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plus:

bike touring 101

traversing cuba

lost in tHe lone star state

going tHe distance:

From Commuter to Tourist

A DV E N T U R E C Y C L I S T S P E C I A L I S S U E A DV E N T U R E C Y C L I N G. O R G2

BE ANADVENTURE CYCLIST

Join Now For These Great Membership Benefits:Adventure Cyclist magazine • Cyclists’ Travel Guide: Bikes, Resources, How-To • Discounts on our bicycle maps • The best bike routes in North America • Members-only enjoyable group cycling tours • Outreach programs to make bicycling and bike travel more accessible and popular.

Adventure Cycling Route NetworkOver 41,000 miles of routes.

To join go to www.adventurecycling.org Adventure Cycling Association’s mission is to inspire people of all ages to travel by bicycle and to help cyclists explore the landscapes and history of America for fitness, fun, and self-discovery. We do this by creating bike routes for the nation, getting Americans bicycling, and supporting bicycling communities. Adventure Cycling is a 501(c)3 non-profit.

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Special Issue contents

d e pA r t m e n t s

06 WAYPOINTS

34 GEARED UP

38 COmPANIONS WANTED

39 OPEN ROAD GALLERY

l e t t e r s

04 LETTER from the DIRECTOR

05 LETTERS from our READERS

C O l u m n s

30 mEChANICAL ADVANTAGE / Jan Heine A review of today’s bicycle lighting options

32 CYCLISTS’ kITChEN / Nancy Clark Protein and cyclists: How much do you need?

36 CYCLESENSE / John Schubert The 10-speed experiments

08 LOST IN ThE LONE STAR STATE by Laura Crawford and Russ Roca Texas hasn’t been on the radar of many bike travelers, but it should be.

14 TRAVERSING CUBA by Matthew Kadey While governments remain mired in the past, cyclists are finding a jewel in the Caribbean.

18 FROm COmmUTER TO TOURIST by Brendan Leonard One man’s journey from utility cycling to the freedom of bicycle travel.

24 mCkENzIE PASS REVISITEDbyWillie Weir Companions return to an earlier adventure.

28 BICYCLE TRAVEL 101 by Adventure Cycling Staff Let Adventure Cycling’s accumulated knowledge lead you down the road or trail.

is published nine times each year by the Adventure Cycling Association, a nonprofit service organization for recreational bicyclists. Individual membership costs $40 yearly to U.S. addresses and includes a subscrip-tion to Adventure Cyclist, including the Cyclists’ Travel Guide, and dis-counts on Adventure Cycling maps. The entire contents of Adventure Cyclist are copyrighted by Adventure Cyclist and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from Adventure Cyclist. All rights reserved.

Our COverhorst hammerschmidt snapped this surreal scene of riders gliding on the Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt lake, located in Bolivia.

(left) Cyclists on Adventure Cycling’s Colorado Alpine Loop tour celebrate at the top of Engineer Pass.

missiOnThe mission of Adventure Cycling Association is to inspire people of all ages to travel by bicycle. We help cyclists explore the landscapes and history of America for fitness, fun, and self-discovery.

CAmpAiGnsOur strategic plan includes three major campaigns: • Creating Bike Routes for America • Getting Americans Bicycling • Supporting Bicycling Communities

How to reach usTo join, change your address, or ask questions about membership, visit us online at www.adventurecycling.org or call (800) 755-2453 or (406) 721-1776

email: [email protected]

Subscription Address:Adventure Cycling Association P.O. Box 8308missoula, mT 59807

Headquarters:Adventure Cycling Association 150 E. Pine St.missoula, mT 59802

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who have read this magazine, used our website, or talked with our staff and volunteers, and have taken that first big step toward traveling by bike — whether it’s a quick bike overnight trip or something more challenging, like a week, a month, or even a year (!) on the road.

I have met even more cyclists who already travel by bike, but want to keep the fire burning — by reading the stories of others; sharing journals through our web-based Ride Registry; buying maps to study (and dream about) during those short, gray days of winter; learning about new products and travel techniques; or meet-ing fellow riders at one of our member gatherings, through our social media net-works like Facebook, or on our guided tours.

And then I have met the remarkable people (now we’re talking thousands) who travel by bicycle because it has fundamentally changed their lives by giving them a sense of freedom, intro-ducing them to their future spouse or best friend, leading them down a new career path, or rejuvenating their faith in humanity.

Whatever their reasons for joining, nearly 45,000 people have decided to make Adventure Cycling a part of their lives — and that number increases every year. When you join, you get nine issues of Adventure Cyclist (truly one of the best travel magazines around), access to the digital Cyclists’ Yellow Pages (the best guide to global bike travel resources),

discounted maps to adventures across North America, and access to affordable and personally-enriching tours. Perhaps best of all, you get to belong to a large, big-hearted community of people — not just cyclists, but people who are seeking fun, fitness, and self-discovery on one of the greatest, most endearing vehicles ever invented: the bicycle.

Please flip through these pages, check out our website, dip into our social media sites, and come explore the magic of bicycle travel. You never know what you’ll find — on the next page or just over that hill.

Sincerely,

Jim SayerExecutive [email protected]

Letter from the Director

As director of Adventure Cycling Association, I definitely have an interest in encouraging you to join as a member. But to be honest, I have also witnessed the magic that can come with membership in our unique organization. I have met hundreds of individuals

Adventure

CyClist WHy JOin?The magic of membership in North America’s

largest cycling group

Special IssueWWW.ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG

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trying new thingsThe August/September 2011 article by Willie Weir “Uncomfortable” reminded me of my first bicycle tour. I had never ridden more than 35 flat miles on my Sears three-speed. I read an article about cycling the Natchez Trace so I bought a Bianchi Advantage at a going-out-of-business sale from a local bike shop. I did one ride around the Vicksburg battlefield in order to get in shape for the ride which would average 65 miles a day for 13 days, with camping each night. The tour was led by Adventure Cycling in the early 1980s. We had a SAG wagon for our tents and gear, and 15 of us started out, stopping the first night in a field behind Bubba’s Bar B Que. There was one toilet and no showers for all of us. Yes, this was a little out of my comfort zone as the only camping I had done was in Fort Dix, New Jersey, when I was in the army. I sur-vived and have been touring ever since. The only change — I now ride a Tour Easy recumbent.

Francis CelinoMetairie, Louisiana

don’t forget rodriguezYour list of touring bikes, and specifically tandems, omits one of the very best: The Rodriguez “take apart” tandem from R&E Cycles in Seattle is perfect for overseas as

well as continental U.S. touring. We have one and have completed five lengthy over-seas trips. The model we have is a “Travel Toucan” which we had equipped with 26-inch wheels so one can mount large tires if the conditions are likely to be unpaved and wide-range grip shifting for easy gear selection in rough conditions. It breaks down via S&S Couplers and packs in two airline-legal cases. It’s an ideal touring tan-dem bike. It has plenty of rack mounts for panniers and the handling seems to be ideal for bike trails as well as the cobblestones and narrow roads of Europe.

Larry SwansonSalt Lake City, Utah

mr. HostelingI enjoyed reading “Bill Nelson: mr. hosteling” by June J. Siple in the February issue. As teenagers vaguely aware of Bikecentennial in the summer of 1976, two friends and I loaded our bikes for our first multi-day bike tour from Long Island to massachusetts. We spent our first night at the Bantam Lake Youth hostel in Connecticut. Little did we know we were staying at a hostel started by someone who was already at the heart of the burgeoning bicycle-touring boom in the U.S. I’m still riding and touring today, and the article reignited a desire to use my experience and passion to encourage

and inspire others in the community to get out there and experience the thrills that come from traveling by bicycle!

Greg Hoffman Ozark, Missouri

try a bike overnightAfter a long absence, I renewed my mem-bership with Adventure Cycling. i just read the march issue of the magazine and discovered your bikeovernights.org through Jill homer’s column. Gosh, what a fantastic idea, and the Bike Overnights blog (bikeovernights.org) is so fresh and fun to read. I recently started camping and have done short overnight trips. I never thought of doing the same on a bike. Count me as one of those folks who thought bike touring was synonymous with epic, week-long trips. I can’t wait to try a bike overnight. Thank you for the inspiration and the great resources on your blog.

Anita TylerEdgewood, Maryland

Remembering a first tour, recognizing Rodriguezroaming inspired, riding overnight

MAPS, MAPS, MAPSNorth America’s best bicycle mapsOver 41,000 miles of cyclist-created routes

MAPS FEATURE: Turn-by-turn directions, elevation profiles, camping, lodging, bike shops, riding conditions, and more. www.adventurecycling.org/routes

Your letters are welcome. Due to the volume of mail and email we receive, we cannot print every letter. We may edit letters for length and clarity. If you do not want your comments to be printed in Adventure Cyclist, please state so clearly. Please include your name and address with your correspondence. Email your comments, questions, or letters to [email protected] or mail to Editor, Adventure Cyclist, P.O. Box 8308, Missoula, MT 59807.

Letters from our Readers


News you can use from the world of bicycle travel by Michael McCoy

WayPoints

the new book Cyclepedia (from thames & Hudson in europe and chronicle Books in north america), is a visual exploration of the bicycle, cen-tering on 100 iconic models from the past 100 years. the book features the unusual and the groundbreaking — bicycles of unexpected beauty, inspired design, and sometimes short-lived (or never-lived) popularity.

the 100 bikes included are grouped by type, although some fall under more than one category: mountain, racing, singlespeed, touring, kids’, tandems, urban, folding, cargo, and curiosities. among the

three dozen bicycles falling under the touring category are a stunning ultralight aluminum bike from France known as the Mercier Mecadural pelissier (circa 1950); a Bob Jackson 2002 super legend custom tourer (one of only 120 made); an alex Moulton speedsix 17-inch-wheel bike from 1965; and a most peculiar-looking 1939 recumbent out of France called the sironval sportplex.

Time Out London had this to say in a review of Cyclepedia, calling it “a sumptuous collec-tion of machines that power-fully illustrates not only the engineering precision man has

poured into the bicycle in the last century and a quarter, but also the design and artistry. anyone who respects the lore, history, and beauty of bicycles needs a copy of this book.”

without a doubt, this book was made for permanent residence on your coffee table. the photos alone, which just about anyone would enjoy, are worth the price of admission. also included are detailed technical specifications that will make even the dedicated collector and hard-core techy squeal with joy. so look for it at your favorite bookstore or your favorite online vendor.

CYCLEPEDIABeautiful book shows bicycle design over time

ByWAys And BiKeWAysyou’ve no doubt heard of sce-nic byways but have you heard of scenic bikeways? Maybe not, since oregon is apparently the only state to have designated such routes.

as reported by Jonathan Maus of Bikeportland.org, the oregon parks and recreation department commission recently “voted unanimously to designate three new state scenic Bikeways bringing the total to four, and the new routes join the existing willamette valley scenic Bikeway.”

the trio of new routes are the 108-mile Blue Mountain century, the 106-mile three sisters Bikeway, and the 179-mile old west Bikeway, which shares itself with the transamerica Bicycle trail in the John day area.

“each route comes with a marketing plan and the full support from city officials,” reported Maus. “routes are nominated by local communi-ties and are then put through a rigorous application process … approved and adopted routes use existing roads and paths and, while they don’t come with bike-specific infra-structure improvements, they receive turn-by-turn signs.”

according to terry richard of The Oregonian, “tourism promoters expect it to draw cyclists from around the world as word spreads and the pro-gram grows.”

visit oregonscenicbikeways.org to learn more.


