Feel-Good Advocacy

I came across this video and decided to share it with you all. I like it because it is positive and shows how high schoolers can make a difference. Maybe they won't change the world, but they can definitely impact each other's lives and ides. One of the things I like best about the message is "everyone is welcome." Unfortunately, not all adult bicyclist feel this way. Pass it on...

Keeping On Rolling

The excitement of my first tour is fading, the follow-up S240 is done, and now I'm re-established in my work-a-day life. I'm still getting the mileage in, the weather is nice and I'm dreaming about the next tour. I guess this is the "off season." I am looking for local bikeyness and finding pleasure in everyday rides. The Tour de Fat is coming to town in a couple of weeks and I've signed up to volunteer.

The dream continues, I think about where else I can ride, I read about the adventures of others. The next plan will begin to take shape soon...

A Piece of Bike Touring History

I just came across this video interview of a woman who did some bicycle touring in Michigan back in 1940! It's about 8 minutes long and is an eye opener. I found it on an Adventure Cycling Association blog. I loved seeing some of her old photographs of her touring gang and hearing her description of what it meant to her and her friends to own a bike during the depression. The message I took away from this piece of history is: it does not matter what people think of your wacky ideas, if it's fun to you, don't let opinions stop you. Your may just be a trendsetter.

S24O - Puts a Little Excitement Into Hometown Rides

Mid-way through my "stay-cation" I find myself having a great time. I recommend this sort of outing to anyone who rides a bike. It can be tailored to you and whatever spins your wheels!


Here is a link to my trip blog on TrackMyTour.

Here are some pictures on Posterous

Keep the Momentum Going

Have you ever been in a groove with an exercise routine and unintentionally let a vacation dampen it when you return home? This has happened to me time and time again. Somehow returning home does not mean returning to the same routine, even if the vacation was built around exercise (like a walking our biking tour).

I had a fantastic vacation, and it included a bike tour. I really don't want to loose my riding momentum right now. My work is quite busy and stressful right now, and it makes me want to keep my riding routine even more. I've been home for almost 2 weeks now and I've seen my milage dip below my target.

In an effort to boost my momentum, have some fun, and continue my quest to tour more, I will be taking my own version of the S24O. You can read about the beginnings of the S240, and the true definition, on the adventure cycling site here.

My version is slightly different. I will be taking a train, staying in a motel, and eating in restaurants. I guess that makes it a lot different. My version was built from their model and the idea is to get away from home, have fun, and of course, ride. It is also a baby step toward a bigger goal of taking a longer trip built on this same platform.

I hope to have some good pictures and possibly a little video at the end. I expect to gain bike travel experience and knowledge. I'll let you know if my hopes and expectations are met.

Things That Worked On Tour

Now that the excitement of the bike tour is over and the gear is put away (mostly). I thought you might like to know what I did to make the tour more enjoyable (if it actually did so), and what I used and found particularly useful. The things that come to mind range from paniers to batteries and aren't very exciting, but can come in handy.

I'll start with the solar charger I bought to try and keep my iPhone up and running. Before the trip I tried charging it in my back yard (Southern California) and found that it could take up to 2 days to fully charge. I was concerned about this, but the reality on the tour was that charging stations were available. What the solar charger did do very well was provide backup power without having to plug my phone into the station. The charging stations had to be manned because they were in public spaces and walking away would leave the devise vulnerable to theft. The group we travelled with had several people who wanted some sort of electronic devise charged. Several would be plugged in and one person "stood watch" (but were easily distracted) while the others showered, rested, ate a meal, etc. I felt comfortable leaving the charger plugged in and walking away. When it was charged I could collect it, store it, and use it to charge my phone while I was sleeping, riding, or whatever. Having the flexibility of charging the devise and using it when it was convenient to charge the phone, and to have a backup during time away from the group was a really nice thing. It turned out that the solar aspect was not that great for charging, but a nice back up. The key advantage was having the back up battery to charge the phone.

The next item I bought for the trip is a clip that can be wrapped around the bar or stem and used to hold route/cue sheets visible and easily accessible. It's a small thing, but it did make quite a difference for me. I didn't actually start using it until about the third day, and I don't know what took me so long, but I will start using it from the beginning next time. I wish I could remember where I bought it (somewhere on the web!).

Here are some pics from the road...