Touring Gear and Tips
Josh, Gear Reviews
Friday, May 18, 2012
In a few short weeks, my fiance and I will be gearing up, and heading to Fairbanks, Alaska, to kick off a five- or six-month tour down to Mexico. If you're interested in our route, you can check out the outline we've got in mind
here. So far, we've never managed to stay on route, always wandering around to nearby sights, so we'll see what happens in the end. If you want to follow our progress, we'll be updating our
Tumblr page.
Anyway, the point of all this is that today marks my final blog post for this column. With that in mind, I had a hard time deciding on what to focus on, so I'm just going to throw out a potpourri of things I'm into for various reasons. Here we go!
Gravel Rides: We talk a lot about bicycle-friendly road features such as shoulders and rumble strips, in addition to being visible to traffic. These are definitely good conversations to have, but don't get so focused on paved roads that you forget about gravel. Farm roads, logging roads, and forest service roads are my favorite spots to ride. Slow-moving traffic at low volumes and quiet surroundings are a couple of perks. While the surface is rough, you can still get by on your 700x32 touring or cyclocross tires. In addition to gravel and dirt roads, I'm also a huge fan of the videos that
NCC HAC Gravel Metric have been putting out.
Kamp-Rite Midget Bushtrekka: It's a pop-up camper for your bike. I won't recommend that you try to take this across the country, but I still think its awesome.
Salsa Fargo 2: I have a problem I'm going to need to address at some point. My last four tours have all been on different bikes (Cannondale XR800, Surly Long Haul Trucker, Ritchey Break Away Cross, Cannondale F4). This time around it's going to be a Salsa Fargo 2. For a tour that will be 50% paved, and 50% dirt, it's hard not to be excited about this bike. It's also just a blast to use on day rides no matter what style of riding you have planned.
Touring Hair Styles: Both Sarah and I are really into the idea of trying to grow out our hair while we're on this tour. I've never grown my hair out too far, but I'm hoping by the time we hit Montana,
I look something like this.
TET Cycles: There's no shortage of custom bike frame manufacturers out there, but there is a shortage of custom builders with reasonable prices. Working with steel and aluminum, Tom Teesdale can handle bikes, trikes, and custom forks, all within an attractive price range.
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TOURING GEAR AND TIPS is written by Joshua Tack of Adventure Cycling's member services department. It appears weekly, highlighting technical aspects of bicycle touring and advice to help better prepare you for the journey ahead.
During the month of May, Adventure Cycling Association is hosting the
Build It. Bike It. Be a Part of It. campaign to raise awareness and support for the U.S. Bicycle Route System. To learn more about the campaign, donate, or get involved, visit our
fundraising page.
ARTICLES
These articles are from Adventure Cyclist magazine and Adventure Cycling Association staff.
BIKE TRAVEL BASICS
Bike Touring 101
By Adventure Cycling staff. Tips for the novice on how to plan a tour.
Getting in Shape for Touring
By Brian Martindale. Some tips on preparing yourself for a loaded tour.
What to Take and How to Pack
By the Tours Department. Everything you need to know to tour efficiently and comfortably.
Self-Contained Bicycle Travel Tips
By the Tours Department. Just about everything you need to know that isn't covered somewhere else.
The Secrets of Going Small (pdf)
by Russ Roca. Short, close-to-home tours can be just as rewarding as epic trips, and a lot easier to pull off.
Cycling Across America (pdf)
by Jerry Soverinsky. A bicycle-touring expert lends some advice on how to make the big ride happen.
How to Photograph Your Tour (pdf)
by Aaron Teasdale. Six of Adventure Cyclist’s finest lenseman share their hard-earned tips for taking great photographs on your next trip.
Bike Law for the Touring Cyclist
By Steven M. Magas, The Bike Lawyer. All the BLS a touring cyclist needs to consider before taking to the road.
10 Simple Rules for a Successful Tour (pdf)
By Richard Drdul. Tips to make your tour a pleasant one.
How to Mountain Bike Tour
By Aaron Teasdale. Many people consider the mountain bike to be humanity’s greatest adventure vehicle.
Ultralight Cycling
By Aaron Teasdale. Thanks to a new generation of light equipment, it's now possible for the modern velo-adventurer to travel with a base gear weight of fifteen pounds or less.
Choosing a Commercial Tour
By Larry Diskin. How to choose a tour that will fit your needs.
SHIPPING A BIKE
Boxing Your Bicycle
By the Tours Department. A step-by-step guide to preparing your bike for shipment.
Shipping and Bike Cases
By Adventure Cycling Staff. A guide to shipping your bike, and cases for traveling.