U.S. BICYCLE RoUtE SYStEmConnecting people, communities, and the nation

adventure cycling is working with national, state, local and nonprofit leaders to create what will likely be the largest official cycling network in the world — a u.s. Bicycle route system (usBrs) — with the sup-port of our members and the sraM cycling Fund, surdna Foundation, lazar Foundation, new Belgium Brewery, tawani Foundation, and the american association of state Highway and transportation officials (aasHto). the good news is that this system will help cre-ate better riding conditions and more visibility for cycling in all parts of the u.s.

the system is developing through partnerships between bicycle and trail advocates and state and local transportation authorities. the interstate routes are submitted to aasHto for cataloging and number designa-tions. adventure cycling began providing staff support in 2005 and now provides extensive technical assistance to agen-cies and cycling/trail volunteers across the nation.

since aasHto approved the national plan that states are using to coordinate route development, there’s been significant movement by states to transform broadly defined corridors into specific routes that connect urban, suburban, and rural areas. leadership var-

ies from state to state. in some states, cycling advocates are developing routes and coor-dinating efforts with the state transportation agency. in other states, the state agency is lead-ing while collaborating closely with volunteers from cycling/trail organizations and the local communities.Finally, some states are forming work teams made up of agency stakehold-ers and the cycling and trail community. while some routes being developed are completely new, others are existing routes and include state or regional networks and the integration of adventure cycling’s 41,399-mile route network. excitingly, new routes were designated by aasHto in the spring of 2011. these include usBr 20 across central Michigan and usBr 1 in Maine and new Hampshire.

in alaska routes that link ferry ports and national parks were also designated: usBr 8, 108, 208, 95, 87, and 97. virginia updated portions of usBr 1 (on the atlantic coast Bicycle

route), moving the route to roads with less traffic or with bicycle facilities. progress continues in other states as well, with usBr corridors being recognized in bike plans and policies or route criteria being developed by agencies. impressively, there are 41 states plus the district of columbia working at some level on u.s. Bicycle routes. while many are only in the planning phase, a great number are transforming the corridors into routes and will be nominating these within the next couple of years.

in addition, the system has drawn the interest of key nation-al leaders, like representative peter deFazio, a leader on the u.s. House committee on transportation, and u.s. transportation secretary ray laHood, who is blogging periodically about usBrs progress. while the system is relatively inexpensive to develop, incentive funding for states to further plan, sign, and develop facilities along the routes will create a system more in line with the effective and popular networks created in europe and canada.

to learn more about the efforts to create the largest official bike route system in the world, visit www.adventure cycling.org/usbrs.

BiKe OverniGHtsif you haven’t already done so, you should check out adventure cycling’s Bike overnights website at bike overnights.org. an ever-growing number of one- and two-night (and sometimes longer) overnight adventures appear on the site, contributed by rider-writer-photographers from new york to new Zealand — although so far the majority are from the conti-nental u.s. adventure cycling writer/media specialist Michael Mccoy, who is overseeing and organizing the site, says he’d like to receive write-ups from all of the states not yet repre-sented.

“so far, we have several rides from texas, washington, and california,” Mac says, “along with one to three rides from maybe 17 other states. we’d really like to see some-thing from Hawaii, alaska, iowa, Florida …” to check out which states are and are not represented, go to the Bike overnights home page and view the “categories” list on the right-hand side of your screen.

“i believe this program has the potential to inspire hun-dreds, maybe thousands of new bicycle travelers,” Mac adds. “and if someone tries out an overnight, he or she might be on the road to a future cross-country ride. or not — there’s nothing wrong with sticking to the shorter rides. we just want to see people out there doing it!” a couple of representative Bike overnight titles include “seeking comfort from the Heat in comfort, texas” and “embracing a child’s pace: Multi-day Bike trip on the erie canal.”

“we’re also beefing up the non-ride-description content of the site,” Mac says. “you’ll begin seeing more and more gear reviews, how-to info, travel tips, and camp-meal recipes.”

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Lost in the Lone Star State


by laura crawford and russ roca


teXas - 2Texas is perhaps one of the least likely bicycle touring destinations in the U.S. When imagining Texas, a cyclist’s head is filled with the image of angrily speeding drivers in pick-up trucks, and endless days of sandy desert and cactus. We’ve all heard the myriad negative stereotypes and, due to its sheer immensity, simply crossing the state is a feat in itself. For us, however, riding through the Lone Star State was one of the great highlights of our recent 15-month, 10,000-mile trek around the U.S.

What makes Texas so great is precisely the fact that it is so big and varied. Far West Texas is completely different from the hill Country, which itself is entirely different from East Texas and the Gulf, and the Plains of the North. Lumping the state into one dry, sandy image does it a great disservice. In this one state, you can experience a wide range of culture, nature, food, and people. Texas also has an incred-ible network of roads, which means it’s easy to find a quiet one that’s perfect for cycling. Because Texas is so large, we’d like to offer up our two favorite regions to get you started in planning your own Texas cycling adventure.

Far West TexasThis part of Texas is the dusty hidden

gem of the state, sandwiched between New mexico and mexico. As one of the most remote parts of America, it is vast, empty, quiet, and full of that desert cowboy imag-ery. Far West Texas can be a difficult place that will push you and demand awareness and preparation. You will often encounter long, desolate stretches with very few, if any, services. Despite the sometimes chal-

lenging conditions, it is also one of the most fascinating corners of the country and will introduce you to some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet.

We entered Far West Texas near Guadalupe (pronounced Guad-a-loop) mountains National Park (on highway 180-62), just across the border from Carlsbad, New mexico. The park features the highest point in Texas (8,751 feet), so it’s well worth the stop. Unlike many National Parks with

camping in style. Laura prepares a meal at one of the many excellent campgrounds in the Texas State Park system.

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paved roads that traverse the reserve, Guadalupe has no vehicle infrastructure. If you want to explore it, you have to hike in. Even without the hikes, however, you can get a sweeping view of the valley below from the visitor center and campground.

From Guadalupe mountains National Park, head south on highway 54 into the small town of Van horn, along Adventure Cycling’s Southern Tier Route. If you’re looking for a relaxing refuge from the desert sun and dusty roads, the hotel El Capitan is very welcoming to bicycle tour-ists. Renowned architect henry C. Trost was responsible for the design of the hotel. Trost, a midwesterner who moved to El Paso in 1903, was heavily influenced by the Chicago School of architecture and designed many other buildings in Far West Texas.

From Van horn, you have two options, highway 90 or Interstate 10 (Cycling on interstates in Texas is discouraged but not prohibited.) I-10 has more services along the way, but we chose to follow highway

90 through the funky little towns of marfa, Alpine, and marathon, gaining access to Big Bend National Park. highway 90 is mostly free of traffic because most travelers take the interstate, which means that you’ll have peaceful riding conditions and you’ll need to be very self-sufficient (read: carry lots of water!).

From Van horn you’ll ride through the small town of Valentine. When we passed through, all the shops had been shut-tered. All but one public building, the kay Johnson Library, was closed. This little gem was financed and built by folks in the area and also provided an opportunity to get water. Near Valentine you’ll stumble upon the marfa Prada, an art installation made to look like a Prada retail store, complete with shoes and handbags from the 2005 Prada collection. It was met with mixed reactions when it opened, including being burgled of all merchandise (the installation no lon-ger has pairs of shoes, just unmatched singles).

In marfa you’ll find a fascinating mix of

New York art lovers and dusty Wrangler-wearing ranchers. In the 1970s, the mini-malist artist Donald Judd adopted marfa as his new hometown. Now marfa is home to the Judd Foundation and the Chinati Foundation, which house world-class modern art. You’ll also find some of the best pizza in the country at the Pizza Foundation and a “hotel” where you can stay in refurbished trailers or a teepee (El Cosmico).

Next along highway 90 is Alpine, the largest town in the area. Alpine is home to an Amtrak station, a fantastic independent bookstore, and the annual Cowboy Poetry Festival. It is also the best place to stock up before heading into Big Bend. Just beyond Alpine is the tiny town of marathon, centered around an Old West-style main Street. You’ll now find art galleries, the Gage hotel, and incredible food and hospi-tality. There is even a hostel made entirely from papercrete (a construction method that utilizes paper and clay), where you can stay free if you’re bike touring.

the rugged west. The roads of Far West Texas provide many a quiet mile for traveling cyclists, like this one in Big Bend National Park.

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To head into Big Bend from Alpine, ride south along highway 118. It’s approximate-ly 80 miles, and there are very few oppor-tunities to stop for the night along the way. We found ourselves at Cowhead Ranch, a small replica of a western town run by a warm-hearted cowboy named Chris, who hand-built the plywood and corrugated

steel structures to create accommodations for passing travelers. Cowhead has a small bathhouse with on-demand hot water and a saloon with wireless internet!

Continuing on highway 118 will take you to Study Butte-Terlingua. head west just a few miles on Fm170 into Terlingua Ghost Town to soak up some true local

color. It’s traditional to have a drink on The Porch while watching the sun set against the mountains. Locals and travelers mingle for impromptu jam sessions and storytell-ing. Plenty of lodging is nearby, including the Terlingua Camping hostel, which has an old school bus that has been converted into a kitchen/lounge.

For the hardy cyclist, we recommend a ride into Big Bend National Park and camp-ing/lodging in Chisos Basin. But be pre-pared for a challenge. From the main road, it’s a five-mile, 2,100-foot climb into Chisos Basin. Although it’s tough to get to, it’s an amazing place to hike and camp, nestled in a ring of mountains.

Far West Texas is full of experiences that we guarantee you will not find anywhere else. But a word of caution, conditions can be harsh. Distances between services can be very long, so plan ahead and be sure you always carry extra food and water.

The Hill Country & North-Central TexasThe hill Country is roughly located in

the middle of the state and is anchored on the east by the capital city of Austin. You’ll find quaint towns with German and

shoppers delight. Funky shops adorn Texas. When in Luchenbach, be sure to stock up for the Texas Hat Festival.

prada marfa. A sculpture by Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset outside Valentine, Texas.


teXas - 3Scandinavian heritage, old stone farmhous-es, incredible wildflower blooms during the spring, and plenty of hills to climb. Just to the north of the hill Country, you’ll find yourself surrounded by the rolling plains of north-central Texas. This is a different Texas than most of us imagine. It’s lush and green in the spring, peppered with lakes, and replete with small towns centered around a courthouse square.

We entered hill Country after months in the desert and were immediately struck by the green trees and rushing rivers. After a long stay in Austin (an amazingly bicycle-friendly city), we headed west through the hill Country on a long and roundabout ride to Fort Worth. Without realizing it, we had timed our trip through the hill Country at the peak of the wildflower bloom (in mid-April). For a true hill Country experi-ence, we suggest you do the same. It’s an amazing experience to soar down a country road and breathe in the sweet fragrance of thousands of bluebonnets, the Texas state flower.

Our rambles through the hill Country were punctuated by stops at the numerous state parks throughout the region. Texas has an incredible network of these gems with fantastic camping facilities, so we highly suggest taking advantage of them. A few of our favorites, Pedernales Falls, Inks Lake, and Enchanted Rock, are accessible by small back roads. One of the highlights was climbing up to the top of Enchanted Rock, one of the largest batholiths in the U.S. (half Dome in Yosemite is another well-known batholith formation).

The hill Country also boasts a num-ber of great towns to explore. West of Austin, you’ll find Fredericksburg and kerrville, complete with myriad restau-rants, museums, and shops. Just south of Fredericksburg, and way off the beaten path, you’ll find a very small town with a big reputation — Luckenbach. The town was made famous by country music artists Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson in a song of the same name that harkens back to a simpler life. In Luckenbach we stum-bled onto the annual Texas hat Festival and bought a couple of hat pins with the Texas star for our panniers.

