returned to Seattle and enrolled in a doctoral program at the University of Washington. After just one quarter, however, he wanted to get back to Africa and bicycle activism.

Mozer had gathered extensive touring experience over the years, not only in Africa, but also in the U.S., where he had

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passed on the Bikecentennial ride of 1976 that formed the seed for the Adventure Cycling Association, to follow his own path.

“I wasn’t a joiner,” Mozer said. “People have more or different kinds of imagination than me. I couldn’t imagine getting hun-dreds of people to bicycle across the U.S.”

To prepare himself for offering a tour in Africa, Mozer joined the most remote bike tour happening at the time, a ride to Mongolia that included former Seattle bicycle coordinator Josh Lehman and for-mer Adventure Cycling board member and Seattle bike-shop owner Angel Rodriguez and his wife, Carla.

“It was fascinating,” Mozer said. “I fig-ured out what I liked and didn’t like. One thing I didn’t like was support vehicles.”

Mozer began advertising his first Liberia trip for December 1983. he created a bro-chure, took out an advertisement in the Bicycle Paper, a Seattle publication that’s still around, and some other papers, and got “two or three” sign-ups. Bicycle Africa has more or less struggled along with low numbers ever since, but Mozer has never given up and he does have some very loyal clients.

“I have good repeat participation. It’s

more of a problem recruiting new people,” he said. “I don’t seem to be able to pique people’s interest, but a couple of repeat clients have done a dozen trips.”

Bicycle Africa tours are not inn-to-inn and don’t use five-star accommodations, but they are “very friendly,” Mozer says, with “good immersion and good food.” Josh Lehman, now bicycle-pedestrian coordina-tor for the state of Massachusetts, based in Boston, is among the “small corps” of people who believe in what Mozer is trying to do with bikes in Africa, but that hasn’t made it any easier for him.

“he said, ‘hang on, people will get it,’ almost 30 years ago,” Mozer said. “I’m still waiting.”

Mozer may be waiting, but he is not standing still. One visit to the IBf website makes that clear, with its wealth of infor-mation on subjects ranging from urban planning, facility design, rural mobility, traffic safety education, energy conserva-tion, and responsible tourism. As Mozer writes, the one common element of every-thing IBf does is the bicycle and under-writing its proliferation.

“Because of limited resources (both labor and funds), most of our material and finan-cial support is provided as small matching

grants to grassroots or community-based organizations undertaking unique initia-tives in less developed economies,” Mozer writes on the IBf website. “We have been particularly active in sub-Saharan Africa. Some of IBf’s support has gone to train-ing welders in Zimbabwe to make bicycle trailers, supplyling bike parts to Eritrea, supporting a youth mechanics training pro-gram in Ghana, supporting the Pan-Africa Bicycle information Network, and donating bikes to Cuba.”

Today, Mozer is beginning to organize tours in his own backyard, a “cultural” tour, for example, from Seattle to Victoria. he tries to bring his own belief that the bicycle is a means and not an end — a means to incorporate “education, knowl-edge and experience, clean living, and sustainability.”

IBf and Bicycle Africa are extensions of his personality, says Mozer, which never caused anybody harm and never made much money.

“I could be idealistic, maybe to a fault,” he says.

Dan D’Ambrosio is a staff writer for the Burlington free Press in Burlington, Vermont, and the former editor of Adventure Cyclist magazine.


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international tourspedal and sea adventures — We’re a personable travel company offering creative cycling and multi-sport adventures in many of the world’s best places, including Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, P.E.I., Croatia, Italy, Greece, Norway, and Ireland. Guided and self-guided. Van-supported. friendly guides. Charming inns. Custom groups anytime. Over 70% return clien-tele since 2005! Toll free Phone: 877-777-5699. Please email us at [email protected] or visit our website: www.pedalandsea adventures.com.

