Long ago but in not so far away Idaho, Joe Kurmaskie got the nickname Metal Cowboy from a blind rancher.
Since then he's traveled near and far by bicycle, reporting his adventures through a series of humorous books, lectures and magazine articles.
His latest book is “Mud, Sweat and Gears.” It tells the story of how he involved his wife and three kids in a trans-Canada bike tour…
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/03/14/more-family-bike-travel-adventures-with-the-metal-cowboy/
Here's a bicycle trailer for the cyclist who has everything and wants to take it on the next bicycle tour.
The Midget Bushtrekka is a four-wheeled pop-up camping trailer for bicycles. Its design enables bike travelers to set up camp anywhere they choose in about five minutes.
Usually, I feel that I carry just plain too much stuff on my bicycle tours. But I would feel like an absolute spartan ultralight bicycle traveler next to one of these.
The Bushtrekka and its smaller cousin, the TrailRat, are made by Midget Campertrailers Australia. At the website, founder Tony O'Bree explains
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/03/12/a-bicycle-trailer-complete-with-its-own-tent/
Travelers driving between Chicago and LA used to get their kicks on Route 66 before it was essentially decommissioned in the 1980s with the emergence of the Interstate Highway system.
Now some surviving portions of the Mother Road in the Midwest have become destinations for bicycle tours while other abandoned stretches are being considered for bicycle trails.
The old highway, which dates back to 1920s, sounds like a great place to travel by bike today — in places. It wends across the landscape visiting small towns and passing the old-timey car culture claptrap of art-deco-style motels and diners bright with neon.
Elsewhere, of course, it's buried under freeways, becomes part of a frontage road system ….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/03/05/historic-route-66-seeing-new-life-as-a-bicycle-route/
Former Sun Microsystems general counsel Mike Dillon has embarked on a cross-country bicycle tour after finishing the months of work to hammer together Sun's acquisition by Oracle.
Since Oracle's completion of its acquisition at the end of January, Dillon already has purchased a Bruce Gordon Rock n Road touring bike, flown to Jacksonville, Florida, and is five days into his journey back to Silicon Valley.
A cross-country ride is something he's wanted to do for years, he says at Mike's Blog, and now he's got the opportunity to do it:
“I’ve decided that the immediate “what’s next” for me will be to ride my bicycle across the U.S. It’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was in college …..
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/03/04/former-sun-exec-on-cross-country-bike-tour/
Bicycle historian David V. Herlihy has wrapped up another book, “The Lost Cyclist: The Epic Tale of an American Adventurer and his Mysterious Disappearance.”
You probably remember Herlihy's previous work, “Bicycle: The History.” That heavily researched and interesting book recounted not only the technological advances of the bicycle from the draisine to modern times, but also told us about pioneers in the field and the social impact of two-wheeled travel.
In his latest effort, Herlihy examines the around-the-world bicycle journey of bike racer Frank Lenz of Pittsburgh (that's Lenz at right in India in 1893).
Setting off in 1892 aboard a “safety bicycle” with inflatable tires, Lenz traveled the globe for two years before disappearing forever in Turkey.
In an email, I asked Herlihy why he chose ….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/03/03/david-herlihy-tracks-the-lost-cyclist/
Jerry Nelson is hitting the road again.
Two years ago I wrote how the 50-something Navy and Vietnam veteran was riding his bicycle cross-country to find some peace of mind and talk to veterans groups about services offered by the Veterans Administration.
Now, Nelson plans to set off from his home in Asheville, North Carolina, on March 19 on a new quest — to raise funds for the homeless and homeless veterans and to raise solutions about the problems of homelessness.
A photographer by trade, Nelson writes at his website:
“Everyone is already aware of the homeless problem in this country. It's on the news, in the paper and, if your city is anywhere near typical, you see homeless every morning on your way to work or maybe each evening on your way home…or both.
“Every state, county and municipal government has a plan to reduce homelessness within its political area of responsibility. Folks just need to be made aware …..
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/03/02/cross-country-bike-tour-to-raise-awareness-for-homeless/
Right on the heels of the record-breaking Chilly Hilly presented Sunday by the Cascade Bicycle Club, I stumbled across news that a couple of charity rides in Central Washington have been canceled in 2010.
The biggest shock came from the Mike Utley Foundation, which was canceling its popular Dam2Dam bike tour in Wenatachee because of economic stresses.
On a somewhat better note, Group Health Wine Country Trek and Group Health Yakima Ridges bicycle tours in the Yakima area have been discontinued after 8 years because the events fulfilled their funding targets for a community skateboard park ….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/03/01/dam2dam-among-charity-bike-rides-canceled-in-2010/
Just finished the story of Douglas Whitehead's bicycle travels across Europe and Asia in the UK Telegraph.
“The Bicycle Diaries: One man, one bike, 6,000 miles” is a good yarn by a 40-year-old Englishman who cut all ties to a normal life and takes off for 9 months across the unfamiliar territory of 19 countries.
After reading his wild and woolly tale, I'd say that training for such an adventure involves more than just trying to build up a good base of miles on the bike. You also need to practice:
Sleeping under bridges or in abandoned buildings;
Choosing ad hoc riding partners carefully;….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/02/26/bike-tour-across-europe-and-asia-called-on-creativity/
We can become obsessed with mountains and the gravitational challenges they represent, especially when our bicycles are loaded with the necessities for long-distance touring.
Mountains also can provide some of the most memorable and unsullied scenery on our bicycle travels.
So it's no surprise that mountains, hilltops or long downhill runs accounted for the themes of the winner and most of the top runners-up in the 1st annual Adventure Cycling Association photo contest.
The winning photo, above, of a cyclist in red bicycling through the mountains of Tenerife on the Canary Islands was taken by Dutch photographer and cyclist Marco Meijerink …..
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/02/24/winners-in-adventure-cycling-photo-contest-announced/
Congratulations to Scottish bicycle traveler Mark Beaumont for finishing 13,000 miles of bicycle travel down the length of North and South America.
The 27-year-old left Anchorage in May and finished up at Usuaia in southern Argentina on Thursday. There he is at left celebrating from “the end of the world.” The bike tour took 268 days.
He interrupted his bike travels to climb, by foot, the highest peaks on each continent — Denali in Alaska and Aconcagua in Argentina.
Beaumont's name might already be familiar to you. Two years ago he completed his record-setting around-the-world bicycle trip, covering 18,000 miles in 194 days. His latest bike adventure was accompanied by a BBC blog and a constant stream of Twitters.
It's been interesting tracking Beaumont's progress, especially on his Twitters. Reading thoe posts was a good reminder that not every day of bicycle touring is the best….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/02/20/scottish-adventurer-completes-pan-american-bike-journey/
Adventure Cycling Association Trail biking Rails to Trails Conservancy League of American Bicyclists
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