Adventure Cyclist April 2009 by Michael Deme

Wayp oi nts

trave ls with wi lli e

th e fi nal m i le

Adve ntu r e

Cyclist GO THE DISTANCE. APRIL 2009 www.adventurecycling.org $4.95

wheeling and dealing

Buying a Touring Bike PLUS: Bike travel tibet  lowest point in Djibouti

 Adventure cycling's annual Report

2009 BIKE GIVEAWAY

Win an Aurora Elite touring bike from Jamis. You will also get a chance to ride your new bike with us on an Adventure Cycling event in the summer of 2010. We’ll draw a winner every month starting February 15, 2009, for additional prizes from Surly, Pygmy Pack, Cannondale, Arkel, Showers Pass, Old Man Mountain, Ortlieb, MSR, Canari, Detours, and BOB Trailers. Then, on January 15, 2010, we’ll draw the winner for the grand prize bike and tour.

If you are a current member on the respective dates, your name will be included in our 2009 Bike Giveaway drawing. In January we’ll draw a name to win the Jamis touring bike and the ACA tour. DENNIS COELLO

Become a new member or renew your membership now at www.adventurecycling.org. You can also call (800) 755-2453. No purchase necessary. Official rules at www.adventurecycling.org/ membership/2009bikegiveaway.cfm.

Adventure Cycling Association

Adventure Cycling Corporate Members Adventure 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 supporters. 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.

GOLD

BRONZE

www.GuidedCycling.com SILVER

<REDARROWGROUP> www.redarrowgroup.com

2 adventure cyclist april 2009 adventurecycling.org

Web Site Design & Maintenance

nathan ward

Get signed up at www.adventurecycling.org and you’ll be entered in the 2009 Bike Giveaway.

4:2009contents April 2009 · Volume 36 Number 4 · www.adventurecycling.org A dv e n t u r e

Cyclist is 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 subscription to Adventure Cyclist, a copy of the Cyclists’ Yellow Pages, and discounts 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 Cover

Loaded cyclists railing a turn on the Island of Tenerife, Spain. Photo by Norbert Eisele-Hein for Ortlieb Sportartikel, GmbH.

nathan ward

(left) Cycling beneath prayer flags in Tibet.

How to Reach Us

07 18

To join, change your address, or ask questions about your membership call: (800) 755-2453 or (406) 721-1776

ANNUAL REPORT by Ben Ferencz and Adventure Cycling staff Adventure Cycling Association's annual statement of financial operations.

Touring bike BUYER'S GUIDE by John Schubert Our Technical Editor shares his knowledge with Adventure Cyclist's readers.

THE WIND HORSES OF DESIRE by Nathan Ward

the Low Down In djibouti by Jim Malusa

Cycling Tibet: The last in a series of stories from the highest region on Earth.

Everyone wants to ride to the highest points, but this cyclist seeks the lowest instead.

d e pa r t m e n t s

LETTERS

15 companions wanted 16 WAYPOINTS 42 the final mile 44 CLASSIFIEDS/MARKETPLACE 47 OPEN ROAD GALLERY

04 LETTER from the ediTOR 05 LETTERs from the readers 06 LETTER from the direcTOR

email us at: memberships@adventurecycling.org Visit us online at: www.adventurecycling.org Fax us at: (406) 721-8754 Moving? Adventure Cyclist is not forwarded by the post office. Please contact us with your old and new address four weeks in advance so we can get you your next issue on time. Or, you can change your Adventure Cyclist delivery address at www.adventurecycling.org by clicking on UPDATE MEMBER INFO. Subscription Address: Adventure Cycling Association P.O. Box 8308 Missoula, MT 59807 Headquarters: Adventure Cycling Association 150 E. Pine Missoula, MT 59802-4515

C O LUMNS

with willie / Kat Marriner 40 travels Some perspective from Willie's partner adventure cyclist april 2009 adventurecycling.org

Letter from the Editor

A dv e n t u r e

Cyclist

Advice from the man

April 2009 volume 36 number 4

Need help buying a touring bike? Schubert is here

w w w .adventurecycling. org edi t or

michael deme editor@adventurecycling.org D e p u t y edi t or

aaron teasdale ateasdale@adventurecycling.org a r t direc t or

greg siple

t ec h nic a l edi t or

john schubert schubley@aol.com F I E L D edi t or

michael mccoy mmccoy@adventurecycling.org con t rib u t ing w ri t ers

dan d’ambrosio nancy clark willie weir jan heine C o p y E di t or

phyllis picklesimer p roofre a der

charles pengilly a dver t ising direc t or

kevin condit 406.549.9900 kcondit@adventurecycling.org STA FF e x ec u t ive direc t or

jim sayer jsayer@adventurecycling.org c h ief o p er at ions officer

sheila snyder, cpa

m e m bers h i p & D evelo p m en t

j u l i e h u c k j u l i e e m n e t t amy corbin holly armstrong joshua tack m edi a

winona sorensen michael mccoy p u blic at ions

michael deme greg siple aaron teasdale ben ferencz i t de p a r t m en t

john sieber richard darne t o u rs

rod kramer john weyhrich sarah raz elliot bassett ro u t es a nd m a p p ing

c a r l a m a j e r n i k j e n n i f e r m i l y k o virginia sullivan kevin mcmanigal casey greene s a les a nd m a r k e t ing

teri maloughney c y closo u rce

ted bowman kylie paul office m a n a ger

beth petersen

board of dire ctors p residen t

frank moritz vice p residen t

carol york secre ta r y

anna ginn

t re a s u rer

andy huppert bo a rd m e m bers

andy baur jeff miller

dan hungate jennifer garst

In this issue, we take our yearly crack at helping Adventure Cyclist readers find the partner of their dreams. No, I’m not talking about finding your life-long soul mate of the opposite sex but rather a bicycle that will take you on all the adventures of your dreams, and do so in comfort and style. In 1996 we published our first touring-bike buyer’s guide, “The Touring Bike Lives!” — the title implying that these bikes had collectively been on life support or near extinction. This was smack dab in the middle of the mountain-bike explosion and, without a doubt, the classic touring bike wasn’t on the roster of most bicycle manufacturers. Quite frankly, not much has changed in this regard over the last 14 years, which is why we continue this Adventure Cyclist tradition. The author of that first guide was our inimitable Technical Editor John Schubert, who has penned several since, including the current one in this issue.. When we publish these guides, our chief concern is to provide valuable and useful information; our secondary concern is to present a fresh approach to the material, which is the more difficult part, especially when last year’s guide is still a very useful document in its own right (as are all of the previous versions. They can be reviewed at www.adventurecycling. org/library.) One of my favorite departures from our standard approach was Jan Heine’s “A History of Touring Bicycles,” from the March 2006 issue, which chronicled the rich story of our favorite machine from the 19th century to the present. One great idea that arose from a past guide was conceived by Tom Shaddox

4 adventure cyclist april 2009 adventurecycling.org

in the March 2001 issue where he advocated for the creation of a line of bikes based on the exploits of the legend himself, “Trek names the Greg LeMond racing bikes after places where LeMond had major turning points in his career: Buenos Aires, Zurich, and Alpe d’Huez. How about a Trek line of similarly named Greg Siple touring bikes: Portsmouth, Andes, and Missoula?” Despite the brilliance of this idea, Trek sadly, did not seize the moment. In this year's buyer's guide on page 18, Schubert takes another approach, basically expanding on a concept he often uses in “Cyclesense,” which is to illuminate recent conversations he’s had with Adventure Cyclist readers. We’ve thought for some time that this would be a valuable exercise, especially since these exchanges are rife with valuable and useful information (priority one). It just doesn’t make sense that only one person at a time should benefit from John’s vast reservoir of knowledge when all of our reader’s can. You may notice that there is no “Cyclesense” in this issue. We figured you're getting enough Schubley for one issue. But don’t worry, John's regular column will return in May. Michael Deme Editor, Adventure Cyclist editor@adventurecycling.org

Letters from our Readers Readers respond to Jerry Soverinsky's story “Paws for Concern”

Slick as a Whistle I’m sure there are almost as many solutions to charging dogs as there are cyclists! Reading “Paws for Concern” in the February 2009 issue spurred me to share my method, which is quite unique and can be used by almost everyone with no equipment. It’s straight from Henry David Thoreau, “When a dog runs at you, whistle for him.” When you issue a typical looping “come here” type whistle, the dog stops, his ears come forward and a really confused look contorts his face — ”Hey, I’m supposed to be chasing this thing and now she’s whistling to me, what gives?” and by then, you’re gone. It’s amazingly effective; on a 5,000-plus mile, cross-country trip with dozens of charging dogs, this method failed only once — and that was with a dachshund! Virginia de Lima West Hartford, Connecticut The Pooch on the Porch Jerry Soverinsky’s piece about dogs and cycling brings to mind a dog I made acquaintance with about 20 years ago. A route I frequently took when cycling to work went past a farmhouse in rural Rochester, Minnesota, and a resident at that farmhouse was an uncommon dog. He would stand on the porch of the farmhouse, high up on a hill, watching for me,

and when I appeared would begin his pursuit. The road was generally downhill, but had a small peak just at the far edge of the farm yard, and it was a race to see who could reach that point first. If I wasn’t loafing, coming down the hill, I usually had enough momentum to carry me up to the peak and stay ahead of him, but on the occasional day when he “caught” me he was quite content to just run along in the ditch beside me, never acting in a threatening manner, and never creating a collision hazard. This went on for three or four summers, but then I noticed he was just coming down to the edge of the yard and making a token effort at chasing. The next year he stood on the porch and barked, and after that I didn’t see him. I don’t go that way very often anymore, but when I do I always toss a salute in his direction. Daniel R. Hicks Byron, Minnesota Dog Day Afternoons Last year my wife, Sari, and I retired and celebrated by biking across the U.S. and back. Starting in Philadelphia, we made a 9,000-mile loop that included two thirds of the Southern Tier, most of the Pacific Coast, and all the Lewis & Clark Adventure Cycling routes. Our route, pictures, and narrative is posted at http://

P y g m y p r o d u c t s ...

pat.steuber.com. When we left, we were very worried about the dogs and larger animals we might meet along the way. In the south, it seemed that every yard had several loose dogs. We were on a tandem towing a trailer with a total of 132 pounds of gear, so outrunning dogs was not an option. Although we had a small supply of pepper spray, I don’t think my wife would spray anything smaller than a bear. When the first dog came charging at us and almost in front of an oncoming car, Sari yelled “Stop!” Miraculously, it did. This worked on the next dog, too. Yelling “Stop” or “No” or “Go Back” kept the dogs at bay for the entire trip. Happily, there was never the opportunity to try the technique on bears, moose, or other wild animals. Pat Steuber Springfield, Pennsylvania

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 editor@ adventurecycling.org or mail to Editor, Adventure Cyclist, P.O. Box 8308, Missoula, MT 59807.

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adventure cyclist april 2009 adventurecycling.org

Dennis Coello / BRAG 2008

Letter from the Director

SPRING SNAPSHOTS Generosity, great news, and Adventure Cycling rides usher in the cycling season

I just got back from the National Bike Summit in Washington, DC and despite the steady stream of challenging national news, I feel pretty good. Of course, one reason is that I’m basking in a pool of sunshine – yes,

Amazing members, new routes, and new tour features highlight what's happening in 2009

Jim (right) with Representative Earl Blumenauer, one of bicycling's best friends in Congress, at the Narional Bike Summit.

continue to be incredibly supportive, providing generous donations for our work on routes and maps, outreach, advocacy, and establishing the U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS). I even got a jaw-dropping email from a member in Florida who apologized to me. He had pledged to donate last year but he and his wife lost their jobs. He’s working hard to get another job and promised that as soon as he’s working again, he’ll send a donation, which is of the “utmost priority.” Wow. All I can humbly say is that we at Adventure Cycling appreciate everything our members do for us. Thanks to all of you who support bike travel through your memberships and contributions. The good news is that your support is translating into fantastic results. We are cranking on the new Sierra Cascades route and updates of existing maps (28 so far), and are working overtime to keep up with demand for information about the USBRS. Already, 23 states have contacted us about getting involved and we had great meetings in Virginia and Washington, DC on East Coast routes.

6 adventure cyclist april 2009 adventurecycling.org

Additionally, we continue our work as part of America Bikes, which just completed its agenda for the new federal transportation bill (www.americabikes. org), an ambitious effort to boost investment in “active transportation” all over America. Finally, the other thing that gets me going is the launch of our tour season. Trips are filling, we just completed the new California Winter Warmer and Southern Arizona supported tours, and the Southern Tier is about to take off! I am really excited about a new partnership we launched with the oldest and one of America’s best organic produce wholesalers (Veritable Vegetables) to provide the produce on many of our western supported tours, such as Farm Fresh, Sierra Sampler, and Oregon Coast and Covered Bridges. Veritable Vegetables is working with our terrific caterer, Kathy Jordan, to provide a higher level of cuisine on a lower-level budget. (Also, in response to rider requests, Kathy has secured eco-friendly, compost-able plates and cutlery made of tapioca.) It’s all part of our commitment to listen, learn, and engage with some of the best members any cycling organization could ever have. Thanks so much for helping us pedal forward and I hope you have a wonderful spring of cycling. Jim Sayer Executive Director jsayer@adventurecycling.org

jonathon maus

spring is coming! But also, I have been overwhelmed by the positive support of our members, the good tidings for cycling nationally, and the launch of our first tours, with several unique new features. Let me start with generosity. Our members

Dennis Coello / BRAG 2008 jonathon maus

Annual Report 2008

adventure cyclistâ&#x20AC;&#x192; april 2009â&#x20AC;&#x192; adventurecycling.org

Cass Gilbert

Dear Adventure Cycling members, This is my last letter to you as President of the Board of Directors, after six years in this role — and I am glad to share plenty of positive news with you. In 2008, we set a number of new records, with more members, more route miles (over 38,000), more maps sold, and more website visitors than ever. Of the many awards we received this last year, there is one that stands out — Outside magazine’s first-ever Best Place to Work award. That award recognizes the mutual supportive working atmosphere we have in Missoula and the excellent staff that has had such a significant role in accomplishing the work we have done and will do in the future. It is a treat for me to acknowledge our staff, so let me also note their receipt of American Trails’ Partnership Award (given to Adventure Cycling and the Center for Minority Health for the creation of the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route) and the Gold Award given to Adventure Cyclist deputy editor, Aaron Teasdale, by the Lowell Thomas Society of American Travel Writers for a story on bike travel in East Africa. Apart from these records and recognition, however, the best thing about 2008 is that we got to provide bike-travel inspiration, information, and experiences to tens of thousands of people. We took a small band of teenagers from the Bronx on their first bike expedition, along the Ohio segment of the Underground Railroad route. (“This trip was life-changing,” said 17-year-old Veraluz DeLeon.) We enabled Mike Freed and his daughter Caroline to do a self-contained trip from Michigan to his boyhood home in Vermont. (“When you publish stories, and sell touring gear, and create maps, you constantly encourage a lot of us ‘chickens’ to try to make memories that we would probably never attempt without your help,” he wrote.) And we gave Ryan Conaughty the tools he needed to ride across the U.S. on the TransAm Trail. (“I couldn’t have become the person I am without Adventure Cycling.”) Beyond these individual stories, we were pivotal this year in growing the bicycling movement in America. In particular, we played a major role in shaping and winning approval of a national corridor plan for an official, signed U.S. Bicycle Route System, a role that involved collaborating with many federal and state agencies and non-profits. Now we're hard at work helping to implement this vision to create what could become the largest official bicycle route network in the world. Thank you for your support, which has made all of the advances in bicycle travel possible and enables us to continue enriching lives and communities. We appreciate your generosity — and I appreciate your allowing me to serve as President of Adventure Cycling these last six years. Thank you and happy cycling in 2009 and always.

Dan P. Hungate

President of the Board of Directors

8 adventure cyclist april 2009 adventurecycling.org

Adventure Cycling Association is North America’s largest non-profit bicycling membership organization. Our mission is to inspire people of all ages to travel by bicycle for fitness, fun, and self-discovery. We enrich lives and connect communities by creating state-of-the-art bike routes and maps, leading unique bike tours, publishing the award-winning Adventure Cyclist magazine, working on important projects such as the U.S. Bicycle Route System and outreach to young people, testing and selling bike-travel gear, and providing bicycle-travel information. The proceeds from our tours, sales, memberships, and other fundraising efforts are used for our nonprofit initiatives to promote and improve cycling and bicycle travel in the U.S. and beyond. In 2008, we pursued three strategic campaigns: create bike routes for the nation, get more people traveling by bicycle, and support bicycling communities.