BIKES & GEAR
Touring Bike Buyer's Guide
Read Adventure Cyclist's most recent bike buyer's guide, page includes links to all buyer's guides since 1996, including the 2006 piece "A History of Touring Bicycles."
How to Read Adventure Cycling Maps
By Carla Majernik. Our state-of-the-art bicycle maps, explained.
Choosing a Bike for the Great Divide
By Larry Diskin. From frames to tires, here are our equipment choices for off-road touring.
How to Buy a Recumbent Bike for Touring
By John Schubert. How to make choices for a recumbent bike that will suit your needs.
A Rack Primer
By John Schubert. A guide to different rack options for cyclists.
Give Up the Racks (pdf)
By Jill Homer. If you try framepacks, you may never go back.
Brakes 101 (pdf)
By Jan Heine. What you need to know about the gear that brings you to a halt.
Give Me a Brake
By Larry Diskin. Comparing and contrasting three types of brakes for touring.
How to Adjust Your Seatpost
By Sheldon Brown. "The Sublime Seatpost" article part two: Adjust me.
Who Needs Fenders?
By Sheldon Brown. Explains the purpose, and different types of fenders.
Derailer First Aid
By Sheldon Brown. Staying mobile in an emergency.
Cranks and Chainrings for Touring
By Sheldon Brown. What you need and how to get it.
SPECIAL INTEREST
How to Cycle for Charity
By Paula Holmes-Eber. Some road-tested insight into cycling for a good cause.
The Right Tools for the Job
By Paula Holmes-Eber. A guide to traveling with children of all ages.
Secrets to Social Survival
By Larry Diskin. How to make friends, have fun, and get what you need on the road.
WEB RESOURCES
A list of links that may be useful to bicycle travelers. More available via The Cyclists' Yellow Pages.
BICYCLE TRAVEL
TrailLink.com
A free service of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy featuring more than 30,000 miles of bike trails, walking trails, equestrian trails, and hiking and running trails including interactive trail maps, trail descriptions, photos, reviews and more.
NBTDA
An extensive list of bicycle events in America. Official website of the National Bicycle Tour Directors Association
LanceRushing.com
Comprehensive pannier comparison.
Ken Kifer on touring
Assorted informative articles and travelogues.
Crazy Guy on a Bike
Thousands of ride journals, forums, reviews, articles, and more.
Warm Showers
Hospitality for touring cyclists.
Bike Touring Tips
A web archive of over 1,000 bike touring tips and more.
Bikes On Transit Database
A database containing info about where you can take a bicycle on a bus, train or airplane.
Rent A Bike Now
A website designed to help people find bike rentals and to allow bike shops to advertise and book their rental bikes.
GENERAL CYCLING
State DOT Bike/Ped Coordinators
Find the bike/ped coordinator in your state or a state in which you plan to travel.
SheldonBrown.com
An extensive resource for all aspects of bicycles and touring. Contains a wide assortment of informative articles.
The Cyclists' Yellow Pages
The Cyclists' Yellow Pages online. A comprehensive trip-planning resource. Find maps, books, organizations and information on cycling all
over the world.
Yahoo's List of Cycling Resources
An extensive list of links to all things related to bicycling. Dozens of categories.
BikeLeague.org
"Better Bicycling Fact Sheets." Topics include: Beginning Cycling, Riding on the Road, Commuting, Touring, Tandems, Riding with Children, and Maintenance.
BicyclingInfo.org
Statistics and information about bicycling.
BicyclingInfo.org
Statistics and information about bicycling.
HaveFunBiking.com
From destinations to explore, to bike clubs and shops you will find many fun options to stay active and healthy while making a smaller environmental footprint. You will also find topics on safety, advocacy, commuting, mountain biking, recreational riding, racing, touring or simply running an errand on your bike.
SAFETY
BicycleSafe.com
Bicycle safety information for adults.
Ken Kifer on cycling safety
How to travel safely by bike in traffic.
Kids and Bicycle Safety
A resource to help teach your kids about bicycle safety.
Bicycle Safety for Children
Bicycle safety and education information for children.
Sheldon Brown on safety for kids
Information on teaching your child to ride a bike.
ROUTES AND RIDE GUIDES
A short list of resources for bike routes, trails, and ride descriptions. More resources can be found in The Cyclists' Yellow Pages.
Trails from Rails
Lists many touring trails that are paved or crushed limestone.
Trails.com
Road biking, rail-trails, and mountain-bike routes in the United States and Canada.
Anacus Press
Ride guides.
