Full Description
"One of the best pieces of equipment you can get to prepare for a tour." - "Odyssey". "If you like to bicycle and you're prone to wanderlust, proceed with caution before reading "The Essential Touring Cyclist" ...you may find yourself suddenly giving two weeks' notice and hitting the road." - "Outdoor Traveller". "Just about everything a person needs to know to travel by bike." - "Denver Post".Each year thousands of people pedal across the country, and even more choose weekend or week long tours near home or abroad. Bike touring is a way to really see and experience the countryside and come home healthier than when you left. "The Essential Touring Cyclist", the only fully illustrated manual for bicycle touring, guides you through choosing a bike, equipping and customizing it for touring, and preparing yourself for life on the road. Other features include: getting into shape and dealing with aches and pains; touring solo or with groups; riding skills and endurance techniques; and tips on clothing, camping, food, and safety.Whether you're heading out for a few hours or a few months, this new edition of "The Essential Touring Cyclist" gives you everything you need to know about travelling on two wheels.
Contents
IntroductionCycle Touring 101. Getting Started1 Choosing and Equipping a BicycleTypes of Bicyles; Gearing; Wheels, Tires, and Tubes; Saddles; Toe Clips; Other Components; Accessories; Useful Additions; How Much Must I Spend?2 Equipping YourselfHelmets; Gloves; Eye Shields; Shoes; Cycling Shorts; Shirts and Jerseys; Jackets and Wind Shells; Rain Gear; Cold-Weather Clothing3 Making Friends with Your Bike and Staying FriendlyBefore You Buy; Stems and Cranks; Adjustments4 Basic Riding SkillsPedaling Cadence; Riding in Traffic; Traffic Laws; Wind; Dogs; Railroad Tracks, Cattle Guards, and Rumble Strips5 Day Tours and Training RidesTraining Basics; Spring Training; Base Training; Training for a Tour; Training through Winter; Stretching and Weight Lifting; Doing Your First CenturyCycle touring 102. Beyond Day Riding6 Organized ToursSummer Camp on Wheels7 Vans and Credit Cards: You Don't Have to Camp or Carry a Lot of WeightTypes of Tours8 Loaded Touring: You Can Take It All With YouBasic Camp Equipment; Bags; Loading Up; Getting Rid of the Shimmies; Other Packing Tips; Light-Touring Rig; What to Carry9 Life on the RoadChoosing a Destination; Where to Spend the Night; Route Planning: You Say There's a Big Hill Ahead?; Finding Your Way through Cities and Towns; Showers, Sanitation, and Locks; Food; Water; Group Size10 Challenges and Adversities: With Proper Preparation, Both Can Be Fun (Almost)Hills and Mountains; Poor Visibility: Forest and Fog; Deserts; Living--Or at Least Drinking--Off the Land; Bridges, Tunnels, and Freeways; Gravel; Construction Zones; Hitching a Ride; Avoiding Confrontations; Rain; Night Riding11 Getting There: Planes, Trains, Automobiles, Buses, and FerriesMaking a ChoiceAppendix: 65 Great Tours--and MoreIndexAcknowledgmentsNER(01): WOW
