| The video above shows a Bike Travel Weekend from that starts in LA, but it could start in any city. The point is to leave the city behind and enjoy a weekend on your bike with gear you probably already have. |
I’m teaching classes that introduce people to bike touring. Upcoming classes are listed below. The focus of these classes is using gear you already have and prepare for a weekend bike tour.
Workshop for Minneapolis Community Education
- Cost: $25
- May 22, 2019 — 6:00 – 8:30 PM
Workshop for REI
- Cost: Free
- May 29, 2019 — 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Bike Touring Resources
Adventure Cycling
They offer a range of tours, from fully-supported, to self-supported, and more. I’ve been on a few, enjoyed them, and respected the careful organization.
- Getting started: https://www.adventurecycling.org/resources/how-to-department/bicycle-travel-basics
- Great monthly newsletter: https://www.adventurecycling.org/resources/bike-bits/
- Very helpful bike-touring instructions: https://www.adventurecycling.org/resources/how-to-department/
Bike Overnights
This is a great website for preparing for a weekend bike tour, which is the best way to get started.
- http://bikeovernights.org
- Weekend Gear List: https://www.bikeovernights.org/page/gear-lists
- Meals: https://www.adventurecycling.org/blog/best-foods-for-bicycle-touring/
- Shipping a bike: https://www.adventurecycling.org/blog/guide-to-shipping-and-flying-with-your-bike/
Route Planning
- Adventure Cycling Tour Selector
- Click the links at the right to learn the wide range of tours they offer, from almost luxury to unsupported
- https://www.adventurecycling.org/guided-tours/tour-selector/
- Adventure Cycling Tour Finder
- A list of upcoming tours, best to scan their tour selector first (see above)
- https://www.adventurecycling.org/guided-tours/tour-finder/
- US Cycle Network
- For me, this is where the best dreams start.
- https://www.adventurecycling.org/routes-and-maps/adventure-cycling-route-network/interactive-network-map/
- Ride with GPS
- Good for planning your own bike routes
- https://ridewithgps.com/
Books
- Basic Illustrated Bike Touring and Bikepacking (Basic Illustrated Series) Justin Lichter & Justin Kline, Falcon Guide
- Best Tent Camping: Minnesota: Your Car-Camping Guide to Scenic Beauty, the Sounds of Nature, and an Escape from Civilization Watson, Tom, Menasha Ridge Press
- Campgrounds are ranked in many helpful ways—like the most quiet, best hiking, least used, and more
- I like to pick one of these campgrounds, drive 20-40 miles from it, park my car, and cycle to the campsite.
- Free Country: A Penniless Adventure the Length of Britain Mahood, George There are many mediocre books about bike tours. This one is more than that, funny, thoughtful, and moving.
Resources for Women
The links below came from two friends of mine. Both are experienced women cyclists, who’ve cycled thousands of miles more than me. Comments by each link come from these friends.
- In the last years, I have been following a blog about woman traveling for years, sometimes alone.
- Fredrika is a a Swedish girl who cycle around the world 3 years and takes wonderful pictures. She came back home last winter, just wrote a book about her experience.
- This is an another blog of a German woman who has travelled a long time and is now in Africa.
- Urinary Tract Infections:
- https://totalwomenscycling.com/lifestyle/urinary-tract-infections-and-the-bike-how-to-avoid-them#to9sfSmKSbXX6cTq.97
- My remedy has been to change my seat. I have an ergonomic seat designed for women that enables air flow to places that matter, just above the saddle. This is the seat I use.
- In addition, drink lots of water to pee often. Put on clean shammy every day. Use shammy cream formulated for women.
- Saddle sores
Questions & Comments
Please use the space below to ask any questions or make comments. Since a lot of spam comments show up online, I will need to approve the first comment you make.