30 days of biking: Hobart

Day 7 of "30 Days of Bicycling" found me craving some carbs after 20-some miles of fighting a stiff breeze blowing over the Cascade foothills. The Hobart General Store and post office loomed ahead and I pulled in for a snack. This is always a great place to stop for a number of reasons, among them the community bulletin board, at left.

Source: http://www.bikingbis.com/2012/04/07/30-days-of-biking-hobart/

tour de france

Klöden 2nd On GC, Horner 4th, as Vino Takes Stage 3 of Basque

Team RadioShack?s Andreas Klöden (GER) could not have relinquished the leader?s yellow jersey at the Tour of the Basque Country, Vuelta Ciclista al País Vasco, in today?s 177 kilometer 3rd stage, under better circumstances. He raced smart, expending as little energy as possible to stay near the front. He didn?t get hurt or [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/kloden-2nd-on-gc-horner-4th-as-vino-takes-stage-3-of-basque/

nalini cycling

By the Seat of Our Pants: 3 Nights in Southern New Jersey


This week's bike overnight comes from Marty Garnick, who tells us he has been a cycling enthusiast for the past 25 years, 12 of them devoted to riding recumbents. "I pride myself on riding my bikes as much as I drive my car," Marty says. (You can check out his blog at The Jerseypedaler.)

Of his maiden voyage with a full complement of gear, "By the Seat of Our Pants: 3 Nights in Southern New Jersey," Marty writes, "I have always wanted to do a self-contained tour. Not being able to take three months off for a trip across the country, I opted for a four-day, three-night excursion around southern New Jersey. I picked this area because it?s flat and I didn?t know how well I could ride with a loaded bike. I approached my 21-year-old son Justin about the idea, and he was very excited by it. We decided the last week in August would fit into both our schedules.

"We packed on Sunday and rolled out on Monday at 7:30 a.m. with my wife and in-laws taking pictures and wishing us well. Thursday we headed home, a bit sad it was over, but excited about our accomplishment -- 271 miles in four days. Great trip, great company. An experience we will cherish forever."

Be sure to read Marty's entire bike overnight at BikeOvernights.org to find out what happens and where he and Justin go between Monday and Thursday. While there, also check out the archives of bike overnights and Photos of the Week. Our recent weekly photo selection, published March 30 and featured below, comes courtesy of Heather Andersen from her post Tahoe on My Mind.

BikeOvernights.org Photo of the Week, 03.30.12.

Last but not least, be sure to check out this fun bike overnights video (Santa Barbara to Los Angeles) from our friends at America ByCycle!


Top photo by Marty Garnick.

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BIKE OVERNIGHTS is posted every Monday by Michael McCoy, Adventure Cycling?s media specialist, and highlights content from BikeOvernights.org. Mac also compiles the organization's twice-monthly e-newsletter Bike Bits, which goes free-of-charge to more than 44,000 readers worldwide.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/04/by-seat-of-our-pants-3-nights-in.html

cycling insurance

Lost and Found

It never fails, no matter how iron clad your pack list is, there will always be something you realize you missed, in addition to lot of things you realize you don't really need.

For the extra items, you can always ship those back home when you reach a post office, and with the items you forgot, you can usually pick them along they way. One fun thing about touring is that when I say pick thing up along the way, I really mean along the way. Over the years, I've found a lot of odd items laying on or next to the road while riding that I have found useful.

Some useful and common items that you can find on almost any stretch of highway include bungee chords, those red mechanic grease rags, and Bic lighters. I've also noticed that a lot of bicycle tourists tend to strap objects such as antlers, stuffed animals, or plastic toys to their bikes that they happen to find while out on the road. Tools are also common on the road, and I've definitely spotted more than my fair share of adjustable wrenches out there.

