Welcome to February’s bike touring newsletter.
The biggest news of the month is that we are now proud parents. To our eyes, little Luke is the sweetest baby that was ever born. We are so happy to have him in our lives.
In some ways, it seems silly to be writing about bike touring after such a life-changing event. If we’re being truthful, we wrote most of this newsletter in January! The March newsletter might be a little more chaotic to put together, and quite possibly late. We hope you’ll forgive us for that.
Recent Posts
- 20 Tips For Bike Touring In The Netherlands – Our latest free eBook!
- What Will A Bike Tour Cost? – Our new budgeting section.
- SON Dynamo Hub – A few thoughts on this nifty hub, after a year of generating our own pedal power.
- New Bike Path For Kyrgyzstan – Rough and adventurous Kyrgyzstan might soon have its own paved bike path.
- Aussies Cycling The Baltic – We loved this video, full of bike touring tips from a trip around the Baltic.
Gear We Love – Chariot Cougar 1
We’re pleased as punch that bike trailer company Chariot agreed to sponsor our family bike tours with a Chariot Cougar 1 trailer.
As soon as little Luke is old enough, this is how we’ll be taking him along on our bicycle adventures.
We decided on the Cougar 1 because we talked to many other bike touring families, and this trailer (along with its higher-end cousin the Chariot CX) came up repeatedly as one of the best on the market.
It’s too early for us to give a complete review but first impressions are positive. It was easy to assemble, folds down for compact storage and converts quickly from bike trailer to stroller.
Watch the blog later for a full review, after we’ve had a chance to see how Luke likes it.
Tip Of The Month – How To Pack Your Bike
Of all the posts on our website, some of the most popular are about packing your bike for a flight and bags versus boxes.
So when a reader emailed us a link to unique ideas for flying with a bicycle on the World Randonneur website, we knew we had to share. It has tips on:
- The standard way to pack a bike
- Where to stash a box while touring
- What to do when you can’t find a box
We particularly enjoyed the picture that showed a bike wrapped in a combination of bathmats and rope. A final picture shows how all of this was held together with plastic wrap.
The main message? Be creative if you can’t find a box! You’ll get there in the end.
P.S. We also enjoyed this blog post on Flying With A Bike from Jen & Jeff.
Featured Bike Tourist – Laura & Paddy
Laura and Paddy are cycling 15,000 miles around South America, and sharing their adventures on their PedallingAbout website.
“Why are we doing it? There are lots of reasons. A desire to see more of the world, to have an adventure, to push ourselves and to escape the daily routine are all high up on the list. The fact that we both turn 30 whilst we are away and wanted a different way to celebrate was another excuse.”
They’re sharing great photos and daily blog entries, as well as a series of gear reviews on things like the popular Brooks B-17 saddle, their Thorn Nomad bicycles and Ortlieb panniers.
“Most cyclists we have met cycling around South America are using Ortlieb bags. They come with a fantastic reputation and quite rightly so. In the past we have tried cheaper products, but often ended up with wet kit, so splashed out on the Ortliebs and haven’t looked back.”
Follow their adventures on the PedallingAbout website.
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