June 2011 Bike Touring Newsletter

The bike touring season is in full swing here in Holland.

In the last few weeks, we’ve hosted several cyclists, including Rik & Paula and Jim & Sandra – both Australian couples who are taking a year off to see the world by bicycle.

Our summer bike tour is still a few weeks away but in the meantime we’re working on an exciting project: refurbishing our Robin Mather steel touring bikes.

The first step is to get them painted. Then we’ll decide on which accessories to add. Maybe some shiny metal fenders and drop handlebars (although we’re not sure if drops will look silly with Friedel’s step-through frame). It’s fun to dream, and as soon as the bikes get a fresh paint job, we’ll start adding the little extras to make them beautiful.

Recent Posts

Here are all the newest posts on the blog:

Tip Of The Month – Pipe Insulation To Protect Bike Frames

Bike InsulationWhen packing your bike for a trip on a plane, train or bus, of course you want to protect the frame from scratches and dings.

One very easy way to do this is to buy some foam heating pipe insulation at your local hardware store. It has a slit down one side, so it’s easy to fit over the frame and secure with tape.

It’s cheap too. Each strip of insulation (about 1 meter long) only costs a buck or two. With 2 pieces you can easily cover your entire bike frame.

Just make sure you check the diameter of the pipe insulation, and get a size that will fit around your bike frame. If it’s too small, part of the frame will still be exposed.

This technique works well, whether you’re packing your bicycle in a cardboard box or a plastic bag.

Gear We Love – Camelbak Unbottle 70

Camelbak Unbottle 70We just returned from a trip home to Canada, where we were able to retrieve some of the things that have been in storage since we finished our world bike tour. Our Camelbak Unbottle 70 water reservoirs were among the things we brought home to Holland.

These are incredibly sturdy water carriers. They’ve survived 3 years of daily use on our world bike tour and they’re still in really good shape. The protective insulating cover around the plastic water holder helps to keep water cool and protects the plastic from suffering any UV damage.

We have never had a leak with the Camelbak Unbottle 70 water carriers, unlike other water holders which have cracked and become unusable after just a few months.

The wide-mouth opening is also good. It makes filling the reservoir really easy. We didn’t often drink out of the attached tube but we did use the tube to create a makeshift shower when wild camping. Just hang the Camelbak from a tree branch and squeeze the tube to release some water over your head and body.

Mark WatersFeatured Bike Tourists – Mark Waters

Mark works for the Cyclists Touring Club in the UK and runs the very helpful CycleTouring INFormation blog. It’s regularly updated with short snippets of helpful information.

Among the good links and tips on his website in recent months, we’ve discovered new GPS mapping sites‘nature houses’ that offer accomodation in Europe and links to other cyclists on the road.

“The main object of this site is so that I can tell you about stuff almost as soon as I find out about it myself,” says Mark. He encourages you to email your tips to [email protected] (put Ref:Touring Blog in the subject line).

In addition to reading the blog, you can also follow Mark’s updates on Twitter.

***

Like this newsletter? Sign up to get it direct in your mailbox every month.

*100% spam free. May inspire you to quit your job and go cycling.

Comments

  1. bape
    30th June 2022 at 3:40 am #

    I would like to point out my respect for your kind-heartedness giving support to folks that should have assistance with this important subject. Your very own commitment to passing the message around came to be really insightful and have in most cases enabled girls much like me to achieve their objectives. Your own informative useful information means this much a person like me and extremely more to my fellow workers. Thanks a lot; from everyone of us.

  2. kd 12
    30th June 2022 at 3:41 am #

    I wish to express thanks to you for bailing me out of this condition. Because of exploring throughout the internet and seeing tips which were not pleasant, I was thinking my life was gone. Being alive without the presence of approaches to the problems you have resolved by means of your main posting is a serious case, and the ones that would have in a wrong way damaged my career if I had not come across your site. That knowledge and kindness in playing with the whole thing was crucial. I am not sure what I would’ve done if I hadn’t come across such a thing like this. I can at this time look ahead to my future. Thank you very much for the reliable and amazing help. I won’t think twice to endorse your blog to any person who should receive recommendations on this subject matter.

  3. goyard handbags
    30th June 2022 at 3:41 am #

    I simply desired to appreciate you all over again. I am not sure the things that I would have carried out without the actual aspects discussed by you on such theme. It became a real intimidating issue for me, nevertheless being able to view the very specialized approach you dealt with that made me to jump over fulfillment. I am just happier for your information and in addition trust you recognize what a great job that you’re putting in training the mediocre ones using your site. I am certain you haven’t encountered all of us.

