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GO THE DISTANCE. JUNE 2011 www.ADvENTUrECyClING.OrG $4.95

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CUba photo essay

road test: Jamis aUrora elite riding trikes in idaho

Try a DifferentKind of Cycle

Adventure

CyClist

AlternAtive rides:

A DV E N T U R E C Y C L I S T J U N E 2 0 1 1 A DV E N T U R E C Y C L I N G. O R G2 A DV E N T U R E C Y C L I S T J U N E 2 0 1 1 A DV E N T U R E C Y C L I N G. O R G 3

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Adventure Cycling Corporate MembersAdventure Cycling’s business partners play a significant role in the success of our nonprofit organization. Our Corporate Membership Program is designed to spotlight these key support-ers. Corporate Members are companies that believe in what we do and wish to provide additional assistance through a higher

level of support. These corporate membership funds go toward special projects and the creation of new programs. To learn more about how your business can become a corporate supporter of Adventure Cycling, go to www.adventurecycling.org/corporate or call (800) 755-2453.

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silVer bronZe

titaniUm

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Urban bicycle outfitters

SHARE THE JOY GET A CHANCE TO WIN

Spread the joy of cycling and get a chance to win cool prizes

n For every cyclist you sign up through a gift membersip or who joins through your referral, you score one entry to win a Novara Verita (rei.com/ product/807242) valued at over $1,100. The winner will be drawn from all eligible members in January of 2012.

n Recruit the most new members in 2011, and you’ll win a $500 Adventure Cycling shopping spree.

n Each month we’ll draw a mini-prize winner who will receive gifts from companies like Old Man Mountain, Cascade Designs, Showers Pass,

and others.

n The more new members you sign up, the more chances you have to win!

Adventure Cycling Association adventurecycling.org/joy


6:2011 contentsJune 2011 · Volume 38 Number 5 · www.adventurecycling.org

Adventure

CyClistis 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 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 COverA cyclist rides through verdant mountains on Cuba’s La Farola Pass. Photo by Matthew Kadey.

(left) Cycling by a weather-beaten propaganda poster in Cuba.

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

d e PA r t M e n t s

07 COMPANIONS WANTED

08 WAYPOINTS

31 OPEN ROAD GALLERY

36 CLASSIFIEDS/ MARKETPLACE

l e t t e r s

04 LETTER from the EDITOR

05 LETTERS from the READERS

06 LETTER from the DIRECTOR

C O l u M n s

32 FINAL MILE / Bob Salipante Touring for two on a recumbent tandem

34 ROAD TEST / Patrick O’Grady A closer look at the Jamis Aurora Elite

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10 RAILBIKING ACROSS PATAGONIA by Jack McNeel A dedicated group takes a cycling trip on rails across the rugged tip of South America.

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

26 TRIKING ThE TRAIL OF ThE COEUR D’ALENES by Carl Schroeder On the TaterTOT, tricycle riders rule the day — and the trail.


Letter from the Editor

reCuMbents And rAilbikes rule

Not into standard bikes? Try something else

with wheels? I think the answer is yes, at least usually. If a bunch of people are wondering what to do together and someone says, “hey, I know, let’s go bicy-cling!” it’s doubtful that they’d exclude someone who rides a tricycle. The better word to use is cycling, but it doesn’t get used as often as it should. Cycling is a much more inclusive word that describes riding any type of self-pro-pelled vehicle with wheels, no matter how many it has.

These days, it seems there are more types of cycles available than ever. During the touring season, many interesting machines arrive at the Adventure Cycling Association head-quarters (with their riders, of course) that attract crowds of people oohing and aahing or in some way acting like they’re in the famous Steve Martin sketch (“What the hell is that?”) Years ago, an Adventure Cycling staffer who is no longer with us got so excited, he wanted to start what he called “Contraption Fest.” I wasn’t sure then if it would have attracted enough partici-pants to officially be called a fest, but that was over 10 years ago, and cur-rently a heck of a lot more people are riding cycles of various configurations that maybe now is the right time.

In a sense, that’s what goes on in Idaho each year as people assemble for the TaterTOT ride, which you can read

more about on page 26. (Idaho gets you Tater and TOT stands for Tricycles Optional Tour.) According to their website, the ride is, “An informal, semi-organized, multi-day rally, primarily for adult recumbent sports touring tricycling enthusiasts, friends,

and families.” From Carl Shroeder’s description, it seems most people choose the option.

In his “Final Mile” essay on page 32, Bob Salipante describes the joys of rid-ing a recumbent tandem with his wife as stoker. Based on some of the com-ments heard throughout their trip, it seems that the machine is less amazing than the amount of time the Salipantes happily spend together.

But for the truly exotic, Jack McNeel’s story on page 10 about rail-biking in Patagonia is the gold-medal winner. I became somewhat fascinated by this activity during the years I spent editing the Cyclists’ Yellow Pages and McNeel’s story about four rail-cyclists in South America piqued my curiosity again.

Summer may finally be coming so, whatever cycle you ride, I hope you’re putting it to good use.

Michael [email protected] Cyclist magazine

While thinking about bicycling and what it means to people, I got to thinking about the usage of the word itself. When people use this word, what are they really talking about? Do they use it inclusively as a term that means any self-propelled vehicle

Adventure

CyClistJune 2011

volume 38 number 5

WWW.ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG

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bicycling with ChildrenI was appalled to see the picture on the April issue’s table of contents page of a family allowing children to be lying down on the road next to the white line.

In our local bike club, we have a saying, “six feet over or six feet under,” meaning get at least six feet off the road or die. Yes, this is where we ride, but being up on our bicycles does give us a little more visibility with drivers. Lying next to the white line is just not safe.

I would hope that other bicycling families do not take this picture as a remotely acceptable practice — no matter how remote the road.

Bart CoddingtonAptos, California

share the roadOn page 17 of the March 2010 issue, you published an article “Giving Peace a Chance,” including a sign distributed in our local area.

Recently our city has taken an additional step, installing “Welcome to Snohomish, Thank You for Sharing the Road” signs at two main entrances. This action was taken to welcome people entering the city; increase awareness of bicycle activi-

ty, thereby increasing bicycle safety; enhance mutual respect and a posi-tive relationship between motorists and cyclists; and encourage cycling for commuting, recreation, and fit-ness.

Snohomish is the southern termi-nus of a wonderful (almost complet-ed) 27-mile rail-trail, the Snohomish County Centennial Trail. Come and visit us.

Don KuslerSnohomish, Washington

more about gpsTimothy Perrin’s overview of GPS units takes issue with need to lug around a computer to interact with the Garmin Edge 605 or 705 GPS units. For a recent tour in Romagna, Italy, I took a three-pound netbook primarily for this purpose. To my surprise, the netbook proved to be as valuable as the GPS. Internet access was available in every hotel and farm stay. I used Google Maps’ superior routing capability to create itineraries on the smallest possible roads before launching the Garmin MapSource program that interacts with the GPS unit. The netbook also allowed me to keep up with work email, call back to the U.S. for pen-

nies via Skype, listen to National Public Radio, edit photos, and find accommodations and restaurants (again via Google Maps). The extra three pounds was well worth it. Moreover, the 605 worked like a champ. Batteries easily lasted all day, it enabled me to ride routes on tiny farm roads that would have been impossible to follow using paper maps, and it took the stress out of navigating through the maze of medieval streets to find my hotel. Not worrying about navigation allowed me to enjoy the ride all the more.

David OppenheimerPalo Alto, California

Stay away from the white lineSnohomish makes the effort, GPS plus a netbook

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


sOlstiCe snAPsHOtsGreat and scary news — and a fateful trip

Letter from the Director

Soon it will be summer solstice, the marker for one of the best seasons of the year (at least further north) to ride a bike. The last few weeks have also been a time of frantic, fulfilling, and even sober-ing activity, with tours under way, new people on staff, and alarming policy decisions on the horizon. here are a few snapshots from my perch:

History is made: First, some awesome news. As I reported last month, the American Association of State highway and Transportation Officials (AAShTO) was considering approval of the first new official U.S. Bicycle Routes in 29 years. Well, AAShTO approved six fabulous routes in Alaska, Maine, Michigan, New hampshire, and Virginia. Our members, staff, donors, and volunteers played a huge role in making this happen, so pat yourself on the back and celebrate!

Tours roll out: Our first cross-country tour — Southern Tier Van — is already finished, and ace leader Arlen hall called it one of the best he’s ever been on. TransAm tours are on the road, supported tours from Oregon to Vermont are coming up, and cyclists are rolling into Adventure Cycling’s hQ. It’s a grand time to be riding — make sure you’ve got a tour planned, or come ride with us!

Adventure Cycling grows: With member support, we’re adding staff and interns to serve you, in areas like mapping, policy, and information technology. Our Board of Directors also recently directed staff to begin the process of adding new space to our beloved headquarters in downtown Missoula. If you’ve ever seen our cramped digs, you’ll know how critical this is. We’re excited about this effort and will let you know more in the near future.

Now the scary stuff: I’m writing this on the way back from Washington, DC, where some politicians are stridently attacking the idea of dedicated national investment in bike facilities. As part of America Bikes, we are pushing back —

with many allies on Capitol hill, from both parties. But we need to be vigilant. I am grateful to those of you who remind your elected officials how important it is to invest in cycling. Please keep it up! And we’ll keep you posted, especially at blog.adventurecycling.org.

As fate would have it: During my trip, I had two powerful reminders not to get too bogged down in the scary stuff. On my flight to DC, I sat next to a woman who went into convulsions and nearly died. With the help of passengers, she got off the plane alive and, I think, alright — but it was a jolting reminder to live life to the fullest. Then later in the trip, I had a few hours free so I decided to visit my long-time friend, Pat Dyson, in Alexandria, Virginia. Pat was a frail, elderly woman with whom I learned the Chinese language (she flour-ished, I lapsed). Over the last few months, I tried calling and emailing her, to no avail. So I did what any self-respecting cyclist would do and rode the bike path from DC to Old Town Alexandria. When I got to her home, the door was answered by a stranger setting up an estate sale; Pat had died after a fall only a couple of months earlier.