Creating Bike Routes for the Nation New Routes and Maps

– In 2008 we expanded the Adventure Cycling Route Network to 38,158 total miles; the largest designated national bike network anywhere in the world (and the equivalent mileage of riding one-and-a-half times around the planet!). – We published the new 870-mile Washington Parks Route map set, which captures the amazing diversity of Washington State, from the Pacific Ocean and Puget Sound in theWest, to the fertile orchards of the central Columbia Valley. The route also encircles the gorgeous Olympic Peninsula. – We concluded research for our next major route — the 2,750-mile Sierra Cascades Route — that parallels the Pacific Crest. We will publish the maps of this paved route in early 2010. These maps will be developed using Geographic Information System (GIS) software

donated by ESRI — the first time any Adventure Cycling map has been produced from scratch using GIS software. In fact, with member support, we hired two terrific cartographers with GIS experience: Kevin McManigal and Casey Greene. Existing Routes

– While creating new routes, we didn’t forget to keep our many classic routes up-to-date. We revised and reprinted 38 map sections (out of 87 total sections), using GIS production techniques on one of these updates for the first time, the Great Parks South Section 1 map. This intensive conversion process — which will eventually be applied to all of our maps — will allow Adventure Cycling maps to be georeferenced and updated more quickly and thoroughly.

Get more people traveling by bicycle Membership

– 2008 marked an all-time high with 44,489 members, including 7,011 new members, and 31 new Life Members. 1,000 members hailed from 46 countries outside the U.S., from Austria to Venezuela. We added over 30 new shop memberships (now 210 strong), while our 125 member clubs served over 57,000 individual members. Outreach and Education

– We organized a first-ever youth tour on the Ohio portion of the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route for the Bronx (NY) Lab School.

LOCATOR BOX

Jason George

BI-DIRECTIONAL NARRATIVES

– Volunteer ambassadors presented Adventure Cycling information at dozens of public gatherings and staff made presentations at conferences from the National Bike Summit to the Pro-Walk/Pro-Bike Conference in Seattle, and at the Association for Outdoor Recreation Educators and the Association of Experiential Educators. – We met with many members throughout the U.S., at member gatherings from Mobile, Alabama to New York City. In Missoula, we welcomed over 800 visiting cyclists to our world headquarters. – We provided free maps to charitableMATCHLINES organizations sponsoring bike tours, and we presented four national bicycle-travel awards to: the SERVICE SYMBOLS

In 2008, Adventure Cycling served tens of thousands of cyclists with routes, maps, information, advocacy, and more.

Adventure Cycling grew and updated our route network to 38,158 miles, with a new map set in Washington State and 38 revised map sections.

adventure cyclist april 2009 adventurecycling.org

Get more people traveling by bicycle (continued) First Baptist Church of Sebree, Kentucky; Lorain County Heritage in Amherst, Ohio; Continental Bike Shop in Hazel Park, Michigan; and Fred Hiltz in Shelburne, Vermont. Publications

– We published nine issues of Adventure Cyclist magazine. Deputy editor Aaron Teasdale was awarded a gold medal from the prestigious Lowell Thomas Society of Travel Journalism. – We created the 29th edition of the Cyclist’s Yellow Pages, four Cyclosource catalogs, a beautiful tours catalog, and dozens of other important Adventure Cycling documents and publications. Media

–O utside Magazine named Adventure Cycling one of its 2008 Best Places to Work. – We were at the center of coverage of the growth of bike travel and gasfree vacations, including stories in the New York Times, Newsweek, USA Today, and Bicycle Retailer and Industry News. – The U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS) was covered in the New York Times, Bicycling, and an in-depth AP story that ran internationally, including in USA Today, Washington Post, San Jose Mercury News, Denver Post, Burlington Free Press, Baltimore Sun, CBS.com, MSNBC. com, The Canadian Press, and even the Jakarta Post! – Adventure Cycling routes and activities netted headlines in the Seattle Times, Chicago Sun-Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, Dallas Morning News, NewWest.net, MTBR.com, and many local papers. – The Underground Railroad Bicycle Route inspired coverage in the Philadelphia Inquirer, National Geographic’s Intelligent Travel blog, the Itawamba History Review, Bike Radar, and American Trails magazine. – The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route got big exposure in an Outside story on the gritty, tougher-than-nails Great Divide Race. 2008 was

the 10th anniversary of this storied route, covered by Dirt Rag and other publications. – We published 24 editions of our popular e-newsletter, Bike Bits, (now reaching nearly 37,000 subscribers), launched a YouTube channel, and established a presence on Facebook and MySpace. Marketing

– In 2008 we conducted our first annual member survey and reached more people than ever with a Google AdWords grant. – Our 2008 Bike Giveaway program partnered with Surly Bikes and product manufacturers including Arkel, BOB, Cannondale, Detours, Old Man Mountain, Ortlieb, Pygmy Pack, and Showers Pass. – We increased our web promotions, working with Team Estrogen, DirtRag.com, Pedaling.com, and BicyclingWorld.com. We also sent over 237,000 shop display cards on bike travel to 2,248 bike shops and REI stores across the U.S. Tours

– In 2008, 940 riders traveled with Adventure Cycling, participating in 33 tours and classes. Together they pedaled more than 630,000 miles! – We continued our classic rides and launched seven new tours in new locations, from the Gold Country of Alaska and the Yukon, to the coastal mountains east of San Diego, and the shores of the Great Lakes. Sales

– We sold and donated a record number of 31,225 maps to members, non-members, and fundraising efforts — 2,500 more maps than in 2007. We responded to 11,045 orders for bike-travel gear and maps — our highest number ever — up 512 orders over 2007. We also started updating the online store, where you will now find in-depth product descriptions, images, and a user comment section.

Support Bicycling Communities 2008 was a breakthrough year for Adventure Cycling’s efforts to promote cycling nationally and to develop safer, more comfortable places to ride. U.S. Bicycle Route System: In October, after four years of hard work, the influential American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) approved a National Corridor Plan for an official U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS). Adventure

Cycling was the lead partner in developing the corridor plan, providing organizing and cartographic services. Our staff even designed a striking new logo for the USBRS, which could become the largest official cycling network in the world. (Adventure Cycling’s network is the largest “unofficial” route system, to our knowledge.) Upon approval of the plan, Adventure Cycling began work with a

2008 images of cyclists coming through Missoula and captured in the Open Road Gallery by Greg Siple

Eric and Jenna Wang (NV), Idaho – Shared a tandem father-daughter adventure in Lewiston, ID, complete with butterfly net.

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Sean Claughton (OR), Oregon to Maine – Claimed that pants were the most unusual object he carried, adding, “Woopty-Woop, Life is great.”

Support Bicycling Communities (continued) national task force on implementing the system. Already, we have connected with 23 states that are interested in establishing interstate routes to connect urban, suburban, and rural areas. The project also triggered an exciting new process to develop clearer and more contemporary bike-route signage for the nation. National Cycling Advocacy: At

the national level, Adventure Cycling played a lead role in hiring a new campaign director for

America Bikes, the national coalition that supports better federal policies, programs, and funding for cycling. At the end of 2008, we worked on the America Bikes platform to improve the federal transportation authorization, which will be up for renewal by late 2009. Adventure Cycling also sponsored the National Bike Summit and supported important legislation, including the Bike Commuter Benefits Act, which was finally approved by Congress.

our incredible supporters Our financial supporters really make the difference! In 2008, we raised $364,667 from donations. This included $53,000 in grants from Bikes Belong, Channel Islands Bicycle Club, ESRI, Henry Family Foundation, Lazar Foundation, New Belgium Brewing, and REI.

Donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations support advocacy and education projects at Adventure Cycling, including the development of an official U.S. Bicycle Route System, the creation of new bike routes, the maintenance of map information for our established routes, and the promotion of youth bike-travel resources.

Adventure Cycling donors Special Recognition Anonymous • Knickerbikers of San Diego • James & Janice Down • Dan Hungate • Michael Morency Thomas Stevens Society $1000 to $2499 Anonymous • Sarah & David Apple • Peter Bower • Randy Brodersen • Jan & Ron Brunk • Glacier Cyclery • Alan Cannon Family • Chattanooga Bicycle Club • Marc Clark • Matthew Cohn • Marc Currie • John Emory • Todd Gardner • Andrew Gilligan • Anna Ginn • John Hanes • Max Horn • Andrew Janz • Don Jenkins • Margaret Jones • Amy Kristoff • Hugh McKinnon • Howard Metzenberg • Jeffrey Miller • Minneapolis Foundation • Frank Moritz • Jim Musante • Melissa & David Norton • TeamEstrogen.com • James Pritzker • Sean & Sandra Sweeney • Tawani Foundation • Dan & Lora VanEpp • Steven & Carolyn Vonderfecht • Fillmore & Sharon Wood Leaders $500-$999 Anonymous • Robert Allen • Jody Auldridge • Peter Backman • Polly Bavo • Dorothy Borders Family • Gary Botto • Jeffrey & Mary Brown • Harry Brull & Myra Barrett • Lamonte Burt • David Childers • Patricia Daniels • John Dohner • Dan Fender • Michael Freed • John Gardner • B. Charles Graham • James Grieshop • Robert Gubler • Blue (John) Hannon • Ray Hanson • Joyce Hounsell • Cammie Howard Family • HewlettPackard • Andy Huppert • Bruce & Kate Johnson • Michael Johnson & Carol Bessey • Brendan Kirby Family • Jacob Kirkman • Edward Kleinbard Family • John Knight Family • Bill Lurton • Jack Lyford • Celeste Matarazzo • Linda Matson • Mountain Man Events • Tim Oberle • Daniel Peterson • John Preston • Christopher Puin • Terry Reed • William Reimert • Christopher & Kathy Robertson • Nick Schulte • The Spoke Shop • Roy Weil & Mary Shaw Freewheelers $250-$499 Anonymous • Betsy Adams • Ken & Vickie Adams • Russ & Carol Atha • Phillip Babcock • Karen & Jim Badgley • Arthur Bartlett • Dennis Barwick • David Black • Leslie Boswell & J. McGuire • David Bowman • Terry Bradley • William Branstrup • Kevin Brunk • Alan Bubna • Cactus Cycling Club of Tucson, Inc • James Caldwell • Jane & Douglas Carvell • Joyce Casey • Kenneth Chisholm • John Cibinic • Jonathan & Patricia Claman • Richard

Illini 4000 for Cancer 2008 Team (IL), New York to Seattle – Raised a whopping $50,000 for The American Cancer Society and $500 for Camp Kesem.

& Marilyn Clothier • Alan Cole • Colorado HeartCycle • William Coulter • Harold Cranston • Lori Crouch Family • Gay Crowley • Dennis Crumpler • Suanne Davendonis • Hilary Davis • Buzz Dean • Jacques Devaud • Fred Devlin • Melvin Dick • Michael Dreiling • Kristin Dyer & Eric Lechner • Dianne Edgar • David & Carol Eibling • Anthony Fischer Family • Hedy Fischer • Pamela Fischer • Tom Fortmann • Lee Francis & Michelle Gittler • Anita Frijhoff • Michael Fuhrman • Ross Glasgow • Joe Golden • Kevin & Kim Gordon • William Goshorn • Kyle Graham • Marc Grossman • Allen Hancock • Peter Harkness • Jonathan Heaton • Karen Herold • Paul Hicock & Sue Pitts • Alan Higginson • Chris Homeyer • Carol Horner • Diane Houslanger • Julie Huck • Richard Hughes • Marvin Jepsen • Dale Johnson • Greg Kaiser • Judith King & Jackie Helleis • John Klingenstein • John Kludt • Kurt Koerth • Doug La Porte • Lancaster Bicycle Club • Judine Leonhart • Jean Marie Linhart • Raymond Luna Family • Robert Madsen • Teri Maloughney • Terence & Marion Martin • Shelia Martin Family • Kate McDonald • Robert Mendelson • Elwynn Miller • Thomas Miller • Frank & Deena Mitchell • Joff Morgan • Kathleen Morgan • Phillip Mumford • Judy & Mike Murphy • Lisa Nemeroff • James Nolt • John Olson • Larry O’Reilly • James Parris • Richard Pasiwit • Jeffrey Penta • Roberto & Dalia Perelman • Don Pettit Family • Carol Prahinski • Martha Richards • Bruce Richbourg • Charles Ridings • Richard Rogers & Julie Caswell • Ken Rosebrook • John Rothhaar • William & Catherine Ruhling • Sacramento Bike Hikers • Michael Schmidt • Gary Schnitkey • Bruce & Lenora Schuchert • John Scibek • Janet SeGall • Richard Slaymaker • Kent Smith • Shelby Smith • Sheila Snyder • Sockeye Cycle Company • Leonard Stegman • Debby Stein Sharpe Family • Christine & Howard Stocker • Porter Storey • Paul Stueck • Robert Sutherland • John Swanson • Jim Tobias • Roger & Jean Truitt • Tri-City Bicycle Club • The Tuesday Mt Lemmon Riders • Connie Van der Eb • Jonathan Vanhaste • Catherine Walker & David Fuqua • Hugh & Donna Wallace • Steven Wallaert • Wally Werner • Peggy Werns • Steven Whalen • Juliette Wheeler • Joseph Willman Family • Dean Wilson • Ken Ziejewski & Sara Vegh Corporate Members Gold: GuidedCycling.com • Pedal The Planet • Saris Cycling Group • TeamEstrogen. com • Terry Precision Cycling Silver: Bike Friday • Cascade Huts • Clientek • Jacob North Companies • Safe Bicycling Innovations Inc Bronze: Anderson ZurMuehlen & Co.

Evan Pack (WI), Wisconsin to “South…Far South” – “I love meeting other cyclists on the road. Everyone has an interesting story to tell.”

adventure cyclist april 2009 adventurecycling.org

Adventure Cycling donors (continued) PC • CornerStone Marketing • DeLorme • ESRI • Gateway Printing • National Bicycle Dealers Assn • Planet Bike • Red Arrow Group • Rocky Mountain Business Products New Life Members Michael Abrams • John Baross • Kevin Baross • Alan Cannon Family • Thyce Colyn • Peggy da Silva • Bruce Dwyer • Fred Earnest • Susan Elliott Bryan • W. Fetterley • Jean Fraser • Martin Helgerson • Annette & Jon Henry • Kerry & Mary Irons • Kurt Koerth • Linda Martinez Family • Viki Marugg • Bill McGlynn & Julie England • Howard Metzenberg • Celeste Miller • Evan Minard • Marianne Mulrey & John Lacy • Monica Pepple • Mike Samuelson • William & Jennifer Skerrett • Mary Sugden • William Tucker & Diane Fisher • Adam Watkins • Fillmore & Sharon Wood • Cyndy Youker • Beryl Zimberoff Benefactor Members Kevin Adams • Sara Allgood • Aaron Angel • Russ & Carol Atha • Veronica Benson • Elwyn Berlekamp • David Bowman • Susan Brierley Family • Kevin Brunk • Paul Butler • John Carter • Richard & Marilyn Clothier • Dick Coffey • Alan Cole • William Cook • Ron Core • Jon Curtis • Chris Davis • James DeVoe • Roger Dubois • Travis Dye & Megan Ashton • Celeste Dzialo Family • Karl Eggers • Basil & Claudia Fett • Brian Frank • John Hanes • Elizabeth Hepburn Family • Jim Holland • Gregg Hunter • Susan & Stephen Immelt • Peter Janick • Harold Kamins • Tom & Amy Kauffman • Gib & Diane Kerr • Bruce King • Andre Louis • Terence & Marion Martin • Clark Martinson • Richard & Karla McCluskey • Charles McGinley • Richard Mott • Darin & Liz Neill • Christine Newman • Peter O`Keeffe • John Overton • J. Paul Oxer • David Pancost • Bill Poindexter • Bob & Linda Railey • Bryan Reid • Ron Reitz • Richard Rogers & Julie Caswell • M. Cynthia Ross • John Rothhaar • William & Catherine Ruhling • Steve Seay • Paul Severance • Susan Shell • Keith Sherwood • Leonard Stegman • Alan Swarm • Rob Tarakan • James Terry • Robert Thayer & Barb Wade • Dan & Lora VanEpp • Hank Varona • Troy & Kimberly Zeleznik Grants Bikes Belong • Channel Islands Bicycle Club • ESRI • Henry Family Foundation • The Lazar Foundation • New Belgium Brewing • REI

