Lately it seems like more people are touring than not this summer. Whether it was meeting 30+ individuals at NAHBS doing at least a section of a cross-country tour, or looking at Prolly’s blog over the past few days. There’s people quitting their jobs to ride, others going on their first tour, and people trying to circumnavigate the world. There’s really a tour for everyone!
Touring is a great complement to commuting, racing, really every style of riding. There’s not much that compares to taking your bike on a vacation and there’s nothing that compares to your bike being your vacation. It’s great to see those who were introduced to riding only in the past few years- branching out into major trips and really logging those miles. We’ve got our own tour carved out for this summer. Our spring intern Gregory and friend Bianca are riding from Boston to SF starting July 1st. They’re shipping out on two Woodvilles and Greg’s is getting finished up as we speak/blog!
The best part of all of this is that so many people are making a great story out of their tour. Nothing’s more interesting for a bike-geek than talking tour. “What are you riding? How big are your tires? Do you have a Ti stove?!?!?” It’s a great way for riders to share a passion for not only cycling, but to use that enthusiasm to raise awareness for a something else they are passionate about.
You can keep tabs on Greg and Bianca and their ride for the Autism Society of America at www.crosscountryforautism.tumblr.com.
Here’s a few examples of other tours this summer:
Ride:Well Tour: Riding to bring clean blood and water to countries in need in Africa. 16 riders; 1 objective. A great way to meet friends you’ll have for life.
Kissing With Helmets: A touring couple with a couple of (beautiful) touring IFs.
The Epic Man Cometh: Brutally epic
Make time for a tour this summer! 200 miles or 2,000.. you won’t regret it! If you do decide to ship out- be sure to check out some of these great resources:
Adventure Cycling: Maps, maps, and more maps.
Warm Showers: Nothing like a warm shower when living on the road.
Schwalbe: Some of the best all-terrain tires around.
Crazy Guy On A Bike: More info. on touring than you could ever need. Read up- or contribute to the collection with tips and tricks for your last tour!