Pat used to live vicariously through my stories and always told me how lucky I am to work for something I love. She was so right — and I thought about that all the way back to DC. RIP, Pat — and carpe diem to all of us. Let’s get out and glory in a bike ride!

Jim SayerExecutive [email protected]

Two jolting reminders to live life to the fullest.

Jim on U.S. Bicycle Route 76 in Virginia in 2009, enjoying life on the now-growing U.S. Bicycle Route System.


BICYCLING TOURS FOR

SENIORS 50+

37419 Branch River Road | Loudoun Heights, VA 20132 | [email protected]

“Its not how far nor how fast, its the pleasure of the journey”

www.seniorcycling.com

P’tit train du Nord Central Florida

Allegheny Passage, PA C&O Canal, Washington, DC

Amish Country, PA Florida Keys.

Companions Wanted

Providing partners for tours, domestic and abroad, since 1978

new york to san francisco I’m a 24-year-old male law-school graduate traveling from New York to San Fransisco, taking the Atlantic Coast Route from New York City to Richmond, Virginia, and then the TransAmerica Route to Pueblo, and then the Western Express to San Francisco. I’m looking to leave in late August or very early September and would love to travel with someone for at least part of the distance and share this wonderful experience. I ride at about 12 to 15 MPh. If interested email [email protected].

australia June through December, 2012. I’m a 24-year-old male and I want to cycle 14,000 kilometers over a period of six months. I have done two months in Australia for fun but it was so awesome that it has turned into a bit of a dream to finish the ride from Darwin to Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Cairns. The more people the better, for safety and fun. I’m on a budget so I estimate 4,000 AUS dollars for the whole trip (20 dollars a day). If interested email [email protected].

tour de tummy – southern europe highlights would be an early September start in Athens, Greece, tastes of the islands, then off to Barcelona via Provence and certainly Marseille. As we burn through calories, why not indulge in food and wine appetites? Expect to meet fel-low couch surfers along this trails-and-rails mosey for unhurried adventurers. The “harried” need not apply. Experienced single male, early 60s. I’ve enjoyed a self-supported coast-to-coast U.S. tour in 2008 and published a blog at crazy guyonabike.com. Meet/ride/train summer in Maine for preparation. If interested email [email protected].

southern tier 45-year-old male with a true pas-sion for cycling looking for riding partner(s) to ride the Southern Tier starting about October 1. Flexible on total days but thinking of 65 to 75, from west to east, averaging approximately 65 miles per day, while allowing for some days for sightseeing or to wait out bad weather. Planning on tent camping most days. Also cook-ing (or not) is okay. I’m flexible and willing to compromise on details for the right fit. Mostly

interested in enjoying each day’s ride and finish-ing as friends. If interested email [email protected].

biking around europe on gap year Two 18-year-old girls looking to bike-bum around Europe after graduating high school this year, either September to November, 2011 or February to May, 2012. Both of us have cycled across America before and miles per day will vary. Looking to have fun and see as much as we can with lots of camping and a relatively small daily budget. Looking for companions who are also graduating this year and taking a gap year, but others in the age range are also welcome. 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.


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

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MAss biCyCle rideThe fifth annual MassBike Pike, a four-day bicycle tour running from August 11 through 14, will explore the quiet and scenic backroads of western Massachusetts and the Berkshires. The tour caters to cyclists of all abilities, offering two or three route options each day. The shorter rides range from 25 to 45 miles; the longer ones are from 45 to 70 miles. The terrain tack-les ranges from flat to quite steep, so even the short route options can be chal-lenging. Overnight stops will be at local schools in warren, Paxton, and Orange. Other towns along the way include Stockbridge, Great Barrington, williamstown, lenox, lee, North Adams, and Pittsfield.

The registration fee includes luggage trans-port, most meals, camping privileges, and a tour T-shirt. Proceeds from the ride ben-efit the Mass Bike Coalition. for more information or to sign up, visit www.massbike pike.org. Be aware, how-ever, that only 125 lucky riders will get spots and that registration closes July 24 — so if you’re too late, put it on your calendar for next year!

“Hello, Missoula bikers! Next summer, roll Over America (rOAM) is coming to town on August 1 and 2. we’d really like to meet with you folks, as we will take our first rest day in your city.” This brief message, signed by tour cap-tain Josef Janning, forewarned Adventure Cycling headquar-ters about the pending arrival of a mixed group of Europeans and North Americans partici-pating in the “Coast to Coast by velomobile” event. we think it’s safe to say that they

will not go unnoticed as they ride from Portland, Oregon, to washington, DC, in an esti-mated, and blazing, 30 days’ time.

To give you an idea of where this group of riders is coming from, consider these words from participant Daniel Owen fredrikson of Dahlgren, virginia: “I’m getting back from two years in Afghanistan. rOAM sounded like a lot of fun, and it was a good excuse to finally buy a velomobile, which I’ve been drooling over

for years. I think that traditional bikes are obsolete and that recumbents in general, and velomobiles in particular, are the way of the future. rOAM will expose many Americans to the velomobile concept and demonstrate their capabilities.”

Some 60 participants from Europe, Canada, and the U.S. had signed up for rOAM as of April. To read about them and to view photos of their cycles, many of which are unique and interesting, visit www.rollover america.eu.

ARE YOU READY FOR ROAM?Coast to Coast by Velomobile riders may be heading your way

Velomobilists pull over to talk about their machines with another kind of cyclist.


Gary Erickson and Kit Crawford, the owners of Clif Bar & Company and the Clif family winery & farm, have announced the opening of their velo vino destination tasting room in St. Helena, California.

Open to visitors from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily (with extended summer hours), velo vino offers tastings of Clif family wines, along with pairings of Gary and Kit’s gourmet food products. Not your everyday tasting room, velo vino pays tribute to the owners’ love of bicycling. Cyclists visiting velo vino can pick up maps of local bike routes and customized rides to destinations including the Clif family farm on Howell Mountain. velo vino also offers items for sale, including espres-so drinks, food products from the farm, and specially-designed bike jerseys. A bike rental pro-gram is expected to be up and rolling later this year.

“velo vino is a place for

slowing down and spending time with family and friends over a great bottle of wine,” said Gary. “with so many cyclists riding through Napa valley, we recognize that cycling and wine are a natural fit. Because cycling is such a passion of ours, we wanted to create a central hub for congregating and connecting [wine and cycling].”

“Imagine starting your day at velo vino with a shot of espres-

so as you map out your bike ride and grab a few Clif Bars,” added Kit. “Then finish your ride back at velo vino and relax with a glass of wine in our sensory garden.

“we want velo vino to be the source for starting and ending that perfect day in Napa valley.”

for more information, visit www.facebook.com/velovinoNapavalley.

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The last time we wrote about Pushkar Shah in waypoints was in March 2008: “The Nepalese rider, who was born in a stable, set out in 1998 on an intended 11-year bicycle odyssey. … This mis-sion is not about material gain or international fame,” Pushkar said. “It’s simply about spreading the message of peace. … I have no official sponsor and have thus far been able to pursue my dream through the kindness and gen-erosity of the many strangers who have befriended me along the way.”

we’re happy to report that in January we received this update from Pushkar: “Namaste! Happy New year 2011! I believe you have

learned about the completion of my 11-years-long journey on bicycle through 151 countries (all continents, adding up to 221,000 kilometers [137,250 miles]. Carrying a national flag, I proudly introduced my coun-try as the land of Mt. Everest. I firmly believe that my success-ful adventure not only inspired Nepalese youth, but also other

people around the world. Upon returning, I successfully ascended the Mt. Everest on 17th of May 2010, taking 192 flags of all over the world.”

Pushkar noted that he is now busy sorting through thousands of photographs and hours of video footage to produce a documen-

tary about his adventure. “The main objective of making this documentary is to start a fund for a school [for orphans and other kids affected by conflict], which I am planning to estab-lish in my village in a remote part of Dolakha, Nepal.”

for more information, visit www.pushkarshah.com.

PUSHKAR UPDATE“Energizer Bunny on a bike” makes good on his word

trAils in WAlesrecently coming to our atten-tion: an enterprise in wales called MudTrek, which is part accommodation (“think of a ski chalet for mountain bikers”) and part guided tour.

“Based on the doorstep of the world-renowned Brechfa Trails, MudTrek provides amaz-ing, fully-catered mountain-biking weekends,” it says at the enterprise’s website. “we offer luxurious accommodations in a stunning location at affordable prices, with some free guiding thrown in as well.”

Curious about these Brechfa Trails, we dug around a bit and learned that the Brechfa forest is situated in a relatively little-visited rural area of west wales, punctuated by hills peaking out at around 1,200 feet. Deep valleys cutting through forest ensure ample climbing and descending. The four main trails in the forest’s system range from the easy Derwen Trail to the demanding raven Trail, rated extreme. And there’s plenty more good riding in the general vicinity, in the Brecon Beacons, Black Mountains, and elsewhere.

Andy livo of Manchester, England, had this to say about the Brechfa Trails at www.mbpost.com: “If I had to choose which trail to do, it would be the red [12-mile Gorlech Trail, rated difficult] without hesitation. This route has three major climbs, two of which are on fire roads and one up switchback singletrack, but the payoff is definitely worth it. The downhill sections are awe-some. The whole route takes about two hours to complete.”

The accommodation at MudTrek, called Bay Tree Barn, is “a beautifully furnished, cozy mountaintop retreat with incredible views in the heart of the stunning Carmarthenshire countryside. It is single story and sleeps up to six in one double bedroom and one twin bedroom, plus sofa bed.” A second barn accommodation also sleeping six is slated to open later this year.

for more information, visit www.mudtrek.com.