Casey Greene

Yves Szutty

$100-$249 Anonymous • George Adams • Hewes Agnew • Sarah Ahrens • Andy Akard • Paul Allaire • John Allen • Daniel Allie • K. Tucker & Karen Andersen • Erik Andersen • Bruce Anderson • Chris Anderson • Harry Anderson • Casey Anderson Family • Susan Anstrand • Arlington Heights Bicycle Club • Harry Arthur • Jill Aspinall & Rick Molz • Scott Atwood • Mary Lou Avanzino • Lorna Baer • Ted Bailey • Susan Bailey & David Harnden • Penelope Banks • Randall & Angela Barker • Tony Barrett & Marguerite Kelly • Katherine Barrett Family • Russ Barringer • Elizabeth Bauer Family • John Beach • Jonathan Beachell • J David Beam • Joseph & Jeanne Becker • James Beeman • Bicycle Outfitters • Hassan Ben’ali • Chris Bernhardt & Henryka Komanska • Marybeth Berns • Joe Berry & Helena Worthen • Thomas Bethea • Douglas Beyerlein Family • Billy’s Bike Shop • Jesse Binford • Dennis Birdsong • Jeff Bitting • Dana Black Family • Bernard Black • Jerold Blair • Elizabeth Blanchard Family • Tom Blanck • Bonnie Bliss • Allan Block • James Bogin Family • Leslie Bohm • Henrietta Boland • Karen Bolte • David Book • Tom Borgen • Donald Bost • Peter Botto • Benson Branch Family • Sandra Brandt • Brandywine Bicycle Club • Paul Breen • Susan Brierley Family • Randy Brimm • Larry Brock • Don Brodie • Barbara Brown • Leslie Brown • Harold Brown • Roger & Lynn Brucker • Jeff Bryant • Leslie Bullock • Heather Burke • Jeffrey Burke • Jim & Sally Burkholder • Donald Burnett • Brian Burrell • Paul Butler • Richard Cade • Jim Calvert Family • Ken Campbell Family • Campus Cycles • Charles & Carol Cardarelli • Wayne Carpenter • Craig Carr • John Carter • Lily Carter Family • Jerry Caruso • Tom Casadevall • Joseph & Marlene Casey • James Cavanaugh • Edward Cebron • Howard Chamberlin • John Chapman Family • David Chapman • James Cherco • charles chesney • Frank Chew Family • Willard Chilcott Santa Fe Century & Trail Committee • Ellen Chilikas • Lynda Churchfield • John Ciecko • Andrea Clardy • Kevin Clark & Laureen Freeman • Nancy Clark • Melanie Clary Family • David Clement & Elizabeth Weiss • Tom Cline • Jeff Collins • William & Lynne Combs • David Conaway • Kenneth Conger • William Cook • Rob & Mary Cook • John Cooke • Bicycle Generation Inc • Bicycle Sport Shop • Arthur Corte • Mark Cotovsky • Pat Coulter • Anne Cowan • Rebecca Craft • Dolly Craft • Mike Crosby & Marsha Brown • Dale Cuyler & Brenda Woodard • Robert & Helen Dannecker • Andy Dannenberg Family • Andrew Daoust • Chris Davenport • Arati de la Rozière • Aireen De

Peralta • Ross & Susan Dean • James Degel • Nick DeJonge • Donald Devine • Lynne Diamond • Peter Doelger • Eric Doepke • Edmund Doucette • John Downer • Elizabeth Downie • Stephen Doyle • Elizabeth Drum Family • Gerald Dubois • William Duggan • Judy Dunlap • Larry Dunn • Julia & Patrick Dunster • Van Dye • Frederick Eames Family • John Eaton • Scott Edgerton • Robert Ehrhardt • Bill Elder • Annmarie Eldering Family • Mary Emmett • Julie Emnett • John Engelhardt • David Erickson • Jan Erikson • Pat Escobar • Lawrence Evans • Mary Jane Evans • Marcia Everingham • William Ewing • R. Paul & Lo Ann Fairman • Pat Farrell • Doug Favreau • David & Anne Fege • Warren Fellingham • Noel Fenton • Ed Ferroni • Bernard Feshbach • Robert Fier • Ted Finkelstein • Michael Finn • James Fischer • Mike Fisher • John Fitzpatrick • Terrence Flanagan • Bonnie Fleck • John Fleckner Family • Kam Flynn • Free Heel and Wheel • Paul Fogal • Thomas Foor • Lynn Formanek • Hal Foster • Dave Fotsch • Jean Fraser • Steve Freeburg • David Freer • Richard French • Daniel Frett • Earls Cyclery & Fitness • Gary Frost • Gwen & David Fuehring • Jim Furze • Cono Fusco • Gerald Gaines • Joyce Gammon • William Garrett • Angel Garrido • Karen Garrison • Marion Gately • Samuel Gates • Edward Gent Family • Al Gerhardstein Family • Kathy Gervais • Alan Gettelman • Steve Giardini • Claudia Gibson • Steve Gnatz • Steven Goerke • Goleta Valley Cycling Club • Dan & Carolyn Golowka • Pamela Goodwin • Sean Gordon & Suzanne Miller • Alice Gordon & Paul Grmoljez • Rose Gottsacker • Arthur Gough • Margaret Graham • Mike Granick • Tom Granvold • Altana Gray • Laura Green & David Golan • Glenn Gregory • Joan Gunterman • Mary Gurney • Raymond & Retha Haas • David Hahn • John Hall Family • Mark Hall Family • James Halloran • Helen Hammer • Vernon Hammett • James Hanig • Douglas Hanks • Hurley Hanley • Glenn & Carin Hanna • Sheila & Reid Hansen • Paul Hanson • John Hardy & Dawn Wilson • Tom Harris • Jack Hart • Russell Harvey • David Haseman • Richard Haskins • Hawkeye Bicycle Assn • Charles & Luanne Hazelrigg • Michael Held • Robert Heldman • Harry Hellerman • Marie Helmold • Marc Hemmes • Scott Hendrick • Thomas Herberger • Thomas Herman & Jeanne Pepper • Lee Herman • Barry Hersh Family • Kathy Herson • George Hetrick • Richard Hibbits • Michael Hidalgo • Geoffrey Higgins • Lamont Hill • Craig Hilsenbeck • Robert Hoffman • Dave Hogan • David Holland • Steve Holland Family • G Holloway Family • Ned Holmes • Paula Holmes-Eber & Lorenz Eber • Gary Holton • Charlene Honeycutt • James Hopper • James Howell • John Hsu • Marilyn & Tom Hughes • Lee Human Family • Colleen Hunter • Caleb Hurtt Family • Michael Hutton • Susan & Stephen Immelt • Kerry & Mary Irons • Mercelle Jackson • Charles Jacob • Barbara Jacobs & Ted Nyder • Elliott Jacobson • Trina Jacobson • Peter Janick • Mark Jauquet • Jack Jenkins • Mari Jensen • Barrett Joan • Gary Johnson • Marilyn Johnson • Keith Johnson • Bill Jokela • Christopher Jones • Bruce Jones • Joseph Jones • Harlan Jones & Kathy Mielke • Howard Josephs Family • Patricia Kaiser • Keith Kaneko Family • John Kariotis • Don Katz • Carol Kearns • Gary Keiser Family • Allison Kellish Family • Andrew Kellum • T. Kelso • Clark Kemble • Garth Kennedy • Clyde Kessel • Gerard Kiernan Family • Sue Ellen Kingsley Family • James Kirstein • Brian Kliment • Laura Klindt • Tosha Knight • Robert Knuts • Karl Kohlrus • Dave Kroninger Family • Don Kroodsma • David Kroop Family • Kathryn Krull • Don Kusler • Charles Kyle • Stephen Lafreniere Family • Tim Lamb • Hank Landau • Robert Lange Family • Pam Larkins • Cheryl LaRobardier • David LaVelle • Sally LaVenture • William Law • Mark Layman • Patricia Leahy • Tom Lee • Victor Lee • Tom & Julie Leever • Joanie Lehman • Richard Lelacheur • Kathy Lenzmeier • D. Kay Lettington Family • Karl Linck Family • John Lingle • Jo Ann Linrud • Paul Lipetzky • William Lippe • David Litle • Joe Long Family • Robert Lovejoy • Constance & James Loving • Roger Lowell • Jan Lowen • Wendell Lynch • Catherine Lynner Family • James MacMurray • Alan Macrae Family • Sandy Mailliard • Jack Majni • Michael Mancuso Family • Bill Manera • Bill Mann • Henry J Mann • Peter Manning Family • James Manore • David Markman • Daniel Marks • Glen Marquis • Russell Marx • Steven Matney • Valerie Matthews • Charles Matza • Michael McCall • Keith McConnell • Garry & Debra McConville • Candace McCormick • Mary McCoy • Michael McGinnis • Bill McGrath • Allison McGuire • Allison & Mark McKee • Sybil McKeegan Family • Andy McKnight • Lynn McLaughlin • Jeff McMullen • James & Susan McWilliams • David Meeler • Michael Meier • Gary Melton • Don Messick • Ed Meyer • Phyllis Meyerson • H. Kyle Midkiff Family • Paul Millar • Gary Miller Family • Michael Miller • Michael Miller • Bob Miller & Jan Leimert • Shelley Miller • Corinne Milligan Family • Alison Miyasaki • Tim & Ann Moe • Lael Moe • Patty & Brian Montgomery • Kate & David Montgomery • Larry Moormeier • Jim Morris • Jack Mostow • Pam Mount • Norm Moyer • Frank Muller • Merdie Muller • Marianne Mulrey & John Lacy • Don Munro • Jacqueline Murdoff • Barbara Murock Family • Jerry & Suzanne Murphy • James Nafziger • Margaret Neuer • P. Andrew Newberry • Christine Newman • Steven Nichols • William Nichols • Harold Nilsson • Lee Nolan • Al Nordstrom • Jorji Northrop • Thomas Nowak • Edmund

Adventure Cycling’s Ginny Sullivan (center) meets with California officials about local and national bike networks.

12 adventure cyclist april 2009 adventurecycling.org

Artwork detail for the U.S. Bicycle Route System. More info at www.adventurecycling.org/usbrs.

Adventure Cycling donors (continued) Nowicki • Laura Nulman • Ron Nunes • Robert Nutt • Vincent O`Brien • Stephanie O`Donnell • Anthony O`Hanlon • George Olmstead • Renee Olson • Tom Olson • Kelly Oneal Family • Charlie O’Reilly • Ronald Osborn • T. Reed Owsley • J. Paul Oxer • Ilmar Paegle • Larry Pagano • Paula Pahl • Ron & Patricia Park • Kenneth Parker • Benjamin Parker • Frank & Marcia Parrish • Michael Pascal Family • Jack Patrick • Dan Patterson • William Pellerin Family • Kent Perelman • Bob Perkowitz • Paul Perret • Judy Phillips • Doris Phinney • Deborah Pigman & Nathaniel Fleck • Judy Pigott • John Pilger • Paul Pinson • Robert Piper • Martin Port • Don Potts • Mark Poublon • Steven Powell • Anthony & Cecilia Powers • W. Preecs • Leonard Prosnitz • Bill Prouty • George Provancha • John Prugh • Jane Pytlewski • William Radtkey & Mary Jane Sheppard • James Ralston • Elizabeth & Paul Rasmussen • Paul Rawson • Jack Reed • Dean Reed • Karl Rehmer • David Reitan • Resnick Family Foundation • Kevin Thomas Reynolds • Thomas Rice • Clark Richards • Joani Richardson • PO Ritt Rittenhouse • William Robertson • Ellis Robinson • Joel Robinson • Christopher Robinson Family • Jim Rogers Family • Mark Rohrer • Carol Rose • Susan Rosenblatt • Holland’s Bicycles • Ron Rowland • Michael Russell • Mike Samuelson • Santiam Spokes Inc • Mike Sapp • Michele Sasmor & David Strohschein • Glenn Savarese • George Sawicki • Kathleen Scanlan Family • David Schaeffer Family • John & Koren Schindler • George & Theresa Schnepf • Derek Schulte • Mark Schulz • James & Katherine Sebastian • Chad Seizert Family • Peter Sellstrom • Gerry & Anne Serafino • Keith Serxner Family • Charles Shackett • Sandra Shaner • Dan Sharp • Sandra Sharp • William Shea • Joan Short • Aldo Sibeni • Dick Siefers Family • Joel Siegel • Joe Silberlicht Family • Chuck Simpson • Brian Sindt & Barbara Hays • Jay Sivulich • Kelly Skillett • Gail Skinner Family • Samantha Skove Family • Slow Spokes - Macomb Inc • Pamela Small • P McCoy Smith • Rick Smith • Julian

Peter Smith Family • Ann Smith • James Smith • Sean Smith • Nancy Smith • Julia Smyth • Cindy Snider • Ken Snider • Richard Snow • Geoffrey Snyder & Donna Smith • David Sogg & Lisa Parker • Virginia & Leslie Sorrow • Ed Spaulding • Adena Staben • Walter Stahr • Pamela Standley & William Elwell • Marsha Stanton • Kurt Starbuck • Anne Stephenson • Pamela Stewart • Robert Stoddart • Carl Stoffel • Alan Stolfus • Tracy & Mary Stollberg • John Stolzenberg • Holiday Storck • Kathy Storm • Nancy Stovall Family • Douglas Straight • Gary Stroup • Jerome Studer • Hillary Sullivan • Sandra Sussman • Glen Sutton & Kristi Meye • Scott Swanson • David Tate • Inge Terpening • Tom Thibodeau Family • Linda Thomas • Bob Thomas • Paul Thompson • Ralph Thompstone • James Thorpe • Larry Tieman • Carl Tippit • Larry Tjeltveit & Joanne Yamamoto • Matthew Todaro • Gary & Kathleen Tollaksen • Kristine & Koun Tsujimoto • Nathan Turner Family • Valley Spokesmen Touring Club • Hans Van Naerssen • Robert Van Stright • Richard Van Zante • Hank Varona • Marti Verkuilen • M.J. Veverka • Carol Waaser • Perry Walker & Diane Gentes • James Wall • Laura & Rod Wanker • James Ware • Dwight Warren • Jane Wasson-Carter • Michele Waters • Dan & Barbara Watson • David & Karen Watt • Janet Weber • Gary Wein • Pat & Mike Weisel • Bob & Melinda Welter • Robert Wheelhouse • Adam White Family • Michael White • John Wider • Mark Wilcox • David Wilder • Chris Wilkins Family • Terry Williams • Marilyn & Edward Williams • Mel Willis • Steve Wilson • Gene Windham • Timothy Winn • Hilary Woodward • Pat Woodworth Family • Amy Woodworth Family • Tom Wright • Nancy Wright • Dick Wright Family • Carol York & Pete Fotheringham • William Young & Martha Page • James Young • Robert & Sheryl Yourshaw • Chris Zarow • Barb Zaveduk • Troy & Kimberly Zeleznik

We also want to thank the numerous members who gave special donations up to $100. Thank you very much!

2008 Fiscal summary Adventure Cycling Association

Statement of Revenues and Expenses

Revenues FY2008 FY2007 Merchandise Net Sales 204,449 151,035 Membership 1,103,891 1,120,658 Tours 948,838 998,458 Donations/Grants 364,667 317,542 Advertising 268,043 286,744 Other 2,862 26,579 Net Operating Revenue $2,892,750 $2,901,016 Expenses Support Services Program Services Routes & Mapping Outreach Publications Tours Membership Services Total Program Services

291,338 81,781 826,441 979,597 531,806 $2,710,963

Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets

$(128,660)

310,447

300,086 267,194 82,354 752,162 896,494 562,341 $2,560,545 $40,385

Adventure Cycling Association

Balance Sheet Assets Current Assets Long-term Assets Total Assets

FY2008 FY2007 426,881 474,751 386,152 366,294 $ 813,033 $841,045

Liabilities Current Liabilities Long-term Liabilities Total Liabilities

552,689 44,346 $ 597,035

442,495 53,892 $496,387

Net Assets Total Fund Balance Total Liabilities and Net Assets

215,998 $813,033

344,658 $841,045

Adventure Cycling Association is a nonprofit charitable organization as qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. A copy of the annual audit is available at www.adventurecycling.org/audit or by calling (800) 755-2453.