experiencing croatia by bike and boat is absolutely the only way to find the heart of this diverse and poetic country. We’ll experience the historic island of korcula with its picturesquely situated old town-ship, the wine growing peninsula of Peljesac and, to the south, the island of Mljet, with its impressive national park. We will tour through the towns of Split, hvar, Stari Grad and korculal, towns that include two UNESCO World heritage Sites, so named for their impeccable preservation, historic value, and stunning beauty. Each evening we make our way back to our private boat, which is outfitted with all the necessary comforts, and begin our journey to the next stunning vista, perhaps stopping enroute for a dip in the sparkling clear water. Toll free Phone: 877-777-5699. Email us at [email protected] or visit our website: www.pedalandseaadventures.com.

cycling adventures in soutH east asia — Custom designed itineraries and small group adventures for people who care. Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines. Uk licensed Asia specialist. Symbiosis Custom Travel www.symbiosis-travel.com [email protected]

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55 MILES of beautiful, paved rail-trails across Central MN.

CentralLakesTrail .com

Call for a free trail map, 800-245-2539.


ADS

bavaria and nortHern italy — A blend of bicycling, culture and history. first Class hotels and fine regional cuisine. Individual pace, optional distances, support van. Our 39th year! GERhARD’S BICYCLE ODYSSEYS. (800) 966.2402. www.since1974.com.

europe — 200 routes in 30 countries — Bike Tours Direct - Guided and self-guid-ed tours with European bike tour companies. Weekly and daily departures. Tours from $600. from familiar - Loire Valley, Provence, Danube, Tuscany, Bavaria, Ireland - to exotic - Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Slovenia, Adriatic island-hopping. 877-462-2423 www.bike toursdirect.com. [email protected].

bike italy witH siciclando! — Join us in June! Discover the undiscovered places of Tuscany on our Maremma Bike Tour depart-ing June 24. Enjoy rolling hills as you make your way to the sea. Explore the beauty of Sicily’s baroque region and bike Mt Etna. Tour departs June 5. www.siciclando.com or call 1-800-881-0484.

create your own cycling tour of provence — What a concept! You choose dates, type of accommodation, restaurants, routes, distances, sites to explore. All you need is help from LinksBikeTours.com.

topbicycle tours in central europe — 7 to 10-day self-guided and guided cycling vacations. We are a specialist for bike tours in Central Europe since 1996. We concentrate only on the countries where we live: Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, hungary, Germany, and Poland. Visit and ride between the beautiful cities of Vienna, Prague, Budapest, krakow, Salzburg, Dresden, and Passau. Carefully planned self-guided tours. Small guided groups with local knowledgeable guides. We can customize our tours according to your wishes. Quality bike rental available. www.topbicycle.com. info@top bicycle.com.

freewHeeling adventures. guided & self-guided — Small groups and private trips for 25 years. famous and unusual rides in Canada, Iceland, Europe, Israel, Central America. Go your own pace. Choose hills and distances or flat and relaxed. 800- 672-0775; www.freewheel ing.ca; bicycle@ freewheel ing.ca.

north American tours & eventscoast 2 coast — hassle free closely fol-lowing Southern Tier averaging 63 miles per day. fully supported including freshly- pre-pared great-tasting meals, and a mechanic. You dip your rear wheel into the Pacific and your front wheel into the Atlantic, I will do everything in between. March 8 – April 29, 2013. BubbasPamperedPedalers.com or [email protected].

america by bicycle, inc. — Your full service bicycle touring leader. Chose from 38 tours ranging from 5 to 52 days. Let us take you on your dream ride — Coast to Coast! abbike.com. 888-797-7057 fREE CATALOG.

timberline adventures — fully sup-ported bicycling & hiking adventure vaca-tions with an organization whose sole focus for 26 years is extraordinary adventure throughout western U.S. & Canada. Website: www.timbertours.com Email: timber@earth net.net Phone: 800-417-2453.

crossroads cycling adventures — Celebrating 16 years of excellence! Come ride with Tracy Leiner - owner, cyclist and tour director. Tracy travels with every group, everyday managing daily logistics, driving support vans and pedaling with her cyclists. Small groups, personal attention, superior accommodations and meals. Extensive pre-trip support including training plan and telephone consultations. Rider reference list available. (800) 971-2453 www.crossroadscycling.com.