South of Austin, you’ll find Gruene, New Braunfels, and Lockhart. Gruene hall is the oldest dance hall in Texas and is still a thriving anchor of the commu-nity. Stay for a show or simply pop in for a beer and a slice of history. On a hot summer day, make time for a swim in the

nearby Guadalupe River.Lockhart is known as the barbecue

capital of Texas and has three famous estab-lishments vying for supremacy: kreutz’s, Smitty’s, and Black’s. We flipped a coin and chose Smitty’s, located downtown. The brick walls are black with soot, and the smell of smoked meat hangs permanently in the air. In Texas barbecue is synony-mous with seasoned and expertly smoked beef brisket. You buy it by the pound, and your choice of sides includes either Wonder bread or saltine crackers. Texas barbecue traditionalists will tell you that good brisket doesn’t need any sauce and good meat should stand on its own. Despite that, many establishments are acceding to the demands of the masses, and sauces are reluctantly offered.

One of our favorite parts of exploring the hill Country by bicycle was that it’s a popular place for cyclists. You’ll no doubt pass others on bikes enjoying the hills and scenery, and they’re often happy to share their favorite routes. When we were tour-ing through the area, we even ran into an Adventure Cycling-led group at Pedernales State Park. having that many cyclists in an area also means that car drivers are more aware and accommodating.

heading north you begin to leave hill Country and start to enter the prairies and lakes region. The hills gradually become less severe, and the bluebonnets are replaced by fields of wild grass. In the small town of Glen Rose, you’ll find a small and revitalized courthouse square, a historical museum, and a small bak-ery serving delicious homemade pie. Also nearby is Solavaca, a private ranch now open to mountain biking. After using a bike to repair holes in his fence, the owner invited friends to ride on his property and has since begun hosting organized races. Camping is allowed on a limited basis and requires advance notification.

Nearby Granbury is also centered around a revitalized courthouse square and offers shops, restaurants, galleries, and museums that will entice you to take a break. If you’re staying the night, take advantage of the shuttle system. You can leave your bike in the room and let the shuttle take you to the town center and back.

In our rambling travels, we spent three months exploring Texas and we were con-tinually delighted and impressed. Our experiences challenged our preconceived notions of the Lone Star State. Not only

did we meet friendly people, see beautiful scenery, and eat delicious local foods, but the network of farm-to-market roads meant that we could crisscross the state without dealing with much traffic. Texas is so large that it’s tempting to race through it, just to get across. For the bike tourist who prefers to meander and explore, Texas offers a mul-titude of touring options, from challenging cycling to epicurean delights.

Russ Roca and Laura Crawford are doing what they’ve always wanted to do — an open-ended bicycle tour — and they’ve recently incorporated Brompton folding bikes and trains into their travels. You can find out more about them at pathlesspedaled.com.

different altogether. Compared to West Texas, the Hill Country is lush and green.


Photography by Matthew Kadey

CUBATRAVERSINGMountains, coast & culture

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More than five decades after Fidel Castro spearheaded a revolution, Cuba remains a politically-charged land full of contradictions and

misunderstandings. Despite continued strong feelings surrounding politics (and American trade and travel restrictions) Cuba is rapidly gaining cult status among sun and culture seekers as the jewel of the Caribbean. Cyclotourists are also catching on that this island nation 90 miles from key West, Florida, provides the perfect mixture of scenery, history, and kind-hearted denizens.

For the cyclist, roads populated only by the occasional 1950s Cadillac chug-ging alongside an ox cart, numerous and welcoming home-stays, charming cities blissfully free of tourist-oriented kitsch, and a landscape that varies mar-velously with each bend in the road, all makes Cuba an intoxicating option for a two-wheeled adventure. Where else do you have opalescent beaches, cathedrals, and mountains cheek by jowl? All in

a caught-in-a-time-warp setting. Even today, many more Cubans, young and aged, use two wheels instead of four.

Spend a couple weeks, or better yet a few months, cycling in the Caribbean’s largest country, and soon there will be a little more cha cha cha in your pedal stroke as you soak in decaying colonial mansions, passionate domino matches between cigar-puffing grandpas, and jungle-covered peaks under bluebird skies. Cool off after a ride in bathtub-warm seas or refuel on elephantine portions of rice, tomatoes, and chicken dished out by your casa particulares host. Spend evenings at the ballpark or sipping mojitos while you get your salsa on and then learn to embrace the pre-dawn cacophony of the roosters.

Above all it’s the spontaneity, indomi-table spirit, and romantic layers of the people that make Cuba a worthy addi-tion to any cycling bucket list. Someday soon, one only hopes, more U.S. cyclists will be able to discover what made Ernest hemingway want “to stay here forever.”

1. Cuba’s most impressive coastal ride is located in the isolated Gamma province. 2. Tobacco is a major cash crop in Cuba’s western Pinar del Rio province. 3. A rare dry-season downpour brings with it a special gift near Soroa. 4. The cascading pools at Las Terrazas make for a refreshing post-ride swim.

Photography by Matthew Kadey

CUBA

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1. Riding to the seaside town of Baracoa with former Cuban professional cyclist Frank Correa. 2. Cigars and Cuba are syn-onymous, especially in Havana. 3. Rider Tabi Ferguson soaks in the neo-classical architecture of Cienfuegos. 4. Locals gather up coconuts for thirsty tourists at Playa Ancón. 5. Some of the world’s best mechanics, including this one in Trinidad, keep thousands of vintage cars chugging along. Some say Cuba is the world’s biggest automotive museum. 6. New Year’s Eve in Cuba means one thing: pig roast time! 7. Street music is omnipresent in Havana. 8. A detour is required on the ride to Soroa in western Cuba. Roads can be hit and miss throughout the country. 9. Spectacular limestone mogotes dot much of Cuba’s Valle de Viñales.

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I was not joking when I told my friend Tony that I “wasn’t really that into long bike rides.” We were nearing Plaster City, California, on a bumpy asphalt two-lane road, which was deserted on Super Bowl Sunday. We had 2,985 miles left to ride on the Adventure Cycling Association’s Southern Tier Route, from San Diego to St. Augustine, Florida, in 45 days. The math said I’d be learning to like long bike rides. There are so many other things I like to do in Colorado, it’s just hard to talk myself into using a Saturday for a 50-mile ride when I’m already on my bike five days a week, I told Tony. he continued to laugh.

I love my bicycle and all the places it takes me in my hometown of Denver, but that’s as far as it went. I had never owned a pair of cycling shorts or a jersey until a few weeks before our tour started. I do my daily commute to work and almost everything else within a three-mile radius of my apartment on an old steel Raleigh, wear-ing jeans, a backpack, and mountain-bike shoes. The round-trip ride to my office is about three miles, so why not try 3,000? I sup-pose you could call that naiveté.

When I told my family and friends that Tony and I were plan-ning to attempt a cross-country ride, half of them eventually said something like, “You’ll have a lot of thinking time out there.” This, along with the opportunity to eat 6,000 calories per day, was a big draw for me. There are few places to really relax in the saddle for more than a few seconds when riding in a city like Denver. Almost every street in Capitol hill and downtown holds all kinds of potential for an accident: car doors swinging open into your path, pedestrians crossing the street against the signal, cars simply not seeing cyclists and turning left into them from the opposite lane or “right hooking” them across the bike lane. Then there are potholes and ice.

You learn to keep your brake calipers tight. In four years of daily commuting, I’ve been taken out by a pedestrian, cut off by

cab drivers and bus drivers, confronted by a dozen motorists and buzzed by dozens more, gotten pinch flats from four-inch-deep potholes, and crumpled one bike frame when a car backed out of a blind parking spot in an alley and I crashed into its rear quarter panel at full speed.

On the open road of the Southern Tier, which began just outside San Diego for us, it didn’t take too long for me to get bored enough to start talking to cows on the side of the road.

“hellooooo,” I would moo at them as I pedaled by, and they watched me suspiciously while munching grass. Sometimes I would recite old hip-hop lyrics, or ad lib other song lyrics, out of tune. Sometimes they ran away, not sure what to think of a man on a bicycle towing a giant trailer. I reassured them that there was nothing to fear — I’m a vegetarian.

The Southern Tier is the shortest of the three Adventure Cycling cross-country routes. Compared to the 4,241-mile TransAmerica Trail and the 4,285-mile Northern Tier, it’s only 3,058 miles, but it’s the optimal cross-country tour for those who can’t take two months off during the summer. The route hugs the southern border of the U.S. all the way across, making early spring and fall the best times to ride. That way you’ll avoid the skin-baking heat of the desert Southwest and the oppressive humidity of the Gulf Coast.

There are only three large cities on the entire route: San Diego, Phoenix, and El Paso. Although we made a point to include San Antonio and Austin on our itinerary, for the most part, we were lulled into the rhythm of rural America — waitresses who called everybody “hon,” communities where everyone knew everyone else entering or leaving the corner store, and towns where every local person we talked to wanted to give us directions to the next town or tell us about a shortcut. The waitress at the restaurant in Descanso Junction, California, shook her head at us every time she came to our table, in disbelief that we were going to con-

FrOm COmmuter tO tOurist


FrOm COmmuter tO tOurist by brendan leonard


tinue riding in the downpour. A retired couple at the kofa Café near hope, Arizona, interviewed us about our ride from their table, eventually mentioning that they had motorcycled to the “four corners” of the Lower 48, riding a ring around the country over four months back in the 1980s. They said it wasn’t the scenery they remembered most; it was the people they met. Joe, a Walmart associate in DeRidder, Louisiana, talked to me about bicycles for 15 minutes one morning while I tried to convince him to try The Register’s Annual Great Bicycle

Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) the next summer. he had seen and talked to lots of people on their way through DeRidder on the Southern Tier, and it had piqued his curiosity.

I found out almost immediately about some of the demons of touring — things that a utility cyclist would never think about. Numb pinky fingers, for instance, and the daily self-care regimen one must undertake to avoid saddle sores. my neck was so sore from holding up the weight of my head and helmet for eight hours a day that I began doing yoga poses every night after we finished riding.

A three-mile commute doesn’t exactly prepare you for something called a head-wind, either — a 30-mPh headwind on my morning commute might make me 90 seconds late to the office, if that. But we pulled into Langtry, Texas, on our 23rd day, hoping the easterly afternoon wind would let up before our next day’s ride to Del Rio, the first place we’d see so much as a

grocery store again. Langtry had two small stores selling candy and soda, but almost nothing else. If we didn’t make it to Del Rio the next day, we wouldn’t be eating dinner.

I slept for two hours and woke up to a howling wind and the push of the tent wall against my head. It didn’t let up all night, and I struggled to work up the ambition to remember which stuff sack my earplugs were in. Then I worked up the ambition to unzip my sleeping bag and root around for them in my BOB trailer bag. I failed. That morning, we packed up, got on our bikes,

put our heads down, and battled. At five miles, I stopped and pulled out a small American flag on a stick and had Tony snap a photo of me holding it in front of my face, the flag standing out at a 90-degree angle from the stick, blowing right at me.

Even on the downhills, I was in my granny gear. Three days before, we had been ripping along at 22 mPh with a tail-wind, sailing into marathon, Texas. After we left Langtry, it took us 10 hours to pedal 55 miles. We rode the last five miles in com-plete darkness, then we split three large pizzas at a hotel in Del Rio. I estimated the headwind at 30 mPh, and that day became the answer to the question, “What was your worst day on the trip so far?”

There were days like that, which I knew in my heart were no fun. But I knew that our tour as a whole was fun, even if I wouldn’t realize it until afterward. That’s the case, I imagine, when you undertake something you’ve always thought about doing — one of those things that comes

into your head every time you take a break from that spreadsheet and stare out the window for 30 seconds.

For every endless hour in the saddle, when it felt like I had to stand up every 10 minutes to keep my butt from going numb, or every demoralizing flat tire we got — just as we were starting to make good time — there was a convenience-store customer or a café waitress to give us a little lift, just by taking a little interest in our trip.

People seem to be disarmed by two guys wearing funny clothes and riding fully-loaded bikes at 12 mPh. As Americans we would never walk up to another motorist at a gas station and ask where they were headed, would we? But if someone’s foolish enough to travel by bicycle, many of us feel it’s probably worth asking them what the heck they’re up to. We chatted up all kinds of folks who asked the usual questions: Where are you headed? Where did you start? how many miles do you ride a day?