Merchandise Sales 21% Advertising 8%

Administration 5% Fundraising 4%

Donations/Grants 10%

Program Services 91%

Tours 28%

Revenues

Expenses Membership 33%

Revenues and Expenses This diagram illustrates where Adventure Cycling’s revenues come from and how the money is spent. In FY2008, we were able to allocate 91% of our expenses directly toward our mission of inspiring people of all ages to travel by bicycle.

adventure cyclist april 2009 adventurecycling.org

by Michael McCoy

Aaron Teasdale

News you can use from the world of bicycle travel

WayPoints Xxxx Xxxx

aaron teasdale

As Adventure Cycling routes go, the Underground Railroad Bicycle Route (UGRR) is a

Xxxxxx

XXXXX Xxxx Adventure Cycling headquarters received a visit in September from Commander John B. Harrington, a former U.S. Navy pilot who was chosen by NASA in 1996

adventure cycling staff Holly Armstrong Elliot Bassett Ted Bowman Amy Corbin Richard Darne Michael Deme Julie Emnett Ben Ferencz Casey Greene Julie Huck

Rod Kramer Carla Majernik Teri Maloughney Mike McCoy Kevin McManigal Jennifer Milyko Kylie Paul Beth Petersen Sarah Raz Jim Sayer

John Sieber Greg Siple Sheila Snyder Winona Sorensen Ginny Sullivan Josh Tack Aaron Teasdale John Weyhrich

adventure cycling Board of Directors Dan P. Hungate Frank Moritz Carol York

14 adventure cyclist april 2009 adventurecycling.org

Anna Ginn Andy Baur Jan Brunk

Van Dye Jennifer Garst Jeffrey Miller

Companions Wanted Providing partners for tours, domestic and abroad, since 1978

TransAm — East to West 54-year-old male riding the TransAm beginning this year around May 16. Average mileage approximately 60 per day. Like to travel light by staying in motels mainly and camping occasionally. Looking for one or two riders. If interested email camasaca@comcast.net. Northern Tier — 2009 West to East Family of

four heading out of Spokane, Washington on June 12 until we get east. Planning on Northern Tier, northern lakes, and Erie connectors to Pittsburgh, GAP, and C&O trails. Looking for help, clues to fun, to give support and encouragement to 12- and 14-year-old girls. Mostly camping, some hotel and warm showers. We will stop in Ceder Point. Need ideas for the shortest, safest way from Sandusky, Ohio to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and from Washington, DC to the coast. Email bbkesc@earthlink.net.

aaron teasdale

Western Express to TransAm — West to East

23-year-old male planning to do a Western Express to TransAm route starting in San Francisco in mid June. Undecided on daily mileage, but would prefer 50 to 60 plus miles. I’m a pretty relaxed dude, not looking at pushing myself to the limit every day. Email nontent@gmail.com. TransAm 09 I am interested in riding the

TransAm either direction starting in the spring of 2009. I do not wish to camp at all. I’m a 63-yearold retired male educator hoping to find other riders who are not campers. Daily ride up to 80 miles with one rest day per week. Not particular on starting/ending date. Will use Adventure

Cycling maps to determine lodging, meals, etc. Would welcome a support vehicle if anyone is interested in mixing riding with driving and would help with gas. if interested call (785) 7833669 or email seniorbikerus@yahoo.com.

miles daily; one rest day per week. Finding a wear-free companion for 2-3 months is a long shot, so any proposal on a less-tight partnership is also welcome. If interested email mhjvanrij swick@onsneteindhoven.nl.

Cross Country — West to East 2009 60-year-

TransAm — West to East Two British guys from

old male seeking companions for cross-country ride beginning June 20-21, 2009. TransAm to Missoula, Northern Tier to Bar Harbor. Riding six days per week, mostly camping but motels on rest days or when necessary. If interested email TLZ1966@peoplepc.com.

London, mid twenties, between grad school and jobs starting, will be heading out across the country using Adventure Cycling maps as a guide. The intention is to start at the end of June and arrive in Virginia in around 50 days. We are looking to average around 85 miles per day with five rest days. We will be selfcontained and combining camping with wellneeded motel breaks. We intend to raise as much money for charity as we can and we would welcome anyone with similar plans to get in touch. Email robertdstevenson@btopenworld.com or luvhuset@sbcglobal.net.

Cross Country — Summer 2009 Looking for riding companions for cross-country trip starting early June. 53-year-old male teacher with some experience doing multi-day rides. Considering self supported but would also consider the use of a support van to carry camping equipment. Would like to complete trip in 40 to 45 days. I am thinking about using the Western Express to TransAmerica route. Complainers with no sense of humor, plese don’t reply. If interested email luvhuset@sbcglobal.net. Cross Country — East to West Dutch male cyclist, 60, just retired from R&D job, looking for partner(s) on a coast-to-coast ride, preferably in May-July 2009. My preference is to start in Maine on the Northern Tier Route and cross over to the classic TransAm halfway. However, a full TransAm or Northern Tier is also an option. I survived hardships in the past, but now prefer good food and deep sleep in hotels. About 80

Cross Country 2009 57-year-old male teacher looking for partner to join me on cross-country tour, beginning June 8 in Boise, Idaho and ending in Williamsburg, Virginia on or about August 12, 2009. Will mostly camp, but also use motels as necessary to refresh body and soul. If interested email bobstohner@cableone.net.

Adventure Cycling Association assumes, but cannot 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/com panions.cfm or send your ad to Adventure Cyclist, P.O. Box 8308, Missoula, MT 59807.

adventure cyclist april 2009 adventurecycling.org

News you can use from the world of bicycle travel

by Michael McCoy

WayPoints

greg siple

Fred and Ethyl Hertz used Adventure Cycling maps to help find their way through their remodeling.

IT’S A WRAP Adventure Cycling maps double as vapor barrier Imagine his surprise when, one day early last fall, Adventure Cycling art director Greg Siple was bicycling home from work and he spotted this houseremodeling project under way. “These people, Fred and Ethyl Hertz, live just two blocks from me,” Greg said, “but I’d never met them until that day in September. They were outside working, so of course I stopped to ask them why the entire outside of their house was covered in Adventure Cycling maps.

16 adventure cyclist april fools adventurecycling.org

“‘It was like serendipity,’ Fred Hertz told me. ‘We finished tearing off the old siding last week, literally the day before we went to the recycling center and happened to see all these maps filling the number-two plastics bin. That evening, I look over at Ethyl and say “Are you thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’?” And she says, ‘I don’t know, Fred, what are you thinkin’?’ So I say, ‘I’m thinkin’ about that Tyvek I was gonna buy to cover the outside of the house — you know, vapor bar-

rier, waterproof, high-density polyethylene? Then I’m thinkin’ about all these plastic, obviously waterproof bicycle maps that we saw at the recycler’s.’ And, well, the rest is history.’” “As I was leaving,” Greg said, “Fred walked up to me, well out of Ethyl’s hearing range, and said, ‘You know what? I like how this looks so much that I’m thinkin’ of leaving off the vinyl siding. That’s gonna take some convincing on Ethyl, though.’”

aaron teasdale

In an unprecedented move, the Adventure Cycling Tours Department has signed an agreement to partner with the nationally syndicated True Vanity TeleVision. Together, Adventure Cycling and TVTV will create an as-yet unnamed reality television series chronicling 20 young, single, attractive — and unemployed — riders and their escapades as they pedal from coast to coast on the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail. The cyclists, 10 males and 10 females, will be chosen on the basis of their fitness level, their willingness to interact candidly with the camera crew, and their knack for looking hot in spandex shorts. They’ll be required to share their experiences daily, with each participant revealing his or her feelings about the ride, thoughts on the group environment, and inside info on “favorite” cycling companion(s). “Who wouldn’t love seeing a scantily clad bicycle drama?” asked tours director Rod Kramer. “We think this is a great opportunity to get exposure for Adventure Cycling Tours. And in the current economic climate, it feels good to give 20 unemployed young people something to do.” The casting call will be held at the Phred's Bar & Grill in Delroy, Montana throughout the month of April. Cyclists between the ages of 18 and 29 are encouraged to apply. Visit www.adventurecycling. org/unemployedcyclists for more information.

AARON TEASDALE

American Idle

Catching Up

BICYCLE CHAINS

AARON TEASDALE

Here’s one way to thief-proof a tour Last summer, Link Sanderson of Mooseprint, Maine rode the Northern Tier Route — chained to his bicycle. “I was already planning to ride the route, when I came up with this idea,” Sanderson said. “I had proposed to my girlfriend, Penelope, earlier that spring, but she was hedging. She said she wasn’t sure if I had enough ‘stick-to-itiveness’ to commit to a lifelong relationship. Then it hit me like a bolt of lightning: I said, ‘What if I pedaled cross-country chained to my bicycle? Would that prove my perseverance to you?’ “At first, she didn’t answer. She just looked at me like I was an idiot. Then she said, ‘Well, maybe.’” So, Sanderson said, based on this tidbit of potentially good news, he decided to go for it. “The actual bicycling wasn’t that hard,” he said. “In fact, sometimes I even forgot ‘Alice’

and I were chained together. What was harder were things like squeezing into some of those tiny convenience store bathrooms. And the day I had to go to the doctor in Muscatine, Iowa to have a boil on my bottom lanced — well, that was downright embarrassing.

“But I came to really enjoy being chained to my bicycle; so much so that even after I returned home, I stayed that way for a couple of weeks — until, that is, Penelope said she was ready to get hitched, but only if I separated myself from my bicycle. How’s that for irony?”

COME ON, LET’S GO

aaron teasdale

greg siple

Adventure Cycling’s newest route: easy to dance to Routes and Mapping Department director Carla Majernik has announced Adventure Cycling’s newest mapping project: The Roots of Rock Bicycle Route. “It’s pretty cool,” Carla said, “because in some places we’ll get to use certain stretches of our existing routes. The only drawback — if you can call it that — is that it’s going to be an extremely long route. It has to be in order to pay tribute to as many rock pioneers as possible.” Carla explained that the route will begin in downtown Memphis at the Sun Records Studio, widely considered the birthplace of rock ’n’ roll. “From there, we’ll map a back-streets route to Graceland, Elvis

Presley’s mansion in Memphis. Next, we’ll go to Nashville, home to a lot of the early, prerock rhythm and blues performers like Etta James and Little Hank and the Rhythm Kings.” There’s not room to describe the proposed route in full, but suffice it to say it will hit the high notes, including the following towns: Macon, Georgia (hometown of Little Richard); McComb, Mississippi (Bo Diddley); Kingsland, Arkansas (Johnny Cash); Ferriday, Louisiana (Jerry Lee Lewis); St. Louis (Chuck Berry); Vernon, Texas (Roy Orbison); Hawthorne, California (The Beach Boys); Portland, Oregon (The Kingsmen, who made “Louie Louie” the garage-band stan-

dard); Clear Lake, Iowa (home of the Surf Ballroom, where Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, and Richie Valens played their last concert); Detroit (Jackie Wilson, Motown Records); Newark, New Jersey (The Four Seasons); New York City (Carole King et. al.); and Barnwell, South Carolina (James Brown). “We’re working on a proposal to partner with the Cleveland-based Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,” Carla said. “If that happens, we’re pretty much a shoo-in to achieve our next goal, which is recruiting Dion DiMucci to lead the first year-long group tour on the route.” For more information, visit www.adventurecycling. org/doowop.

“I took this shot in Berea, Kentucky in 2004,” wrote Twila Topograph of Bossburg, Nevada in a recent email. “It’s in a part of the state notorious among us TransAm riders for its bicycle-chasing dogs. This fellow told me he’s the county dogcatcher, but that’s all I know — I didn’t get a chance to talk to him for very long.” Well, your Waypoints editor couldn’t let this mystery go uninvestigated, so through the Madison County Courthouse in nearby Richmond, Kentucky he obtained the cell-phone number for dogcatcher Theodore “Spot” Awning, and called him for an interview. Here’s what he had to say: “For years, I’d been frustrated by the stray dogs they hired me to corral. They constantly outsmarted me; I probably caught one of every 10 I tried for. So, I got the idea of using the bicycle as a lure, because of all the complaints we’ve received over the years from traveling cyclists who’d been chased by dogs here. “The movement of my bicycle attracts the dog, and the meaty bone I drag behind prevents him from running off after I stop. I simply detached the rope and drag the bone — with

the dog attached by its mouth — over to my truck, which is always parked nearby. Then I whip the bone into a cage through the back door, and the dog almost always jumps in. It’s great!”

adventure cyclist april fools adventurecycling.org

Q&A by John Schubert

with the TE

Let’s start with the good news: A lot of manufacturers make touring bikes and they are all reasonably well suited for touring. So be assured from the git-go that it’s hard to bring home an unsuitable bike. No, they aren’t all exactly the same, but they’re fairly close. The major differences among touring bikes are fairly small. Some bikes are heavier-duty than others (wider tires, stiffer frame tubes, more weigh). Some have more or special brazed-on bosses. Some cost less, some cost more. (The difference can buy you fancier components, the mystique of “handmade,” a custom-fitted frame if you spend enough, and some nice cosmetics.) Some disassemble and fit into suitcases (S&S couplers, Ritchey Breakaway system).

But I haven’t seen any that are just plain too delicate for touring with camping gear on reasonable roads. Nor have I seen a self-named “touring bike” that didn’t have rack mounts. Therefore, I haven’t seen any I’d regret taking on a long-distance tour. Usually, we use this space to remind ourselves (and you) of the basic requirements: chainstays of 17.5 to 18 inches, a low gear of 20 to 25 gear inches, a frame that fits you, and that all-important admonition to distribute your heavy camping load between front and rear bags. We mumble inconclusively about the difference between steel and aluminum (the short answer: it’s inconclusive) and bemoan the fact that touring bikes are seldom in stock in most bike shops. This last factor leads to another: a touring cyclist often must buy a touring bike sight-unseen and

AARON TEASDALE

Conversations between our Technical Editor and Adventure Cyclist readers sheds light on buying a touring bike

Welcome to America. There's nothing like a good touring bike for a cross-country trip.

for thousands less. My response, purely on a gut-feeling level: get the new bike. (Did I mention he had 30,000 miles on his Trek?) One can analyze this issue at length, but a bike that well-used may have metal fatigue and corrosion problems. Or it may not. George from Seattle asked a question typical of what a lot of readers face: “I am a 54 year old looking to buy the best ride of

Here’s how I answered George: “We (Adventure Cycling) focus on bikes made to be practical for bicycle travel. That means the bikes have to accept pannier racks, wide tires, wide-range gearing, etc., and also have to be field repairable and not too delicate. “The three models you mention, while very nice machines, flunk this litmus test. I believe none have rack mounts or the

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capacity to accept wide tires. Two of the three have wheels with goofball spoking that requires a shop repair for a broken spoke, and Adventure Cycling has seen many riders find their dream-of-a-lifetime trips seriously bunged up when a spoke breaks. “On conventionally spoked wheels, by contrast, a broken spoke is easily field repairable, and the wheel can normally be ridden a few miles to the next rest stop to do the repair there. “How do you tell conventional from goofball? Conventionally spoked wheels have 32, 36, or 40 thin steel spokes in a regular pattern. Goofball spoked wheels may have steel spokes in odd-looking clusters (leaving large gaps in the rim between spoke holes) or may have a small number of bladed spokes made from carbon fiber or aluminum. These wheel configurations are all about style, not performance. “Regarding your question about frame material: most people will tell you that carbon-fiber bikes should be handled more carefully than we sometimes handle our touring bikes, and with rare exceptions, carbon-fiber bikes don’t have rack mounts. “I’m not ideologically opposed to carbon touring bikes. If someone designs a carbonfiber bike to be roughly handled the way a touring bike is, I’d be happy to try it out. Heck, they make carbon-fiber airplanes that are designed to be shot at, so this shouldn’t be insurmountable. But I don’t think the industry sees many prospective buyers waiting for a carbon touring bike, so they aren’t pouring resources into this. “No doubt, carbon has a comfort advantage — but that’s not the whole story. Which is going to be more comfortable: a carbon-fiber bike with 25 mm cross-section tires at 110 psi or a steel/aluminum bike with 32 mm cross-section tires at 85 psi?” “You haven’t mentioned the single biggest factor in comfort, which is how well the bike fits you. Your back problem suggests that you should get some special attention so that your riding helps, not hinders, your back. Pony up for a good fit session, and get measurements that you can readily transfer to any other bike. You may find that your rider position can be adjusted to make cycling more comfortable, and you may find that various cycling habits — how you sit on the bike, where you bear your weight, etc. — can be modified to improve your comfort. “I think everyone should have a True

AARON TEASDALE

my life. I want to be able to use this bike for recreational rides and the occasional tour, but since my early days of touring, I now have a bad back and need to get the most comfortable ride I can find. The local retailers all sing the praises of carbon frames as being able to dampen vibration and provide the most comfort. However, I am puzzled since in your recent buyers’ guide article you don’t mention carbon at all, and claim indifference to the question of steel versus aluminum. The retailers make it sound like carbon frames are almost on a par with the invention of the wheel when it comes to improving the riding experience. And even though steel and aluminum frames are much cheaper, I'm willing to spend the extra money if it is going to mean more pain-free riding. So I am wondering if, in your opinion, the retailers are correct, and in addition, whether you have any insights to offer on the three full carbon models they are recommending: the Trek Pilot 5.0, the Specialized Roubaix Comp, and the Lemond Buenos Aires.”

Jason George

not test ridden. The best advice I have is, “It’s not so bad. Get used to it.” Indeed, every touring bike I’ve test-ridden in the last 20 years rode exactly as I anticipated it would. You really can buy a modern touring bike with confidence. Sure, it would be nice to test-ride a half-dozen candidates, but that’s not going to happen. But what have you been asking us? Over the years, I’ve collected quite a few of your how-to-buy questions, along with my best shot at offering answers. You ask us what to buy, how to select it, and how to set it up for your needs after you’ve bought it. Or you ask if a bike you already own can handle a particular trip. (The people who ask that generally have ambitious trips in mind!) And you ask us about replacing old bikes. Tom from North Dakota wondered if he should replace his aging steel Trek 520, the “standard” touring bike if ever there was one, with a new bike with S&S couplers for travel, or get couplers installed on the Trek

AARON TEASDALE

Wok and roll. Andy MacIntyre heads for Alaska with his favorite wok/pannier shield in tow.

touring bike. It’s far more useful and versatile than the go-fast bikes you mentioned, without being significantly slower. (You can always put skinnier tires on it if you want.) Trek, Cannondale, Raleigh, Jamis, Rocky Mountain, Surly, and Bianchi are among the major companies that make true touring bikes, and you’re in a price range that would allow you to consider smallproduction bikes from the likes of Bruce Gordon, Co-Motion, and others.”

