Sleeping in the Trees


This week's Bike Overnight story comes from Kent "Mountain Turtle" Peterson, who tells us about an amazing accommodation in western Washington where grown-ups get to act like kids (or squirrels?) and sleep in the trees.

"In mid-June," writes Kent, "Christine and I spent our 'virtual weekend' (Wednesday and Thursday) on a few acres of land next to the Raging River at a wonderful place called TreeHouse Point. This place is not far from our home in Issaquah -- just over eight miles as the bikes roll, and almost all of those miles traverse paths designated for non-motorized travel.

"We left home after lunch and were settled into a treehouse known as the Nest by around 3 p.m. At $150 for a single summer night, our stay at TreeHouse Point drained much of our fun fund for the month, but we instantly knew this was money well spent. The land is beautiful, the staff is welcoming, and the TreeHouses are cozy and amazing.

"We spent much of our time exploring the grounds. Paths wind between the TreeHouses and lead down to the Raging River. Numerous spots invite you to just sit and think and wonder. There are nets in some trees which form chairs and platforms. While some of the TreeHouses are huge and quite luxurious, our favorite TreeHouse -- the one that made Christine squeal with delight and say, "Oh, I want one!" -- is a high perch that's just big enough for a single chair and a small desk. It offers an incredible view of the river. 

"Christine and I are already plotting future TreeHouse trips. We know we'll be returning to TreeHouse Point, maybe in the off-season when the rates are lower and we can feel the storms shake the trees." 

Read Kent's story in its entirety, and see more photos of these lofty lodgings, at BikeOvernights.org. There you can also scroll through our archives of posted stories and Photos of the Week -- including this week's image, which comes from the November 8, 2011, tale of adventure titled Rock and Pillar Range, New Zealand, by Paul Smith.


BikeOvernights.org Photo of the Week, 08.31.12.

Top 3 photos by Kent Peterson; bottom photo by Mike Wilson. 

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BIKE OVERNIGHTS is posted every Monday by Michael McCoy, Adventure Cycling?s media specialist, and highlights content from BikeOvernights.org. Previously, from March 2009 through January 2012, Mac posted weekly at Biking Without Borders. He also compiles the organization's twice-monthly e-newsletter Bike Bits, which goes free-of-charge to nearly 46,000 readers worldwide.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/09/sleeping-in-trees.html

cycling clothing

Why women wouldn?t cycle to work!

Written by: RHODRI CLARK OFFICIAL attempts to get more people cycling look set to fail - partly because women are too concerned about their safety or their image. Men and children appear to have responded to the message that cycling to work or school is good for their health and the environment. But new figures show a 29% drop in women cycling to work, although statisticians warn those figures should be treated with caution - because the numbers are so tiny. Just 0.5% of the female workers said the bicycle was their main transport to and from work. The reduction in female cyclists cancels out a 16% increase in men cycling to work. Overall, 1.4% of commuters normally cycled to work and the Government's target of tripling the number of people cycling to work by 2013 looks unachievable.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Cyclingchatcouk/~3/83ZMU5XV4uM/

cycling team clothing

Fall is in the Air

And the Cycling is Gran:

Well, I've been chided for saying it, but fall is indeed in the air. The leaves are changing and I now wear a jacket and gloves as I rocket down my hill. There is less light in the evenings, so I have been enjoying riding home in the dappled fall rays. It's also almost cyclocross season, and the perfect time and temperature to start cranking out some intervals and longer weekend rides.

I was also recently reflecting on the rise of Gran Fondo events in my area. Last year a friend of mine created a  local fall Gran Fondo near White Sulphur Springs MT called The Ride Around the Castle Mountains. It was fantastic and I'm wondering if the event will occur again. Fondo's are traditionally longer annual cycling events that typically occur in one day and are more akin to a mass ride than a race. Perfect!  A yearly reunion with great friends, good food (why not!), and a bike ride. I feel more Fondo's have been popping up, they are relatively easy to design, especially if you have a route in mind, something longer and challenging, its also nice to have a little support since the events traditionally run all day. 

Needless to say we had blast and I am hoping for the Ride Around the Castles 2012 version. I also noted some Gran Fondo events in Montana this year with the Ovando Gran Fondo just around the corner. This is a 57-mile orchestrated supported ride, a mixture of paved and dirt roads in the Seeley Swan Valley and a fundraiser for the Missoula Symphony Association.


What are some of the Fall cycling events in your area?  Any Fondo's on the list?  If you haven't tried one, give it a spin this year.  Also, Adventure Cycling still has a few openings on some of our Fall tours:
Some of these only have a few spots, but what a great way to enjoy the season, cool cycling air, fall colors, the effervescent smells of decaying leaves. So, be a kid again, kick-up some leaves with those bicycle tires, and enjoy the open road.


Photos: Biking home in Missoula, by Mo

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ON THE ROAD is written by the tours team -- Mo, Paul, Madeline, and Arlen -- tours specialists and intrepid bicyclists, covering all things related to Adventure Cycling's Tours Department. Find your  dream tour now!

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/09/fall-is-in-air.html

cycling games

Ben King Profile

Ben King Profile Benjamin King (born March 22, 1989 in North Garden, Virginia) is an American professional road-racing cyclist who moves up to Team RadioShack for the 2011 season.  Ben started racing at the age of 14 showing great promise and winning junior national titles before signing with Kelly Benefit Strategies.  He attended college at [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/ben-king-profile/

cycling events 2011

Our Summer Share the Joy Winners!

