The Day of a Thousand Hellos


Just how many times did I say "hello" today? I asked myself that question recently in Cambodia (where we are currently cycling). We have been greeting warmly everywhere in this country, but while cycling the tiny roads and paths along The Mekong, the greeting got intense.

Everyone said hello--parents, grandparents, students walking to school, workers out harvesting rice, the men serving coffee on the side of the road, woman making sugar cane juice, builders working on new houses, fishermen mending their nets, old women with mouths stained red from betal, little kids waving from trees they'd climbed, people on scooters, and bikes, and even farmers driving ox carts.

And they did use the word "hello". In Myanmar they say "mingalaba", in Laos it is "sabaidee". But in Cambodia, everyone called, yelled, shouted and even sang "hello".

I believe everyone who greets me should receive a hearty hello in return, not just a little wave of the hand or nod of the head. But after hours of responding, my voice was getting tired. 

I starting counting. In the first thirty minute period, I said hello 91 times. I only counted the times I responded to someone's greeting. The second count came in at 107. I was saying hello around 200 times an hour.

We spent at least six hours on the bikes that day. So I can conservatively estimate that I had a day of a thousand hellos.

And I loved it.

Photo: By Kat Marriner

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SIGHTS AND SOUNDS is posted every other Friday. Willie Weir is a columnist for Adventure Cyclist magazine. His latest book Travels with Willie: Adventure Cyclist will inspire you to hit the road and just might change the way you approach bicycle travel. He lives in Seattle with his wife Kat. You can read about their adventures at http://yellowtentadventures.com/.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/12/the-day-of-thousand-hellos.html

cycling routes

2012 Holiday Campaign Update


This year we had our largest fundraising opportunity ever. The Holiday Trailblazers, a group of donors, challenged us to raise $86,000 by December 31, which they would match. We reached out to members to help us raise the money by making a donation.  The campaign started off strong, slowed gradually, and then we sent out our last reminder on December 27, just $16,000 away from our goal, and blew past the finish line within hours!


2012 Holiday Campaign Figures:
  • Total match available: $86,000
  • Total amount raised to meet match: $147,448.35
  • Total amount raised including match: $233,448.35
Only with the support of our members can Adventure Cycling offer the best bicycle-travel magazine, the best cycling maps, the most affordable guided tours, and the most expert bicycle-travel advice available. Because of our members, we continue to grow our resources and our influence, exposing more people to the magic of bicycle travel. 

Thank you for all your support and thank you to our Holiday Trailblazers for challenging us! 

Visit our website to learn more about our work in 2012 and our goals for 2013. Visit us on Facebook and help spread the word!

Here?s to great cycling in 2013.


Illustrations by Luke McDonnell

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

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2013/01/2012-holiday-campaign-update.html

padded cycling shorts

How to restore waterproofing on your jacket

After a particularly wet weekend of walking in the Peak District, my much loved DHB waterproof jacket was letting water in. The waterproofing was failing. Fortunately, through London Cyclist readers, I?d heard about the Nikwax range of products. You simply washed your waterproof gear in the Nikwax mixture and the waterproofing is restored. It seemed [...]

The post How to restore waterproofing on your jacket appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.

Source: http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/how-to-restore-waterproofing-on-your-jacket/

world cycling

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 gear

Tour de Suisse ? Levi Leipheimer Laughs Last

The 9-Day, 1,245.9-kilometer (774+ mile) 75th edition of the Tour de Suisse is now in the record books. Traveling through some truly beautiful country, great old cities, serious alpine climbs, 3 countries, and numerous tricky switchbacks and tight turns, Team RadioShack?s members had not been setting many headlines. Sure there were some excellent performances, Andreas [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/tour-de-suisse-levi-leipheimer-laughs-last/

2011 tour de france