Greg from Middlesex, Vermont was one of many people who have asked what I think of mountain bikes and upright-handlebar hybrids for touring. “You said that a mountain bike could be used for touring, we just don’t think of them that way,” Greg wrote. “Could you elaborate on the pros and cons of using a mountain bike for road touring? I ride in Vermont, and I find that a mountain bike’s low gearing and wide tires are handy for

our steep hills and rough dirt roads, but I didn’t think it would be a good bike type for a multi-day or even all-day road tour.” Here’s how I replied: “To oversimplify some: if one wants to tour on a mountain bike, have at it. If one doesn’t, then one should get a road touring bike. “The big difference is the handlebar configuration and rider posture. The arguments about this are endless, but at the end of the day the most important argument is ‘what do you like?’ One objective argument that may or may not be important to you is that the mountain-bike posture typically has more wind resistance because of (a) the upright posture and (b) the arms being farther apart. Historically, mountain bike riders on Adventure Cycling tours have been slower than dropped-bar riders because of this wind-resistance question. “If your gut tells you you want dropped handlebars, get ‘em. If you see someone out there riding on mountain-bike bars and he’s happy with his choice, with all the various pros and cons, well, he’s okay too.” Now here come the footnotes:  Make sure your mountain bike/ hybrid will accept racks. Typically, this means either the bike has rack eyelets or will accept the eyelet-less rack mounting of

The Casseroll Triple delivers Versa-Thrillity. Sure, that may be a made-up word...but let us explain.

Jason George

The Casseroll is a road bike with real road bike geometry, not a cross bike or hybrid bike. It’s definitely not about road racing though. Casseroll is about road riding, whether for commuting, fitness, or just looking at the scenery. Our Casseroll recipe begins with double-butted Salsa Classico CroMoly tubing for both frame and fork. We utilize a semi-sloping geometry to provide a fit-friendly platform and increased rider comfort. The frameset accepts really large road tires so you can take on some potholes and rough roads or just add a bunch of comfort to your ride. Designed around long-reach brakes, the Casseroll can take up to 700c x 32mm tires while running full fenders. Add a rear rack if you like, and there’s a good old-fashioned pump peg to boot. All this makes the Casseroll a road rider’s road bike, perfect for long miles on charity rides, credit card touring, and well...versa-thrilling. Casseroll. Truly one hot dish.

adventure cyclist april 2009 adventurecycling.org

TOURING BIKES FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION All prices and specifications may vary to some degree. Please check with the manufacturers before making any decisions.

Bruce Gordon offers the handbuilt Rock 'n Road ($2,999; $3,349 with racks), and the factory-made BLT ($2,349; $2,699 with racks): www.bgcycles.com, 707-762-5601. Cannondale offers the rackequipped, aluminum Touring 1 ($1,999) and the Touring 2 ($1,439): www.cannondale.com, 800-245-3872. Co-Motion Cycles offers the light touring Nor'Wester ($1,685 frame & fork; $3,245 complete bike), the around-the-world Americano ($1,835 frame and fork; $3,545 complete bike), and the Pangea ($1,835 frame and fork; $3,545 complete bike): www.co-motion. com, 541-342-4583. Fuji Bicycles offers the traditional steel Touring model ($1,100): www.fujibikes.com, 215-824-3854. Gilles Berthoud offers highly customizable steel touring bikes from France ($4,800 and up): www. gillesberthoud.fr, 818-248-1814. Gunnar Bikes offers the Rock Tour, a mountain bike designed for loaded touring ($975 frame. Add $375 for matching fork with rack mounts): www.gunnarbikes. com, 262-534-4190. Independent Fabrication offers the Independence frame set ($2,100 steel; $3,640 titanium) for long-distance touring, and the light-touring Club Racer frame set ($2,050 steel; $3,640 titanium): www.ifbikes.com, 617666-3609. Jamis Bicycles offers the classic Aurora ($865), and the carbon-fork equipped Aurora Elite ($1,350): www.jamisbikes.com, 201-768-9050. Koga Miyata offers the Worldtraveller ($2,885), and the Traveller ($2,250), all with front/ rear racks and many accessories: www.kogausa.com.

Litespeed offers the new Merlin Aspen ($3,000 frame), which can be built in numerous configurations, including touring: www. litespeed.com, 800-426-4840. Raleigh Bicycles offers the Sojourn ($1,225): www. raleigh usa.com, 253-395-1100. REI offers the Novara Safari ($849) and the Novara Randonee ($1,049): www.rei. com, (800) 426-4840. Rivendell Bicycle Works offers custom touring frames ($3,000 to $3,300). They also offer the Atlantis ($2,000, frame, fork, and headset): www.rivbike.com, 800345-3918. Rodriguez Bicycles offers the Randonneur ($1,599); the Adventure ($2,599 to $4,499); the S&S-equipped W2 ($2,949 to $5,199), co-designed by Willie Weir: www.rodcycles.com, 206527-4822. Rocky Mountain Bicycles offers two steel tourers, the Sherpa 10 ($1,199) and the Sherpa 30 ($1,599): www.bikes. com, 604-527-9993. Salsa offers the adventure-touring 29er Fargo frame ($650) and complete bike ($2,000): www. salsacycles.com, 877-668-6223. Santana offers a wide array of tandems suitable for touring (starting at $3,495): www.santa natandem.com, 800-334-6136. Seven Cycles offers custom titanium touring bikes, the Vacanza ($3,495 frame, $6,000 to $9,300 complete bike); the Muse ($2,595 frame, $4,100 to $7,800 complete bike): www.seven cycles.com, 617-923-7774. Soma Fabrications offers the light touring frames the DoubleCross ($399), the Smoothie ES ($399), and the Speedster Road Sport ($795): www.somafab.com. Specialized offers the light-touring Sequoia in two aluminum versions ($880 to $1,250): www. specialized.com, 877-808-8154.

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Surly offers the steel Long Haul Trucker ($420 frame set; $1,095 complete bike), the Karate Monkey ($465 frame set; $1,175 complete bike), and the CrossCheck ($420 frame set; $1,050 complete bike): www.surlybikes. com, 877-743-3191. Terry Bicycles offers the Valkyrie Tour ($2,305) and the Isis Sport ($2,395) for light touring: www.terrybicycles.com, (800) 289-8379. Trek offers the venerable steel 520 ($1,319): www.trekbikes. com, 920-478-2191. The Urbane Cyclist offers a variety of touring, recumbents, and folding bikes: www.ucycle. com, 416-979-9733. Waterford Cycles offers custom-built touring bikes, the T-22 ($1,800 frame) and the TIG T-14 ($1,400): www.waterfordbikes. com, 262-534-4190. Windsor Bicycles offers the steel touring bike, the Tourist ($1,495): www.windsorbicycles. com. RECUMBENTS Cycle Genius offers the Falcon long wheelbase ($1,350): www. cyclegenius.com, 866-901-2453. Easy Racers offers the Tour Easy ($2,495), the Javelin ($1,595), the Gold Rush ($3,495), the Fold Rush ($3,995), the titanium Ti-Rush ($5,900) and the new carbon fiber C-Rush ($6,500): www. easyracers.com, 831-722-9797. Lightning Cycle Dynamics offers the P-38 ($2,000 frame set, $3,000 and up for full bike); www.lightningbikes.com, 805736-0700.

5581. Turner Recumbents offers the Transport ($960): www.turnerre cumbents.com, 520-290-5646. FOLDING BIKES Airnimal Designs offers the 24-inch, Joey Explore and Explore Elite ($1,550 and $2,800) and the Rhino ($3,500): www.airni mal.com, +44 (0) 1954 782020. Bike Friday offers folding/touring bikes ($895 and up): www. bike friday.com, 800-777-0258. Birdy Bicycles offers five folding touring bikes with 14-speed Rohloff hubs ($1,315 to $3,815): www.birdybike.com, 503-3917602. Brompton offers the P6R ($1,125) and P6R-X (($1,740): www.bromptonbicycle.co.uk, +44(0) 208-232-8484. Moulton offers the TSR-27, TSR-30, and the AM Esprit ($1,320 and up): www.alexmoult on.co.uk, +44 (0) 122 586 5895. Dahon Folding Bicycles offers the Smooth Hound ($999) and the Tournado ($2,499): www. dahon.com, 800-442-3511. CUSTOM BUILDERS Curt Goodrich Bicycles www. curtgoodrich.com, 612-788-6812. J. Peter Weigle email:jpweigle@ sbcglobal.net, 860-434-0700. Mariposa www.mariposa bicycles.com, 416-423-0456 Pereira Cycles www.pereira cycles.com, 503-333-5043. Peter Mooney Cycles www. peter-mooney.com, 617-4893577 Rex Cycles www.rexcycles.com, 916-446-5706.

Longbikes offers the Eliminator ($2,895 and up) and the Slipstream ($2,795 and up): www.longbikes.com, 303-9869300.

Spectrum www.spectrumcycles.com, 610-398-1986.

Rans offers the long-wheelbase Stratus LE ($1,595) and the short-wheelbase VRex LE ($1,485): www.ransbikes.com, 785-625-6346.

True North Cycles www.true northcycles.com, 519-585-0600.

WhizWheelz offers the TerraTrike recumbent tricycle in a variety of models ($999 to $4,999), including tandems: www.whizwheelz.com, 269-945-

Greg Siple

Bilenky Cycle Works offers the light-touring Tourlite ($2,895 and up); the traditional, steel Midlands ($2,520 and up); and the coupling-equipped Travel Tour Special ($2,355): www. bilenky.com, 215-329-4744.

Kona offers the Sutra ($1,199), a steel tourer with mechanical disc brakes: www.konaworld.com, 360-366-0951.

Steelman Cycles www.steel mancycles.com, 650-364-3939.

Vanilla Bicycles www.vanilla bicycles.com, 503-233-2453. Willits Brand Bicycles www. willitsbikes.com, 877-558-4446.

AARON TEASDALE

Bianchi offers the Volpe Steel 105/Tiagra ($1,099): www. bianchiusa.com, 510-264-1001.

Missed opportunities. It's the rare bike shop that keeps touring bikes on the sales floor.

They can make a straight fork to any rake/ trail spec they want. I once ran these questions by engineer extraordinare Jim Papadopoulos, the nation’s leading bicycle dynamics authority, and he gave the straight forks a clean bill of health. Harv from Arizona asked how fat a tire he needed for off-road touring. “We’d like to do some off-road touring. Perhaps part of the Great Divide Route. Also, here in Arizona, we have a lot of dirt and gravel roads. We’ve considered getting hard-tail mountain bikes with town and country tires, but two more bikes would bring our total to seven for only two of us!

Greg Siple AARON TEASDALE

racks made by Old Man Mountain.  Make sure your hybrid has clearance for wide tires (700 x 32C or better — and with fenders if at all possible.) A few hybrid models are urban go-fast bikes made to accept only skinny tires.  Make sure the bike has wheels with the traditional tangent-spoke pattern and plain ol’ steel spokes. These wheels are field-repairable. The more contemporary wheel designs are not field repairable, and they give you no advantage other than edgy appearance. Not long ago, I wrote an article about this very topic, citing the Giant Cypress as an inexpensive-but-good hybrid that makes sense for touring. I got a lot of mail, some of it from dropped-handlebar diehards who believe their way is “right” and flat handlebars are “wrong.” Even though I myself favor dropped handlebars, I disagree. There are many eloquent arguments in favor of dropped bars — but some people simply prefer the upright bars. Let them do so in peace. Will, the college professor from New York, wrote: “I am seeing some bikes pitched at the touring market (e.g., the Kona Sutra) equipped with a straight fork. Why straight? Are there any inherent pros/cons? Are there any rake/trail limitations?” At last! A question with a straightforward answer. Here ‘tis: Straight is for style/ appearance. As a side bonus, it’s easier to make. You loose a teeny bit of fork flex, but it’s so much less than the flex in the tires that it’s not worth worrying about.

Versatility. Old Man Mountain racks fit on virtually any bike, like this Great Divide rig.

“If I got some Schwalbe Expedition Tires, would our Co-Motion touring bikes work about as well as mountain bikes for dirt and gravel roads and the occasional trail?” After telling him he didn’t have enough bikes yet, I prevaricated my way through an answer: “It depends on the rider, the bike, the tire, and the gravel/dirt. “At one extreme is a crushed limestone rail-trail. At the other extreme is the Great Divide Route, which in places is an unending array of football-size boulders. “Riders vary just as much as trails. Some riders (not I) think they need a mountain bike for the crushed limestone; everyone needs a mountain bike for the rough boulders. For me personally, the tipping point would be when the trail has enough rocks, ruts, and roots that it isn’t even trying to look like a groomed rail trail. At that point I’d want mountain-bike width tires. “The easy answer is the conservative answer: buy mountain bikes, because you might find yourselves on some really rough trails and/or you might prefer the mountain bike on semi-rough trails.” Brian from Michigan is one of several people who’ve asked what I think of switching a mountain bike into a touring bike by changing it to dropped handlebars. Here’s what I told Brian: “Replacing the handlebar reaches a financial tipping point. You also have to replace the brake levers, shift levers, handlebar stem, handlebar tape, and a bunch of cables. The cost will clear your sinuses.

adventure cyclist april 2009 adventurecycling.org

salsa fargo

a new breed of touring bike? Good touring bikes have always been able to handle the rough stuff, whether it’s cavernous potholes or remote dirt roads, but they’ve never been designed for real mountain biking. Mountain bikes, as you might guess, are in fact designed for mountain biking. With their stout frames, high bottom brackets, and meaty tires, they handle trails and rough, rocky roads with aplomb. In the good old days of the 1980s and early 1990s, mountain bikes made great touring rigs, with their steel frames, strong wheels, and rack eyelets (these bikes are still good options, if you can find them). Today’s mountain bikes are typically made of aluminum or carbon fiber, lack rack eyelets, and come with things like hydraulic disc brakes and air-sprung rear suspension. They perform amazingly well on technical terrain, but their complexity and single-purpose design leaves them less suitable for all but the most rugged long-distance tours. As more and more mountain bikers experiment with off-road touring, the question is what should they ride? The crew at Salsa Cycles has come out with their answer: the Fargo. As Salsa’s Jason Boucher puts it, “The design intent of the bike was to create the category of ‘adventure touring,’ which we see as any combination of pavement, gravel, and trail.” Or, put another way, if bikes reproduced like humans, it’s what you’d end up with if a mountain bike hit the sack with a touring bike. Salsa calls the Fargo an “adventure touring 29er mountain bike.” We call it a

welcome addition to the bike market. Like most touring bikes, it features drop bars, a long-ish load-friendly wheelbase, and a plethora of eyelets for racks and fenders. Unlike touring bikes, it’s, well, a mountain bike. I’ve been riding one for several months and can report that it handles the rough stuff, including rocky singletrack trails, with ease. The Fargo’s steel frame accepts mountain-bike tires up to 2.4 inches wide and it’s disc brakes deliver one-finger stopping power, whether loaded for touring or careening down a local trail. The bottom bracket is higher than a traditional tourer but low for a mountain bike, striking a nice balance between loaded stability and off-road agility. The choice of big wheels — 29ers in mountain-bike parlance, but essentially stronger versions of 700C rims — is a good one. They’re more stable, more comfortable, and roll over rough surfaces and obstacles better than traditional 26-inch mountainbike wheels, making them perfect for a rough-stuff touring bike. The primary downside to 29ers is the availability of replacement parts outside of North America. If you’re heading to South America or the Himalayas, 26-inch wheels are more readily available and might be a better option. A few other eccentricities may limit the bike’s appeal to some riders. While disc brakes, especially mechanical discs, are perfect for this bike, Salsa, in an effort to craft a bicycle with clean, classic lines, chose not to include mounts for rim brakes on the frame and fork. So if you don’t want

24 adventure cyclist april 2009 adventurecycling.org

disc brakes, you’re out of luck. Ditto if you want a shock. The bike is not suspension corrected, so a front shock will raise the front end and throw the geometry seriously out of whack. If you want a shock, this is not your bike. It’s worth noting that 29er wheels with meaty tires will approximate the vibration-reduction, bump-swallowing effect of front suspension (at least on nonhuge obstacles). A few other nice touches for touring include disc-brake mounts that don’t interfere with rack struts; a whopping six water bottle mounts, including one on each fork blade; fork eyelets for low-rider racks; a pump peg on the headtube; and a top tube that slopes dramatically downward, making for easier mounting and dismounting when loaded. In other words, this bike was designed for touring from top to bottom. If you’re looking for a paved-road touring bike, you can find more efficient options, though the Fargo can do that. If you’re looking for a serious mountain bike, there are plenty of better choices, though the Fargo can do that, too. But if you’re looking for one bike that can do everything reasonably well and that can take you and your camp gear to just about any beautiful boondock you can imagine, then the Fargo might just be your bike. Salsa is selling the Fargo complete with a Shimano XT mountain-bike drivetrain, Avid mechanical disc brakes, and bar-end shifters for $2,000. It’s also available as a frameset for $650. -Aaron Teasdale

“Part of this is a matter of personal preference: Do you enjoy playing around and replacing components, and is some of the cost outlay justified by your personal enjoyment? Some people love this stuff and are incredibly clever at it; others (myself included) never want to replace anything besides worn-out tires and chains. “If it’s a couple hundred bucks worth of fun, then, yeah, whatever. But since you’ve written to me, I suspect you’re finding this a bit less fun. “You never knew how many clamp diameters there are for handlebars and stems. Take your bike to the shop and see if suitable bars and stems are available in your diameter before you commit to the job. “Also, if your mountain bike has V-brakes, you need either a set of Travel Agent cable adapters or a new set of Dia Compe brake levers specially designed for V-brakes and dropped handlebars. “Circumstances vary too much for me to give you a price.” All this said, there are people who make this switch happily. Al was interested in a somewhat-esoteric bike, a “29-er.” That’s a 700C rim with mountain bike tires, and no, it doesn’t necessarily measure 29 inches. He had a series of questions, and I had a series of answers: “Would I save weight by going custom?” “Probably not enough to even think about — the custom people have to work with the same periodic table of elements as factories. There are no magic tubing tricks the custom guys have that production guys don’t have.” “And if so, does that matter in a fully loaded bike?”