VELO VINO OPENS IN NAPA VALLEYClif Bars, handlebars, and tasting bars

by Jack McNeel Photos by Peter hoffman

The Adventure of a Lifetime

Railbiking Across Patagonia

Photos by Peter hoffman

Railbiking Across Patagonia

Not in a million years would I ever have imagined that I would some-day be railbiking this romanti-

cally remote railroad through the wilds of Patagonia,” Peter hoffman exclaimed. But that’s how he celebrated his 73rd birthday with three other team members — facing winds that threatened to sweep them off the narrow-gauge tracks, nerve-shattering bridge crossings over rushing rivers, and unkempt rails on the nearly abandoned La Trochita route.

The railroad, given international acclaim by Paul Theroux’s book, The Old Patagonian Express, crosses some of the most desolate country in South America — all with a striking backdrop of the Andes. La Trochita ceased operating regularly in the early 1990s and now only operates seasonal tourist trains on a short section of the line.

Railbiking, for those unfamiliar with this type of cycling, involves modifying a bicycle to ride atop a rail with an outrig-ger to the other rail and a leveling device for adjustment when riding around the banked curves of a railroad. The concept is simple, but the technology is complex.

The four cyclists who embarked on the 250-mile ride represented an impressive background in railbiking experience. Two were Americans, two were Swedes.

Dr. Dick Smart and Peter hoffman were the Americans. Dick is often referred to as “the father of railbiking in the U.S.” Railbiking was actually fairly common in the late 1800s, and Sears and Roebuck even offered adaptations to make bicycles operable on railroad tracks in the early 1900s. That all changed with the advent of automobiles. 50 years elapsed before a new patent was issued for railbikes — to Dick in 1980. he estimated he has now ridden over 30,000 miles on rails.

Peter was one of the country’s top bicy-cle riders in the 1960s and likely would have gone to the Olympics if he had not been involved in a collision with a car the day before he was to leave for the time trials on the East Coast. he later was one of the originators of Bicycling magazine.

Arne Nilsson has much the same back-ground in Sweden that Dick has in the U.S. and is called “the father of railbiking in Europe.” They met at a railbike conven-tion in the early 1990s and have ridden together on several occasions since. The fourth member is a bicycling friend of Arne’s, Morgan Gustavsson. They range in age from 62 to 73.

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The four met in Buenos Aires in late November of 2009, their railbikes stowed in suitcases, prepared to ride across Patagonia. “Everything we had when we left the plane in Buenos Aires, we took with us on the bikes,” Dick explained. “First, we had a 24-hour bus ride to Esquel, the jump-off site.

“With La Trochita management support-ive of our railbiking, it was an opportunity for an adventure of a lifetime,” Peter com-mented.

The track across Patagonia requires additional adaptations for the narrow gauge of the rails and conditions encountered on the tracks. It is not kept clear by train use, so the tracks are often covered with sand or vegetation, presenting a challenge to railbikers.

“I have 34 years of experience with this technology, and I had to use every bit of it because it was technically a very difficult track to ride and everything needed to be just right,” Dick Smart said.

“Arne was trip leader and prepared a list of things to take. I had good maps from Trains Unlimited, 10 liters of water, purifying pumps, all the camping gear, freeze-dried food from the U.S. (because we

couldn’t get it there), clothes for every con-dition, gloves, an incredible assortment of tools — both metric and U.S. standard. On the airplane, we each had two 50-pound bags plus about 25 pounds of carry-on lug-gage. Once it was assembled, we carried between 90 and 100 pounds of gear on each bike, but it felt pretty good because you liked the stability during strong winds,” he said.

Dick had traveled to Patagonia twice in preparation for this ride. In 2005, he rode La Trochita on one of its infrequent trips. “I asked ahead if I could bring a railbike. I also asked if I could get off and stay at a little village and have them pick me up on the way back. I got to inspect the track and figure out some of the difficulties it presented,” he said.

In 2008, an attempt had to be aborted when Dick broke the fork on his bicycle, “and there wasn’t a fork in South America.” Those experiences led to the successful journey in 2009.

The picturesque town of Esquel was to be the start, but because a tourist train was making a short round-trip to Nahuel Pan, the four decided to ride La Trochita. It marked Peter’s 73rd birthday, and he was

rest stop. The village of Ojo de Aqua provided respite for the riders.a bridge too far? Canyon winds challenged the nerves of the riders.

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local accommodations. An abandoned baggage car in Fitalancao provides a perfect sleeping solution.

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allowed to ride in the locomotive cab of the old American-built Baldwin engine.

The remainder of the morning was devoted to assembling bikes and organiz-ing equipment. Bikes were removed from suitcases. The second suitcase was fitted inside with gear placed inside that. Then they were carried on the outriggers of each bike. Additional items were placed in bags on the handlebars. Arne mounted a Swedish flag on his bike, Peter a U.S. flag, and Dick an Argentine flag honoring the host country.

It was afternoon before the first leg of the biking began. Peter talked of that day. “By then, the wind was howling down off the snow-crowned peaks of the Andes, and the temperature was in the low 40s. It was all we could do not to get blown off the tracks. The wind attacked us from one side and then the other, but nothing could defeat our spirit. The scenery was strikingly beautiful, and we were on our

way at last.”Even though the first day’s ride was

the shortest distance, just 20 miles, it was nearly dark when they reached their goal of La Cancha and its abandoned station. Dick pointed out that during 11 days on the rails they averaged 25 to 30 miles. “It doesn’t seem like a lot, but there were strong headwinds and we were carrying a bunch of weight. The track at times would be covered with sand and sometimes with rocks and thorn bushes. Sometimes you couldn’t even see the rails where they were overgrown with grass,” he said.

Dinner that night was fixed with the aid of headlamps. Francisco, an Argentine friend who helped organize the trip, had ridden with the group on the first day, and his friends had arrived earlier to pick him up. Their campfire was a welcome sight, and news of warmer weather to come was equally welcomed. That night, however, the weather was anything but warm.

“The condensation on the inside of the tents had frozen during the night, but as the sun rose over the mountains, we could feel its warming grace. It was our first night sleeping on the ground, and for a bunch of old geezers, this was probably the hardest part of the trip,” Peter commented. “To ease the pain, we quickly established a ritual of taking a couple of stiff shots of whiskey at the end of the ride each day.”

Bridges were always a challenge. “They were some of the most nerve-shattering experiences I have encountered railbik-ing,” Peter says. “There was little between you and the rushing waters below. Psychologically, these bridges were killers.”

Dick’s reaction was even more graphic: “It made your sphincter quiver a little!”

Dick had noted the abundance of wild-life on his earlier trips, and it remained a highlight.

“The wildlife was spectacular right off the bat. We probably saw more wildlife the

patagonia dreaming. Top Left: A future puestero. Top Right: A satellite phone proves useful on the rails. Above: Carrying 90 to 100 pounds of gear prevented high winds from sweeping the railbikes off the narrow-gauge rails of the La Trochita.

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second day than at any time in my life. At one point, there were all these birds in the air and guanacos crossing in front of and around us and Patagonia hares running across the track. They looked like a bobcat

in full run with their ears completely back. We saw what looked like jackrabbits too, and we saw armadillo and lots of rheas,” he said.

The weather soon improved and sun-

glasses and headgear became necessities. Days were similar in that we were riding long hours, but every day and every night was different. Some nights were spent camping alongside the tracks, one night

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open country. Friendly puesteros roam the land. Curious onlookers. Even Patagonia’s guanacos found the railbikes interesting.


the tents were set up on an old station plat-form, and another night they took cover from a threatening storm by sleeping in an abandoned baggage car. Two nights were spent in towns.

Many experiences fill their memories. Dick reminisced about the countryside. “It was spectacular to me how vast Patagonia is and how wonderful the landscapes are. This little tiny railroad sort of gets gobbled

up by the vastness. You look way off, miles and miles away like in the Steens Mountains of Oregon, and see a little tiny ranch house.

“You’d think there would be no one for 20 miles in any direction, but once in a while a gaucho would see you and make a real interesting sound like ‘hieeee,’ almost like an animal, way up in the mountains to tell you they had noticed you,” he said.

Peter added: “Each day, we’d encounter at least one gaucho on horseback roaming the countryside to tend to his flock or herd. They are more correctly called puesteros. Our encounters were always friendly. They were curious and interested in our rail-biking and would ride their horses to the tracks or to our camps to greet us.”

That curiosity continued throughout the trip. “As we’d come into towns, people along the tracks wanted to stop and talk with us. We did that as much as we could,” Dick explained.

he laughed about another encounter. “We were coming toward Ñorquinco, one of the towns Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid went into to buy rams for their flock of sheep. This bus was coming from there, and I saw it would cross the track in front of

show and tell. Dick Smart explains how railbikes work to a group of villagers.

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me. They saw me and stopped the bus, and all these kids, a mother and new baby, and the driver, they all got off the bus and took turns riding the railbikes. It was like a big festival.” And yes, Butch and Sundance did

have a ranch here while they were evading U.S. authorities in the early 1900s.

Children were also a big part of the trip. “In those abandoned railroad communities where there were still a few people liv-

nuts & bolts: railbiking patagonia

the technical side of railbiking: Dick Smart has devoted 34 years to inventing and modifying to the railbiking equipment he used on his journey across Patagonia. Arne Nilsson’s railbikes are different mechanically but function similarly. Here Dick gives some explanation of his railbike equipment.

“The guide-wheel carriage was especially built for the la Trochita. The front wheel is not mobile and rests on the floor of the car-riage and thus doesn’t touch the rail. four guide wheels are attached to the carriage. The inboard two are the principal wheels and are angled slightly toward the rail. They adjust automatically, moving up when there is no groove beside the rail, like at a road crossing, and then back down when the groove is present. The dimensions have to be within millimeters, otherwise it doesn’t perform right. railbikes are sensitive that way and have to be tuned in.

“The guide-wheel carriage rolls along the top surface of the rail on two travel wheels that are angled slightly toward the outside edge of the rail. This mechanism keeps the inboard guide wheels running snuggly against the inside surface of the rail.

“A little plow is attached to the front of the carriage. It’s flexible, and when down it’s exactly on the surface of the rail. The rail can be totally covered with rocks and manure and everything else and it just blasts every-thing off leaving a reasonably clean surface.”