Maybe the best lost and found items along the road are the ones you would never expect to see. Just the chance of finding something completely out of left field can turn a long, mundane stretch of road into a fun treasure hunt. Here are some bizarre finds I've encountered over the years:

  • Fifteen dollars in pennies. Apparently they were stolen from an elementary school classroom earlier that day, and discarded on a remote highway. 
  • A bike! 
  • Working cell phones 
  • A DVD of Under Siege, starring Steven Seagal. He was just a cook! 
Those are some of my good finds. I would be interested in hearing what others have found on the road.

Photo by Josh Tack

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TOURING GEAR AND TIPS is written by Joshua Tack of Adventure Cycling's member services department. It appears weekly, highlighting technical aspects of bicycle touring and advice to help better prepare you for the journey ahead.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/03/lost-and-found.html

cycling skinsuits

Tour de France Stage 14 ? The Big One

A beautiful day for a bike race! Blue skies and nice weather (a bit warm) greeted the cyclists at the start line in the city of Saint-Gaudens within sight of the mighty Pyrénées in the south of France. The 169-kilometer course had a shark?s tooth profile and with lots of categorized mountains, a bunched-up group [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/tour-de-france-stage-14-the-big-one/

womens cycling clothes

Freire Has Stage Victory Invalidated at Basque Tour

Just when you think you?re witnessing one of the least interesting stages of the summer, a 179-kilometer (111-mile) up and down grinder in the Vuelta Ciclista al País Vasco, with the predictable break away being dangled on a 2-minute string by the big named teams who will inevitably bunch it over the last climb to [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/freire-has-stage-victory-invalidated-at-basque-tour/

cycling training plans

10 Things You Might Think You Need for a Long-Distance Tour, but Don't

The April issue of Adventure Cyclist delivers a detailed Cyclist Travel Guide. But since Adventure Cyclist anticipates that our readers will be keen on more information, we present the second of four blog posts by Ryan McAfee and Michelle Cassel (of America ByCycle) to appear in the month of April that will serve as the sassy supplement to our annual Cyclist Travel Guide.

As touring season ramps up and you?re getting your things together, you may be weighing what you do and do not need to bring, or what you need to make room for as your storage space fills up. You may be forced to make cutthroat decisions, and knowing which items to eliminate from your supplies can make a huge difference in your storage space, your stress level, and your overall weight. A dry or "shakedown" ride is always a good way to find out what is working and what isn?t.

And let?s face it, having to push your bike up Afton Mountain because you?re carrying two heavy bike locks isn?t fun. Fewer things that serve multiple tasks should be your M.O. If you're stuck, think to yourself, ?what would the 1976 Bikecentennial cyclists do??

So let?s figure out what you don?t need to bring. 10 things, to be exact:

1. An Expensive ?Touring? Bike

People have been riding bikes long distances for many decades, and plenty of them weren?t necessarily suited for touring. Sure, having a strong frame and nice tires on your bike is reassuring, but is not absolutely necessary. The bottom line -- you need to find a bike you?re comfortable riding, and one that can carry your load. It doesn?t hurt to find one you like looking at, either.

2. Cleated Shoes and Clip-in/Clipless Pedals

We started our bike tour with cleated shoes and pedals, and quickly learned that we didn?t need them. About 3/4 of the cyclists we came across wore cleats/clip-ins though, and some thought we were crazy for not using them! To us, shoes and clips are a little on the pricey end, and unless you?re a serious cyclist you probably won?t notice a difference in your pedaling. Plus, you?ll fall over a lot when you start using them, and people in cars will laugh at you. (Just me?)

3. Lots of money

Money is a huge obstacle for people wanting to tour. They think they don?t have enough of it. But if you?ve read or watched anything we?ve done, then you?ve no doubt seen us cut costs and do things as cheaply as possible. It?s 100% possible to be safe, warm and well-fed while at the same time being cost-efficient. Make sure you set a budget, and stay as close to that daily budget as you can. $10 a day, $20 a day, or whatever you can afford. Things like bananas and peanut butter are way cheaper than any restaurant, camping out is way cheaper than hotels, and it will be VERY easy to cut out your Ebay addiction when you're biking all day. Trust me.
4. Cycling Jerseys

If you want to buy a cycling jersey, buy a cycling jersey. They can look cool, they hold some of your loose items effectively, and there?s even an Oberon Jersey, so they've got to be cool. That being said, people who did the first TransAm ride in 1976 were crossing the country in tank tops and cut-off jean shorts, so think about that before you think you really NEED a cycling jersey. You know what else keeps you cool while biking? No jersey.