Recumbent Bikes in the Mix If you are thinking of adding a bike specifically for touring to your existing collection, or even if it’s your first bike, you might consider a recumbent. Over the years, thousands of touring cyclists have visited Adventure Cycling's headquarters in Missoula and a good chunk of these were riding recumbents. In conversation, they offer a variety of reasons for why they prefer riding these machines over the standard bike, or wedgie, as some call them. Some ride them because the back pain associated with riding standard bikes isn't an issue, some prefer the larger, more comfortable

“Absolutely not.” “Also, would the price difference be worth going custom?” “A very individual decision. I can’t make that decision for you.” “On the Salsa Fargo (see sidebar on opposite page), I would put a front shock and straight bars.” “Then why aren’t you starting out with a hardtail mountain bike? It’s a more cost effective way to get the final result you seek.” At this point in our email dialogue, deputy editor Aaron Teasdale jumped in with some valuable insights: “The Fargo is essentially a 29er mountain bike designed for touring, with lots of eyelets for racks, etc. It is not suspension corrected — meaning that putting a front shock on it will mess up the geometry considerably. I wouldn’t do it. The Salsa guys designed the bike to

seats, while still others like the increased view the supine position allows. If you are interested in exploring these bikes further, check the manufacturers listed on page 22. Other resources include: – Recumbent & Human Powered Vehicle Association: www.recumbents. com. – Bentrider Online: www.bentrideron line.com. – Recumbent Bike Riders: www.rbr.info – ERRC: www.geocities.com/e_r_r_c. – Recumbent & Tandem Rider: www. rtrmag.com.

be ridden rigid and rigid only. “If you’re interested in a mountain bike designed specifically for touring that takes a front shock, look at the Gunnar Rock Tour. “It won’t give you 29-inch wheels (unless you get a frame sized 20.5 inches or above), but it will give you the shock and flatbars you seek.” A reader named Larry thanked me for pointing out in a previous article that “wheelbase was just a fallout from the frame geometry and not such a big deal otherwise,” and for my poo-pooing of the fear of greater rolling resistance on fatter tires. And then he asked: did I recommend toe clips or a pedal binding system? Did I recommend integrated brake/shift levers or old-fashioned shift levers. Let me re-explain the wheelbase item for

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AARON TEASDALE

Riding the Divide. Mountain bikes work great, but as one rider shows, cyclocross and touring bikes are also capable dirt-road tourers.

those of you just tuning in. Cycling writers everywhere — well, almost everywhere — keep telling you that you need a “long wheelbase” for touring. That’s about one third true. A bike’s wheelbase comes in three pieces: the dimensions of the cockpit (where you sit), the chainstay length, and the steering geometry (fork rake, head tube angle). Let’s take all three of these in turn: the cockpit dimensions should fit you, not anyone’s external notion of what they should be. The steering geometry is dictated by several factors, including frame size and the bike’s purpose. Chainstay length is the only one of these dimensions that the designer is free to modify. The universe of chainstay lengths is pretty confined. Racing bikes are about 16 to 16 1/2 inches; sport bikes, 16 3/4 to 17 1/4 inches; touring bikes, 17 1/4 to 18 inches. Some designers feel that shorter chainstays yield better handling, but I was always hard put to notice any difference in handling among the various chainstay lengths. This changes slightly when you put panniers on the bike. Rear panniers are almost entirely behind the rear wheel axle, and that’s a bad place for weight to be. It mucks up the bike’s handling. Longer

chainstays move a small portion of this weight in front of the rear axle. Or, in the alternative, longer chainstays allow you to set up the bike so your heels don’t collide with the panniers. (People with size 13 feet have written to remind me that this is an issue that we size-9ers don’t have.) Now, do I recommend toe clips, or a pedal binding system? The answer is ‘yes.’ Over the years, I’ve heard from many cyclists who feel they need one (or the other) for reasons that may go beyond conventional wisdom in bike buying. One-size-fits-most advice is as follows: get an SPD-compatible pedal binding system and shoes made for walking, with a recessed cleat. If you’re new to pedal binding systems, put your bike on a trainer and practice snapping your foot in and out until it’s second nature. Get pedals with adjustable tension, and set the tension loose. Do these things and there will be no on-the-road learning with the binding systems. What you get with a pedal binding system that is increasingly difficult to find in conventional shoes is a nice stiff sole, designed to support your foot. On the brake/shift lever question: Touring bikes come both ways. A few touring bikes come with bar-end shifters because those manufacturers have heard

26 adventure cyclist april 2009 adventurecycling.org

from riders desiring a simpler, more fieldrepairable system. The vast majority of riders have made an informed choice for the integrated brake/ shift lever systems. There’s no question that integrated levers make it easier to shift well. One drawback is replacement cost. So choose what appeals to you. Other advice from me? Get a bike you won’t mind riding on irregular surfaces. The best scenery often comes with the bumpiest roads. As I have often said, the goal of buying the right bike and setting it up properly isn’t so you can have a toy to fuss with. It’s so you can ignore the bike itself and enjoy the experience. No one has said this better than Ed Austin, an Adventure Cycling member from New Zealand: “Too often we immerse ourselves in technical details, forgetting the physical and mental benefits of cycling and the wonderful journeys that await us. On a sheer whim, I cycled across Borneo in 2006, and still remember every moment of the journey. I think I took my bike.” Technical Editor John Schubert invites you to visit his website at Limeport.org, and to respond to this article at schubley@aol.com.

AARON TEASDALE

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THE WIND HORSE A bicycle journey through Tibet follows a murky line between the past and present on the backroads of the highest plateau on Earth

Story and photos by Nathan Ward

trung between towering Himalayan peaks, threadbare prayer flags send their timeless pleas sailing out over a land of unknown mountains and the black yak hair tents of nomads. They wind through the painted doors of distant stone villages and the shuttered windows of tenacious monasteries,

RSES OF DESIRE flying through a land ripped from history and thrust into a foreign world. These prayer flags, these wind horses of desire, carry the tales of time here in Tibet, the highest plateau on Earth. The wind at our backs, we climbed a corkscrew road to the low point in the ridge, more than 17,000 feet

above the distant seas, and pedaled over the flag-strewn summit of the Chak La. We paused there beneath the cloudless cerulean sky before rolling into a long descent, one of the marathon downhills found

only in the world’s biggest terrain. Accelerating with gravity’s pull, we raced past blurred hillsides, our fingers twitching on the brakes, our brains memorizing a string of images — Tibetan men chasing a herd of goats, smoke rising through the sparse fabric of nomad tents, sunburned children yelling “Tashi

kevin mcmanigal

delek,” a yak swimming a deep river pool. It felt fluid and effortless. After years of bike touring, I still love big downhills the best because it feels like flying. We stopped at the bottom of the pass, relaxed in a field of wildflowers, and looked up at the gigantic treeless mountains around us. It was the perfect day, and we were more than happy to be bike touring through the backwaters of Tibet — not only because we were the only two people in the world doing it, but it had been a rough year for this mystical scarred land, and getting here was anything but easy. Just the day before, we weren’t sure we’d make it even this far. Waking early after the heaviest day of rain that year, my wife Andrea and I looked out the window at spitting heavy clouds and wondered, “Should we go? It looks miserable.” Andrea simply stated “We have to go. We may never get another chance.” Living in Tibet, we’d already learned that if we had a chance to do something, we’d better do it immediately because things can change fast. We planned to follow the old road out of Lhasa up the Dode Valley and over a pass into the Phenpo Valley. On the map it looked very close. Our support van drove us out of town past lines of heavily armed

soldiers and up the valley until we decided we were far enough away to start riding. If we rode straight from town, we didn’t know if the authorities would allow us to continue or not. Things were a little tense in Lhasa after the riots in the run up to the Olympics. In the Dode Valley, a villager told us it would take three hours to get over the pass, and based on this single source, we made our plan. In hindsight, that was a mistake. Taking minimal food, we started riding up the old road past mysterious

Young monks. A group of Buddhist cenobites enjoy meeting the rare bicycle traveler. 30 adventure cyclist april 2009 adventurecycling.org

abandoned hermitages carved into the cliff face. However, the road became harder and harder to follow. What we hadn’t realized is that when locals called it the “old road” they meant that no one had used the road for 20 or 30 years. It was almost completely gone. I told Andrea, “Let’s go four hours and see where we are. If we don’t make it, we can always retreat to Lhasa.” As we struggled in the thin air, alternating between riding and walking, the clouds briefly lifted to reveal a mountain ridge high above. “That can’t be the top, can it?” I wondered out loud. It looked incredibly far away. We had grossly underestimated the size of the pass. I guess there was a good reason no one used this road anymore. Hours after we’d eaten all our snacks, we reached a point where the switchbacks across the mountainside covered miles of ground to gain just a hundred feet in altitude. We decided to hike straight up, shouldering our bikes and climbing the steep slope. The rain started to fall, making the mountain slick, and the hike turned into a hellish experience as we slipped, gasped for air, and wondered if we’d reach the top. Times like these are the ones that really test a couple’s commitment to adventure. Finally, we saw stone cairns marking the summit of the pass and pedaled the last mile shivering in the cold rain. Reaching the summit was more relief than elation. However, when we gazed down into the Phenpo Valley below and saw sun shining brightly on verdant fields, it felt like happiness was being poured on us. Before starting our descent, we gathered small rocks and tossed them on the huge pile of stones on the summit. Tibetan pilgrims traditionally built rock cairns at the

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high points of their journeys. Historically, all traffic from eastern and northern Tibet entered the Lhasa Valley over this pass, and the summit was the first place a pilgrim could see the revered Potala Palace in the Lhasa Valley below. For Tibetans, this pass was a place of worship. Circling the giant cairn three times clockwise, we saw piles of hand-sized wooden pieces thrown on the ground. Devout Buddhists often prostrated themselves all the way to Lhasa as a sign of faith, and they made these to protect their hands. They’d clasp their hands high; focus on purifying mind, speech, and body; then stretch fully out, touching their foreheads to the ground. Then they’d stand, take two steps, and prostrate themselves again, some traveling hundreds of miles this way over many months. In comparison, it made our journey up the pass seem very fast and easy. It is said that the current Dalai Lama followed this route to Lhasa as a child after he was first identified as a reincarnate lama. I like to think that his small hand contributed one of the stones to this cairn back when Tibet was an independent nation with a different reality. With that image in my head, I turned my wheels downhill and thought about how lucky Andrea and I were to be here. Since Lhasa exploded into rioting in March 2008, Tibet had once again been under heavy military pressure. Most foreign tourists and NGO workers had left the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), and only about 15 of us remained living there. For months, no one had been allowed in or out of the city, and we thought we’d missed our chance to bike tour in Tibet. We thought there would be no way to get out of the city and travel freely in the countryside. Luckily for us, under international scrutiny before the Olympics, the restrictions eased a little and we were allowed to go. We couldn’t do the long tour we’d dreamed of, but we could do a shorter route near Lhasa. A short tour is better than no tour, and days later we were on top of a high pass, dropping down into a valley bathed in sunlight. As fate would have it, there was no easy way down the mountain, although we clearly saw our destination. Langtang Village looked close, just a few thousand vertical feet below. Not far from the top of the pass, we reached a split in the road — one option was the most traveled, a footpath. But it looked too steep to ride, so we followed the lesser traveled road, and it

Walking terrain. In the high country, sometimes it's best to swallow your pride and push.

made all the difference — for the worse. After a couple of miles, the road disintegrated into loose rubble nearly impossible to ride. It was like technical singletrack on the edge of a cliff, no room for mistakes. It went on and on for hours, until totally exhausted, we shouldered our bikes once

again and hiked down the mountain. 12 hours after setting out, we finally reached the Langtang Village where our driver waited anxiously. Dropping to the ground, Andrea laughed. “Where is that guy who said it was only three hours? I want to talk to

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him.” Word spread fast that we’d reached the village, and people surrounded us, discussing our every move. While Andrea collapsed in the tent, I made duck soup and tried to entertain the crowd. As bike tourists in a developing country, all we wanted was time alone and asleep, but all they wanted was to interact with us. Luckily, after nearly an hour-long question-andanser session, a big thunderstorm rolled in and the crowd dispersed. We thankfully crawled into the tent, happy to be off the mountain. When we were well rested the next morning, the village looked entirely different. Early sun lit the white towers of the monastery where the pleasing chants of monks filled the air. Children rushed to school, and herders led flocks of sheep to pasture. Old people circled the monastery, spinning prayer wheels, repeating low mantras, and gossiping with friends. After receiving a blessing from the lama, we decided to rest our battered legs and drive up Chak La — an immense pass separating the Phenpo and Phongdo valleys. However, we couldn’t resist the perfect downhill on the other side. From the bottom of Chak La, we rode

empty dirt roads along a raging river past barley fields, mud-walled villages, and wide-eyed villagers. Although tourists routinely visit this region, I don’t think these Tibetans had seen many on bicycles before. Our goal for the day was Reting Monastery, but we stopped along the way for lunch in the village of Phongdo. It was a village with a split personality, one that mirrored the divide between old and new Tibet. One side of Phongdo looked like a historical snapshot — spotless Tibetan houses with painted doors, barley and mustard growing high in the fields, the Buddhist stuppa freshly whitewashed, and the prayer wheels oiled. The other half of Phongdo looked the opposite — dingy bars with drunks at noon, trash piled in the streets, and dozens of aimless men playing billiards at outdoor tables near a gigantic police complex. Bellies full of momos and sweet tea, we rode out of Phongdo toward Reting Monastery, a renowned center of spiritual learning before the 1950s. The Dalai Lama has fondly said that if he were ever allowed to return, he would base his work from Reting rather than Lhasa. However, that seems infinitely far from that reality now