The rear bicycle wheel sits on the rail to provide propulsion and is kept on the rail by a self adjusting inboard guide wheel.

“The rear wheel has been tweaked a tiny bit to the outside by loosening the hub nut. This pulls it slightly left and keeps the

guide wheel rolling snuggly against the inside of the rail. It’s the same principle as the front.

“A leveling knob is located behind the seat. It controls the tilt of the bike. rails are banked on curves and it’s necessary to be continually adjusting the tilt of the bike to compensate for that banking, uneven road-beds, and for violent winds.”

“Then finally there is an outrigger extend-ing from the bike’s frame to the opposite rail with wheels that roll on the rail to hold you upright.”

The foursome used foldable bikes that convert easily from rail to road use. Dick’s bike is a 16-inch Dahon and Arne uses 18- inch Birdie. Both are folding bikes (see page 29).

when to go: Spring and summer in Patagonia are spectacular; consider shoul-der season to avoid peak travel.

where to stay: Hotels are limited in El Maitén making Esquel a more attractive base for exploration.

how to get there: flights from the U.S. to Argentina start around U.S. $700. Aerolineas Argentina offers flights from Buenos Aires to Esquel from U.S. $200. www.aerolineasargentinas.com.

Useful information:l Argentina Tourist Information 12 w. 56th St., New york, Ny 10019 (212) 603-0443www.turismo.gov.ar/eng/menu.htm.l railways of the far South: www.railways ofthefarsouth.co.uk/07agrandiose.html.l The Old Patagonia Express: www.paul theroux.com/books/book-102.html.l la Trochita: latrochita.com/elibro.htm.l Peter in Patagonia: epeterh.blogspot.com.

about railbiking:l The Amazing Bentley railbike: rrbike.freeservers.com.l links to railbiking websites: rrbike.freeservers.com/railbike_lINKS.htm.l railbike safety: railbike.com/safety.html Buying railbikes: railbike.com/buying.htm

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ing, the children fast became our friends,” Peter commented. “Dick in particular was great with the kids and spent hours working with them. he had brought small toys as gifts that he gave out to eager hands. The kids did not find the language barrier a deter-rent and relished the interaction with foreign strangers.”

El Maitén was the midway point and the largest town on the route. It held a shop for locomotives and lots of old railroad cars and para-phernalia. There was also a hotel about four blocks from the tracks.

“We had to transport our bikes and luggage to our lodging. The local kids were eager to help. It took as many as four small boys to carry one of our heavy suitcases, held flat with a boy at each cor-ner. They earned one peso each for their services,” Peter said.

El Maitén was also the point where health issues forced Morgan to quit, but he wanted to remain a part of the team. Dick explained how Morgan helped. “he took a little country bus on a dirt road 200 miles to get a rent-a-car and took some of

our heavy stuff over the hills. he camped with us when the track was close enough to get to.” Morgan’s help in reducing weight greatly eased the second half of the journey that ended in Ingeniero Jacobacci.

They were able to purchase food in El

Maitén but little elsewhere. “Some of the towns were so tiny they had practically noth-ing to sell. In one place, we bought tomato paste in the smallest store in the world. One little town had a store so small that the guy just kept his merchandise in a cabinet in his house. he had just a few cook-ies,” Dick laughed.

Dick has ridden in a num-ber of countries and many states, sometimes in rather remote areas. he summed up the ride across Patagonia very simply. “I’m proudest of this trip because it was so techni-cally difficult, the rails were so tiny, and there were so many obstacles,” he said.

“Many have called our rail-biking expedition the adventure of a lifetime. I can’t argue with

that. It didn’t disappoint,” Peter concluded.

Jack McNeel is a lifelong Idaho resident with a long career in wildlife conservation. He has maintained a love of bicycling and regularly rides trails in the Idaho Panhandle. He has also railbiked with Dr. Dick Smart.

EXPLORE

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David and Pierre ride the beach north toward Anchor Point on an overnighter out of Homer, Alaska – Photo by KidBike shown – Mukluk

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ROUTE OF LA TROCHITA

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Photography by Matthew Kadey

CUBATRAVERSINGMOUNTAINS, COAST & CUlTUrE

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More than five decades after a feisty, cigar-loving Fidel Castro spearheaded a suc-cessful revolution, Cuba remains a politically-charged

land full of contradictions and misunder-standings. Despite a few warts and con-tinued hoopla surrounding politics, Cuba is rapidly gaining cult status among sun and culture seekers as the jewel of the Caribbean. Cyclotourists are also catch-ing on that this island nation 90 miles from Key West, Florida, as the crow flies, 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

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1. Riding to the seaside town of Baracoa with former Cuban professional cyclist Frank Correa. 2. Cigars and Cuba are synonymous, especially in Havana. 3. New Year’s Eve in Cuba means one thing: Pig roast time! 4. Rider Tabi Ferguson soaks in the neo-classical architecture of Cienfuegos. 5. Locals gather up coconuts for thirsty tourists at Playa Ancón. 6. Imposing hills are a constant companion along Cuba’s stunning Southeast Road to Santiago de Cuba.

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H ave you ever felt like an unwelcome alien at the Star Wars cantina? No? Well then, I guess you’ve never tried to join a pace line

on a recumbent trike.Not that I’ve tried it myself, but as a trike rider

I have noticed an air of unease at bike rallies when trikers appear. I’m not complaining. I’m actually grateful for that reaction because the occasional “No trikers need apply” provided the stimulus for TaterTOT, an informal annual gathering of trikers in Kellogg, Idaho, and the 2010 edition (32go.us/tt10/tatertot10.htm) was so much fun I’ve started planning more ambitious adventures.

My attraction to recumbent trikes began soon after I climbed on a bicycle for the first time in about 30 years. My mind was full of happy biking memories like my 100-mile ride on a balloon-tire one-speed Schwinn from Tacoma,

Washington, to the coast with a friend one long July day in 1961.

In the 1970s, I spent many weekends riding my Corso Valentino 10-speed the length and breadth of Manhattan from my apartment in Greenwich Village. The adrenaline rush of racing taxis down Fifth Avenue rivaled the excitement of downhill skiing at Killington. During the Bicentennial Celebration, that bike carried me up and down the West Side highway (closed to traffic for the day) between Battery Park and The Cloisters, from Leonard Bernstein’s early-morning reading of the Declaration of Independence to views of the tall ships in the hudson River and an incred-ible fireworks show over the Statue of Liberty.

Ah, but that was then, and this was — more than 30 years later. A test ride on my son’s bicy-cle quickly revealed that my 63-year-old body

Triking the Trail of theCoeur d’AlenesStory and Photos by Carl Schroeder

was no longer happy on a bike — at least not on that one. With the right bike, I’m sure I could have been a happy cyclist again, but that evening I noticed an ad for a recumbent trike. It looked comfortable! I decided to learn more.

I was intrigued by trikes after research-ing them online, and I fell in love on my first test ride. The only question was, “Which one to buy?” After trying every model I could find within a two-hour drive, I bought an hP Velotechnik Scorpion fx (hpvelotechnik.com/produk-te/scorpionfx/index_e.html) on July 4, 2008 — Independence Day, the perfect day to buy a human-powered vehicle.

Why do I love my trike? It’s huge fun, especially when I hit 50 MPh down the hill outside Mossyrock, Washington, where I live. Like a bike, it’s great cardiovascular exercise — especially going uphill.

Unlike a bike, my trike does not cause my body to complain. It’s like sitting on a well-designed lawn chair. My body is happy no matter how long I ride. Plus there’s no fear of weaving or wobbling no matter how slowly I winch myself up a hill, and if I run out of steam I can put on the parking brake, relax, and refuel while I’m ensconced in my comfortable reclining seat. At intersections there’s no need to unclip and put my foot on the ground. I just sit back and relax until the light changes. As I cruise along, I can look straight up at the birds and trees overhead, or twist around to look behind me without fear of losing my balance or straying off course.

I was already having great fun and great exercise on my trike before TaterTOT10, but that event opened my eyes to new triking horizons.

The TOT in TaterTOT stands for “Trikes Optional Tour” — an event launched in 2007 by a small group of recumbent trik-ers sharing good-natured gripes on a Bent Rider Online forum (bentrideronline.com) about their exclusion from some bike ral-lies. Someone jokingly proposed a rally that excluded two-wheeled vehicles, and a semi-organized event along Idaho’s Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes (friendsofcdatrails.org) was arranged. Idaho being the spud capital of America, someone suggested the name TaterTOT.

The “no bikes allowed” rule was never serious, but news of a rally especially for trikers quickly spread. I got wind of it in March 2010 and was soon welcomed into the TaterTOT fold by Wayne Leggett,

the closest thing to a TaterTOT organizer I’ve been able to detect. Wayne negoti-ated group rates at the Guesthouse Inn in Kellogg, where the about 80 attendees stayed. he also created name tags and distributed a photo gallery of attendees, creating the false impression that it was an organized event.

I arrived at the inn on a Sunday eve-ning in late June, in time for the group barbecue more or less hosted by David hanson, who volunteered to provide and grill sausages for that evening’s potluck dinner. I soon learned that there was no agenda, there were no official events, and no one was in charge at TaterTOT.

Informal group rides were expected to spontaneously congeal, however, and the next morning I set out with several others on the asphalt trail to Mullan, 17.6

miles east, a gentle climb of about 970 feet. The well-maintained tree-lined trail took us right past Excelsior Cycle in Kellogg, under I-90, and through Wallace, a funky old mining town where a big crowd of trikers met for lunch on the way back from Mullan.

The day was dry and scorching hot, and when I returned to Kellogg I found a crowd of people back from their own rides relaxing on their trikes in the shade of the motel portico. (One of the side benefits of triking, you always have a comfortable lawn chair with you.) A few were test-driving some of the 30 or so trike models in attendance.

That evening, a large group rode six miles along the trail to dinner at the Snake Pit in Enaville, Idaho, a small crossroads town at the fork of the Coeur d’Alene

laid back and loving it. A TaterTOT rider easily handles a dirt road on his mean machine.