Cyclosource Online Store
Ride guides, travelogues, top-of-the-line bicycle touring maps.
BOOKS
Some of these books are available through our
online store. Listings of resources not available through our store include publishing
information so that you can seek them out online or at local bookstores. A larger list is available in The Cyclists' Yellow Pages.
BICYCLE TRAVEL
The Essential Touring Cyclist
By Richard A. Lovett and Vera Jagendorf, 2000, International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press, ISBN 0071360190. Touches on most topics related to bicycle touring.
Bicycle Touring: The New Complete Book on Touring by Bike
By Patricia Vance, Al Lassiter, and Michael Parente, Van Der Plas Publications, 2000, ISBN 1892495279. Information and tips for the cyclist looking to get into touring.
Complete Book of Long-Distance Cycling
By Edmund Burke and Ed Pavelka, Rodale Press, ISBN 1579541992. Build the strength, skills, and confidence to ride as far as you want.
Pedal Pioneers: A Guide to Bicycle Travel with Kids
By Adventure Cycling Association, 2008. An
A-Z Guide for how to take groups of kids on multi-day bicycle adventures.
ON THE ROAD
Pocket Guide to Emergency Bicycle Repair
By Ron Cordes and Eric Grove, 1999, Northern Lights Publishing, ISBN 1931676097. A handy reference addressing the most common repair problems that you may encounter while on the trail.
Camping & Wilderness Survival
By Paul Tawrell, Falcon, 1996, ISBN 1896713009. This is a very thorough book to assist you in acquiring skills to enjoy the adventures of the outdoors.
Camping Made Easy
By Michael Rutter, Globe Pequot, 2001, ISBN 0762707496. Basics and a bit more of the equipment, supplies, and the techniques.
SPECIAL INTEREST
Bicycling Magazine's Cycling for Women: Savvy Advice from the Sport's Leading Women Riders
By Ed Pavelka (Editor), Rodale Press, 1999, ISBN 1579541690. Information about women's bikes, saddles, clothing, gear, medical concerns and tours.
A Woman's Guide to Cycling
By Susan Weaver, Ten Speed Press, 1998, ISBN 0898159822. Cycling subjects covered include how to purchase a bicycle, what type of bicycle
to look for, and what questions to ask before you buy. This book features our own memberships director, Julie Huck, on the cover!
Effective Cycling
By John Forester, MIT Press, 1993, ISBN 0262560704. A 600-page tome on cycling technique!
Bicycling With Children: A Complete How-To Guide
By Trudy Bell and Roxana Bell, Mountaineers, 1999, ISBN 0898865891. Answers real questions from real parents.
TRAINING
Serious Cycling
By Edmund Burke and Chris Carmichael, Human Kinetics, 2002, ISBN 073604129X. How to evaluate and improve many aspects of cycling training and performance.
Bicycling Magazine's Training Techniques for Cyclists: Greater Power, Faster Speeds, Longer Endurance, Better Skills
By Ed Pavelka (Editor), Rodale Press, 1999, ISBN 1579541682. Edited by one of cycling's greatest authorities.
Staying Fit Over 50
By Jim Sloan, Mountaineers, 1999, ISBN 0898866685. Conditioning for outdoor fitness.
Cycling Past 50
By Joel Friel, Human Kinetics, 1998, ISBN 0880117370. Includes training principles for events and multiday tours.
Power Eating
By Susan Kleiner and Maggie Greenwood-Robinson, Human Kinetics, 2001, ISBN 0736038531. Contains the latest scientific and practical advice on how to eat to build strength and power, increase energy, and lose fat.
OTHER NATIONAL BICYCLING ORGANIZATIONS
A larger list is available in The Cyclists' Yellow Pages.
America Bikes
A nonprofit collaborative effort among leaders in the bicycle community to advocate for positive outcomes in the next federal transportation funding bill.
Bikes Belong Coalition
Mission is putting people on bikes more often. Four legs: promotion of bicycling, political action, support for advocacy, grants to help build bicycling
facilities using TEA-21 funding.
League of American Bicyclists
Promotes bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation. Works through advocacy and education for a bicycle-friendly America.
National Bicycle Tour Directors Association (NBTDA)
Brings together the organizers of bicycle tour events throughout America so they can share ideas and improve their events. Their website has an excellent
list of cycling events in the United States.
Alliance for Biking & Walking
A national coalition of bicycle advocacy organizations working in unison to break down barriers to safe cycling in American communities, formerly known as the Thunderhead Alliance.
Trips for Kids
Resources to help disadvantaged youth discover the joy of mountain biking.