  4. kyrie 5 spongebob
    8th July 2022 at 12:12 pm #

    My spouse and i were really joyful when Louis could carry out his investigations from the ideas he had in your blog. It’s not at all simplistic to just possibly be handing out tips which usually a number of people could have been trying to sell. We take into account we have got the writer to appreciate because of that. All the illustrations you’ve made, the straightforward site navigation, the friendships you can give support to engender – it’s mostly terrific, and it is helping our son in addition to the family reason why that issue is amusing, and that’s pretty fundamental. Thank you for everything!

  5. kobe
    4th August 2022 at 11:34 am #

    I precisely desired to appreciate you again. I am not sure what I could possibly have achieved in the absence of those creative ideas provided by you directly on such industry. It had been a very depressing setting in my circumstances, but noticing the specialised technique you treated that took me to jump for fulfillment. I am just grateful for this help and in addition believe you realize what a powerful job you’re undertaking teaching people today via a site. Most probably you’ve never met any of us.

  6. off white outlet
    4th August 2022 at 11:41 am #

    I simply wanted to make a brief message to be able to say thanks to you for those great recommendations you are giving on this site. My rather long internet search has at the end been rewarded with reputable points to exchange with my classmates and friends. I would assume that we readers are really blessed to exist in a wonderful place with many marvellous people with valuable methods. I feel somewhat privileged to have discovered your webpages and look forward to many more excellent moments reading here. Thanks once again for all the details.

  7. supreme hoodie
    4th August 2022 at 11:41 am #

    I have to convey my gratitude for your generosity giving support to women who really need help on this important theme. Your personal commitment to passing the message across came to be remarkably helpful and have in most cases made professionals just like me to achieve their objectives. The useful tips and hints denotes a whole lot to me and somewhat more to my fellow workers. Thanks a ton; from everyone of us.

  8. golden goose
    14th August 2022 at 5:13 am #

    I want to show my passion for your kind-heartedness giving support to those people that require help on this topic. Your personal dedication to getting the message across was definitely practical and have continuously empowered others much like me to achieve their aims. The interesting report entails much a person like me and somewhat more to my office workers. Best wishes; from everyone of us.

  9. cheap kd 13
    18th August 2022 at 8:12 am #

    I wish to point out my gratitude for your generosity for men and women that really need assistance with the topic. Your very own dedication to getting the solution all-around has been exceedingly significant and has specifically allowed employees just like me to arrive at their dreams. Your entire informative suggestions means this much a person like me and much more to my office colleagues. Warm regards; from everyone of us.

  10. cheap curry 8
    21st August 2022 at 3:52 am #

    I wanted to draft you the little word so as to say thank you the moment again regarding the spectacular opinions you have shown on this page. It is simply surprisingly generous with people like you to make extensively precisely what a lot of folks might have made available as an electronic book in order to make some money on their own, especially given that you could possibly have tried it if you ever considered necessary. Those tricks additionally acted as a good way to be sure that someone else have similar dream the same as my very own to see somewhat more with regard to this problem. Certainly there are some more pleasant opportunities ahead for individuals who discover your site.

  11. curry 6 shoes
    21st August 2022 at 3:53 am #

    I intended to put you one bit of note to be able to say thank you once again over the magnificent principles you’ve shown in this article. This has been simply remarkably open-handed with you to allow freely just what a lot of folks might have made available as an e-book to generate some bucks on their own, precisely considering the fact that you could have done it if you wanted. Those guidelines additionally served as the easy way to comprehend other people online have the same keenness similar to mine to find out great deal more with regard to this matter. I’m certain there are several more pleasant opportunities in the future for those who examine your site.

  12. a bathing ape
    21st August 2022 at 3:55 am #

    I would like to voice my passion for your kind-heartedness in support of folks that have the need for help on this one theme. Your special commitment to getting the solution all over has been amazingly helpful and has truly empowered guys and women just like me to reach their endeavors. This helpful useful information can mean this much a person like me and somewhat more to my mates. Regards; from everyone of us.

  13. golden goose francy
    19th May 2023 at 7:17 pm #

    I want to voice my admiration for your kind-heartedness for folks that have the need for guidance on in this concern. Your very own commitment to getting the message all over was extremely functional and have really helped regular people much like me to get to their endeavors. This warm and friendly suggestions can mean this much a person like me and further more to my office colleagues. Regards; from all of us.

  14. off white outlet
    12th June 2023 at 4:13 am #

    I needed to send you that very little remark to be able to say thanks yet again for all the spectacular suggestions you have discussed at this time. This is shockingly generous with people like you in giving extensively what many individuals could have supplied as an e-book to help with making some profit for themselves, precisely seeing that you could have done it if you ever considered necessary. Those good ideas in addition worked as a great way to know that most people have the identical zeal just like my very own to figure out a great deal more in respect of this condition. I’m sure there are thousands of more enjoyable situations ahead for individuals that view your website.

Leave a Reply to golden goose francy Click here to cancel reply.