River. The Snake Pit dates back to 1880, with a history that includes all the vices and virtues of a frontier saloon. The décor is still vintage 1880, and judging by the meal that night, it has the best barbecue west of the Mississippi. We rode back through the woods in the dark, and the long string of headlights, taillights, flash-

ers, and assorted reflectors could have easily been mistaken for an alien invasion.

Tuesday’s ride was a leisurely 35-mile round trip along the trail to the west. It was another gorgeous day, and I was frequently tempted to stop for photos of the bubbling blue South Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River that paralleled the

trail. Campers, kayakers, and fishermen enjoyed the river in the summer heat. I stopped in tiny Cataldo for a cool, delicious huckleberry milkshake at the Mission Inn Restaurant. The Cataldo Mission, a National historic Landmark, was the first mission in the Northwest, established in 1842.

That evening, I decided I was ready for a real challenge. I had overheard talk of Dobson Pass, a six-mile, 1,300-foot climb into the Bitterroot Mountains on two-lane blacktop out of Wallace. Wednesday morning I strapped my CamelBak to the rear luggage rack, dropped Nuun Triberry Electrolyte tabs into two water bottles strapped to the front forks of my trike, threw a couple apples into a pannier, stuffed my pockets with trail mix, energy bars, and hammer Gel, and was on the trail by 8:00 AM.

The climb out of Wallace on Nine Mile Creek Road (Forest Road 456) is scenic but unrelenting. I was soon in granny gear, enjoying the sound of the bubbling creek, the blue sky, and peace. The few homes along the road soon disappeared behind me, and the day grew warmer as I chugged up and up and up through the MANTA

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Toxy toxy.de, +49 4127 922 83. Offers the Miles & Motion and rotation.

Trident tridenttrikes.com, 704-968-7143. Offers the Stowaway and Chameleon.

TriSled trisled.com.au, +61 3 5981 0337. Offers the Gizmo.

Turner www.turnerrecumbents.com, 520-290-5646. Offers the Transport.

Volae volaerecumbents.com, 715-340-1133. Offers the Expedition, Expedition Pro, and the Tour.

Zöhrer zohrer.com.br, +55 (21) 2523-5307. Offers the Turismo.

recumbents, non-touring:

ActionBent actionbent.com, 425-444-0034.

AVD Windcheetah windcheetah.co.uk, +44 (0)161 969 9692.

Azub azub.eu, +420 774 2982 29.

Backsafer backsafer.com, 800-815-2225.

Berserker berserkercycledesign.com, 805-441-0975. Suspension trike.

Brike freedomryder.com, 800-800-5828.

Cruzbike cruzbike.com, 888-225-2789. Offers the folding Quest.

Edge edgerecumbents.com, 865-982-2555.

Greenspeed greenspeed.com.au, 866-314-4323. Offers stan-dard, tandems, and folders.

Human Powered Machines hpm.catoregon.org, 800-343-5568.

KMX Trikes kmxus.com, 877-449-4188.

Maxarya maxarya.com, 416-737-5745.

MetaBikes meta-bikes.com, +34 937 547 378.

Organic Engines organicengines .com, 850-443-3284.

RaptoBike raptobike.com, +31 (0) 297 525 330.

Sun sunbicycles.com, 305-238-1866.

Tripendo tripendo.com, +49 (0)7142 - 91 99 60.

Velokraft velokraft.com, +48 504 140 424.

Whike whike.com, +316 5478 3068. Pedals and a sail!

Woodside woodsidecycles.com, 937-514-7556.

recumbents, build-your-own:

Bentech bentechbikes.com. Sets include three 22” x 34” blueprints and a fully illustrated, step-by-step construction guide.

folding bikes

Airnimal airnimal.com, +44 (0) 1954-782020. Offers the Joey, the rhino, the Chameleon, and custom models for touring.

Bike Friday bikefriday.com, 800-777-0258. Offers a variety of folding bikes and accessories for touring including the family Tandem Traveler.

Birdy offers a variety of folding bikes and accessories for touring. birdybike.com, 503-928-7723.

Brompton bromptonbicycle.co.uk, +44 (0)20 8232-8484. Offers the P6r and P6r-X.

Moulton moultonbicycles.co.uk, +44 (0) 1225 865895. Offers the TSr-27, TSr-30 and the AM GT for touring.

Dahon dahon.com, 800-442-3511. Offers the 700C-wheel Tournado.

tandems

Co-Motion co-motion.com, 866-282-6336. Offers the Mocha and Primera.

da Vinci davincitandems.com, 303-936-1241. Offers the Joint Adventure.

Dawes dawescycles.com. Offers the Duet, Galaxy Twin, and Double Edge.

Santana santanatandem.com, 800-334-6136. All tandems suit-able for self-supported touring (48-spoke wheel option recom-mended).

non-wedgie bikes for yoUr ConsiderationBelow is a list of popular recumbents, folders, or other non-standard bikes. If you know of any brands or models missing from this table that are spe-cifically designed for touring or bike travel, email us at magazine@adven turecycling.org. -Mike DemeOther Resources: rtrmag.com, recumbents.com, errcmagazine.com,recumbentjournal.com, recumbentcycling.blogspot.com,

e-bent.com, bicycleman.comrecumbents/recumbents.htm, biketcba.org/TRICORR/compare.html, recumbentbicyclesource.com, bikeroute.com/Recumbents, foldingcyclist.com, foldsoc.co.uk, atob.org.uk/folding-bikes.html, bentrideronline.com. For an extensive list of manufacturers with links, check out ibike.org/library/bike-manufacturers.htm.


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Coeur d’Alene National Forest. A pair of cyclists passed me going the other direc-tion and gave me big smiles and thumbs-up as they whizzed downhill. (When you ride a recumbent trike, you get lots of smiles, waves, and shouts of “nice bike!” The word “trike” apparently doesn’t occur to most people when they see an adult ride by.)

It was very steep and hot the last few miles and I paused a moment in the shady spots between switchbacks to rest. I was grateful for the energy gel and electrolyte drink, and regretful that you can’t stand on the pedals when going uphill on a recumbent.

I let out a big “Whoopee!” when I reached the top of the pass, relieved that I had made it. I hadn’t really known wheth-er my legs, heart, and lungs were up to it, and reaching the top unleashed a rush of optimism about future adventures.

The easier and shorter path would have been to turn around and head straight back to Wallace, but I was curious about the road ahead, so after a short break I headed down the other side. Initially it was scary steep with killer switchbacks, and I pumped my disc breaks continu-ously, keeping my speed below 30 MPh. I wasn’t even tempted to let it all hang out. If I went over the edge into the forest, I’d probably never be found again. Scary but beautiful — the very definition of a great adventure!

After a screaming descent for a few miles, the road became a gentle down-hill journey for mile after mile of forest, farmhouses, creeks, and cows. At length I came to an aging rural gas station/general store/ice cream parlor where I had another lip-smackin’ good huckleberry milkshake — apparently a specialty of the Coeur d’Alene region. From there it was many more scenic miles along the North Fork of the river before I reached Enaville and the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes. When I pulled into the shade of the portico back at Kellogg, my odometer said I’d gone 58 miles that day — not much for seasoned riders but enough to give me the confi-dence to plan more challenging adven-tures on my trike in the future.

Carl Schroeder has fond memories of the time when he could ride a bicycle all day long without whining. He was so energized by TaterTOT, especially his trike excursion up Dobson Pass, that he’s now dreaming of a cross-country trike trip.


Open Road Gallery

keeP tHe CHAnGe by Sarah Raz Photograph by Greg Siple

No one is ever left unchanged by a bike ride across the U.S. Minds are made up, paths become clear, and whole parts of yourself that you didn’t even know existed become obvious. By the time Ryan Conaughty visited us in Missoula in 2008 during his east to west TransAmerica ride, he’d already learned a great deal about the person he wished to become. This is his story.

“Riding my bicycle across the country has been the greatest thing I’ve ever done in my life. Along the way, I cliff jumped in Missouri, got chased by a three-legged pit bull in Kentucky, rode all night and into the dawn in Kansas, and saw fire dancers. I slept in a cabin on the side of a mountain in Colorado, had a grizzly bear sniff my tent at the base of the Tetons in Wyoming, and swam naked in a river in Montana.

“I now know pain like I’d never felt and happiness that can’t be described. I’ve experienced the kindness of strangers and I’ve seen the mind-numbing poverty of low-income America. I had never ridden a bike for more than 20 miles before my tour and I’d still consider myself a beginner to bike touring. Kentucky almost destroyed my dreams with the 103-degree temperatures in the shade. But I drank bourbon next to a river under a Missouri sky with perfect stars and I loved every breath I took out there.

“Since my tour, I’m working on getting my Master’s degree in English in creative writing, inspired from my journal entries about my TransAmerica journey. I am trying to become a teacher in the hopes that I can show others the beauty of bike travel. Of course, there isn’t a day that passes that I don’t dream about being back on the road again. happiness, to me, is to get on my bike and pedal.”

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


and enjoy the view — the Mississippi to our west.

The most distinctive thing about our fully-loaded recum-bent tandem is that we are slow on any incline. So far, the only vehicles slower than us are the huge barges on these rivers, the giant combines harvesting corn, and an old street sweeper back in hutchinson. Later, in Ohio, the horse-drawn bug-gies of the Mennonite farmers will easily pull away from us. From the day we committed to doing this ride, my biggest concern has been navigating the roller-coaster roads across Missouri without close encounters with speeding pickup trucks as we crawl up the hills. To improve the odds, we fly more flags than the United Nations. We practice getting off the road in a hurry but there isn’t always room. Our ears become attuned to the sound of automobiles gain-ing on us from behind and we eventually make it safely across the Ozarks.

