Excerpt
Introduction
Adventure cycle-touring
Why are so many people going bike touring these days? A minority pastime during the heyday of the car, cycling has once again become a popular choice for travelling especially for long overseas trips.
Britains CTC, the Cyclists Touring Club, began life over 125 years ago during the first cycle-touring craze in the 1870s. Then, as now, the bicycle offered a revolutionary way of touring: you go exactly where you want, when you want, and all under your own steam. This was before the age of the car and walking or riding a horse were the only other options until the bicycle. In 1885 the Rover Safety Bicycle came along, and for all the innovation since then, most modern touring bicycles would be recognizable to a Victorian, as would their derailleur gears.
Bike touring is undergoing a boom at the moment but it is really one of many periodic rediscoveries. Bicycle design, components and gear are evolving to suit the changing needs and tastes of people. Its a combination of experimentation and using tried and tested designs, such as the diamond frame of the Rover Safety Bicycle. The Adventure Cycle-Touring Handbook is all about looking at what people are choosing and using: what kind of bikes, what gear and what destinations are being chosen by todays bike tourers.
There are many reasons for taking a bike on your next long trip. My own guess as to why bike touring is back in fashion is that many travellers get burned out by backpacking, which really amounts to travelling by bus and train for most of the time. Buses are certainly fast but they go from one noisy town to another, leaving little possibility of exploring the spaces in between, the places where the bus doesnt stop.
Others use bikes to go even further off the beaten track: they want to go where buses dont go at all and perhaps where other vehicles cannot get to either. Paul Woloshansky built his own racks to carry extra gear after being told all too often: Theres a prettier way to go but theres nothing out there at all. Other adventurers, such as Swedens Janne Corax (see p122), have said the same thing: there were times when there was no other way of getting to where they wanted to go. You couldnt get there on foot and you couldnt get there in a truck. It was possible only on a bicycle.
Half the adventure, though, is in the riding itself. Being out in the fresh air and seeing much more than is possible from a bus or train window is always a good feeling, whether you are wandering around France or riding across India. A lot of todays cycle tourists are interested in the riding but not that interested in bikes. Its a means of transport and a way to carry bags comfortably, while sitting down and enjoying the view. Not everyone is drawn to the high passes of the Andes or the Himalaya but they are all enjoying that same sense of freedom and all that comes with it unexpected discoveries, off-route detours or an impromptu day off when you find a great place to stay. Trips like these are not as arduous as some expeditions but they are every bit as satisfying and they are still adventures, for they allow for spontaneity. And if you are carrying a tent and camping gear, youre prepared for just about any eventuality because youve always got a place to spend the night.
This book looks at the possibilities out there, the different styles of travelling and the basic gear and know-how that you need. We also look at some of the more exciting cycling destinations around the world, complete with suggestions as to which routes to take and what you need to plan a trip in that region. The Adventure Cycle-Touring Handbook does not set out to tell you exactly where to go: its your adventure, after all. But its good to have a general idea of a destination and what youre likely to find when youre there and this is what this book aims to do.
In the final part of this book we include stories from all around the world, not just about the biking but also about the adventures cyclists had on their journeys. Its the old idea that a bike ride isnt just about the riding but also about the places you were able to get to and the people you got to meet and all because you decided to travel by bicycle.