If people are disarmed by those on bicycles, they are further disarmed by a seven-foot-tall Chicago chiropractor on a bicycle. Tony would be asked how tall he was by a stranger at least five times a day. “Well, a seven-footer,” a woman in the country store in the retirement community of Brenda, Arizona, said as Tony paid for our Gatorade. Sometimes they would wait until he was out of earshot and they’d ask me how tall he was. “Seven feet,” I’d say, “and I’m five feet 11 inches,” but no one cared.

A cowboy outside a gas station in Uvalde, Texas, said to me, “man, I can’t believe that big guy over there can even ride a bicycle. Look how tall he is!”

It only took us 35 miles of riding to meet our first friendly cyclists on the route — a shock to a Denverite used to cyclists divided into five cliques who almost never mix or even so much as acknowledge

We rode the last five miles in complete darkness, then we split three large pizzas at a hotel in Del Rio.


each other: roadies — recreational racers, recreational riders, and triathletes on new bicycles; hipsters — mid- to late-20s kids who use fixed-gear bikes and fixed-gear conversions as their only mode of transpor-tation; messengers — the people who have been riding fixed-gear bikes to work long before hipsters adopted them; day labor-ers — who only ride bikes to work because they can’t afford a car yet; and people like me — who just ride their bicycles every-where and don’t really fit in.

But, at our hotel in Alpine, California, an honest-to-goodness roadie pulled up in an SUV and started asking me about our very young bike tour. Ross was in town for the next day’s Boulevard Road Race, put on every year by the University of California,

San Diego Cycling Team. he used roadie terms that I didn’t know the definition of, such as “Cat 3.” The next morning at the continental breakfast, Ross made our day, telling us we were his inspiration for the race that day.

Five hours later, Tony and I were soak-ing wet and tired when we saw the orange “Special Event Ahead” sign near the bot-tom of a hill. Suddenly, a few hundred feet ahead, a peloton of lycra-clad racers flew in from a side road. Trucking uphill with my 60-pound trailer, I felt like a John Deere tractor about to pull onto the Autobahn.

The faster riders jetted past us in silence, conserving all the oxygen they could inhale to stay ahead of the pack. Later, guys closer to the back of the pack cheered us as they

passed and we pulled up the endless hill.Two weeks later at the Pepper Pot in

hatch, New mexico, a group of seven or eight cyclists came in just as we were about to pay our bill. We had 38 miles left to get to Las Cruces and had spent the last 25 miles battling a crosswind so fierce it had ripped the flag out of my BOB trailer and deposited it in a farm field somewhere. We chatted with one woman in the group who was outside when we left.

15 or so miles from hatch, my trailer tire went flat. This necessitated taking the trailer off the bike and the wheel off the trailer. I sat down on the shoulder and applied two patches to two different holes in the tube, and I was happily interrupted by repeated offers for help, as the group of

tall man, tall bike. Tony uses his long legs to crank out the miles along the Southern Tier Bicycle Route.


members of the group. For a few minutes, I rode next to Chris, who was the only man in the group. Chris said he was Adventure Cycling Association Life member number 10 and had ridden the TransAmerica Trail many years ago. We leapfrogged and chat-ted with the group all the way into Las Cruces, the end of their 78-mile Saturday ride. One of the ladies in the group said she was about to turn 67 and another group member had recently celebrated her 70th birthday. Now it was out turn to be inspired.

I don’t know what causes a bicycle chain to split over the course of several hundred miles. I do know there are bet-ter places than seven miles outside of Wiggins, mississippi, to look down and see half a chain link peeling off as it rolls over your chainring. We were 140 miles from the nearest bike shop listed on the Adventure Cycling map.

When the combined cost of your last three road bikes is $640, you learn to fix and replace a few parts. Spokes, cables, housing, brake calipers, derailleurs — all these components have been replaced on the kitchen floor of my 450-square-foot apartment. For our Southern Tier trip, I

had spent an hour on a winter Saturday with a mechanic at my local bike shop, strategizing on what tools and spare parts I would need for the trip. After making a list, crossing items off, considering weight, and what was likely to break and leave us

stranded, I ended up with an exhaustive, but minimal, list: three tubes, tire levers, a small pump, an extra tire, two emergency tire boots, 21 tire patches and three tubes of adhesive, one tube for my BOB trailer, a Crank Brothers multi-17 tool that included

runs like a deere? Brendan’s rig may not have been nimble but it chugged steadily along.


a chain breaker and spoke wrenches, a pedal wrench, a Park Tool 3-Way hex wrench, a Leatherman kick multi-tool, two extra brake cables, an extra derailleur cable, a crescent wrench, freewheel pullers, two extra drive-side spokes, and two extra non-drive-side spokes, chain lube, duct tape, zip ties, and, at the bottom of the stuff sack that held my tools, a tiny ziploc bag that held my extra chain links.

Replacing two chain links on the side of a country road in mississippi using the chain-breaker on a multi-tool is a bit of a tense situation. A screwup can mean a day or two of lost riding and airline cancellation fees, not to mention 300 round-trip miles of hitchhiking. I felt a little bit like the action hero everyone trusts to defuse the bomb with only 60 seconds left until it detonates, trying to remember: Is it the green or blue wire I’m supposed to cut?

I popped out the busted link and its neighbor and frantically worked one pin and two new links into the rest of the chain. One pin to go, but either my filthy chain or the tool kept slipping out of my hands. Tony held my derailleur in place as I worked, giving the whole operation a 50-50 chance in my head. I

mashed everything together in the chain tool, like a five-year-old trying to force in the wrong piece of a jigsaw puzzle. I gritted my teeth and spun the multi-tool. Then, pop! everything came together in my blackened hands. We high-fived and were off, racking up 83 more miles for a total of 105 that day. We then plopped exhaustedly into a booth at the Waffle house in Bayou La Batre, Alabama, and ate our fill.

At A1A Cycle Works in St. Augustine, Florida, I unclipped my trailer and had one last look at my bike. It was the last time I’d see it in its touring costume. We had finished the route, dipping our bikes in the Atlantic Ocean a few minutes before. Jeff and Joy at A1A boxed and shipped my bike to Denver, and the next time I’d ride it, it would be minus fend-ers, handlebar bag, touring tires, and three water bottles and cages.

Seven months earlier, I had crashed my only road bike and buckled the down tube. I was okay but in desperate need of a bike, both to ride to work every day and to ride across America in six months. After five days of searching Craigslist, I had found the perfect bike — a steel 1985 Raleigh Team USA for $100. It was

indeed a $100 bike when I bought it, and I stripped everything but the crank and built it up using parts from other bikes.

That’s what many of us typically do in central Denver — find an old steel frame and build it up enough to survive the city. how cool would it be, I asked a couple of my friends, if I could ride a 25-year-old, $100 bike across the country?

I told as many people as I could — from California all the way across Arizona, New mexico, Texas, Louisiana, mississippi, Alabama, and Florida — about my $100 bike. I didn’t expect anyone to relate to it and I was happy when people were kind enough to act as if they were actually listening. I just wanted people to know they didn’t have to spend thousands of dollars on Lance Armstrong’s bike — or be anything like Lance Armstrong — to pedal across America. hey, you know, I’m just a guy who rides his bike to work, and I can do it. And you could, too.

Brendan Leonard is a year-round urban cyclist and writer. He lives in Denver and rides his 1985 Raleigh Team USA everywhere he goes. More of his writing can be found at semi-rad.com.


2010: I woke up without an alarm. The cool air wafting through the tent smelled of fir and cedar. There wasn’t much movement in Paradise Campground except for the mckenzie River gurgling loudly nearby. The sun hadn’t risen yet.

And this was paradise — a beautiful August morning in the midst of a bike trip with friends. I was raring to go. It was

time to climb mckenzie Pass.What a difference 29 years can make.

1981: On July 6, I woke up in the very same campground to the sound of a cold drizzle. Beads of water covered the inside of our bargain-basement tent. Rain? Condensation? Probably both — our tent was far from waterproof.

my buddy, Thomas, and I were on day five of our bicycle trip across America. I was crawling toward an associate’s degree at a community college, whereas Thomas was pre-med at University of California Davis.

We thought we were prepared. I can laugh heartily about it now. We wore cot-ton running shorts and sweat pants while riding. We also used the cheapest bike

tires money could buy. We did have a map. We were following Bikecentennial’s TransAm Trail, but we couldn’t afford the whole series of maps, so we bought the first one and figured we’d wing it from there.

We packed no rain gear. It was summer, we reasoned, so it wasn’t going to rain (we

were both raised in California). If it did rain, we decided, it was going to be a warm, refreshing, gentle summer shower.

It was so cold I could see my breath, and my numb fingers fumbled to cram the sopping-wet tent into its stuff sack.

This was crazy! If it was this cold here, what would it be like on top of mckenzie Pass?

Before we had finished packing up, news traveled through the camp-ground of just how

cold it was up there — the pass was closed due to snow.

“Snow? It’s July!” I stammered to Thomas. “how will we get over mckenzie Pass?”

2010: On August 1, Thomas and I pedaled out of Paradise Campground as the beams of sunrise filtered through the trees. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky.

Thomas now had more than 27 years as

a high-school biol-ogy teacher under his belt and more than 26 years of marriage to an amazing woman with whom he raised three incredible children. I had done a stint in professional theater before the travel bug bit me, found the perfect traveling and life companion, and man-aged to avoid having what most people would call a real job.

When Thomas contacted me about tak-ing our first bike trip together in 29 years, the idea of retracing our journey across Oregon immediately came to mind. But with so many cycling opportunities, why

repeat? Since our first journey was from west to east, why not north to south? We agreed on Portland to klamath Falls via Crater Lake.

Thomas flew from Sacramento

to Seattle. We talked our other lifelong buddy, Randy, into joining us and booked passage for ourselves and our bikes on the Amtrak Cascades line to Portland.

McKenzie Pass Revisited

by Willie Weir


1981: Thomas and I were on such a limited budget we couldn’t afford train or bus fare. We heard that a friend’s fam-ily was going on a camping trip in Canada. We hitched a ride in their motor home. The TransAm Trail began at Astoria, but Seaside was as far as they would take us. At least it was the Pacific Ocean.

We had to dip our back tires in the Pacific Ocean — everyone told us that —

but the tide was out. It was the lowest tide since humans began measuring

them. We dutifully drug our bikes through sand and

surf. Everything got wet. 2010: We had

to dip our plastic forks into sev-eral entrees

at Portland’s famous food carts — every-one told us that. It didn’t matter that we had pedaled less than a mile from the train station. Bring on crepes, followed by two orders of a spicy Thai dish, and then noodles. We duti-fully stopped at Voodoo Doughnut for dessert. Less than 10 miles later, we stopped for root beer floats, just because they were there.

We ended our first day of pedaling at a quaint little campground just on the edge of the mount hood National Forest.

1981: We ended our first day of our epic journey sunburned and sore. We both had forgotten to buy sunscreen. The campground where we planned to stay was full. Every campground was full. We had made a tactical error in planning to camp here the week-end of July 4. In a panic, we knocked on a door and asked the man who answered if we could pitch our tent in his yard.

We ended up sleeping on a

queen-size hide-a-bed sofa in his garage.

2010: I love wild camp-ing. Dispersal camping is what they call it in national forests. Bikes have the great advantage of needing very little room to park. On our second night, the three of us found an idyllic site by the river.

Small camp stores were often the only shopping available on this route. Over the years, I’ve learned from my partner, kat, to make the best of the ingredients you have. I fired up the camp stove, sau-téed some garlic and onions in the pot, and then poured in a large can of chicken noo-

dle soup. Once it came to a boil, I gently cracked and lowered six eggs

into the pot and let the roll-ing boil stir them. I topped

it off with red pepper flakes, and we feasted on spicy egg-drop chicken-noodle soup.

