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Life Without A Vehicle: Could You Live For 12 Months Without Your Car?

For the last ten years I’ve been driving a 1992 blue and white Ford Explorer. The car was my father’s before he passed it down to me after I received my license at the age of 16… and boy did I love that car!

But you’re probably wondering, why in the world am I talking about my car on a website devoted to bicycle travel?

Well, the reason I’m talking about my car is because I’ve recently decided to donated my vehicle to charity and am now without any sort of motorized transportation.

With my car out of the picture, my main source of transportation is by bike. And because I’ve decided to live for the next 12 months (and possibly even longer) without any sort of vehicle, I thought this would make for an interesting topic of conversation here at BicycleTouringPro.com. Read more

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Interbike 2008 Urban Legend Fashion Show

Day two of the 2008 Interbike International Bicycle Expo ended with a fashion show featuring the clothes, bikes, and accessories of more than 50 different companies. The line up included fashions designed for gym, weekend casual, day casual, work, semi-formal, and formal occasions.

At the show the runway was set up in a circular arrangement. The models would ride a bike (sometimes a commuter bike, sometimes a folder, and sometimes a tricycle) halfway around the stage before stopping, exiting the bike, and posing for the cameras. They would then (typically, but not always) walk the bike the rest of the way around the runway before stopping one more time, posing for the cameras yet again, and then exiting the stage.

From what I understood, the goal of the show was to feature fashions that steer clear of the neon colors most often associated with cyclists. Instead, the models were seen wearing more muted colors – clothes you might not ever associate with a biker. In the end, the women came on stage in full-length dresses – something I imagine would be quite difficult to do any serious riding in. Read more

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4 More Things You Should Know About Selecting A Bicycle Mirror

This week I had the pleasure of working with the fine folks from CycleAware (a company located in Aptos, California that makes mirrors and other bicycle safety products) at the 2008 Interbike Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada. I was asked to work the CycleAware booth after writing a review of the various types of bicycle mirrors… and I was happy to accept their invitation.

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Lance Armstrong’s Surprise Appearance At The 2008 Cross Vegas Cyclo-cross Race

The first day of the 2008 Interbike Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada ended with a men’s and women’s cyclo-cross race located in a park a few miles off the Vegas Strip.

When I first showed up at the event, the women’s race was already underway. The riders were pedaling on grass, flying over concrete sidewalks, jumping over hurdles, twisting around sharp corners and climbing up steep angled slopes. I’ve never attended a cyclo-cross race before, so all of this was quite a sight!

When the women’s race was over, it was announced that Lance Armstrong, seven-time winner of the Tour de France, would be joining the men’s race – competing against some of the best cyclo-cross racers in the world.

A huge crowd formed as Lance appeared near the starting gate and the announcer called him to the line. Lights flashed and the crowd roared. If it weren’t for his yellow and black LAF (Lance Armstrong Foundation) jersey, he’d look like any of the other riders on the course – an ultra fit athlete dressed in lycra preparing for 10 laps of cyclo-cross hell. Read more

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If You’re At The Interbike Expo, Here’s Where We Can Connect

A few people have been asking me about my schedule at the upcoming Interbike Expo and where we can meet. Following is my schedule thus far:

Working The CycleAware Booth

Much of my time is going to be spent working with CycleAware. We’ll be in booth #206, so please come and find me. Here is my schedule at the booth:

Wednesday, Sept. 24         1:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Thursday, Sept. 25            8:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Friday, Sept. 26                 8:30 AM – 1:30 PM Read more

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Bicycling In Ontario, Canada

The following is a guest post from Howard Pulver at Bike On Tours in Ontario, Canada.

Every year more cyclists are discovering the great opportunities for bicycle touring in Ontario, Canada. The most scenic and attractive areas for bicycling are located close to Niagara Falls and near the shores of Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, just across the border for visitors from the United States.

Long distance cyclists traveling between the northeastern United States and Michigan or Minnesota have found that bicycling across Ontario eliminates many miles of travel required to go around the Great Lakes. Read more

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What Are You Doing This Winter?

For those of us in the northern hemisphere, the bicycle touring season is quickly coming to an end. With winter just around the corner, I’ve been wondering what my readers are planning to do this winter.

In the past few weeks I’ve received emails from a few people in Australia and South America asking me about how to go about planning bike tours… and I’ve even received a couple messages from people in the United States and Canada who plan to travel south to warmer climates this winter. But I want to know what the rest of you have planned. Read more

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You Don’t Need Half The Things You Think You Need

Imagine: You’re out on the road, climbing a five thousand foot pass, when you suddenly look back and realize you’re carrying an awful lot of stuff on your bike. As sweat pours from your forehead and your bike slows to a stop, you think to yourself, “Did I really need to bring my pillow? My blow-dryer? Those three Steven King novels? What in the world was I thinking bringing all this stuff on my bike tour?”

Packing for a bicycle tour is not an easy task. It’s difficult for a beginner to determine which items are essential and which items can be left at home. And to make matters worse, there is no list on earth that details the essential items needed for every bicycle adventure. What you decide to pack will ultimately depend on where you are going, what time of year you will be traveling, and what comforts from home you will be able to do without. Read more

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10 Things I Learned From My First Bike Tour

When I left home in the summer of 2001 to ride my bike from Eureka, California to the Mexican/American border, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. As far as I was concerned, this whole “bicycle touring” thing was an entirely new concept – maybe even an entirely new sport? I didn’t know how I was going to travel over 1,000 miles on my rusty old mountain bike, but I did know I would figure out a way to make it happen!

After 30 days of cycling down the Pacific Coast of the United States, I learned a lot – both about myself and about what it takes to pull off a successful bicycle adventure.

The following is a list of ten important lessons I learned while on my first bike tour. Read more

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