Quite the view. This monastary overlooks one of Tibet's fertile high-elevation valleys. 32 adventure cyclist april 2009 adventurecycling.org

because Reting feels and looks like a shattered place. Riding into Reting, we passed through the famous juniper groves, massive ancient trees that surround the monastery. Other than the junipers, little remains of Reting’s former glory. The temples lie in ruins with few monks in sight. Villagers and police live in the former monks’ quarters, and mounds of trash litter the grounds. It wasn’t something we wanted to be part of, so we pedaled away and camped beneath a sheltering juniper. In the forest we relaxed completely and reflected on all the changes the giant trees had witnessed over the centuries. The next day we backtracked and followed the Phongdo River downstream through a fertile valley bookmarked by high grassy peaks. Along the way we passed no fewer than nine major monastic complexes completely in ruins and abandoned. Even after a year in Tibet, the amount of damage inflicted during the Cultural Revolution still stunned us. What continually impressed us was the incredible resilience of the Tibetan people. Despite their difficulties, they remained wild and smiling, greeting us everywhere as we continued cycling for three more

days through the countryside. As we journeyed back onto the paved roads, through the new concrete-block towns, past new hydroelectric projects, it became clear that I might always feel bittersweet about my journey in Tibet. On one hand, Tibet is one of the most incredible places I’ve ever seen — the immenseness of the land, wide open spaces, unknown mountain ranges, giant glacial rivers, extreme weather, remote traditional villages, the strength of the people, and their continued devotion to Buddhism. It inspired me, and I wanted to keep exploring indefinitely. On the other hand, it became obvious that Tibet remains a land in peril. Today the region benefits from better roads, electricity, communication, and many other tangible aspects of development. However, I couldn’t help but think that Tibetans are in danger of losing their cultural identity. Are better roads and cheap electricity a worthwhile price to pay for limited expression of spirituality? What good is development if it erodes the indigenous culture of the people? These philosophical issues run deep, but the good thing about bike touring is that it gives you the time to ponder things with a

head cleared by exercise and fresh air. As I rode, I realized there are no easy answers here, nor are there likely to be. Still, I wanted something to cement a parting image of Tibet in my mind. It came when we reached Drigung Monastery. Drigung holds a place of importance in Tibetan society because it’s one of the main monasteries where sky burials are still practiced. A sky burial returns the body of the deceased directly to nature in accordance with Buddhist beliefs. Special monks receive the body from family members and ceremoniously divide the body into 108 pieces, laying them out on the ground as an offering. Eagles and griffons descend en masse to feed on the bodies, consuming them quickly and efficiently. Through the eyes of western culture, it may appear gruesome, but for Buddhists from a land where the ground is rocky and frozen, where no trees grow for cremation, a sky burial is a logical rite of passage. My whole life I’ve wanted to witness a sky burial, but after Tibetans told me foreigners weren’t supposed to attend, I almost gave up. Then, on the last day of our bike ride, we saw hundreds of vultures circling the ridge over Drigung, and I knew that sky burials were taking place. We

climbed the ridge but waited out of sight until the last birds rose and floated away on the thermals. Then we approached the tranquil sky burial temple. Young monks brought rice and vegetables to the old monks who had just finished chanting the scriptures that accompany the deceased to the next life. Prayer flags hung like hopeful wishes, and there was nothing macabre about the place at all. A monk led us down the hill to point out a new temple that was being built. Inside, young Tibetan men and women were singing together as they painted the walls with traditional Buddhist iconography. They smiled happily and broadly when they saw us. As we hung our own prayer flags, I thought about infinite skies, wild nature, chanting monks, elders repeating mantras, ancient junipers, sky burials, and newly painted temples. I thought, “If Tibetans have persisted through the last 58 years, it’s still not too late.” Nathan Ward is a writer and photographer working worldwide to highlight adventure, promote responsible development, and draw attention to humanitarian causes. He has written about his bicycle adventures in Adventure Cyclist for the last 10 years. See more of his work at www.IceMountainAdventures.com.

adventure cyclist april 2009 adventurecycling.org

the low d Story and photos by Jim Malusa

w down in djibouti

usa

o where are you headed off to this time?” asked Dr. Pellerito. “Step on the scale. Let’s get your weight and height.” Djibouti, I said. It’s in Africa, a little country between Somalia, Ethiopia, and Eritrea. “Africa? Malaria everywhere. 155 pounds — same as before. AIDS, too. Even the monkeys have AIDS. Five foot ten. Good.” He sat at his formica desk and gestured to a chair. “Have a seat and tell me what you need.” Dr. Pellerito’s little office was packed with pharmaceutical samples and leaning towers of

Mt Ramlo 7277 ft

Red Sea

E r it r ia

Y E M EN

Aseb

Ba be

magazines ranging from Sports Illustrated to Diabetes Self-Management. A plastic fig of R E P U B L I Ctree languished in a corner. We talked about malaria. Dr. Pellerito, looking professional in his white lab coat and neat beard, listened carefully and said, D J I B U“So I you don’t like the Lariam? It’s the O T antimalarial recommended by the County Health Clinic.” “Yes,” I said, “but it gives me nightmares. I’d rather try the new drug Malarone.” “Okay with me — what else do you need for Djibouti? What about wild animals?” “Not many, I hope. I only worry about the hyenas.” “Well, a hyena can eat you.” “I’ll carry a pointed stick.” “They run in packs. You might get the first, but others will be right behind.” He was right, but he was being playful, too. He took my blood pressure. “I don’t know how you do these trips, but I suppose you’re used to it, camping alone all over the world. How do you pick these places like Djibouti? Are you carrying something for dysentery? Amoebas?” I checked my kit and said, “I’ve got some Flagyl, but isn’t that for giardia? The lowest point in Africa is in Djibouti, a salt lake called Lac Assal. It’s like Death Valley, except deeper: 500 feet below sea level. And it’s right on the coast where the Red Sea opens into the Indian Ocean, across from Yemen. The sea doesn’t rush into the pit because a volcano that last erupted in 1978 separates them. Can I take Flagyl for amoebas?” “You can, but the dose is tripled.” “How do I know if I’ve got giardia or amoebas?” “That’s right — you won’t know. Why the low points? Most people go up, not down — or is that your point? Something different?” “Actually, something warmer. Someplace I can ride my bike.” Dr. Pellerito tossed me a box of Ciproflaxin. “What about the roads in Djibouti? Do you have a rear-view mirror?” I stuffed the antibiotics into my kit, forgetting to ask the dosage. I said that I had a mirror, but I survive by assuming that nobody sees me. “That’s what I do when I’m jogging. Need some antibiotic cream? Band-Aids?” “Sure. Thanks.” “I wouldn’t turn down free Band-Aids either.” The sterile-until-opened Band-

Moussa Ali 6650 ft

et hiop ia

d j ib ou t i Lake Assal -512 ft Petit Bara Grand Bara

Gulf of Aden

Ta d j o lf of

u ra

Djibouti Town

Ali Sabieh

soma li a

Aids were relics; the wrappers immediately peeled apart. Dr. Pellerito knew I didn’t care. He bundled them with a rubber band, shook my hand, and said, “Djibouti. You’re set. Have a good trip.” l

Every bicycle traveler packs some notion of the ideal passage and destination. It might be a flat cruise past Vietnamese rice paddies, a panting ascent of the Blue Ridge under autumn leaves, or a roller-coaster ride through the hills of Tuscany leading to a table set with aged prosciutto and young mozzarella. Myself, once a year I boxed up my bike and flew away for a month’s ride with the intention of reaching, one by one, the lowest point on six continents: Death Valley, the Dead Sea, and all the rest — the bellybuttons of our fair planet. It was an unlikely scheme, and at the outset it seemed the

odds were not in my favor. But it was the plan that counted, the pleasure of possibility. Besides, I have a thing for deserts — the clean sands, the big views — and every pit was in a desert. Now, two months after my visit with Dr. Pellerito and a week after arriving in Djibouti, I pedal in the African pre-dawn through a stone village called Ali-Sabieh, pausing as a man with a white skullcap emerges from a mosque. Clutching his prayer beads, he glances up as the Ramadan sun clears the horizon and vanquishes the possibility of eating until sundown. If he’s sincere in his belief, he’ll also abstain from sex, lying, and spiteful gossip. Purity of spirit during Ramadan, they say, allows one to draw closer to one’s maker. Lacking faith but possessing secret food stores in my panniers, I pedal out of AliSabieh and into a desert with no hope for sex, no need for lying, and as close as I’ll ever be to my maker. Anthropologists know this slice of Africa as the Afar Triangle, where the bones of australopithecus were first discovered — the first primate to walk on two legs. This is the only place on earth where you could ask a local how long they’ve called it home, and the honest answer would be forever. I aim north between corroded hills of sandstone dotted with goats, hoping to ride 60 miles to Lac Assal by day’s end. The route is recently paved and delightfully smooth. The U.S. consulate in the capital port of Djibouti Town had not tried to dissuade me from my tour, but instead had issued a simple warning: “Head out on a

No services. You'll want to be prepared when traveling along desolate roads in Djibouti.

36 adventure cyclist april 2009 adventurecycling.org

casey greene

‫ﺟﻴﺒﻮ ﺗﻲ‬

casey greene

road like that and you’re on your own.” “On your own” is something I relish as the bike and I fly past the acacia trees nibbled into umbrella forms by ponderous camels and insatiable goats. The valley opens onto the desiccated lake bed of the Grand Bara, where the plants shrink until there is nothing but polygons of dried mud. Two days earlier I’d crossed a similar playa, the Petit Bara, and found that even with sunglasses the zealous light off the nude earth was overwhelming. A line of camels walked across the playa with legs that grew longer with each step. They stretched until their legs were strings holding the balloons of their bodies high above the quicksilver earth. Then they disappeared into thick air. No mirages today — a headwind has upset the lens of cool and warm air. A pair of midget antelope called dik-dik bound across the road, followed by a panicked whirl of sand grouse looking like pigeons in desert camouflage. After four more dik-dik, I reach the Lac Assal turnoff and a truck stop, a tin-roofed patio with a ceiling of woven mats to repel the heat. The cook and the truckers are from highland Ethiopia, land of the crucifix, not Ramadan, so I can sit for a bowl of panting hot lentils and onions. Best of all, they speak some English, and I can ask what they are hauling. “Salt from Lac Assal,” says a young driver with pretty good shoes. He jots his name, Endalkachew Taye from Ethiopia, in my notebook. “600 bags, 55 kilos each, every 3 days,” he tells me. Salt was the original currency of the Afar, also know as the Danikil, whose homeland includes not only Djibouti’s Lac Assal but also the immense Danakil Depression, which lies below sea level and reaches into Ethiopia and Eritrea. It’s not surprising that they’re little visited – the World Handbook of Climatology christened the Danakil Depression the hottest place on earth. Not helping matters is their reputation. L.M. Nesbitt’s travelogue HellHole of Creation set the standard with a lurid account of his 1928 expedition into “that black and savage country” where the tribesmen castrate their enemies. It was worrisome, but one bonus of bicycle touring is the face it presents to the locals, making vulnerability an asset. Alone and defenseless, I might be nuts, but I was certainly not their enemy. It was true that Al Qaeda had bombed the USS Cole in nearby Yemen, yet my previous bicycle

trips through Egypt, Turkey, and Jordan have convinced me that Muslim hospitality toward a lone cyclotourist trumps Muslim fear of American imperialists. In any case, the local folk seem to be

canyons that drop 2,000 feet into the drink. At the deepest gorge, I leave the bike and creep up to the verge to look straight down hundreds of feet. The moment I do, a pair of warplanes in mock battle burst over the

It's a wrap! Local herbs and teas can be found in urban areas, and they make people smile.

keeping their distance from the road. The camps of the nomads are a scattering of yellow plastic water jugs and what look like igloos knitted from acacia branches. Peewee children race up to see me pass, then flee in terror when I stop to say hello. The road crests a saddle above the Gulf of Tadjoura. This 40-mile-long bay nearly slices little Djibouti in two before ending abruptly at the volcano defending Lac Assal from the sea. To reach the pit, the road must first climb the stepped plateaus of fresh basalts whose flanks are clawed by

horizon and pass so low that I duck. When the echoes subside, there is nothing but the wind and the sound of falling stones. Far below the rimrock, a girl is winging rocks at a herd of goats, driving them to a waterhole that shines like a drop of mercury. She stands alone atop a pinnacle, green dress and yellow scarf flapping in the breeze, crying “Ay! Ay! Ay!” She is queen of her domain. Dead ahead is Lac Assal, a bull’s-eye of deepest blue ringed with purest white, sunk far below in a black spill of lava from

adventure cyclist april 2009 adventurecycling.org

the volcano. At the turnoff to the pit stands a flock of Afar huts, a single sheet-metal shack painted the green and blue of the Djiboutian flag, and two open-air truck stops. I choose the one with plastic crates of empty Coke bottles forming a windbreak for the patio and a satellite TV dish connected to nothing. There are no customers — just me and a buzzing miasma of flies. I order a Coke

met. And it’s true that his party, bristling with rifles, was met with hostility. Nesbitt believed that only because “a white man commands a certain respect, by reason of his superior fortitude and willpower,” did he survive “the criminal Afars, who are easily tamed by a little tact and a few trinkets.” I offer the man a seat and a Coke. He refuses the Coke — Ramadan — but takes

A pair of midget antelope called dik-dik bound across the road, followed by a panicked whirl of sand grouse. and rest my eyes in the shade. When I open them, I see that a lone man, whittled by the sun into a form that hardly casts a shadow, is walking toward the truck stop. “The Danakil kill any stranger at sight,” wrote Nesbitt in Hell-Hole of Creation. He was doubtlessly in a rotten mood after a little incident with a viper in his sun hel-

the seat. He does not speak English, yet his ability to communicate is peerless. Once he understands my destination is Lac Assal, he rises and points to the fresh black cone of the volcano, then pantomimes how it cut off Lac Assal from the Gulf of Tadjoura. This much is fairly obvious. But this fellow in a purple plaid skirt and a Nike

T-shirt takes the geology lecture further. He puts the sides of his hands together and says “Africa” before pulling them slowly apart. He identifies one hand as Kenya, then adds, “Seismo.” This is exactly right. The Gulf of Tadjoura is where the tectonic slash known as the Great Rift Valley enters the continent of Africa, which it is patiently ripping in two. Kenya and the Horn of Africa will ultimately raft away from the rest, although on a time scale perhaps intelligible only to the Afar. Seismo. He carries on with pen and the back of my map, drawing a well tapping into a subterranean force that spins a little turbine. He probably wonders why I’m smiling. I’d presumed that a herder in flipflops would know nothing of geothermal energy, and I’m happy to be wrong. But I really wish that a goat had not snatched the Arabic notes from my handlebar bag. It had already chewed its way to the last page by the time we chased it off. The geologist laughs, shakes my hand, and strolls back into the heat. Djibouti possesses the quiet advantage

Desert bloom. In the distance, beyond the stretch of an ancient dry lake bed, is one of Djibouti's higher points. 38 adventure cyclist april 2009 adventurecycling.org

Mr. Hell-Hole didn’t think much of the natives’ schedule. “Then at dawn, when they ought to be doing their work, they will fall soundly asleep, and will go on snoring under the noonday sun. The glare and the flies trouble them little; only a touch of your booted toe will recall them to their duties.” Poor Mr. Nesbitt. Superior fortitude and inferior scheduling had brought him to Lac Assal in June when the average high temperature is 118 degrees. The savages who mine the salt below sea level were nowhere to be seen. A shame. They’re actually pretty nice.

Djouby anything? This small store offers just the basics.

of being a country in which the worst is expected. When it fails to happen, it’s easy to believe that the trip will offer more than plain survival. I head over to the flag shack to buy a can of “Choice Pineapple Broken Pieces,” then hop on the bike for the big drop through 10 miles of naked lava. To my surprise, the road is nicely paved, and I sing with joy the utterly inappropriate “City of New Orleans” by Arlo Guthrie while rolling down without a turn of the pedals to the lowest point in Africa. A half-hour before sundown, I’m standing on the shore of Lac Assal. It’s huge and had been whipped by a terrific wind into salt caps. It’s rimmed by plum-colored mountains and steaming hot springs. And there are no mosquitoes. Here are the Afar, salt-cutters returning from their work to a cluster of stone domes only six feet high. When one man spots me searching for a place to hide from the wind, he offers the international hands-as-pillow symbol. I accept. He further indicates, “Wait here.” After their prayers, three men and two women clear out an excellent little hovel and fetch a woven mat. I join them in their hut for dinner, firing up my awe-inspiring little stove for ramen noodles. They break their fast with round breads and lentil stew. A tiny radio emits a faint warble of music. I exhaust my Arabic to discover that all three men are named Ali. The eldest, only 25, speaks so clearly that although I don’t understand the words I know what he means: if you have any trouble in the

night, come here and we will help you. I walk back under the splash of stars and duck into my room of black rocks. It’s crazy hot. One of the Alis pokes his head in to give me a candle. The men return to work, firing up a front loader to stack the slabs of salt.

Cyclists frequently head for the hills, but Jim Malusa headed for the pits. With plenty of sunscreen and a cold beer swaddled in his sleeping bag, Malusa bicycled alone to the lowest point on six continents, a six-year series of “anti-expeditions” to the “anti-summits.” As told in his book, Into Thick Air (Sierra Club Books, 2008), Malusa’s first trip took him to Lake Eyre in the arid heart of Australia. Next, he followed Moses’ route from the valley of the Nile to the Jordanian shore of the Dead Sea, and then raced against winter through Russian farmlands, from Moscow to the Caspian Sea. After pedaling across the Andes to Salina Grande in Argentine Patagonia, it was time for Africa. For more about Malusa, visit www.redroom.com/authors/jimmalusa.