We chatted around the campfire while sip-ping tea and listened to

the calls of barred owls: “Who cooks for you? Who

cooks for you?”

1981: We opened a couple of cans of soup with a Swiss Army knife and drank them. We’d cook another night. We

had managed to score a free campsite in the empty gravel lot behind

a church. We were sore and tired. We’d probably be asleep before dusk.

A car pulled into the lot, followed by another, and another. Soon there was a steady stream of trucks and station wagons. When the dust settled, we were completely surrounded. Car stereos blared and small children ran amok.

We had somehow managed to pick the most popular patch of gravel from which to watch the county’s Fourth of July fireworks display. The last vehicle pulled away at 1:30 Am with the parting call, “Sleep well.”

The next day, we stopped for ice cream sandwiches at every opportunity.

2010: We stopped for ice cream sandwiches at every oppor-tunity.

1981: mckenzie Pass loomed ahead. It wasn’t the highest pass, or the lon-gest, but it was the first. The coun-try was so big, and my bike felt so heavy. many other people had successfully made

the trip, but what if I just wasn’t made for this?

The summit was almost 18 miles away. how steep would it get? Would I have to walk my bike? And now there’s snow. Are we going to have to wait weeks for it to clear? I thought I would run out of money before we even crossed Oregon.

2010: mckenzie Pass greeted us like an old friend. I knew how steep it would be — not nearly as steep as hundreds of other mountain passes I’d climbed. And I knew which views were waiting for me, full of wonderful volcanic bareness and near and distant mountain peaks.

There would be no stress or wor-ries, just a quiet scenic highway and two old friends chatting and laughing, both wondering why it took so long to travel together again.

1981: The pass cleared that very day. After buying rain gear at the general store


nuts & bolts: mckenzie passoregon: as a bicycle traveler, you can’t go wrong in oregon. this state boasts five adventure cycling routes within its borders.

amtrak: as the airline industry smacks touring cyclists with higher fees, amtrak just gets better. this trip was perfect for the train. we booked tickets ahead of time on the amtrak cascades from seattle to portland. the cascade trains all have bike racks to hang bicycles (six bikes per bag-gage car at present). you can reserve a spot for your bike for $5 one way. reserve early if you are traveling on the weekend as the bike slots go fast.

the amtrak coast starlight train does not have bike racks but does offer bike boxes. loading a bike is $5. the box is $20. used boxes are free.

crater lake: Many more cyclists are discovering this gem because crater lake is on the new adventure cycling’s sierra cascades route. Make sure you take the time to pedal the road around the rim. Many will suggest that you ride it clock-wise. this is information for car and camper drivers, who have a hard time pulling over to see the view. if you bicycle counter-

clockwise, you’ll have less traffic and better light for photographs.

oakridge: this little town southeast of eugene sports a world-class english pub (Brewers union local 180) where you can dine on fish and chips and enjoy a hand-pulled english-style ale. the town also sports a newly opened hostel (oakridgehos tel.com) that is very bicycle friendly. the cur-rent rate is $35 and includes breakfast. But if you bicycle there, the rate is $25.

Klamath FallsPortland

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Hand-Built in England since 1926

The Pashley “Country” Clubman reflects on the era when one bike would be used for many purposes - touring, club races and riding to work in between. With generous clearances under its centrepull brakes, this Clubman is equipped with modern derailleur gears for ease of use, whilst retaining the classic direct-acting down tube shifters.

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in mckenzie Bridge, Thomas and I sum-mited mckenzie Pass and climbed toward the lookout tower. Thanks to the earlier snowstorm, you could see 100 miles in every direction.

We coasted down into Sisters, Oregon, where we met a Frenchman named Francois at the local campground. We traveled togeth-er for two weeks before our routes divided.

A couple of months later, we dipped our front tires in the Atlantic Ocean. And like several thousand others who have crossed the country with the aid and inspiration of the Adventure Cycling Association, we would recall the journey as one of life‘s highlights.

2010: We summited late morning to a hazy view due to a fire near Sisters. We turned around and for the first time got to experience the downhill of that stretch of highway.

Randy waited for us, and we continued pedaling along the mckenzie River beside spectacular waterfalls on the Aufderheide memorial Drive, one of the most beauti-ful and bike-friendly roads in the state of Oregon. We enjoyed hand-pulled pints at a fantastic English-style pub in the little town of Oakridge, which features a great hostel, too. It was there that we said good-bye to Randy, who returned to Seattle from Eugene via Amtrak.

Thomas and I continued pedaling south. We climbed over a mountain pass on a gravel road, and then back on to pavement toward Crater Lake, where we intersected with the Pacific Cascades route. Every cyclist we met was packing Adventure Cycling maps. We took an entire day to casually ride the 33-mile rim road around Crater Lake.

The campground was full at the national park and dozens of would-be campers were turned away. But a group of cyclists reached out and invited us to share their group site, complete with food, laughter, friends, and bicycles.

Two days later, I stood at the train sta-tion in klamath Falls and hugged my friend good-bye. his train was headed south, and mine was going north.

We talked of traveling more often togeth-er, but one ride is already planned. 29 years from now, Thomas and I will climb mckenzie Pass again. I’ll be 79. he’ll be 81.

We’ll stop for ice cream sandwiches at every opportunity.

Willie Weir also spins a great yarn live. To find out where you can catch one of his upcoming shows, visit willieweir.com.

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BIKE FRIDAY800-777-0258 // BikeFriday.com

Reflecting on 20 years of touring memories

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many people like the idea of traveling by bicycle but don’t how to get started. While experienced riders know the sim-plicity of bike travel is one of its great joys, to a curious newcomer the ques-tions and choices can be overwhelming. Below, we answer some of the common questions that beginning bicycle travelers often ask, and provide some tips to demys-tify cycling.

who travels by bike?Traveling by bike appeals to a broad

spectrum of people and there are many ways to do it. It can be done individually, with friends, or with a commercial tour operator. People of all ages, backgrounds, and regions of the world choose the bicycle as their favorite means of travel. Adults in their seventies and children in their teens (and younger!) have ridden all the way across America. Bicycle travel is attractive for many reasons: it’s an exciting chal-lenge that allows us to explore new land-scapes and cultures, build physical fitness, and experience the joy of breathing fresh air and meeting new people every day.

am i in good enough shape?The good news is that you don’t need

to be a super-athlete to enjoy cycling. however, you’ll want to spend some time training on a bike before your trip. The best thing to do is to be realistic about what you can do and create achievable goals. Then, work your strength up to riding the same daily distances you plan to cover while carrying the same gear

you plan to travel with. You’re physi-cally ready if you can do back-to-back day rides that are as long or longer than you are planning for your tour, and feel like you could ride again on the third day. One of the pleasures of bike travel is that you’ll be riding into progressively better and better shape as you go. For more tips on physical preparation, see “Getting in Shape for Touring” in the online how-To Department at adventurecycling.org/fea tures/howto.cfm.

How far can i ride in a day?This varies depending on your overall

fitness, your personal goals, the style of touring you choose — and the terrain. here are some tips to plan by. With a bit of bicycle-specific training, an average physically fit adult carrying less than 20 pounds of additional gear on their bike can expect to travel at an average pace of 65 miles per day on paved roads and still have time to stop and smell plenty of roses. With a load of gear totaling 20 to 45 pounds, the average pace to plan for should be lowered to 55 miles per day. If the terrain is particularly flat or mountainous, the average will increase or decrease accordingly (for mountain-bike travel, these distances can be cut in half, or more, depending on the ruggedness of the terrain).

Experienced bicycle travelers can ride further, but for most people, planning to exceed these averages has a tendency to increase the physical challenge and decrease the enjoyment. We recommend

that you plan for at least one rest day out of 10, and carry no more than 45 pounds of gear — and a lot less if you can. Always plan time in your day, and days off in your trip, for unexpected challenges and good opportunities.

what kind of bike should i use?many types of bicycles can be used

for bike travel. Although some bikes are specifically designed for touring, most quality bicycles can be customized for touring use, with the exception of road racing bikes, as they emphasize weight savings and quick handling over dura-bility and comfort. (Folks do it, but we don’t recommend it for reliability reasons.) Important characteristics of an appropriate bike are durability, a comfortable riding position, and low gears for climbing hills. The ability to mount racks, fenders, and wide tires (32 mm or greater) is also a plus. Experienced bicycle travelers have their preferences, but there is no single style of bicycle that is an overwhelming favor-ite. Ultimately, your choice is based on personal preference and the type of tour-ing you want to do (paved roads vs. dirt roads/trails, amount of gear to carry, etc.). To read more on how to select a proper bike for touring, visit adventurecycling.org/features/buyersguide.cfm.

How do i decide where to ride?Besides the obvious — scenery, his-

tory, and any other personal interests you have — look for low-traffic routes and/or roads with good shoulders. keep

by the Adventure Cycling Association staffbike travel 101


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in mind that many of the places you’d like to see by bicycle, such as national parks, can be choked with traffic and undesirable for cycling. mountain bikers usually look for routes with little or no motorized traffic and as little pavement as possible. The biggest question they need to answer is usually: Can all of the route be ridden with a loaded bike or trailer? many resources for finding bicycle-spe-cific routes that emphasize safe roads and rideable trails can be found in the online Cyclists’ Yellow Pages. These include:

• The 41,399-mile Adventure Cycling Route Network and touring maps.

• State resources, including tourism agencies, state bicycle/pedestrian offices, advocacy groups, and local bike clubs.

• Local and regional cycling maps and guidebooks listed under their respec-tive states and countries. Visit adventure cycling.org/cyp.

How do i carry my stuff?The most common methods of carrying

gear are panniers and trailers. Panniers are luggage that attach to your bicycle on racks that sit over or next to the wheels. Ortlieb and Arkel are two top-quality brands. Quality racks are available to fit nearly every bicycle. Trailers come in many varieties, usually with one or two wheels. most are easy to attach and fit on almost any bicycle. The BOB Yak/Ibex and Burley Nomad are both excellent choices.

Panniers excel on paved-road riding and single-wheel trailers are at their best on rough, unpaved terrain, but both can work well for nearly all types of tour-ing. Personal preference is the ultimate arbiter. where do i stay at night?

First decide if you want to camp (inex-pensive, independent, closer to nature) or stay in hotels (comfortable, less gear to carry). Tourism agencies, chambers of commerce, convention and visitors’ asso-ciations, and many internet resources list information about motels, campgrounds, B&Bs, and other lodging. many maps and guides, including the Adventure Cycling Route Network maps, list local options.

is it safe to travel alone?Yes. Bicycle riders are typically per-

ceived to be very non-threatening and are often treated warmly by strangers,

especially during emergencies. The chances of something bad happening to you during a bicycle tour are likely to be no different than they are in your every-day life at home.

