On the evening of Thursday, October 25th I conducted a live Internet webcast from my current location at the time in Brasov, Romania. During the one-and-a-half hour event I discussed:
- How to keep your bicycle and belongings safe when traveling.
- What I learned from my stay in Istanbul, Turkey
- The joy of bicycle touring along the coast of the Black Sea in Bulgaria
- How much I love Romania for bicycle touring and life in general
- My future plans for cycling through Moldova, Ukraine and Poland
- What I’m doing to prepare for the next several months of cycling in the cold, rain and snow
And at the end of the event I took some time to answer the questions that you, my readers, had for me about bicycle touring, world travel and a whole lot more.
A recording of the first half of my live bicycle touring webcast from Brasov, Romania can be watched above. The second half of the webcast can be viewed below. (The Internet cut out about half-way through the webcast, so that’s why the video is split into two.)
In the event that you don’t want to listen to the entire thing, here is a breakdown of the two videos. Feel free to jump forward to the part that interests you most:
PART 1: Bicycle Touring In Eastern Europe
- Introduction: Who I am and what this webcast is all about (00:00)
- How to keep your bicycle and belongings safe on tour (02:55)
- Bicycle touring in Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania (07:40)
- My bicycle touring plans for the rest of the year – cycling through Romania, Moldova, Transnistria, and Ukraine (21:00)
- How to prepare for winter bicycle touring – clothing, lights, scheduling, etc. (22:00)
PART 2: Darren Answers Reader Questions About Bicycle Touring
- Summing up part 1 of the webcast (00:00)
- What is the best brand of bicycle touring panniers? (01:40)
- What is the legality of wild/stealth camping? (03:05)
- What is it like to bicycle tour down the California coastline? (05:55)
- How to deal with sore legs and properly train for a bike tour (09:50)
- What causes numb hands and how do you prevent it? (12:40)
- Can you recommend a good bicycle touring saddle? (14:40)
- What kind of tires do you recommend for bike touring? (16:40)
- How do I convince my parents that bicycle touring is safe? (20:30)
- Dealing with aggressive dogs (27:40)
- How do I finances full-time bicycle touring? (29:30)
- How much food and water do you carry in the winter? (34:30)
- What are some high-calorie food ideas for bike touring? (36:20)
- What are your tips for 45+ year-olds who want to conduct long-distance bike tours? (37:00)
- How do you deal with your phone when traveling internationally? (38:20)
- What are the pros and cons of 26″ and 700c wheels/tires? (42:00)
- How can solo bike tourists stay safe on their travels? (44:45)
- What solar panel are you using to recharge your electronics? (47:40)
- Do you have international health insurance? (49:10)
- What items do you carry in your tool kit? (49:30)
- Is it possible to attach a rear rack to the front of a bicycle? (50:30)