www.BicycleTraveler.nl - September 2011
BicycleTraveler International Magazine on Bicycle Touring
Extrawheel
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Crossing borders
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September 2011 Tibet photo story -
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Small town America
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Contents
BicycleTraveler Stories 06
Riding High In The Dolomites
09
The Hungry Cyclist
20
Crossing Borders & Magic Letters
25
Small Town America
By Zoa and Fin By Helen Lloyd
By Peter Gostelow By Friedel Grant
Photography 10
Photo Story - Tibet
30
Images From The Road - Kyrgyzstan & Scotland
34
Parting Shot - Peru
By Nathalie Pellegrinelli
By Dennis Koomen & Paul Jeurissen By Daisuke Nakanishi
Equipment 16
Trip Gear
18
Test Extrawheel
By Grace Johnson By Tom Allen
Interview 26
Eric Attwell - Cycling Africa In The 1930’s By Claude Marthaler
Column 33
God Bless The Sinners By Loretta Henderson
Cover photo: Rick Galezowski www.backintheworld.com Photo left: Nathalie Pellegrinelli
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From the editor
B
icycle Traveler magazine is my attempt at bringing some of the best bicycle touring photography and stories together in a magazine format. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed putting it together. A big thanks goes out to all of the contributors who gave permission to reprint their stories and pictures. You can visit their websites by clicking on the url in their article bio’s.
Contact info@bicycletraveler.nl Copyright Bicycle Traveler is copyright Grace Johnson All material has been used with permission and is copyright original sources. Disclaimer The articles published reflect the opinions of their respective authors and are not necessarily those of the editor.
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Contributors Rick & Maggie Back in the World Zoa & Fin Cycling Gypsies Helen Lloyd Helen’s Take on Nathalie Pellegrinelli Nathalie flickr Tom Allen Tom’s Bike Trip Peter Gostelow Big Africa Cycle Friedel & Andrew Travelling Two Claude Marthaler Yaksite Dennis & Marijcke Toko op Fietsvakantie Paul Jeurissen Paul Jeurissen Loretta Henderson Skalatitude Daisuke Nakanishi Daisuke Bike
Photos Paul Jeurissen
Grace Johnson
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Riding high in the
Dolomites
The Cycling Gypsies pedal over Italy’s Passo Giau with the help of their dogs Paco and Jack. Story & Photos: Zoa & Fin
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W
e pedaled higher and deeper into the mountains until the sweat trickling down our faces gave off an icy chill. Beside our bikes our two furry companions were trotting at full attention. Noses were twitching, tails were raised proudly, and their eyes were darting from side to side looking for the first glimpse of movement. Something juicy was lurking within the steep banks of pine forest either side of us. It was May in the majestic peaks of the Italian Dolomites and a fresh one metre dump of snow was made all the more beautiful by a string of sunny days that had turned the sky into a deep blue canvas. It was cycling heaven, or at least our version of it. A tranquil mountain back-road, abundant nature and With a blur and a crackling of branches a family of deer were nimbly navigating through trunk and snow. Our wannabe hunting dog Paco let out a yelp and a trot burst into a sprint. Fortunately he was attached to the side of my overloaded bike via a harness and lead, and his exuberance was helping to propel me up the mountain. As we climbed higher the snow thickened and the trees thinned. The road grades turned from unrelenting, to punishing, to downright masochistic. “Breath-taking? I’ll give you breath-taking”, the mountains sniggered. During our time cycling through Italy, Jack, our fluffy Husky/Retriever/Collie/
Grizzly Bear cross, had attained something of minor celebrity status. Narrow cobblestoned streets would often become congested with bottlenecks of admirers with the cries of “Ciao bello! Ciao bello!”