How much does bike touring cost?The cheapest way to go is to camp and

cook your own meals. Assuming you have all the necessary gear before you leave, and you are touring in America, a budget of $35 a day should be enough

to pay for camping fees and groceries and still stash a bit away for unforeseen expenses like repairs or gear replacement. Going commando-style, it’s possible to travel on $10 a day or less. For those with luxury in mind, well, the sky (and your bank account) is the limit. The beauty of traveling by bike is that it can be as com-fortable or as adventurous as you want it to be.

suggested equipment listModify the following list depending on your personal needs and past experiences. Keep in mind that you generally won’t need any more gear for a 90-day tour than for a 7-day tour.on-the-bike clothing • Cycling helmet • Touring shoes — good for walking as well as riding, i.e. some flex in the sole• Cycling gloves• Cycling shorts• Socks — wool or synthetic (1 to 3 pair) • Leg warmers or tights for riding (rain pants can substitute) • Short-sleeved shirts (1 or 2) • Light, long-sleeved shirt for layering and sun protection• Rain gear, jacket and pants (or poncho)off-the-bike clothing • Comfortable shorts• Comfortable pants (zip-off legs or rain pants could substitute) • Underwear (1 to 2 pair) • Sandals, flip-flops, or lightweight shoes • Wool or fleece hat• Wool or fleece gloves• Lightweight down jacket (or wool/fleece sweater)miscellaneous • Toiletries • Pocket knife or Leatherman (pliers and other tools are handy)• Water carrying bladders or containers — at least 1 U.S. gallon capacity • Basic first-aid kit with emergency num-bers• Sunglasses • Flashlight/headlamp or candle • Sunblocktools and spare parts • Tire levers/patch kit • Spare tube (and tire, depending on the trip) • Mini-pump

• Electrical tape • Spoke wrench • Spare spokes sized for your bike’s wheels• Allen wrenches • Screwdriver • Chain tool (or substitute a good multi-tool for this, allen wrenches, and screw-drivers)• Extra nuts, bolts, and wire (particularly for racks) • Assorted zip ties • Small chain lube• Hoseclamp• Spare clipless-pedal-cleat bolts• Duct tape (invaluable — you can wrap some around a trimmed straw to save weight)camping • Sleeping bag (down bags are warmer, weigh less, and pack smaller, but useless if wet. Synthetic bags are heavier and bulkier, but less expensive for comparable warmth and will keep you warm when wet.)• Sleeping pad (closed-cell foam pads work well and are light, but self-inflating pads are more comfortable and packable.) • Tent (lightweight, with rainfly and ves-tibules.) • Ground cloth (this will extend the life of your tent)• Personal eating utensils (fork, spoon, cup, bowl) • Stove (a small backpacking stove with fuel)• Cooking equipment (small pots and/or pans — backpacking equipment works best and is lightweight.) For more information Visit adventurecycling.org/features/ packing.cfm


modern LED lights have revolutionized bicycle lighting, providing more light output for less energy. Battery-powered lights are fine for occasional use and can double as flashlights. For frequent, longer night-time riding, hub generators offer the best solution. Light beams should be asymmetric to avoid blinding oncoming traffic and to optimize the light output.

Riding at NightIt can happen to anybody. You

underestimated the time it would take to cross two mountain passes. You watch the sun setting behind the jagged peaks that tower above the valley. The sky turns bright orange with shades of purple. As you enjoy the beautiful spectacle, you suddenly realize that you still face an hour’s ride until you reach your camp-ground or hotel. Darkness is falling rapidly. Fortunately, your bike is equipped with lights so you simply flip a switch and continue your ride, now more visible to other traffic than you were during the day. After the glare of the sun, riding at night provides a welcome respite for your eyes. You hear different sounds as the nocturnal crit-ters awake, and before you realize it, you have reached your destination for the day.

Just as we would not consider buying a car without lights, even if we intend to travel mostly during the day, it is useful to equip our bikes with lights. Even dur-ing daytime, you may encounter tunnels or fog that require illumination.

Lighting technology has made huge progress in recent years — to the point where riding at night has become as easy and enjoyable as riding in daylight. Although most of us tour during the day to enjoy the scenery and to meet people, an occasional night-time stage can be use-ful. When faced with crossing a desert with few services, riding during the cooler

night can stretch the distance you cycle before needing to replenish your water. If you face a road that sees a lot of traffic during the day, riding at night can make for a more tranquil and safe experience. Furthermore, riding under the stars or a full moon is an unforgettable experience.Batteries or Generator?

Your lighting choices will go a long way toward making cycling at night safe and enjoyable. Your most basic choice is between battery-powered or generator-powered lights. Basic battery lights are inexpensive initially, but you will have to budget for batteries. more expensive lights often come with rechargeable bat-teries. The need to hook up to an outlet can pose a problem if you are camping. All battery-powered lights have a limited run time so you need to keep track of how much charge remains. On the plus

side, small battery-powered lights can double as flashlights. For occa-sional night riding, battery-powered lights are an inexpensive solution.

Generator-powered lights have the advantage of unlimited run time. You provide the power not just to propel the bike but also to illuminate the road. most modern systems use generator hubs that have close to zero resistance when switched off, and very little resistance when switched on. modern generator-powered head- and taillights include standlights (the light continues to shine for several minutes after you stop), and greatly increase safety for urban riding.

The higher initial cost of generator systems is offset by the fact that you will never have to buy batteries or replace your rechargeable ones once they no lon-ger hold a charge. For extended night-time riding, I find generator-powered lights the best option. Flashing or Steady?

Flashing lights can be useful during low-light daytime conditions because they draw attention to the cyclist. At night, flashing lights tend to blind oncoming traffic, and they make it hard for the cyclist to see potholes and other obstacles in the road. The human eye adapts to low light conditions by open-ing the pupil and letting in more light. This means that flashing lights are per-ceived as extremely bright and painful. Furthermore, flashing lights make it dif-ficult to judge the distance and speed of

see And Be seenA look at bicycle lighting

by Jan Heine

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a cyclist. Therefore, at night, your lights should be set to emit a steady beam. You want to see and be seen, but you don’t want to blind oncoming traffic.How Bright?

Almost all modern headlights use LEDs instead of halogen bulbs. LEDs are much more efficient so you get a greater light output. For generator-powered lights, this means lower resistance and more light. For battery-powered lights, you get a longer run time from the same batteries.

As a result, most modern lights are bright enough. Generally, you need brighter lights for urban riding where light pollution means that your eyes don’t adjust completely to the darkness. To be seen in the city, you have to com-pete with many other light sources. Out in the country, your eyes adjust to the darkness. An overly bright headlight has you riding in a cone of light, unable to see around corners or to notice critters by the side of the road that may run in front of your wheels and cause you to fall. Out in the country, your lights will be the only light source, so you are very noticeable to other road users.Beam Pattern

A headlight’s output in watts or even lumens tells you little about how useful it is for night-time riding. much more important is the beam pattern. For a pleasant night-time riding experience, the headlight beam needs to be wide enough to illuminate the entire road and beyond, so you can ride around curves without riding into the dark. The transi-tion from light to dark should be gradu-al. The beam should be long enough to illuminate high-speed descents at night.

many inexpensive lights have round reflectors like those of flashlights. This projects half of your light output above the horizon into the sky. Not only is this wasted light, but it can be dangerous because it blinds and dazzles oncoming traffic. Imagine a car coming toward you with its high beams on.

The best lights have asymmetric reflectors similar to those used in car headlights. Their beam is cut off at the top so all the light is going where you

need it: onto the road. most of these lights come from Germany, because German traffic laws require a cut-off beam to prevent blinding oncoming traf-fic. however, in Germany, it is illegal to ride a bicycle (except lightweight racers) without dynamo-powered lights. Until recently only generator-powered lights carry the German certification that iden-tifies the cut-off beam.

Even with beams that are cut off at the top, the headlight must be oriented carefully to avoid blinding oncoming traffic. To check your headlight orienta-tion, ride your bike on a busy trail at night. If you can see the faces of oncom-ing cyclists, your light is oriented too high.

With the best lights, you can ride at night as well as during the day. During our Flèche 24-hour ride, we descended on winding roads at speeds of up to 40 mPh in the middle of a moonless night, our lights illuminating the road far ahead with their wide beams.Taillights

Taillights should be bright and red. Flashing red taillights have become accepted in urban environments. motorists perceive them as indicating “slow-moving cyclist ahead.” On open roads, a steady taillight may be advanta-geous as it allows approaching traffic to gauge the speed and distance of the cyclist. There is some indication that flashing lights may attract the eyes of drunk drivers, making them more likely to hit objects with flashing lights than those with steady illumination.Reflective materials

In addition to your lights, it is useful to add reflective material to your bike or clothing. Pedal reflectors or reflective ankle bands are very visible and clearly indicate to approaching traffic that you are a cyclist.

With the right lights, cycling at night can be pleasant and safe. Good lights allow you to see and be seen by other traffic.

Jan Heine is editor of Bicycle Quarterly (bikequar terly.com), a magazine about the culture, technology, and history of cyclotouring.

i reviewed the expilion 250 in the april 2011 issue of Adventure Cyclist and just wanted to add an update: this version of the expilion has been upgraded from 250 lumens to 400 but the price will remain the same: $139 (and i’ve seen it as low as $115). the expilion 400 is very similar to the 250 lumen version but with these different features: the light pattern is a bit wider and more inclusive of surroundings; the light color is slightly more yellow when com-pared to the super white light of the 250; there is one more light setting, boost, which is the op-tion that provides the max of 400 lumens; and the run times are now 2/3/6/13.5/24. that’s 2 hours on boost, 3 hours on high, 6 hours on medium, 13.5 on low, and 24 hours of flashing.

otherwise, the upgraded ver-sion is almost identical to the 250. it can be charged by usb micro via computer or electrical outlet, can be mounted on your handlebars, stem, or helmet (mount included), and is watertight. it is also slightly smaller than other bike lights in its class and is very light at 130 grams. additionally, you can buy an extra quick-release battery, keep it charged, and double your run times.

For more about the cree led technology used in the expilion, you can check it out here: cree.com/products/ledlamps_hb.asp.

also, Jan Heine mentions that some german lights have asym-metric reflectors because the ger-man road traffic licensing regu-lations require a cut-off beam. a good example of this is the sigma lightster, which will be reviewed in more depth in an upcoming issue. For more about the lightster, see sigmasport.com/us/produkte/ beleuchtung.

-Mike Deme

product update: the cygolite expilion 400


prOtein: pOWer FOr pedAlinG? It’s all the rage in the world of supplements

by Nancy Clark

The Cyclists’ kitchen

how much protein do I need? When should I eat it? What’s the best brand of protein shake? how many protein bars are okay to eat in a day? These are just a few of the questions cyclists ask me about therole of protein in their sports diet as they chug protein shakes for breakfast, choose protein bars for mid-morning and late afternoon snacks, and refuel with protein supplements for recovery. The sports food industry leads us to believe

these commercially prepared, purified, protein-rich products are indispensable for superior performance. Not the case; real food has worked well for years!

While there is a time and place for protein supplements, many cyclists mis-use them. For example, I see far too many cyclists downing post-ride protein shakes and protein bars when they should be enjoying carbohydrate-rich fruit smooth-ies and energy bars. The people who might benefit from a protein supplement are vegetarians who eat hit-or-miss meals, college students who dislike the cafeteria options, and dieters who try to live on lettuce leaves. But most hungry cyclists get plenty of protein through their daily food intake.

The purpose of this article is to answer some questions about the role of protein in your sports diet and leave you with this message: While adequate protein is important to build and repair muscles, protein should take its place as the accompaniment to carbohydrates (grains, fruits, and vegetables). That’s because your muscles need at least four times more calories from carbohydrates (for fuel) than they need from protein. Confused? keep reading!

Q. When I’m on daylong rides, I eat a lot of protein bars. How many protein bars per day are too many?

A. To start, when you are biking all day, you need carbohydrate-based gra-nola bars and energy bars that will fuel

your muscles. Remember, protein can repair muscles but does not easily fuel muscles. Carbohydrates fuel muscles.

Next, you need to determine how much protein your body requires and then assess how much protein you eat via your standard food choices. most cyclists eat more than enough protein without supplements. To estimate your daily needs, multiply your weight by 0.5-0.75 grams protein/pound (1.0-1.5 g/kg). Example:

• If you weigh about 120 pounds, the suggested intake is approximately 60 to 90 grams of protein per day.

• If you weigh about 160 pounds, the suggested intake is approximately 80 to 120 grams of protein per day.

(Note: If you are restricting calories to lose weight, you want to target the higher end of the protein range.)