More so than climbing out of the Rockies, riding in the Ozarks pushes us to our limits. The roads in the Rockies are built for us — constant, modest grades made possible by switchbacks. In Missouri, the roads go straight over the steep hills — no modest grades here. We learn that grade and heat trump lack of oxygen. But Missouri has impressed us in more ways than steep grades and high temperatures. We encounter amazing

people, places, roads, food, and weather from one state line to the other. Alley Spring, Eminence, Ellington, Johnson’s Shut-ins — these are hidden gems. We are glad that we stuck to the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail and didn’t wimp out for the Katy Trail. Proud too.

With the Rockies and the Ozarks behind us, my wife, Cathie, has become a strong, confident cyclist. Through every town, it’s the same refrain: “hey mister, she’s coasting.” “hey mister, there’s a lady following you.” “hey mister, she’s not peddling back there.” Did she hear this time? Yes. “You bet your sorry ass I’m peddling!” she exclaims.

Approaching four decades together, we’ve experienced a full share of for-bet-ter-and-for-worse. We are the stronger for it all. But, we’ve never attempted a serious outdoor adventure together. I said, “Let’s ride our recumbent from house to house.”

Without hesitation, she replied, “Okay, but no camping.”

Planning, training rides, equipment testing, scouting rides, and more planning — we have read all the books and guides. We manage to get in 1,000 training miles, topping that off with a few weeks rid-ing around the Rockies. We decide to leave our place in Breckenridge, Colorado, on the second anniversary of my sur-gery for prostate cancer. I can think of no better way to cel-

ebrate being healthy than putting in some serious miles on the tandem with Cathie. She got me through that and now it is my turn to return the favor. The destination is our home in Wellesley, Massachusetts. In addition, we hope to raise some money for my surgeon’s research along the way. And now, we’ve made it across the crazy, beautiful Ozarks — the crux of our trip behind us.

Our unique rig always draws a crowd … and comments, like “We wouldn’t last two days together!” and “how can you stand to be together all day, day-after-day?” Always strong partners, we have become a great tandem team. The only grumpiness that ever shows is mine — always a sign, Cathie determines quickly, that I’m bonking. (One day, I bonk in the first hour so we stop and eat and then again — I crave the homemade pie from yesterday’s diner!) My key jobs are

“Hey Mister, tHere’s A lAdy FOllOWinG yOu!”

Across America on a recumbent tandem

by Bob Salipante

Final Mile

Got to concentrate here. My wife trusts me more to captain this thing than I trust myself. I didn’t expect the bridge to be this nar-row — expansion joints ahead. Traffic. No room for them to pass here. This bike is so squirrelly and we are impossibly slow. Concentrate. We’re across. Pull over and let the traffic pass. No horns this time. Relax

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captain, mechanic, route planner, travel agent, and unsweetened iced-tea finder. She is the stoker, navigator, photographer, weather watcher, and blogger. Also, as it turns out, team doctor and Chief of Improvisational Repairs (only a knitter would know how to reweave a shifter cable so that it holds).

We carry a very light camping kit just in case — in case of weather, in case of equipment failure, in case of a power out-age. The tent never gets used. We soon encounter a motel that meets my worst expectations. In all our years together, I have never asked her to spend a night in a place like this — I’m mortified. Tired from the day’s ride and the subsequent search for unsweetened tea, I dedicate an evening to swatting horseflies with a Pueblo chief-tain. Cathie records my fly-swatting form to the delight of blogger-friends around the world. The chieftain is no match for the corn-fed roaches that greet Cathie in the middle of the night (Note: add SIDI shoes size 44 to our list of multi-purpose equipment). Down the road, as some accommodations fall below this standard, we spread the drop cloth on top of the bed and sleep in our summer sleeping bags. “Can we camp now?” I plead. “No,” she answers.

37 years together and I’m still learn-ing new things about her. For starters she is a creature of habit in the extreme — Kellogg’s Raisin Bran, whey protein, flax seed, and skim milk for breakfast. Iced tea and pretzels après ride. “Can we fix you a nice hot breakfast in the morning before you leave?” asks a nice motel atten-dant. “No thanks,” answers Cathie. “Do you have Kellogg’s Raisin Bran and skim milk?” Toughness — no complaints as we encounter an eastern Colorado sandstorm

right where Adventure Cycling’s TransAm maps told us to expect it. Courage and presence of mind — taking a great self-portrait as we ride into that storm (the best picture of the trip in my opinion). A ceramist and a weaver, her artistry shows through in the many well-composed pic-tures she takes “at speed” (a key advan-tage of riding a tandem on a cross-country tour is that the stoker is hands-free). Finally, and to my amazement, she can ride for hours without saying a word — “hey mister, there’s nobody riding back there.” No fool, she tells me how the day is going by the amount of power coming through. And then, thankfully, the morn-ing conversation, “Water?”

A late-blooming athlete, how about a Kansas century in 100-degree heat for proof? I treat her to a Subway sandwich at Walmart to celebrate the milestone. I am convinced from years of observing our children (an elite rock climber, an Ironman and Nordic marathoner, and an NCAA gymnast — bicycle racers all) – that Cathie is a great athlete. As a child, she was never encouraged to take up sports. And a life-long passion for sports notwithstanding, the athletic abilities of our children clearly exceed my own. She doesn’t buy my the-sis, never has — until now. It becomes clear to both of us as the weeks pass and the miles pile up that Cathie packs more pure endurance than the “real” cyclist up front. This time, I’m right. “Can we camp now?” I ask again. Again, her reply is the same.

She develops four names for the vari-ous types of hills we encounter: “Zen,” “rollers,” “leg press,” and “walk.” I hear “Zen” and we get lost in a sweet cadence, spinning over the top. “Rollers” and we pedal like hell to the crest, scream down

the other side, and keep that pattern going for as long as possible (usually, until the chain falls off again — “Why did you stop!”) “Leg press” is the simulation of a visit to the gym when the bike computer shows a grade we don’t believe and a speed slower than walking. When the burn from leg press becomes too much, the new order comes: “Walk!”

The hills behind us for the time being, we make our planned stopover with fam-ily and friends in Cleveland, Ohio. As we rest, the confessions begin. Cathie: “I didn’t leave any cold-weather bike clothes here because I didn’t think we would make it this far.” Bob: “I was totally obsessed with getting across the Ozarks and didn’t focus as much as I should have on the ride east of there.”

It’s my turn for intuition. We first-timer tandem tourists have covered 1,700 self-supported miles on a recumbent made for two without serious incident. Autumn leaves falling and rain forecast. More corn-harvest truckers ahead. Legs deeply tired from 600,000 pedal strokes and the phys-ics of moving 430 pounds of bike, riders, and gear over 56,500 vertical feet. Our relationship further alloyed by the experi-ence and the amazing, vivid memories we share.

Bob: “Let’s wrap this up next year. I need to work up a better route over the Berkshires.”

Cathie: “Okay. And we need to finish the west coast segment, too.”

Cathie and Bob Salipante have been married for 33 years. They have three children and one granddaughter. Cathie is an artist who works with ceramics and fibers. Bob, a cancer survivor, is an avid cyclist and recently launched a business consulting firm. In June, they will ride their tandem from Cleveland to Boston.

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Cycle VermontOregon Coastal OdysseyFreedom FlyerSierra Sampler

August 13-19August 21-27Sept. 11-18Sept. 18-25

Let us carry the load

adventurecycling.org/tours


Road Test

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the shop parking lot or around the block really doesn’t unearth the hidden flaws in an era when, frankly, it’s tough to find a crappy bike, as long as it’s not being sold in some cavernous ware-house alongside pallets of iPods, diapers, and jumbo cans of creamed corn.

And I’m happy to report that the 2011 Jamis Aurora Elite isn’t crappy.

If that sounds like a back-handed compliment, it’s not intended as such. I made the $1,700 Aurora Elite my daily rider for a few weeks, and it quickly joined the club of multipurpose steel bikes I’ve come to appreciate so much, capable of changing personalities at the twist of an Allen key and box-end wrench.

The 28.5-pound Aurora Elite can handle a recreational ride with friends or family, get you to and from work, fetch stuff home from the store, and take you away from all that without turning a key and gulping dinosaur wine at over four dollars per gallon.

It’s not a needy bike — hop aboard and it’s content to roll right along with minimal instruction, leaving you free to pay attention to your surroundings, which is the one of the advantages of cycling over driving, right? And mind you, I rode it during a La Niña April in

Colorado, which means wind with a side of wind in wind sauce. It stayed rooted to the road as firmly as Odin’s eight-legged horse.

The frame set is an attractive antique bronze with inconspicuous decals, an extended head tube with reinforced col-lars, and a pump peg. Its Reynolds 631 main tubes, with chromoly stays and lugged, semi-sloping fork, soak up all the feedback a crumbling Colorado road can throw at a rider. The matching rear rack with included three-cord bungie is a thoughtful touch and comes stamped with a weight limit (25kg/55.1 pounds) for impatient types who chuck the own-er’s manual before loading the panniers.

The easily adjustable NVO Components F-2 stem makes finding your comfort zone simplicity itself, and the unbranded handlebars are plenty wide

enough to support a handle-bar bag, a cyclometer, a bell and a pair of top-mounted auxiliary brake levers if you like that sort of aftermarket upgrade for bumpy roads and hairy descents (I do).

The wheels are sensible without being overbearing — 32-hole Mavic A119 double-wall rims laced to Formula alloy hubs with 14-gauge stainless DT Champion spokes and topped off with 700C x 32 folding Vittoria Randonneur Pro tires. I loved Vittoria sewups when I was

racing cyclo-cross, and I’m equally happy with the company’s touring clinchers; I have them on three bikes here in goat-head country and have yet to suffer a puncture, something I couldn’t say about their tubular ancestors.

Less familiar to me were the SRAM Apex drivetrain, Avid BB-7 disc brakes and flat anodized alloy fenders. I have a SRAM Rival group on a 2008 Jamis Supernova cyclo-cross bike, but this was my first introduction to Avid discs. And those fenders — well, more about them later.