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adventure cyclist april 2009 adventurecycling.org

Travels with Willie

Little by little The other side of the story by Kat Marriner

My column in Adventure Cyclist has been called “Travels with Willie” since 1997. Yet, since 1996, I have been traveling with my life partner, Kat Marriner. Readers get the stories of our travels,

climb over the highest mountain pass in Venezuela. -Willie Weir I was sitting in the vet’s office in Seattle waiting for the doctor to look at our cat Deeter when I first read about the 4,007-meter pass near Merida. That’s over 13,000 feet — higher than I may ever have been, certainly higher than I have ever pedaled. I have a real love for big mountains, and I would rather be above tree line and touching the clouds than in a forest canopy. But I also knew that climbing a pass to 13,000 feet would challenge me both physically and mentally. Willie and I started thinking about cycling in South America even while we were enjoying our trip in Southeast Asia. Cycling the Andes might deter some people, but after the “hills” of northern Thailand, I had a new appreciation for the gradual climb most mountain passes offered. As with all our bike adventures together, the ultimate decision for our destination was mine. Willie is truly game to go anywhere, but we affectionately refer to ourselves as Mr. Extreme and Ms. Moderate for a reason. It’s an unfortunate and inevitable restriction, I think, that our adventures are only as bold and daring as I choose. And it’s the ultimate testament of his love that Mr. Extreme will limit his own adrenaline high so that we can continue to travel together. Encouraged by his respect, and because I now have miles and miles

Kat gets ready to climb.

of climbs behind me, I believed I could cross that pass listed in the guidebook. The climb over Paso del Condor and reaching Merida was the one thing that I knew I wanted to do on this trip before we left home. This was my personal challenge and was the thing that kept me awake nights. The night before we began the final ascent, I felt just like the night before the SATs, the night before the big track meet, the night before I was to speak in public. It was pure performance anxiety — something Willie rarely

40 adventure cyclist april 2009 adventurecycling.org

knows. Mountain passes have always held a kind of magic for me that required suspension of disbelief. I remember the very first one I pedaled over in Romania in 1996. I remember the one that wasn’t on the map in Turkey in 2004. I remember Steven’s Pass close to home. They all serve as symbols for some kind of achievement or goal that I’m not sure I can reach. We headed out of Timotes early in the morning and were happily surprised to find a traffic light and the road beautifully paved. The day before we pedaled with too many big trucks and stinking 1970s era taxis racing past too close for comfort. But once the real climb began, only vehicles that respected the road seemed to be traveling. We got some thumbs up from eager passengers and toots from careful drivers — always a welcomed sign. Villagers and farmers smiled once their minds registered the two loaded bicycles passing them by. Kilometer after kilometer we slowly climbed past cabbage patches, leeks and onions, garlic, artichokes, cauliflower, and greens. Impossibly steep and rocky patches of earth were tilled and irrigated along our way. Our maps didn’t show how far it was to the top, and road signs varied in their distance to Paso del Condor, so the first day we simply pedaled until we found a rare place to camp beside the river and near an onion field. It looked like the top

WILLIAM WEIR

but they get it from my perspective. I can’t tell you how many people have asked, “What does Kat think of your adventures? What’s her side of the story?” Well, it is high time that her voice is heard from the road. What follows is Kat’s telling of our

WILLIAM WEIR

was “just up there” as we watched the clouds roll in mid-afternoon and obscure the view. All my anticipation seemed so unnecessary as we settled in for the night, thinking that in a couple short kilometers our downhill would begin. It was a perfect campsite and a perfect night in our hamster’s nest of a tent, snuggling under a shared sleeping bag. Moments like these, curled together, secure against the elements, I feel most protected, most loved. In the morning, we cooked a hearty breakfast of leeks, garlic, and eggs, made toast and coffee over the camp stove, and lingered until the sun took the chill off the morning air. The elderly lady who gave us permission to camp on her property had the face of a sweet apple doll and wished us well as we continued on our way. So we hopped on our bikes and whooped it up as we came to a sign that read 4,000 meters. The summit was just around the bend. Looking back, the ribbon of road disappeared through small farms and villages in the valley below. The official top was supposed to have a national park office and restaurant, so that must be just around the corner. Or maybe it’s around that next corner or the next? The road continued to climb, and farmland quickly disappeared into dry and rugged scabland. Hearty heathers and lupines long past blooming covered the landscape. A few lonely cattlemen looked on with wonder as we slowly pedaled past. One friendly fellow called out that we were only an hour away from

the top. An hour? Wasn’t it just around the next bend? Didn’t we just pass the summit sign? We stopped for hot chocolate and the chance to warm up once again at the only restaurant on the lonely road. Was this the restaurant stop listed in the guidebook? We went on — and on. There were no signs on this road, except the erroneous one early in the day that indicated how far we’d gone or where we were. When we pointed and asked, the answer always was that Paso del Condor is “just up there.” Willie stopped asking because, unlike me, he has no need to know how far or how much longer. I’m the keeper of the cyclometer and still need to play mental tricks to prod myself forward and my belief that I could do it was fading as the road snaked upward. Even in the thin blue air, he was simply in the here and now. I saw in his grin that he was thriving with this challenge, and I envied him. I was not. But somewhere past the hot chocolate stop, I did stop looking at my cyclometer, stopped looking at my watch, stopped thinking how far. The landscape now looked like the top of the world and as if the road could go on forever. By now, my legs felt more like wet sponges being wrung out to dry. We would stop long enough to breathe, eat a few nuts, and feel the urge to go on once again. I recalled the climb to Alto de Letras in Colombia nearly two months ago, when my breathing was wild and frantic. I sobbed on the side of the road then, and Willie fed me nuts and didn’t say

anything until I calmed down. Now my breathing was labored, slow, and methodical. Two months of training had prepared me well, a lifetime of performance anxiety had turned into a simple need to keep moving forward. Poco a poco, I would tell myself — little by little. Nearly five hours after we left our campsite, we passed a road crew slicing a thin line in the pavement to lay Internet cable. They cheered us on and said we would see the top soon. Indeed, around the next bend, the statue of a condor — Paso del Condor was visible in the distance against the still, blue sky. Switchbacks continued to inch upward one pedal-stroke at a time. I was caught on camera by a family driving from Caracas, the father in a bright blue suit smiling as he pointed his video camera at me. I was barely able to manage a smile back, and a wave was impossible. They seemed to understand. Drenched in sweat and too cold to stop, Willie pushed on ahead now at his own pace. He was there like a proud parent to capture the moment as I rounded the top — reaching my ultimate milestone, my life’s highlight. It was my victory for the moderate among us who can achieve great heights one small life stroke at a time. The final pedal stroke came at 13,146 feet. The downhill to Merida was a ride to be savored for 60 kilometers and 60 years to come. Kat Marriner is a graphic designer and project manager in Seattle, Washington. You can read more about Willie and Kat’s adventures in Colombia and Venezuela from Kat’s perspective at www.yellowtent adventures.blogspot.com.

adventure cyclist april 2009 adventurecycling.org

Final Mile

THE OTHER END OF THE TUNNEL

There’s supposed to be a light at the end of every tunnel, but on my first tour it was the other way around. My three-week tour of western British Columbia — the wheel of my trailer tracing the rugged coast like a careful child’s pencil — was filled with a lot of light. Sun played on my back as I did upon the rolling coast beneath its gaze. The sometimes dim countenance of solitude was repeatedly brightened by new friends along the way. Where asphalt roads had confined me, I soon found the brighter points of ocean, starlight, and grape-flecked fields. Where I had felt lost I was now content to wander, and light kept chasing me as I chased freedom. The coast had opened its arms to me eight months earlier. A fresh transplant from the prairies, I relished the drama of Vancouver, one of Canada’s most vivacious cities. But as much exploring as I did in Vancouver, I never set foot on the island in its shadow. It slept there as I woke, waiting as I pursued the business of living. I had been to Vancouver Island only once, years before as a tender 14-year-old. I had lost my favorite sandals on one of its beaches. Whether they were misplaced or stolen I never knew, but 11 years later on the saddle of a bicycle, I went back to search — maybe not for the shoes exactly, but for things I didn’t know I’d lost. The tunnel held off for a while. After eight months of courting the bicycle, getting to know its mechanical moods, and relying on it completely for transportation, I felt ready to spin farther. Ready to fill my lungs daily with the energy of my 5:00 a.m. commute,

ready to stretch out the invincibility of the 3:00 a.m. cruise home. Eight months of pulling espresso shots and countless all-nighters had made me yearn for wide-open spaces, and the ones the Dixie Chicks sang about in my earphones wouldn’t cut it anymore. I wanted to be as portable as possible. Conveniently, a 12,408-square-mile island lay across the Strait of Georgia — the perfect size for

42 adventure cyclist april 2009 adventurecycling.org

my wheels and newfound gumption. I set off from downtown Vancouver on the windiest day I’d seen in all my 26 years. Like my father’s hand on the back of my bike newly stripped of its training wheels, the relentless wind urged me forward. The cheerful May sun just kept on shining mile after mile, day after day. The first leg of my journey was along the Sunshine Coast, and I was especially pleased with the poetry of it all. The initial 80-mile jaunt from Gibsons to Powell River was boot camp for the legs and paradise for the wheels. All four — legs and wheels — seemed to relish the challenge. Foodstuffs along the Sunshine Coast were more sparse than I had anticipated. I was saved more than once by fellow cyclists, their banana bread, and instant mushroom risotto, my new bread of life. Lessons piled up like the lactic acid in my quads: stock up on food; look after other self-propelled souls; and good karma, like the turn of my wheels, is tough to stop. The tunnel kept holding off. Under the sun I drank coffee at the Manyana Café with two of Texada Island’s most hospitable women. I listened to their tales of loss and island community. They praised my independence, fueling me for the next day’s miles. I passed the night at Shelter Point Park, the stars competing for my attention with the twinkle of passing ferries — stars and boats both like shimmering behemoths in the night. I saw light in everyone I met — from generous locals who offered up their backyards and spare bedrooms, to weathered off-shore fishermen who shared a similar spirit in cans of cheap beer. Along the way there were oysters shimmering on the half shell, hot springs in far-flung northern bays, campfires on beaches, and out-of-the-way pubs.

MARGIE FULLMER

Some bicycle journeys don't end as planned by Jennifer Ward

There was laughter shared with cyclists and brownies with neighboring campers. There was loneliness but nothing a phone call couldn’t soothe. There were cool nights but always the morning light. There were weak moments but always the sun — firming up the skins of Pinot grapes in the vineyards rolling along beside me as it toughened my own. Always there was light, strong as ever in the sky and within me. Until the tunnel, that is. It was the final day of my tour, and I was melancholy but looking forward to the luxuries of home. With just the right amount of juice left for 53 more miles, I set out early for Vancouver via pavement and sea. In my usual spontaneous fashion, I had only glanced over the route. I must have figured that the city would just unfold before me in one familiar landmark after another. As it turned out, the island way didn’t serve me quite so well in the sprawling suburbs of an urban

metropolis. A late-May heat wave had rolled in and was throwing heady aromas of flax and canola off the knee-patch fields. The wind threatened to reduce me to a salt lick as I pedaled along busy highways I could have avoided if I’d had the foresight. And then there it was, streaming at me like a black hole: the George Massey Tunnel. Many “No Bicycles” signs heralded its inevitable arrival. I could no longer pretend the Fraser River would part before me as if I were leading a nation. I quickly pulled off the highway into a cul-de-sac with one lonely pay phone. Tears pricked my eyes as I watched cars and trucks descend into the bicycle purgatory. I was forlorn. No footbridge? No ferry? I pulled out my map. Nothing for miles that looked any less dire. The rest is a blur. Somehow, five quarters, one ragged guidebook, and a 10-ton phonebook later, I found a way out. There was a shuttle leaving in 20

Jennifer Ward currently lives in Syracuse, New York. As soon as she can see the first glimpse of spring, she and her bike become inseparable. Though a budding triathlete, her first love is still touring. She also runs a food blog at www.freshcrackedpepper.com

A South Dakota bike tour will take your breath away. So book now to take advantage of this great 15% discount. Early birds must book & prepay by April 1st.

Photo by Thomas Close

MARGIE FULLMER

Mt. Rushmore Black Hills, South Dakota

minutes from a nearby gas station — a shuttle just for cyclists! Harried and sweaty, I crossed the highway to join the slew of oncoming traffic and retrace my pedal strokes. I clenched my teeth the whole way back over a shoulderless bridge towards the shuttle, which was waiting right where it was supposed to be. With plenty of room for one more bicycle and the diminished ego of its rider, it welcomed me aboard. As we descended into the gaping mouth of the George Massey Tunnel, I opened my eyes wide. At the end of this enlightening journey, I found myself exceedingly grateful. There beneath the Fraser River, I let myself relish for just a moment the darkness I was — for the last time — about to leave behind.

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WILD HEART CYCLING — Explore the awe

inspiring California redwoods and coast. Experience Oregon’s treasures: rugged coast, snow-capped Cascade Mountains, Hells Canyon, and Oregon’s Alps. Relax in the pastoral Vermont countryside. Dine on delicious food. Enjoy the camaraderie of touring in a small group. Guided & self-guided tours. 877-846-9453. www.wildheartcycling.com.

HISTORICAL TRAILS CYCLING — Fully

supported affordable biking tours along the Oregon Trail, Lewis and Clark and Katy Trail. Friendly experienced staff and delicious meals. Plus, exciting paddling adventures on Nebraska Sandhills Rivers. Website: www.historicaltrailscycling.com. WOMEN ONLY BIKE TOURS — Fully-

supported inn-to-inn tours for women. All abilities and ages. Cross country and weeklong tours. Bike mechanic workshops & yoga. Free catalog. 800-247-1444. Website: www.womantours.com.

8th Annual MAine

Lobster

ride & roLL

rockland, Maine

July 25th, 2009 207-623-4511 www.BikeMaine.org

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adventure cyclist april 2009 adventurecycling.org

marketplace continued

America by Bicycle, Inc.

BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY

May 25 - June 6, 2009 • 690 miles • VA Round Robin

CROSS COUNTRY CHALLENGE

June 6 - July 28, 2009 • 3,850 miles • CA to ME

ACROSS AMERICA NORTH

June 21 - Aug. 10, 2009 • 3,630 miles • OR to NH

RIDE THE EAST

Aug. 15 - Sept. 9, 2009 •1,680 miles • ME to FL

RIDE THE WEST

Sept. 5 - Sept. 28, 2009 •1,390 miles • OR to CA

Fully Supported Bicycle Tours

“See America from the seat of your bicycle.”

W O O L C Y C L IN G J E R S E Y S

H E I R L O O M Q U A LI T Y MODERN PERFORMANCE T I M E L E SS D E SI G N

888-797-7057 • abbike.com

Bicycling Tours for Seniors 50+

old

s folk

spo

kes

Wabi Woolens blends the highest quality Merino wool fabric with superb craftmanship with understated styling to meet the performance demands of today’s cyclists.

www.wabiwoolens.com Made in USA

INC

Erie Canal - C&O Canal Katy Trail - Lake Champlain Florida Keys - Florida Trails Amish Country - Allegheny Passage Le P’tit Train du Nord, Quebec

PannierRacksForAnyBike.com

pat@seniorcycling.com 540-668-6307

888-439-6445

www.seniorcycling.com BTResource.com

BICYCLE TOURING OUTFITTER

great gift!

tour france on 40 euros a day* DVD with maps/guide $14.95+s.h. ouraymedia.com/cycle_tour.htm *per person

46 adventure cyclist april 2009 adventurecycling.org

Selling only the highest quality gear at outstanding prices. BROOKS ARKEL VO WOOL JERSEYS SCHWALBE TIRES

Call toll free 1-866-561-2501

Open Road Gallery

It’s raining? . . . SO? by Sarah Raz Photograph by Greg Siple

The Open Road Gallery has a definite trend; We feature epic rides — folks who journeyed from end to end. This time, however, it’s a different tour. A family that commutes despite wind, snow, or downpour. To pool and school and each place in between: Cruising the streets of Missoula, these tandems often are seen. The girls – Isadora, Ingrid, and Stella, fancy cycling much more, When forced into vehicles, they’ll claim, “cars are a bore.” Busy parents Craig and Michelle, for whom work and music lessons are dominant, Their affair with the bicycle is present, continuous, and constant. “Bikes were here before cars, and they’ll be here after,” Says Craig, who enjoys daily commutes for conversation, song, and laughter. When this picture was taken the rain was torrential, almost blinding, The commuters posed cheerfully, not really minding. While Greg Siple, photographer, fumbled with cameras, umbrella in tow, Isadora, Ingrid, and Stella just giggled, “It’s raining?…So?” From Adventure Cycling’s National Bicycle Touring Portrait Collection. © 2009 Adventure Cycling Association.

adventure cyclist april 2009 adventurecycling.org

Non-profit U.S. POSTAGE PAID Adventure Cycling Association

Good Times, Great Values

GLACIER WATERTON

PHOTOS BY AARON TEASDALE

MONTANA/CANADA 7/12-7/21

CYCLE THE DIVIDE MONTANA 7/11-7/17

HIGH COUNTRY RELAXED COLORADO 8/5-8/10

adventurecycling.org/tours