To track how much protein you eat, use the information on food labels and/or analyze your diet at websites such as fitday.com or sparkpeople.com. here’s how to easily consume 100 grams of pro-tein:

Pre-ride Breakfast: 2 eggs (12 g), Greek-style yogurt, 6 ounces (14 g)

AM Snack: Bagel with peanut butter (14 g)Lunch: Tuna sandwich (30 g)Afternoon snack: Trail mix (10 g)Dinner: 6-oz. chicken breast (45 g)Total: 125 grams protein — and this

does not even include the additional protein from the grains, vegetables, and

fruits that rounded out the day’s intake. Once you know how much protein

you consume via standard foods, you can then determine how many protein bars you need. (Likely none!) That is, if your diet offers 125 grams of protein and you need only 90 grams, there’s no need to buy a protein bar other than for calories to curb hunger.

Q. I’m a vegetarian and try to eat some plant protein at each meal. I still wonder if I will be able to get enough protein to sup-port my TransAmerica bike tour.

A. many vegetarians who think they eat well are surprised to learn how little protein plant foods offer. For example, if you weigh 120 pounds and need at least 60 grams protein per day, you will fall short on protein if you consume only:

Breakfast: 2 tablespoons of peanut butter (9 g protein) on a bagel (14 g total)

Lunch: a BOCA burger (13 g) Dinner: a quarter-cake of tofu (9 g) That totals only 36 of the recom-

mended 60 grams protein. Yes, you consume more protein from the grain foods and veggies that round out your meals, but you would be wise to eat double portions of protein-rich plant foods. When cycling long dis-tances, double portions can be easy to con-sume. Adding yogurt and milk to the diet


can also easily boost protein intake.Q. I’ve been eating egg whites for break-

fast. I’ve heard they are an excellent source of high-quality protein. Is this correct?

A. Yes, egg whites offer high-quality, muscle-building protein, but take note: egg whites are mostly water, and are not “packed with protein.” An omelet made with three egg whites has only about 10 grams of protein. You could more easily swig 10 ounces skim milk and skip the cooking and dishwashing.

A whole egg has about 6 grams pro-tein, and the yolk is rich in important vitamins and minerals. Yes, the yolk is also rich in cholesterol, but the debate continues whether or not the cholesterol you eat affects your blood cholesterol and heart-health.

In addition to (or instead of) egg whites for breakfast, plan to fuel your muscles with carbohydrate-rich oatmeal for breakfast. Either eat the oats raw (with milk, as you would eat a dry cereal) or cook them with skim milk (instead of water) to get a good ratio of carbo-hydrates to protein. Add raisins, honey, almonds, walnuts — and even powdered milk if you think your diet needs a pro-tein boost — and you’ve got the makings for a super sports breakfast either at a campsite or at home.

Q. Should I use a sports drink with protein during long rides that last longer than two hours?

A. If your goal is to enhance your performance

by drinking a

sports drink with protein (such as Accelerade or Amino Vital) during a long ride, don’t bother. Endurance is largely affected by how many total calories you consume while you exercise (not the amount of protein). Snack regularly on granola bars, dried fruit, fig bars, trail mix, gels, or gummy candy — and drink plenty of water. Or, choose the sports beverage that tastes best to you. Good tasting fluids are important, because you will drink more of something you like. many cyclists do not like the aftertaste associated with a protein-containing sports drink.

Soon after you’ve finished riding, enjoy a wholesome carbohydrate-plus-protein snack or meal (such as yogurt and a banana, chocolate milk, or a pea-nut butter and jelly sandwich). This will provide your muscles with the tools they need to recover optimally.

Q. I’ve heard I should eat a three (or four) to one ratio of carbohydrates to pro-tein right after I exercise, but I don’t know what that looks like in terms of food. So I buy commercial recovery foods and drinks to be sure I get the right ratio. Are there other options?

A. Commercial recovery drinks are more about convenience than necessity. You can enjoyably refuel with chocolate milk, yogurt, a sandwich, or pasta with meat sauce. The ratio need not be exact — you just don’t want to consume a heavy amount of protein that displaces carbohydrates and also sits in the stom-ach and slows digestion.

Whether or not a protein-carbohy-drate recovery beverage is superior to a carbohydrate-only beverage remains questionable. In a recent study (Green, 2008) in which athletes drank either a carbohydrate or a carbohydrate-protein recovery drink immediately after mus-cle-damaging downhill running, both beverages offered a similar recovery pro-cess over the course of three days. The authors concluded the meals that they ate (in addition to the recovery drink) in those post-exercise days supplied the protein and carbohydrates needed to recover.

Yet, you won’t go wrong by refueling soon after exercise with a carbohydrate-protein combination. If engineered foods are preferable

because they are convenient, buy them. But if you prefer the wholesome good-ness of chocolate milk and other natural protein-carbohydrate combinations, save your money and enjoy real food instead. Real foods tend to be tastier, too!

Q. In addition to cycling, I lift weights twice a week. I’ve done this for several years. Do I have higher protein needs than the person who does not lift weights?

A. In the early stages of training, your protein needs are slightly higher because you are building muscle mass. Once you have built muscle, your protein needs should return to the standard require-ments. Believe it or not, research suggests weight lifting enhances the way your body uses the protein you eat. This actu-ally results in greater efficiency and a reduced protein requirement. (Campbell, 2007)

If you’re like most hungry athletes who lift weights, you habitually consume more than enough protein on a daily basis. hence, whether or not your body requires extra protein becomes a moot point because you are likely already eat-ing “extra.” The bottom line

To repeat what I wrote in the begin-ning: While adequate protein is impor-tant in your sports diet to build and repair muscles, protein should take its place as the accompaniment to carbo-hydrates. Enjoy meals and snacks that include a foundation of grains, fruits and vegetables, with a side of protein-rich dairy, meats, fish, eggs, beans, and nuts. You’ll enjoy the benefits of high energy, strong muscles, and good health. Eat well, ride well!

Nancy Clark, MS, RD, CSSD (Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics) is a former TransAmerica tour lead-er. She offers private consultations to casual and com-petitive athletes in her practice at Healthworks, the premier fitness center in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts (617-383-6100). Her Sports Nutrition Guidebook and Cyclist’s Food Guide are available via nancy clarkrd.com.

References

• Campbell W, Leidy h (2007). Dietary protein and resistance training effects on muscle and body composition in older persons. J Am Coll Nutr 26,

696S-703S.

• Green mS, Corona BT, Doyle JA, Ingalls CP. Carbohydrate-protein drinks do not enhance recovery from exercise-induced muscle injury. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc metab. 2008;18(1):1-18.

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stone cold outdoor bicycle cooler bag ($29.95, stonecoldoutdoor.com, 913-236-0449)

Going out for a pleasant summer ride to your favorite picnic spot and you want to make sure your beverage of choice is nice and frosty when you get there? Or maybe you want to pack a lunch and ride to work? For whatever reason you might need to carry a cooler on your bike, the Stone Cold Bicycle Cooler Bag may be for you.

Basically, it’s a nylon cooler/pan-nier lined with 10mm-thick insulating foam that keeps drinks cold for hours, and you can add two square cooler bag bottles ($9.99 each) that fit perfectly into the bag.

It attaches to your rack with two

frame hooks and can be secured to the bottom of the rack using the supplied velcro strap and D-rings located at the bottom of the bag. While this solution works well on mildly rough surfaces, the Stone Cold Cooler is not designed to

withstand the rigors of a severely bumpy mountain-bike ride but you may find it useful for less strenuous outings.

planet bike grasshopper bamboo Fenders ($135, planetbike.com, 866-256-8510)

Bamboo has become a favorite material for the environmentally conscious — it’s renewable, it grows like weeds, it’s strong, and it’s pretty cool looking. Bamboo bikes have been around for a while and, lately, I’ve seen bamboo bike trailers, handle-bar grips, and sad-dles. Planet Bike decided to take it a step further and create the Grasshopper fenders. made from moso bam-boo and treated with a marine-grade finish, the 3-ply fenders repel the water, mud, and assorted road grime.

Installing the Grasshoppers is a snap. The stainless-steel V-stays are pre-installed and the only issue you need to face is whether or not your bike has clearance for them. According to Planet Bike, the Grasshoppers are designed to fit over tires of 27” x 1 1/4” or 700C x 35mm, however, your frame, fork, and brake configuration may also need to be taken into consideration. If you’re think-ing about buying a set of Grasshoppers but have questions about whether they’ll fit your bike, drop by your local bike shop and see what the pros think.

arkel overdesigns randonneur rack ($89.95, arkel-od.com, 888-592-7535)

If you’re looking for a versatile rear rack for a trunk bag, look no further than the Randonneur from Arkel. Unlike other racks that attach to your seatpost, the Randonneur employs a three-point

BiKe stuFF yOu CAn useby Mike Deme

attachment system. A quick-release bracket slips through your saddle rails and is secured to them creat-ing the first two points of attachment. The third point is your seatpost, to which a rubberized clamp attaches and is secured with a velcro strap. Once the rack is in place and all necessary 4-millimeter hex nuts are tightened, the Randonneur is solidly attached and ready to carry your load (Arkel’s Tailrider makes the perfect companion). Additionally, it can be removed and reat-tached very quickly so you can switch it between or among your different bikes.

The Randonneur is designed to fit bikes with both short and long seaposts. It is initially configured for the long seatpost set up but with a few adjust-ments, mainly the removal of the exten-sion brackets and repositioning of the quick-release mechanism, you can arrive at the short seatpost set up in no time. Whether in the long or short set up, you’ll need 4 inches from the saddle rails to your seatpost clamp.

There is one catch, however. Since the saddle rails are used as attachment points, the quick-release mechanism will only securely attach to rails that are 2.5 cm apart. Because there are so many saddles with different rail con-figurations, the Randonneur may not fit them all. Arkel is aware of this and is working on adapters that will help alleviate this issue.

simple pleasures Quick-true tool ($41.95, spbicycles.com, 541-408-2960)

There are a lot of mechanical issues that crop up on a bike ride or tour that can be repaired onsite, but one that often causes the need for a lift to the bike shop is a warped rim. Well, if you don’t mind carrying eight ounces in your pack, you can now handle that repair as well thanks to the Quick-True Tool from Simple Pleasures.

Consisting of the tool base, slider rod, adjuster head, and indicator screw, the Quick-True can attach to

your chainstay, seat stay, or fork via rubber mounting straps. Once it’s been secured, you use the adjuster head and indicator screw to find the section of your wheel that is out of true. When you’ve found it, you can use the included spoke wrench to begin the process of straightening your rim using basic wheel-tru-ing techniques. Pretty nifty.

Simple Pleasures states that there are limitations to what the Quick-True can handle so if you completely taco your

wheel you’re probably still going to need that lift

to the shop, but within 5 to 6 mil-limeters of warp-

ing, it should do the trick.

A DV E N T U R E C Y C L I S T S P E C I A L I S S U E A DV E N T U R E C Y C L I N G. O R G 35

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tHe 10-speeds On West streetIt was 1965, the year of Martin Luther King’s Montgomery march, Bob Dylan going electric at Newport,

the New York World’s Fair … and my first “touring” bike. Here’s what it was like.

by John Schubert

In the summer of 1965, a funny thing happened on a short stretch of West Street. Five kids abruptly acquired 10-speed bikes. All five were boys. All five were either 13 or 14 years old. Four gota French brand, Astra. One got a Schwinn Varsity. And at least three of the five — I was one of them — dreamed of riding the 150 miles from our town of Pittsfield, massachusetts, to Boston. None of us knew if people did that sort of thing, but we

Cyclesense

couldn’t see why not.Sophisticated bicycles were

few and far between in the U.S. then — even though the state of the art was reasonably good. (If you knew how, you could order a superb triple-chainwheel touring bike from a European builder. It would have “only” five cogs in back, but it could climb any moun-tain, carry your gear in water-proof waxed-cotton panniers, and treat you to the delightful handling qualities of Reynolds 531 double-butted steel tub-ing.) my best guess is that a few dozen bike shops nation-wide sold high-quality bikes and supported the clubs and teams that kept the knowledge alive.