Adventure Cycling's 2012 Share the Joy program gave away some fantastic prizes this summer! Keep sharing Adventure Cycling with your friends and family for more chances to win. Here are some of our recent monthly winners. Congratulations everyone!

Peter Dague, a 3-year member from Columbus, Ohio, was our June winner. Peter won an Ortlieb Touring Pannier Set. Our July winner, Gillian Yoerg, a 3-year member from Northfield, Minnesota, won a Sherpa Rear Rack from Old Man Mountain. William Mullen, a 12-year member from Lunenburg, Massachusetts, was our August winner and won a White Rock Rear Rack, also from Old Man Mountain.

There are only a few months left to get in on the 2012 prizes, so start browsing through your address book and your bike club's membership roster.  Get your friends and fellow riders excited about Adventure Cycling and you could win. Our grand prize for 2012 is a Rapid 1 bicycle from Giant, valued at $1250 (the winner will be randomly drawn from all entries). Visit the contest page to learn about all of the ways that you can get entered to win!


All of our prizes are generously donated by these businesses because they believe in the mission of Adventure Cycling and support the work we do. Please consider supporting these great sponsors as you pedal through the 2012 touring season. Many of the brands can be found in the Adventure Cycling Cyclosource store.

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MEMBERSHIP HIGHLIGHTS is typically posted every other Friday by Amy Corbin, Membership and Marketing Coordinator. Membership Highlights spotlights the various benefits of membership,our accomplishments thanks to member support, and even interviews with some of our most passionate and dedicated members, both individual and organizational.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/09/our-summer-share-joy-winners.html

cycling t shirts

Robbie McEwen Profile

Robbie McEwen (born June 24, 1972 in Brisbane) is an Australian road-racing champion in his final ? 15th ? season as a professional with Team RadioShack, having started his career with Rabobank in 1996. Nicknamed the Pocket Rocket, he has amassed an almost unsurpassed record of well over 200 victories throughout his long and distinguished [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/robbie-mcewen-profile/

cycling exercise

Klöden 3rd Horner 4th After Day One of Basque Tour

Team RadioShack?s Andreas Klöden (GER) continuing to display exceptional form this season came in 3rd today with ?The Shack?s? Christopher Horner (USA) close behind in today?s 150-kilometer mountainous first stage of the Vuelta Ciclista al País Vasco, Tour of the Basque Country in Northeast Spain. This first of 6 stages was deemed by some to [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/kloden-3rd-horner-4th-after-day-one-of-basque-tour/

winter cycling gear

When 60 miles is too far to ride

There I was. Highway 200. My first day on a week-long bike tour. It's scorching hot out, no shade for miles. I've got 20 pounds in panniers on the front, 10 pounds tied onto the rear rack, a Burley Tail Wagon hitched to the rear axle, and a border collie in tow.

We need water. We need shade. We need shelter.

I had planned to ride to Seeley Lake that first day. It was only a 60 mile ride. That's nothing, right? Wrong.

Let's rewind.

Earlier that day, I rode through Adventure Cycling Association headquarters in Missoula, Montana. Co-founder Greg Siple took my portrait with my bike and dog, and he weighed my gear. I was excited that I had broken the previous record of 170 pounds with a whopping 182. Normally, long distance cyclists try to lighten their gear, and I had tried to do the same thing; however, to do this trip with the dog, I was under certain constraints. I was unconcerned with the weight, though, because I had done a shake-down overnight and had very little problem pulling the gear, trailer, and dog.

Astro and I thought we were ready!
I left Adventure Cycling HQ a little later than I expected and knew that meant I would be a little later getting into camp than I had expected. Then, I missed a turn and rode 6 miles the wrong way then 6 miles to get back on route.

Now fast forward to 30 miles later. I am exhausted from climbing a steady incline with a noticeable headwind and unforgiving heat. I am done. And that means I need to figure out where to get food and water and locate a viable campsite.

Thank goodness for Adventure Cycling map I brought with me which told me there was a gas station (which had all the food supplies I needed) only 6 miles away and a campsite only 15. My smartphone and Google maps application were useless since I had absolutely no cell reception for miles. Without that little waterproof map, I don?t know what I would have done. I know I was ready to pull off to the side of the road and cry from exhaustion. Adventure Cycling maps saved the day.

Each cycling season, bicycle tourists all over the country discover how important a reliable and accurate map is to enjoying and conquering their bicycle dreams and adventures. If you?ve used our maps and routes, you know that they make a huge difference in planning and embarking upon a bicycle tour ? turning something daunting into a thing of ease and grace.

You can help us keep the Adventure Cycling Route Network alive, growing, and up-to-date by sponsoring a mile on the Southern Tier, TransAm, Pacific Coast, Great Divide, and Lewis & Clark bicycle routes. You can also make a donation to support the network as a whole, which will help us complete Bicycle Route 66, make essential updates to our existing routes, and help us complete the conversion of our maps to Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

Donate today and you'll have the chance to win a BOB trailer! (Winner announced on October 1st.)

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SUPPORT ADVENTURE CYCLING is written by Amanda Lipsey, development director for Adventure Cycling Association.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/09/when-60-miles-is-too-far-to-ride.html

world cycling