Above: A dog and his trailer Opposite page: Cycling up Passo Giau Below: Bicycle services along the Drau River
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Below: The fully loaded touring bike Bottom: View of the Dolomite Mountains
So it was no surprise that as we neared the top of the pass we heard someone whistling by the side of the road. Only this time there were no Italians in sight, just a lone marmot standing up on its hind legs letting his friends know that the circus had come to town. Our dogs had become used to boring old cows and had learned to tolerate sheep, but marmots!? This was too much… Paco’s desperate sprint resumed while Jack quickened to a hurried lumber. With the help of the marmots
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we made it to the top of the 29 hairpin turns exhausted, exhilarated and ready for a catnap. But it was time for the dogs to put up their paws and enjoy the wind in their fur. It was time for gravity to do its thing. Whooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!! The north face of the mountain was simply awe inspiring. As I flashed by a group of cross country skiers packing up their car I honked my rubber ducky style horn and waved. Before I knew it I was already past them bending around the next hairpin turn. We stopped half way down the mountain to let our brakes cool down, when a car pulled over to the side of the road. It was the skiers wondering if we’d like to join them for lunch. Hmmm… a home cooked Italian feast with wine and fresh pasta? Let me think for a minute… BT You can read more stories from Zoa and Fin’s travels and check out their children’s picture book series “The Dog Detectives” at: http://cyclinggypsies.wordpress.com
The
N
Hungry cyclist By Helen Lloyd
earing the small town of Khorixas (South Africa) after an increasingly hot long day on the road, I smell food. Really good food. Meat. A barbeque. There are two bakkies parked by the roadside. Smoke is rising from behind. I slow down. A white face peers out from behind one truck and waves hello. I wave back. Cycle over. “That smells really good,” I say. Already salivating. This introduction is the slightly subtler version of the uninvited guest. What more can be said but, “Would you like to join us for some kebabs?” And what more can I say but, “Yes please”, already licking my lips in anticipation. Hungry cyclists are the scourge of the roadside picnickers. Not baboons or hyenas. Sorry guys. Two kebabs, a rack of ribs and a drink later, I hit the road again, fully satiated. The kind guys from Grootfontein pack up too and continue their return journey from a fishing trip on the Skeleton Coast. I suspect they stopped again further down the road and restarted the bbq, without the hungry cyclist. BT
Paul Jeurissen
“The beer map of Africa” and other trip reports from Helen Lloyd’s journey England South Africa can be found on: http://helenstakeon.com.
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Trip Gear
Equipment
A cross-section of equipment for bicycle travelers 3-Pound, 3-Man Tent
At just 3 pounds packed up, Easton’s new 3P tent is very light when you consider that it offers cyclists 43 square feet of floor space. It will be available in 2012. Price: U.S. $499 http://eastonmountainproducts.com
Purity Water Bottle
The Specialized purist water bottle tastes like drinking from a glass. Specialized has achieved this by infusing the bottle with silicon dioxide which forms a protective barrier that prevents odors, stains, and mold from attaching to the inside surface. After the infusion the bottle remains flexible for easier drinking. Price: U.S. $10 www.specializedwaterbottles.com/purist
Leightweight Pocketknife
The newest pocketknife from French knifemaker Baladeo weighs just 22 grams. The stainless steel knife unfolds to a length of 6,7 inches. Price: U.S. $30 www.baldeo.com
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Expedition Tire
At Eurobike 2011 Schwalbe announced that the new Marathon Mondial tire is the successor to the Marathon XR, a touring tire used by many expedition cyclists. Hopefully the Marathon Mondial will prove just as durable and puncture resistant as the Marathon XR. Price: not yet determined www.schwalbetires.com
Titanium Spork
The Optimus Titanium Spork is for the truly weight conscious. It combines a spoon and fork into one single lightweight utensil. The spork weighs 17 grams and is 6.5� long. Price: U.S. $9.95 www.optimusstoves.com
Jacket & Vest
CRAFT introduced at Eurobike the Bike Featherlight Vest and Jacket. They beat cool breezes, compress small and are made from a windproof polyester fabric that weighs only 37 g/m2. Price: not yet determined www.craft.se
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Image the
from
Road
Kyrgyzstan
Dennis Koomen www.toko-op-fietsvakantie.nl
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Photography
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Parting shot
Daisuke Nakanishi www.daisukebike.be
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