all rides are not created eQual — Challenge yourself riding 400+ miles and climbing 30,000’ through the Scenic Byways and National Parks of the West. 714-267-4591 www.cyclingescapes.com.

alaska bicycle tours — with Sockeye Cycle, since 1988. Offering guided trips throughout our breathtaking region. Experience the beauty of Alaska and the Yukon with local guides and gourmet cui-sine. 877-292-4154 www.cyclealaska.com.

mass bikepike tour August 2-5, 2011 — This year it’s back to the Berkshires with 2 all new routes each day. Spectacular views, chal-lenging arrowed routes, quaint towns, muse-ums, history and local culture. Most meals, SAG, refreshment stops, maps & cue sheets. www.MassBikePike.org or 617-710-1832.

ride two states-two countries — Bike the International Selkirk Loop, North America’s only two-nation Scenic Byway through Washington, Idaho, Canada. Pick your pace for 280 miles of incredible self-supported riding! www.selkirkloop.org.

Historical trails cycling — oregon trail tour 2012 — Ride through the history of Ruts, Wagons, forts, Cowboys and Indians on America’s Mother Road. fully supported, affordable, camping tour. friendly experienced staff and delicious meals. 402-499-0874, Website: www.histor icaltrailscycling.com.

alabama recumbent tours — fully-supported, all-inclusive tours. We provide the recumbent bike and helmet. Our tours are in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, and florida. 3 to 7-day tours. www.recum benttours.com.

women only bike tours — for all ages and abilities. fully supported, inn-to-inn, bike path & road tours. Cross-country, National Parks, Europe & more. Bicycle work-shops, wine tasting, yoga. Call for free cata-log. 800-247-1444, www.womantours.com.

bike tHe florida keys — The ultimate Bicycle Vacation. Bike the entire key sys-tem, down and back. fully-supported includ-ing breakfasts and most dinners. Beautiful sunsets. Swim with the dolphins. Snorkel. Dive. The Seven Mile Bridge just might be the most beautiful seven miles you will ever bike. November 3-10, 2012. Details from BubbasPamperedPedalers.com or [email protected]. It’s just not a bicycle tour, it’s a keys ExPERIENCE … It’s all GOOD !!

vacation bicycling — “After taking more than 90 bicycle tours, Vacation Bicycling is one of our top 10 experiences!” We provide beautiful 7-day tours from $1099, includ-ing hotels, food & SAG through Martha’s Vineyard/Cape Cod, NC Outer Banks, Maui, Arizona’s Sonoran Desert, florida keys and Canada’s Prince Edward Island. Come join us! 800-490-2173 www.VacationBicycling.com.

cycle america® coast-to-coast — Enjoy a fully Supported Cycling Vacation this Summer. Explore North America’s treasures on an epic Coast-to-Coast tour from Seattle to Boston. Choose one or ride several Cross State segments. Good friends, Great Routes and first-Rate Support! Let us help you plan your next fun and affordable cycling adventure. 800-245-3263. www.CycleAmerica.com.

bicycle ride across georgia (brag) — Spring Tune-Up Ride, April 20-22, 2012, Madison, GA. 33rd Annual Bicycle Ride Across Georgia, June 2-9, 2012. Great fun for families and groups. Various mileage options. 770-498-5153, [email protected], www.brag.org.

classic adventures since 1979 new!! coast to coast 2012 — fully supported, hotels, guides. Also Austria, Lake Constance, france, Greece/Crete, Germany, Quebec, Vermont, Mississippi-Natchez Trace, Texas hill Country, N.Y. finger Lakes, historic Erie Canal. full support services, expert guides, outstanding cuisine. (800) 777-8090, www.classicadventures.com.