But on West Street, we didn’t get state of the art. We got entry-level French 10-speeds in your choice of trim levels — $65, $75 or $85 — or the $66.95 Schwinn Varsity. These bikes were insufferably crude by today’s standards, and that $65 equates to $439 in today’s dollars.

The French bikes were light weight, compared to what we were used to, but their drivetrains stunk. The Schwinn was heavier, but its drivetrain worked better.

I got a French bike, and it was a bit of culture shock in our house. For starters, the French bikes came in different frame

sizes. This is still news to many custom-ers today; so you can imagine how novel the concept was in the year that The Sound of Music debuted on Broadway. We discovered frame-size differences when we lined up my bike next to the bike belonging to my neighbor Douglas.

my bike had a 54-centimeter frame and Doug’s had a 58-centimeter frame. So the head tubes on the two bikes were four centimeters different in length. (Doug was taller than I, and I suppose the bike-shop owner eyeballed us and gave us each the correct size. But he never explained frame sizing to us.)

my dad, the ever-observant engineer, looked at the difference in head tube lengths and rolled his eyes at what he

figured were the world’s most casual manufacturing toler-ances. he then noted that we had paid extra to not get a kickstand.

At that point, dad lost all interest in 10-speed bikes. I was on my own to figure the thing out.

Back then, how would a kid in a small town learn what frame sizes were — or anything else about the craft of riding well? I’d already exhausted the pathetic bicy-cling books in the public library. If you could find American Cycling magazine, it might tell you — but it

only sold a few thousand copies nation-wide. The then-tiny League of American Wheelmen was just getting reorganized after two decades of dormancy.

All we had were the bikes and the thrill of self-discovery.

No, the French bikes didn’t come with owners’ manuals. The only written instruction with the bikes said that the cables never needed greasing because they were factory lubed with bisulfide or molybdenum.

Old dudes remember the huret Allvit rear derailleur. It barely worked. The huret front derailleur on the French bikes, however, didn’t work at all, and spilled the chain with almost every

John’s Astra is long gone, but he rescued a similar frame from the trash heap at a bicycle flea market a few years back. The frame in the pictures suffered damage from a front-end collision.


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attempted shift. It was a design that Schwinn had rejected (and gotten huret to make a different, far better, design). On the Astras, the chain cage was attached to the parallelogram mecha-nism by a joint that allowed freedom in all directions, and the chain cage could wander in any direction unless it was very securely tightened down. The rel-evant nut could only be reached by a nine-milimeter socket wrench. I knew of no metric wrenches or even any socket wrenches anywhere on West Street.

So I accepted the fact that I would usually spill the chain when I attempted to make a front shift.

It didn’t matter much, because I spent most of my time being a he-man in the highest gear. Wasn’t that how you got stronger and rode faster?

The first time I rode a borrowed Schwinn Varsity, I turned my nose up at its heavier weight, but cringed with jealousy at its better-performing front derailleur.

The one-piece Ashtabula-style crank-sets of the Schwinns were another annoy-ing superiority. They looked less elegant than the three-piece cottered cranks on the Astras, but crank cotters nearly always failed. If you owned such a bike, you probably remember the cranks getting loose on the spindle, and crude big-ham-mer home repairs to install new cotters.

On the plus side, the Astras of 1965 had genuine leather saddles. The seat post was freakishly short (I’ll guess about 12 centi-meters, compared with the 18 centimeters that was standard on better bikes back

then, or the 25 or 30 centimeters you see as standard today). So after a year or two, I grew and the bike didn’t fit.

The $65 bike had steel rims, CLB side-pull brakes, and axle nuts front and rear. The $75 bike added centerpull brakes and large-flange hubs. The $85 bike added quick-release wheels. The 10 gears ranged

from 39 inches to 108 inches.As was universal among European

bikes at that time, the frames were lugged and brazed from standard-diam-eter steel tubing. It was undoubtedly an inexpensive carbon-steel alloy with a huge wall thickness. An Astra frame that I acquired years later weighs a hefty 5.84 pounds, about 1 1/2 pounds heavier than most of the touring bikes you would buy today.

my frame had a brazed-on boss for one derailleur. The huret clamp that

wrapped around that boss had a second boss for the front derailleur. I believe they designed the frames that way so they could build them up with either five or 10 speeds.

The French bikes were branded Astra, but made by motobecane. At the same time, motobecane also sold bikes in the U.S. under the Orly brand name.

Why the change in brand names? In 1985, a motobecane executive explained: “A young man riding one of our bikes at night without lights was struck by a lorry. he sued us. We decided not to respond to the lawsuit. But we wanted to sell bikes in the U.S.”

my Astra led a hard life. I rode it with teenage enthusiasm and machismo, maintained it enthusiastically but clue-lessly, banged up the wheels, bent the steerer tube, and strapped on all sorts of ill-fitting accessories. Either it had a very low bottom bracket or I was clueless about pedaling around sharp corners, because I would routinely wreck pedals by scraping them on the pavement. From those first five-mile around-town rides, it grew to a series of 50-mile day rides and, in 1971 a three-day tour of the California coast.

my Astra is long gone. One day in 1973, I walked to where I had locked it on campus, intending to ride it to my dorm. All that was left was a piece of my chain.

Damn, I still miss it.

John Schubert invites you to his website at limeport.org. Contact him at [email protected].

In 1965, very few frames had derailleur hangers on the rear dropouts. The derail-leur had its own clamp.


Companions Wanted

Providing partners for tours, domsestic and abroad, since 1978oxford to kenya 23-year-old guy looking for some good company for an ambitious tour in late 2012. I’ve split the tour into three legs, and plan on spending approximately three months on each leg: First leg: Oxford to Albania (France, Italy, Greece, Albania - Dalmatian Coast); second leg: Turkey to Egypt (Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Israel; third leg: Egypt to kenya (Egypt, Ethiopia, kenya). I have kenyan contacts that run a small school in Jimba Gede that I hope to reach. If interested email [email protected].

delivering smiles I’m a cancer survivor and I’m preparing to take a trip around the world by bike, starting here in the U.S., represent-ing the 28 million people currently living with cancer. I will be visiting cancer centers around the world, delivering smiles and inspi-ration to survivors everywhere. I’m doing this on a shoestring budget this October. If you are interested in joining me for all or part of this adventure, please email me and I can give you details. If interested email [email protected].

seeking a sag driver(s) for my dog — spring 2012 I’m a 51-year-old female open to cycling almost anywhere in the U.S., Europe, or the middle East in summer 2012. I have a dog with which I travel. I’m not yet strong enough to tow her, thus, until I am able to tow her and my gear, it would be great to have assis-tance. If you are traveling for three to six weeks in any of these locations and would like to offer support (either sag or towing her with your bike); I can offer money or barter my skills. I rode across the U.S. 14 years ago and ready to ride again. If interested email idesign [email protected].

southern tier West to east in September 2012. male (age 64) looking for fun com-panions on a southern route across the U.S. mostly hotels/hostels and some camping, but

I’m flexible. Looking to ride 60 to 70 miles a day with rest days at intervals we agree on. Come ride across a beautiful country with me. This will not be a race but a tour. If interested email [email protected].

cross country along the northern u.s.hello fellow cyclists! I’m thinking east-bound from Washington to maine along the Adventure Cycling Northern Tier and North Lakes routes in June 2012. I’m all about the journey, less about the destination, and the pure enjoyment of cycling, and plan on hav-ing at least one or two off-days a week to explore small towns along the way. 50 miles a day sounds good. I also like stopping to take naps in wide-open plains. Camping and warmshowers.org are my shelter plans. I’m 27 and my name is zoe. If interested email [email protected].

midwest to southwest — spring/summer 2012 I’m looking for some friends to join me on a trip from central Wisconsin to Silver City, New mexico. Flexible schedule and very flexible route (Northern Tier, Sierra Cascades/Pacific Coast?) Planning to leave may/June 2012. Semi-experienced, hoping for stress-free 50 to 70 miles per day. Self-supported and super low budget equals camping, warmshow-ers, eating cheap (but healthy!), and being flexible. 26-year-old woman. Riding for fun, adventure, and being alive. If interested email [email protected].

modified lewis & clark/northern tier/north lakes We’re a group of three (two male, one female — ages 61, 45, 22 respectively) cycling west to east “Portland to Portland” (Oregon to maine) beginning early June 2012. To include Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, Bighorns, Black hills, North Lakes. Self-contained, mostly camping with some motels and hosts. Some camp food, some restaurants. 50 to 75 miles per day with time for hiking, site see-

ing, historic sites, quaint towns, pie, etc. It’s all about the journey! “No bosses, no drama, no judgment.” Fair skies, tailwinds, and a great time by all. Looking for one more like-minded gal or young rider to balance out our group. If interested email tphelps@bikewith amission.org.

northern tier (bike for bread) In June 2012, I’m planning to ride west to East to raise money for a local soup kitchen. I would like to ride the Northern Tier Route but would be willing to start as far south as San Francisco. I’m looking for someone to join me for the whole trip and planning to average 65 to 80 miles a day unsupported. I anticipate stopping at national parks and enjoying nature. I’m 21 and completed a cross-country trip in 2007. I look forward to repeating the same great experience this summer. If interested email [email protected].

don’t talk about it, be about it!I live at the gateway to the most epic coastal riding in North America, Big Sur. Looking to find like-minded people to share this amaz-ing merger of land and sea in late 2012. I’m a 35-year-old guy whose jonesing to get out and ride with the wind. Solo is fun and has its ups and downs but I prefer to enjoy the enthusi-asm of others I am with and contribute to the enjoyment of touring. If you’re just passing through or live here too, let’s plan a tour. Any time. Any year. Starting today! No 100-mile days here. If interested email [email protected].

Adventure Cycling Association assumes, but can-not verify, that the persons above are truthfully representing themselves. Ads are free to Adventure Cycling members. You can see more ads and post new ones at www.adventurecycling.org/mag/comp anions.cfm or send your ad to Adventure Cyclist, P.O. Box 8308, Missoula, MT 59807.

Adventure Cycling Guided Tours adventurecycling.org/toursinfo


Open Road Gallery

Erika Jeffs and Jordan Townsend planned a ride from Cody, Wyoming, to Seattle, Washington, in celebration of graduating from college at the University of Wyoming (with degrees in math and engi-neering, respectively). “Being quite fed up with homework, deadlines, exams, and the general rigors of academia, we decided to plan our trip with the greatest amount of freedom builit into it,” said Jordan. They purchased a tent, hammocks, and sleeping bags so they could bed down wherever it struck their fancy. They had no plans for daily mileage, indeed, no concrete route plans at all — they left without a single map. Luckily, one of the first folks they met on the road was a gentleman headed in the opposite direction who gave them his Adventure Cycling map for the next part of their trip.

You may notice a slight height differential between the two. Jordan is 6’6” and Erika is 5’2” so when they secured a “bulk discount” on a set of matching Surly Long haul Truckers, he had to get the largest frame in production, and she, the smallest. The one-month trip was the couple’s first, and once they’d dialed in their oddly matching bikes, the adventure began to unfold. They camped out every night, spent lots of time at hot springs, and relished their time in Idaho (so little traffic!). The first glimpse of the Oregon Coast was especially poignant for two cyclists from landlocked Wyoming.

Jordan and Erika now live in Washington, DC. They took the train from Seattle, where the cost to check the bikes was five dollars, and the bike boxes where free. They used their panniers to carry their luggage, so that when they arrived at Union Station, they were able to straighten their handlebars, attach their pedals, and ride to their new apartment with belongings in tow. Jordan now commutes to the city for his internship every day on his Long haul Trucker. They would like to someday tour in Europe.

From Adventure Cycling’s National Bicycle Touring Portrait Collection. © 2011 Adventure Cycling Association.

tHe tAll And sHOrt OF itby Sarah Raz Photograph by Greg Siple

Open Road Gallery

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