Billed on the SRAM website as boast-ing “a wider gear range than the most popular triple combinations,” the Apex group uses a rear derailleur that can han-dle an 11-32 cassette. Pairing that with the 50/34-tooth FSA Gossamer Compact

JAMis AurOrA eliteA bike for all reasons

by Patrick O’Grady

Reviewing the occasional bicycle for a magazine is like browsing at a well-stocked shop owned by an old friend, or maybe a rela-tive, one to whom you don’t owe money and never tormented as a child. There’s no sales pitch, and sometimes you get to experiment with unfamil-iar technology. The bicycle is delivered to you rather than the other way around, and you can take some time getting to know it, because that short “test drive” in


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crankset yields a low end of 34 x 32 (28.7 gear inches), which in hilly Colorado is fine for riding unencumbered or with light commuter/credit-card loads, both of which I did.

Greg Webber, vice president of prod-uct development for Jamis, conceded that this setup is “not necessarily billed as the adventure cyclist gruppo.”

But given that the 50/34 x 11-32 system would be nearly as accommodat-ing as the occasionally fiddly STI road shifter/MTB derailleur triple setups com-monly seen on other bikes, he added, “We were liking the weight reduction and shifting simplicity of the double-chainring drivetrain.”

I appreciate the uncluttered look of the SRAM setup — no free-ranging cables snaking this way and that — and found Apex’s shifting crisp and efficient, though a bit stiff and something of a long throw when shifting from the little ring to the big one, not unlike the Rival shifter on my Supernova. I have small hands, and crashes have severely dislo-cated the birdie and thumb on the left one, so I notice things like this — but other, less damaged riders I know have noticed it too.

No matter. When I loaded the bike with about 35 pounds of gear — pan-niers front and rear, plus a handlebar bag — I wasn’t spending a lot of time in the big ring. I deliberately sought out some of our steeper climbs and quickly found myself bottomed out, with no bailout cog — and I love me some bailout cog, especially at the end of a long day in the saddle when food and drink are only to be had atop some hellish ascent.

Should room and board sit at the bot-tom of your final hill, you’ll appreciate the stopping power of the Avid BB-7 brakes. As a longtime cantilever user and card-carrying Luddite, I’m not yet sold on discs, mostly because I have little experience with their care and feeding. A front-rear combo of Paul’s Neo-Retro and Touring cantis, on the other hand, I understand well enough to handle simple field repairs.

I’ve heard and appreciate the many sensible arguments for discs over rim brakes, but I was a late and reluctant convert to linear-pulls on the mountain bike, too, so you might take that into consideration. And for more intelligent

advice, see Jan heine’s brake-choice breakdown in the April 2011 issue.

Something else to think about when buying a disc-equipped bike is what sort of front rack you’ll need. My old Jandd low-rider wouldn’t clear the disc hardware; an Old Man Mountain Cold Springs rack fit fine, but perched the front load a bit high for confident steering. Jamis’s Webber suggested a Tubus Tara, but after a visit with Wayne Boroughs of The Touring Store (www.touringstore.com) I went with the Tubus Ergo, which has more adjustability built

in than a subprime mortgage.Other nits worth picking:• I encountered quite a bit of toe-tire

overlap on the Aurora Elite, as I did with the ’08 Supernova, but this may have more to do with me than with the designers, though Jamis sees fit to dis-cuss the issue in the FAQ section of its website. I’m tough to fit at six feet tall with a longish torso and legs that are less so. And once I became aware of the over-lap I promptly forgot about it. Just don’t try track-standing at a stoplight or clean-

Specifications: Jamis Aurora Eliteprice: $1,700sizes available: 47cm, 50cm, 53cm, 55cm, 57cm, 59cm, 62cm.size tested: 57cmweight: 28.5 pounds without pedals

test bike measUrementsseat tube: 22 inches, center to toptop tube: 22 inches effectivehead tube: 6.5 incheshead tube angle: 72°seat tube angle: 72°Chainstays: 17 3/8 inchesseat height above ground: 39 3/4 inchesCrank spindle height above ground: 11 inchesfork rake: 1 31/32 inches (50mm)wheelbase: 40 1/4 inchesstandover height: 32 5/8 inchesframe and fork: reynolds 631 seam-less air-hardened chromoly main tubes. Double-tapered heat-treated chromoly stays, extended head tube with reinforced collars, custom laster-cut road-disc dropouts with double eyelets. lugged semi-sloping chromoly fork with low-rider braze-ons, disc-brake tab, forged dropouts with single eyelet. Threaded bosses for two water bottles.headset: ritchey logic v2, Aheadset, 1 1/8 inchrims: Mavic A119 double-wall black, 32-holespokes: DT Champion 14g stainless, cross threehubs: formula alloy disc hubstires: vittoria randonneur Pro, folding, 700C x 32Crank: fSA Gossamer compact. 175mm arms, 50/34 chainringsfront derailleur: SrAM Apex rear derailleur: SrAM Apex

shift/brake levers: SrAM Apex DoubleTapbrakes: Avid BB-7 mechanical discs with 160mm rotorspedals: Nonestem: NvO Components f-2 easy height adjust, 6° x 120mmsaddle: Jamis Touring Sport with hollow chromoly railsseat post: Unbranded, one-piece fully forgedhandlebar: Unbranded, butted, 125mm drop, 44cm (center to center)accessories: Blade runner flat alloy anodized fenders, alloy rear rack.Cog cassette: SrAM PG-1050, 11-12-13-15-17-19-22-25-28-32 10-speedChain: KMC DX10SCgearing in inches:

50 34 11 122.7 83.5 12 112.5 76.5 13 103.8 70.6 15 90.0 61.2 17 79.4 54.0 19 71.1 48.3 22 61.4 41.7 25 54.0 36.7 28 48.2 32.8 32 42.2 28.7

Contact: jamisbikes.com, 800-222-0570.

continued on page 37


bicycle touring GearthetoUringstore.Com — Buy Expedition Quality Panniers, Racks, & Bicycle Touring Gear at Great Prices! See Ortlieb, Tubus, Lone Peak, and More! Questions? Call Wayne Toll Free at (800) 747-0588, Email us at: [email protected], or visit us at www.TheTouringStore.com.

bikebagshop.Com — The largest selection of Bike Bags & Bike Racks - by Ortlieb, Vaude, Lone Peak, Tubus, Old Man Mountain & More! BikeTrailerShop.com — The largest selection of Bike Cargo Trailers — by BOB, Burley, Extrawheel, Wandertec & More! 1-800-717-2596.

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bike shopsreCUmbents, tandems, trikes — Rans, Easy Racer, Sun, Cycle Genius, Bacchetta Recumbents - KhS, Schwinn, Raleigh Tandems - Greenspeed, hP VeloTechnik Trikes - Electra Touring. Jay’s Pedal Power, 512 E. Girard Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19125; (215) 425-5111, Toll-free (888) 777-JAYS, Visit our website at: www.jayspedalpower.com.

tandems east — Road, Mountain and Travel Tandems. Over 60 in stock. Wheel build-ing, child conversions, repairs, parts catalog, test rides. Back-stocking Conti and Schwalbe touring tires. 86 Gwynwood Dr, Pittsgrove, NJ 08318. Phone: (856) 451-5104, Fax: (856) 453-8626. Email: [email protected] or visit our website at: www.tandemseast.com.

hUbbUb CUstom biCyCles — LAB’s #1 shop! Fitting, designing, building fine custom bicycles for men and women since 1997. handbuilt wheels our specialty. Long-distance specialists. NE Ohio. On the Web at: www.hubbubcustom.com. (800) 888-2027.

arriVing by bike — Eugene, Oregon’s Urban Cycling Outfitters. Gear, guidance and enthusiasm to support your life-bik-ing. Basil, Ortlieb, Tubus, Detours, Showers Pass, Ibex and Endura plus loads of fenders, lights, reflectives, tools and Brooks saddles. Xtracycles! 2705 Willamette St., 541.484.5410, [email protected].

business Opportunitiessell yoUr bUsiness — Sell your compa-ny. Start our extended cycle tour now. M&A firm can sell your large company (>100 employees). Call confidentially: Tom Edens (713) 988-8000, www.marionfinancial.com.

eventsbiCyCle ride aCross georgia (brag) — 32nd Annual Bicycle Ride Across Georgia, June 4-11, 2011. Georgia BikeFest, October 14-16, 2011, Columbus, GA. Great fun for families and groups. Various mileage options. 770-498-5153, [email protected], www.brag.org.

2011 CyCle north Carolina fall ride — 13th Annual “Mountains to the Coast” (October 1 – October 8) – Begins in Elkin, NC and ends on the Coast of NC in Corolla. Cycle 425 plus miles while experiencing the North Carolina countryside on scenic back roads amidst beautiful fall colors. Explore quaint towns, visit famous State Parks, historic Sites, wineries, and more. Fully supported with SAG Support and rest stops. Various registration options available. [email protected], www.ncsports.org.

bike the florida keys — The ulti-mate Bicycle Vacation. Bike the entire key sys-tem, down and back. Fully-supported includ-ing breakfasts and most dinners. Beautiful sunsets. Swim with the dolphins. Snorkel. Dive. The Seven Mile Bridge just might be the most beautiful seven miles you will ever bike. November 5–12, 2011. Details from BubbasPamperedPedalers.com or [email protected].

september esCapade™ triri® — September 11-16, 2011. Scenic, historic tour of southern Indiana with inn or camping over-nights at Indiana State Parks, two layover days, and ten catered meals. Contact: 812-333-8176; [email protected]; or www.triri.org.

rUssian heritage of north dakota — including fantastic churches and unique cemeteries as you breathe deeply the clean-est air in America. August 6-13, 389 mile loop, 1-800-799-4242. CANDISC Tour ’11 Box 515 Garrison, North Dakota 58540-0515. [email protected] www.parkrec.nd.gov click on Recreation then click on Activities.

mass bikepike toUr — August 11-14, 2011 – This year exploring western Massachusetts and the Berkshires. Spectacular views, chal-lenging arrowed routes, quaint towns, muse-ums, history, and local culture. Most meals, SAG, refreshment stops, maps, and cue sheets. www.MassBikePike.org or (617) 710-1832.