Helping make good riders better since 1981 — Join Transcontinental Record holders Lon haldeman & Susan Notorangelo for your cycling adventures from 7 to 30 days. Specializing in Training Camps, historic Route 66, Rural Wisconsin, Eastern Mountains, Peru and over 80 cross country events. PAC Tour, www.pactour.com, 262-736-2453.

cycle nortH carolina spring ride — (April 13-15, 2012) Washington, NC – Enjoy unique waterfront camping and cycling on scenic country roads in Coastal North Carolina. Register for 1, 2, or 3 days. Various mileage options for all skill levels from easy family to challenging century. Additional lodging options are available. fully support-ed with SAG Support and rest stops. [email protected], www.ncsports.org.

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tHe great allegHeny passage and c&o canal — 334.5 continuous trail miles from Pittsburgh to DC; custom or group tours; includes B&Bs, inns, excellent meals, luggage shuttle, full sag support, vehicle or people and gear shuttle; attractions including frank Lloyd Wright’s fallingwaer, Antietam battlefield plus so much more... Call Trail Gail at 301-722-4887 240-727-7039 or www.mountainsidebiketours.net You Pedal, We Pamper.”

ride two states - two countries — Six day, 350-mile fully-supported Rotary ride September 17-22, 2012 on the International Selkirk Loop, incredible Scenic Byway through Washington, Canada, Idaho. www.WaCanId.org or 888-823-2626. Registration opens Mar. 1 – limited to 100 riders.

vesta velo cycling tours for women — Come cycle and be pampered in the majestic White Mountains of New hampshire. We offer two- and five-day tours with exceptional rides & equally excep-tional accommodations and cuisine. July-September. www.vestavelo.com.

touring ride in rural indiana® (triri®) bicycle rallies — June 10-13, 2012. Loop rides with a theme from a sin-gle Indiana State Park, with camping or inn accommodations and six catered meals. Contact: 812-333-8176; [email protected]; or www.triri.org.

2012 vermont bike and brewery cHallenge — Cycle through the Green Mountains and taste some of the best beer in the country, visiting half the breweries in the state. Coming this June. More at mountmajor.com.

september escapade™ triri® — September 16-21, 2012. Scenic, historic tour of southeastern Indiana with inn or camping overnights at Indiana State Parks, two layover days, and ten catered meals. Contact: 812-333-8176; [email protected]; or www.triri.org.

montana bike Hostel & camping — Tour Glacier Park & Northern Tier, Continental Divide Routes. Lodging & Camping, Custom Cycling Tours Shuttle or sag service, Airport, Amtrak & Border PU. Explore Montana’s Spectacular flathead Valley! 406-755.2204, facebook, [email protected], www.montana bikehostel.com.

scenic cycle tours — Come cycle and explore the beauty that Canada’s landscape holds, The Great lakes, Niagara Region, mighty rivers. Supported cycle tours of beautiful southern Ontario, Quebec and feature loca-tions. www.sceniccycletours.com.

carolina tailwinds bicycle vacations — Easy, flat terrain tours include: South Carolina’s Lowcountry, North Carolina’s Outer Banks, and Maryland’s Eastern Shore. More challenging, mountainous tours include: Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley and North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. All tours include intimate group size, cozy coun-try inns, and outstanding cuisine. www.caro-linatailwinds.com; 888-251-3206.

rainstorm™ — July 16-21, 2012. Need coast-to-coast preparation? Try five cen-turies over five days, with a 160-mile ride on day six. Inn or motel accommodations, air conditioning, free Wifi, seven catered meals. Contact: 812-333-8176; [email protected]; or www.triri.org.

cycle nortH carolina fall ride — 13th Annual “Mountains to the Coast” (September 29 – October 6) — Cycle 450 plus miles while experiencing the North Carolina countryside on scenic back roads amidst beau-tiful fall colors. Explore quaint towns, visit famous State Parks, historic Sites, wineries, and more. fully supported with SAG Support and rest stops. Various registration options avail-able. [email protected], www.ncsports.org.

around wisconsin bicycle tours — flavors of Wisconsin July 9-14. Ride bike, eat cheese, taste microbrews. Northern Woods and Water. August 20-25. Cycle paved forest roads. Stay in historic lakefront lodges. Canoe and swim in quiet lakes. www.aroundwisbike.com 920-427-6086.

