About
Hello! My name is Darren Alff and I’m a full time bicycle traveler, meaning that I live, work and travel anywhere I please, whenever I want. Over the last ten years I have traveled with my bike through more than half of the 50 United States and pedaled across dozens of different countries around the world.
Here at BicycleTouringPro.com you will find information on my own bicycle travels; thoughts and ideas on the future of bicycle touring; products and services I recommend for life on the road; and a ton of information on how you can plan, prepare for, and execute your very own global bicycle touring adventures.
What Is Bicycle Touring Pro?
BicycleTouringPro.com is a website aimed at those interested in bicycle touring, world travel, and lifestyle design.
Here you will find a repository of useful articles, interviews, and videos for global bicycle travelers. The articles are aimed to help you with all aspects of planning, preparing for and executing a short or long distance bicycle adventure.
Fresh content is added to the website on a regular basis (usually several times per week) and I am active participant on social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
How I Became A Full-Time Bicycle Traveler
In the year 2001, shortly after graduating from high school, I mounted my father’s dusty old mountain bike and slowly pedaled my way down the Coast of California – from Oregon to Mexico. I was seventeen years old at the time and didn’t know a thing about traditional “bicycle touring,” but I made it to my destination… and that first trip by bike changed my life forever.
That first trip taught me a lot – both about myself and the world in which we live. Since that time, I have gained extensive experience a long-distance bicycle traveler and I have spent the last ten years learning about the world from the seat of my bike.
I started BicycleTouringPro.com in late 2007 after one of my old college roommates called me up and told me that he was planning his first long-distance bicycle tour. For years I had been trying to get him to join me on my cycling adventures, but I could never make it happen. But then, several years later, the thought of going on a bike tour struck him as an appealing venture… and he called the only person he knew who had actually done it!
I started BicycleTouringPro.com with the intention of helping this particular friend plan his first bike trip. I didn’t really think anyone else would care to read what I had to say. But just a month or two after the site was started, the readership really took off and I’ve been hustling like crazy ever since to make BicycleTouringPro.com into THE BEST web-based resource available for modern bicycle travelers.
Why I’m Called The “Bicycle Touring Pro”
A lot of people think the name, Bicycle Touring Pro, is a name I gave myself as some sort of bicycle touring expert, but that’s not really the case. The name came about because I told myself all through college that my ideal job would be being able to ride my bike, travel the world, and help others make their dreams come true. So, when I went about naming the site, it was an aspirational sort of name – a kind of constant reminder of who I one-day wanted to become – a Professional Bicycle Traveler.
Since that time, I have, in many ways, turned into a “Bicycle Touring Pro.” I now work from home/on the road (I run an Internet Marketing consulting business called “Silver Mountain Marketing”) and I spend most of my days skiing, biking, hiking, or doing just about anything I please. My life at home in the United States is almost exactly the same as it is when I am out traveling with my bike. I run the website, consult with my marketing clients, and explore the world around me under my own human power.
What Makes Bicycle Touring Pro Different?
The number one thing that separates me and my website from the other bicycle touring websites and organizations is that I see what I do as MORE than just a summertime activity. What I do and the way I live is very much a part of who I am. For me, bicycle travel is a lifestyle choice that gives me the time and freedom to do the things I love most.
Subscribe to BicycleTouringPro.com
Please stay in touch with BicycleTouringPro.com through one or more of the following social networking sites:
You can also subscribe to this website using your favorite RSS feed reader.
Or you can subscribe via email and receive my free bicycle touring newsletter that walks you through the basics of planning, preparing for, and executing your first bicycle adventure.
About My Book
In 2008 I published an eBook titled “The Bicycle Traveler’s Blueprint.” In short – it’s a condensed, updated and logically ordered version of this website – specifically written for individuals who are new to long-distance bicycle travel.
In 2009 I also released “The Ultimate Guide To Free Lodging,” which is a resource for bicycle travelers who want to save huge amounts of money by receiving free hotels, hostels, and camp sites for their travels.
Thank you for visiting BicycleTouringPro.com. I hope you enjoy it!