CyCling Camps — Monthly Climbing Camps in Sunny Southern California. Santa Monica Mountains Climbing Camp and Classic Climbs of the Sierra Nevada. 5 Days, 350 miles, 40,000 feet. 714-267-4591 www.cyclingescapes.com.

fabUloUs frenCh Creek state park — Join your friends on a new camping event in eastern PA. Multiple routes, including a century. Low traffic roads. historic sight-seeing. Four catered meals. June 3-5, $195. www.scampnrascal.com, 610-317-9611.

ride two states-two CoUntries — Five-day, 350-mile fully supported ride Sept. 20-24, 2011 on the International Selkirk Loop, incredible Scenic Byway through Washington, Canada, Idaho. www.WaCanId.org or 888-823-2626.

international tourstopbiCyCle toUrs in Central eUrope — 7 to 10-day self-guided and guided cycling vacations. We are a specialist for bike tours in Central Europe since 1996. We concentrate only on the countries where we live: Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, hungary, Germany, and Poland. Visit and ride between the beautiful cities of Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Krakow, Salzburg, Dresden, and Passau. Carefully planned self-guided tours. Small guided groups with local knowl-edgeable guides. We can customize our tours according to your wishes. Quality bike rental available. www.topbicycle.com. info@top bicycle.com.

pedal and sea adVentUres — We’re a personable travel company offering creative cycling and multi-sport adventures in many of the world’s best places, including Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, P.E.I., Costa Rica, Croatia, Italy, Greece, Norway, and Ireland. Guided and self-guided. Van-supported. Friendly guides. Charming inns. Custom groups anytime. Over 70% return clientele since 2005! Toll Free Phone: 877-777-5699. Please email us at [email protected] or visit our website: www.pedalandsea adventures.com.

bike italy with siCiClando! — Join one of our confirmed trips. Cycle a lesser-known part of Tuscany on our Maremma Biking Tour. Choose between September 10 or October 4 departure dates. Bike along the stunning Amalfi Coast and through the Cilento Park with a September 11 depar-ture date. Choose an easier trip with our Umbria Easy Biking Tour departing on October 8. Consider a bike tour of Sicily in October. Contact us for more information. www.siciclando.com or call 1-800-881-0484.

classifiedadsRate: $115 for the first 30 words, $2 for each additional word. For more information, please contact Rick Bruner at phone/fax: (509) 493-4930, email: [email protected].


freewheeling adVentUres. gUided & self-gUided — Small groups since 1987. Flexible, positive service. Famous and unusu-al rides in Canada, Iceland, Europe, Israel, Central America. Go your own pace. Choose hills and distances or flat and relaxed. 800-672-0775; www.freewheeling.ca; [email protected].

franCe, italy, spain, and switZerland — More than 80 Guided and self-guided trips by France-based company. Leisurely to challenging. Featured in a 3-page article in the New York Times. Check us out at www.cyclomundo.com.

eUrope — 200 roUtes in 30 CoUntries — Bike Tours Direct - Guided and self-guid-ed tours with European bike tour companies. Weekly and daily departures. Tours from $600. From familiar - Loire Valley, Provence, Danube, Tuscany, Bavaria, Ireland - to exotic - Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Slovenia, Adriatic island-hopping. 877-462-2423 www.bike toursdirect.com. [email protected].

north American tourstimberline adVentUres — Fully sup-ported bicycling & hiking adventure vaca-tions with an organization whose sole focus for 26 years is extraordinary adventure throughout western U.S. & Canada. Website: www.timbertours.com Email: timber@earth net.net Phone: 800-417-2453.

Crossroads CyCling adVentUres — Celebrating 15 years of excellence! Come ride with Tracy Leiner - owner, cyclist and tour director. Tracy travels with every group, everyday managing daily logistics, driving support vans and pedaling with her cyclists. Small groups, personal attention, superior accommodations and meals. Extensive pre-trip support including training plan and telephone consultations. Rider reference list available. (800) 971-2453 www.crossroadscycling.com.

ameriCa by biCyCle, inC. — Your full service bicycle touring leader. Chose from 38 tours ranging from 5 to 52 days. Let us take you on your dream ride — Coast to Coast! abbike.com. 888-797-7057 FREE CATALOG.

Coast 2 Coast — hassle free closely follow-ing Southern Tier averaging 63 miles per day. Fully supported including freshly prepared great tasting meals, mechanic, and massage therapist. You dip your rear wheel into the Pacific and your front wheel into the Atlantic, I will do everything in between. March 8 – April 30, 2012. BubbasPamperedPedalers.com or [email protected].

historiCal trails CyCling — oregon trail toUr 2012 — Ride through the history of Ruts, Wagons, Forts, Cowboys and Indians on Americas Mother Road. Fully supported, affordable, camping tour. Friendly experienced staff and delicious meals. 402-499-0874, Website: www.histor icaltrailscycling.com.

esCapades bike toUrs — Easy to Intermediate tours across the USA. You will stay in unique lodgings and dine on deli-cious meals. Experienced staff and fully supported tours. Visit us for more details: Escapadesbiketours.com. 877-880-bike.

Carolina tailwinds biCyCle VaCations — Easy, flat terrain tours include: South Carolina’s Lowcountry, North Carolina’s Outer Banks, and Maryland’s Eastern Shore. More challenging, mountainous tours include: Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley and North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. All tours include intimate group size, cozy country inns, and outstanding cuisine. www.carolinatailwinds.com; 888-251-3206.

Charleston — Charleston looks even more enchanting from a bicyclists point of view.” Fodor’s writer. 3 and 6 day all inclu-sive tours. Ride past plantations, tour coast-al islands and surrounding quaint towns. Custom biking, kayaking, epicurean tours for groups. www.charlestonbicycletours.com. 1-800-408-1830.

VaCation biCyCling — “After taking more than 90 bicycle tours, Vacation Bicycling is one of our top 10 experiences!” We provide beautiful 7-day tours from $1099, includ-ing hotels, food & SAG through Martha’s Vineyard/Cape Cod, NC Outer Banks, Maui, Arizona’s Sonoran Desert, Florida Keys and Canada’s Prince Edward Island. Come join us! 800-490-2173 www.VacationBicycling.com.

women only bike toUrs — For all ages and abilities. Fully supported, inn-to-inn, bike path & road tours. Cross-country, National Parks, Europe & more. Bicycle work-shops, wine tasting, yoga. Call for free cata-log. 800-247-1444, www.womantours.com.

CyCle ameriCa’s national parks — Visit North America’s majestic treasures on our fully-supported series of National Park Tours. Cycle through a painted Southwest wilderness, ride the Canadian Rockies, or bike an undulating Pacific Coast. Good friends, great routes and first-rate support! Let us help you plan your next fun and affordable cycling adventure. 800-245-3263. www.CycleAmerica.com. www.CycleAmerica.com.

CyCle Canada! — Affordable Supported Tours Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia’s Cabot Trail From the organizers of Tour du Canada Call 800-214-7798 or visit www.CycleCanada.com Discovering Canada by bike since 1988.

bike best of new england and new york’s hUsdon Valley — Wineries, beaches, sunset sails, mansions, kayak adven-tures, lighthouses, covered bridges, history, wildlife … all linked by superlative cycling. Fine inns, exceptional cuisine, dedicated, experienced support. Best routes, best sights, best time! Great Freedom Adventures www.greatfreedomadventures.com (877) 545-1864.

ride two states-two CoUntries — Bike the International Selkirk Loop, North America’s only two-nation Scenic Byway through Washington, Idaho, Canada. Pick your pace for 280 miles of incredible self-supported riding! www.selkirkloop.org.

continued from page 33

ing any single-track switchbacks.• The flat anodized alloy fenders are

pretty, but I wondered how dry they’d keep me on a rainy day. I thought I’d never get a chance to find out, as we were enduring our driest winter and spring in years. But in early April, we finally got a nice rain that left some puddles on the deck and I rode through all of them. You’re going to get wet. I did, anyway.

“We’ve always been a form-follows-function kind of company, but in this one instance we lost our bearings a bit,”

said Webber. “We saw these in wood and thought they’d be really cool in flat alu-minum, and they are. But they’re prob-ably not as absolutely practical as they could be.”

Probably not. But then bicycle touring isn’t exactly practical, either. If you want to stay comfy and dry and climb hills without effort, drive a car.

Or, if you’d prefer to stick to two wheels, and all it would take to make you content is a few more creature com-forts than the 2011 Aurora Elite provides, the 2012 version will sport a different

set of fenders, cupped for full coverage with adjustable stays and mudflaps, and return to the traditional Shimano 105 triple (50/39/30) — but with a 12-30 cas-sette and Dura-Ace bar-end shifters.

You’ll have to wait until October 2011, though. And by then you may be think-ing more about hut trips than road trips.

Patrick O’Grady has written and cartooned about cycling since 1989 for VeloNews, Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, and a variety of other publications. The number of bikes in his Colorado garage is an exact match for the number of voices in his head.


marketplace Marketplace ads start at $195 per issue. For rate information, please please contact Rick Bruner. Phone/fax: (509) 493-4930, Email: [email protected].


ADVENTURES

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DURHAM 6/25 • NASHVILLE 7/9 • CHICAGO 7/16

MINNEAPOLIS 7/23 • MILWAUKEE 7/30

BOISE 8/20 • FORT COLLINS 9/3 • DENVER 9/10

SAN FRANCISCO 9/24 • SAN DIEGO 10/1

LOS ANGELES 10/8 • TEMPE 10/15 • AUSTIN 10/22

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DURHAM 6/25 • NASHVILLE 7/9 • CHICAGO 7/16

MINNEAPOLIS 7/23 • MILWAUKEE 7/30

BOISE 8/20 • FORT COLLINS 9/3 • DENVER 9/10

SAN FRANCISCO 9/24 • SAN DIEGO 10/1

LOS ANGELES 10/8 • TEMPE 10/15 • AUSTIN 10/22

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waypoints 8 open road gallery 31 32 cy adventureclist · go the distance. june 2011 $4.95 waypoints...

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