5. A Wealth of Knowledge of Bike Repair

Chances are you don?t know everything about repairing bikes. Neither do we. The best thing is to watch some free online tutorials on how to do some basic maintenance, or you can go to free classes at your local REI (if you have one). If you don?t have these options, then go to a local bike shop and just ask if they?ll show you how to repair a tire! That's not even a joke, you should really try it!

6. Several Days Worth of Bike Clothing

We carried lots of clothing, and it took up a lot of room in our panniers. Then once we neared the end we realized that we were carrying too many different layers, and that we could get the same comfort and warmth from fewer items that were higher quality. You'll end up paying a little more for these items, but they drastically cut down on the amount of clothing you have to carry. Look for clothes that wick the sweat away from your body. Wool clothing keeps you cool in the summer and warm in the winter, so it serves two purposes. Also, almost every town has a place to do your laundry, so it?s very likely that you?ll be able to wash your dirty pair while wearing your clean pair, and switch when necessary. This cuts down on the amount of clothing you pack, and also lets you get rid of that old change jar you?ve had sitting on your shelf for years!7. A Full Kitchen?s Worth of Cooking Supplies

You should keep it to your essentials when dealing with your food while touring. Your cooking pot can double as a bowl or supply holder, your plate can double as a cutting board, and a spork is both fun to say and easy to use! Just make sure that your knife NEVER doubles as your spoon -- soups are really hard to eat with a knife.

8. Makeup/Blow Dryer/Vanity Items

Seriously.

9. A Solar Charger

Solar chargers are fun. They?re cool techie gadgets that charge your phone using the power of the sun! However, you will usually be able to find a power outlet no matter where you are. There may be some campsites or national parks that don?t have any outlets, but for the most part you will be able to find an outlet to plug your phone/mp3 player/tablet/computer into. Libraries, gas stations, post offices, and Yellowstone?s gift shop were all places we plugged in our phones and charged, while awkwardly standing near the counter making the clerk anxious. (Hint: The top plug in the outlets behind vending machines are almost always free and within reach for those who prefer 'stealth charging.')10. Physical Fitness

Our first day on tour we did 13 miles. 13. You don?t need to be in great physical shape to do a tour. You can do 10 miles a day. You can be 80+ years old. You can be a paraplegic. Over the duration of our trip we heard about all of these situations, and the underlying theme throughout is that mental toughness trumps physical fitness. Hills suck, this is true. The wind can be awful, without a doubt. But the best part is, none of these things will stop you. You will get stronger every day, and soon 30-40 miles becomes easy. Then 70-80 miles becomes easy. As long as you don?t lose it mentally, your body will follow. Just make sure you take breaks every now and then and give your legs a rest!

Photos by Michelle Cassel and Ryan McAfee

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MICHELLE CASSEL & RYAN McAFEE are Los Angeles-based journalists who recently biked across the country on the TransAmerica Trail. They continue to ride their bikes on tours and share their stories of the road through videos and blogs, and can be found at AmericaByCycle.com.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/04/10-things-you-might-think-you-need-for.html

cycling plus

Andreas Klöden Out of the Tour

And then there were 5! After just a few minutes of pedaling into today?s Stage 13, Team RadioShack?s Andreas Klöden was forced to abandon his Tour effort this year succumbing to numerous injuries from several bad crashes. With numerous bruises and bad scrapes the most serious injury was Andreas? back, which caused him severe [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/andreas-kloden-out-of-the-tour/

cycling bibs