Bicycle Touring Is Hard

Traveling by bike can be difficult, dirty and tough. You get sweaty, sunburnt and tired. Your legs become sore; your mind becomes weak; and the wind is sure to blow in your face at some point in your journey.  While traveling by bike, you will be forced to ride in the street and have cars [...]

Incredibell Omnibell – Bicycle Bell: Product Review

Do you need a bell for you bicycle? The Incredibell Omnibell may have a strange name, but it is an excellent medium-sized bike bell capable of mounting to handlebars of just about any size (22mm – 31.8mm). This superb dinging bell comes in one size (34mm in diameter) and one color (silver). What makes this [...]

Safety Is Gained Through Experience

A few weeks ago I conducted a live video event via Ustream where I spoke briefly about my travels on the Katy Trail and shared some of the good books I’ve been reading lately. At the end of my talk, I took questions from those in attendance and did my best to answer them live [...]

Mirrycle Incredibell Bellini Bicycle Bell: Review

The Incredibell Bellini bicycle bell made by the Mirrycle Coorporation in Boulder, Colorado is a small dinging bell made to mount on your bike’s handlebars. The bell is so small that it measures just 28 mm from one side to the other and it comes in three colors: brass, silver and black. The brass model [...]

Bigfoot, Spacemen & Overprotective Moms

On the first of the month I shared an email with you from a reader named “Phil G.” If you read that email in full, you would have learned that Phil was planning to make a trip by bike this coming year, but that he had some fears about making it happen. Not only did [...]

A Case For Glasses-Mounted Bicycle Mirrors

I am a long time bicycle commuter (now retired) and I did the TransAm bicycle route (east to west) in 2005.  While commuting and in all other riding that I do, including the cross country ride, I find my glasses-mounted, flat, 1 inch or so rear view mirror to be almost indispensable.  Combating a stiff [...]

How To Carry Extra Water On Your Bicycle

A few days ago I received two closely-related emails from two separate BicycleTouringPro.com readers. The first email was from John and it read: My sleeping bag is huge and would entirely fill one of the rear panniers. What type of sleeping bag do you use? Also, do you stuff your sleeping bag in a waterproof [...]

181 Free Articles About Bicycle Touring, World Travel And Lifestyle Design

2009 was one hell of a year! At this time last year I was emerging from my apartment in downtown Luzern, Switzerland and celebrating the first of what would become 254 days of bike travel in 16 different European countries. Since that time, I have covered thousands of miles on my bicycle (and on foot); [...]

How To Stand Out And Still Blend In

Cyclists need to stand out when sharing the road with motorized vehicles. The brighter you are, the more likely it is that a passing car will see you and move out of your way. But just because you are riding a bicycle doesn’t necessarily mean you have to dress in neon colors and plaster reflective [...]

Cateye HL-MC200 Bicycle Headlight

The Cateye HL-MC200 Bicycle Headlight has been in my arsenal of bike gear since my freshman year of college (over 7 years ago). Sadly, it is one of the worst bike lights I have ever encountered and certainly not a product I would ever recommend. The problem with the light is not that it doesn’t [...]

Hokey Spokes: Unique Bicycle Lights Product Review

Hokey Spokes are transparent computerized “blades” that attach to your bicycle spokes and spin as you ride to create an impressive array of design images and text. With a name like “Hokey Spokes” you might expect these little electronic “blades” to be nothing more than a children’s today. However, you’d be surprised to learn just [...]

Can You Describe Your Worst Bicycle Crash?

I recently crashed my bicycle on a short ride from my home to an indoor soccer arena where I was to play a game of midnight fussball. When I got home from the game later that night, I sent out the following message on Twitter: After that, the responses came flooding in. Here is what [...]