oregon memories — When it comes to dazzling combinations of show-stopping landscapes and world class cycling, it’s hard to beat Oregon. Whether you’re looking for the magnificent volcanic vistas and deep for-est of the Cascade Region which can be found on our Cascadian Traverse or you’re looking for the craggy coastlines and sandy beaches of our Oregon Coastal Odyssey, we have the perfect Oregon tour for you. www.advent urecycling.org/tours (800) 755-2453.

classifiedadscontinued

like A giAnt POP tArt A structurally insulated panel is lifted onto the steel framework of the Adventure Cycling headquarters expansion. The one-foot–thick panels with an R value of 50 are just one of the energy conser-vation features of the new construction.

Building the home of Adventure Cycling requires lots of help from our construc-tion crew, our staff, and our generous

donors. To learn how you can make your mark on the future of bicycle travel visit:

www.adventurecycling.org/donate_today

Your bicycle helmet counts as a hard hat


Open Road Gallery

REINE WILEY CAME ThROUGh ADVENTURE CYCLING’S hEADQUARTERS in July of 2009, accompanied by three old friends. The group was traveling from Portland, Oregon, to Portland, Maine, to celebrate 25 years of touring together. They’d become friends at a Church Bicycle Camp in the mid 1980s and ridden together every summer since, all over the U.S., Canada, and Europe. “I didn’t start cycling until I was 42 and it ran away with me,” says Reine. “I became confident that I could meet chal-lenges: climb Mt. Evan, the Rockies ditto, Mesa Verde, all with my own strength.”

Their trip across the U.S. went smoothly. At the end of the tour, Reine went in for a checkup to see about some stomach trouble she’d been having. To her complete shock, she was told she was in stage four of a rare Neuroendocrine cancer and was given five months to live.

Since discovering the cancer, Reine has undergone numerous treatments and nine surgeries. her doctors told her that she wouldn’t have survived the operating table if it hadn’t been for her strong physical condition due to cycling more than 10,000 miles a year regularly for more than 20 years. Although Reine is still technically in stage four cancer, she feels blessed by the love of the cycling community as well as her family and friends.

Reine used to ride 30 miles every morning before work. “I love feeling nature, the rain, the snow, the weather. I grin when I see rain coming. I’m not kidding you.” Although she can’t manage as many miles these days, she still tries to get out as much as possible. She says, “My trip across the U.S. was the highlight of my cycling life. There’s nothing like a great shower and a peanut butter sandwich after a mountain climb. I just turned 67, and Alaska is my new horizon. I have to improve a bit, but I won’t give up as long as I can put my feet on my pedals and breathe fresh air.”

From Adventure Cycling’s National Bicycle Touring Portrait Collection. © 2012 Adventure Cycling Association.

feet firMly On tHe PedAlsby Sarah Raz Photographs by Greg Siple

OpEN rOAD GAllEry

Adventure Cycling AssociationP.O. Box 8308Missoula, Montana 59807-8308

Non-profitU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDAdventure Cycling

Association

TransAm, Van • May 19 - August 9Sierra Cascades • May 26 - July 25Red Rock Ramble, Inn to Inn • June 2 - 8Great Lakes • June 9 - 19Cape Cod Pilgrimage • June 16 - 23Finger Lakes Loop • July 1 - 10Glacier-Waterton • July 8 - 17Adirondack Loop • July 28 - August 6Cascadian Traverse • August 4 - 14Selkirk Splendor • August 11 - 20Atlantic Coast • August 14 - October 18Black Hills, Inn-to-Inn • September 1 - 7Great Lakes, Inn to Inn • September 15 - 25Southern Tier • September 15 - November 18Florida Keys • October 27 - November 6

A long list for

the long road

www.adventurecycling.org/toursmag

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companions wanted 7 waypoints 8 47 Cy AdventureClist · 2013-01-07 · GO THE DISTANCE. AprIl 2012 $4.95 CyAdventureClist companions wanted 7 waypoints 8 open road gallery 47 How