The air was still crisp as I wheeled my bicycle out of the guest house overlooking Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. I hooked on the pannier and handlebar bags and pedaled down the highway toward the Isle of Skye —75 miles away and my destination for the day.
The road soon left the hill-girded loch and began a steady 20-mile climb through deep glens and crags to the brooding heights of Loch Cluanie. From its gaunt shores I coasted for miles down the heather- clad slopes of Glen Shiels. Then, between rows of purple mountains, I soared on downhill in a breathtaking descent that turned the roadsides into blurred ribbons of russet and green. Soon I was at sea level, riding along the hilly shores of Loch Duich.
Wide panoramas of islands, beaches, rocks, and occasional castles flowed by. Gliding on silent wheels above the great sea lochs was as exhilarating as flying. As I lunched on a rock beside Loch Alsh, I watched two gray seals cavort while a pair of buzzards cruised overhead.
At the white waterside town of Kyle I rode straight aboard the ferry while a long line of cars was left behind to await the next sailing. An hour later I rode ashore on Skye and kept right on pedaling. Trim white cottages dotted the island’s treeless moors, and every second one bore a “Bed & Breakfast” sign. As the after noon sun splashed the distant Cuillin Hills with golden light, I pulled up outside the Hilton Guest House in Broadford Village.
Minutes later, I unpacked in a comfortable bedroom with a wild seascape framed in the window. And soon I was indulging in a long relaxing soak in a hot tub bath.
The Lure of the Open Road
As a sample of solo, independent bicycle touring in Europe, this might be considered a fairly typical day. It was, in fact, the second day of a 5-week long tour that recently took me from Inverness through the Scottish Highlands, around the coasts of Ulster and Ireland, and by car ferry to France for a final ten days of cycling along the rocky shores of Brittany.
Throughout, I stayed at comfortable guest houses and small hotels, thoroughly exploding the popular misconception that exercise and comfort are incompatible. Yet most Americans continue to equate bicycle touring with strenuously puffing against headwinds and up hills, at the mercy of heat and rain, while roughing it in tents or hostels. Had I wished, I could have stayed at luxury hotels and eaten at gourmet restaurants, and many independent bicycle tourists do.
Actually, touring on your own, or with a few friends, is a wonderful way to discover a new region or country. Along the way you probably will test your limits with a few new challenges, and since your ride is unsupported, you must be a competent rider and able to handle minor repairs. And you undoubtedly will encounter some head winds and hills. Yet if you know the ropes, it’s relatively easy and simple to plan and design a magnificent and rewarding tour.
How to Overcome the Language Problem
Many older people feel intimidated by foreign languages and cultures. How can you tour France-if you don’t speak French? After bicycling through every country in Western Europe except Finland, I’ve found that the following key phrases will serve in 90 percent of bicycle travel situations:
- Please, I would like—.
- Where is—?
- Thank you.
- How much is it?
- I/we need a room for one/two persons for one/two nights with (without) a private bath and toilet.
- We shall leave at — in the morning. We shall need the door unlocked and our bicycles.
(That last phrase is because you cannot take your bicycle into your room in Europe and must leave it in a hotel storage area; also small European hotels often don’t unlock the front door until 8 A.M.)
Have these phrases translated, and write them out phonetically, and you’ll be able to travel almost anywhere in Europe. You should also learn the numbers up to 12. In any case, someone in most hotels usually speaks some English, while English is usually spoken in the tourist information office that exists in virtually every larger town in every resort area in Europe.
When touring independently, you must either: (1) travel light and stay at hotels or motels (or Bed & Breakfasts in England Ireland) or at youth hostels; or (2) camp in a tent. Since tent camping means carrying at least 30 pounds of gear, and turning your bike into a beast of burden, I do not recommend it for a beginning adult tour. If you enjoy tent camping, it’s better to join a group tour and have your tent and equipment carried on a truck. Instead, I will concentrate here on “light touring.” This translates into carrying all your basic essentials in two pannier bags, and a handlebar or rack bag.
Wyoming’s Tetons provide a spectacular backdrop
for cyclists on the Trans America Bicycle Trail.
Racks and Touring Bags
I have carried quite heavy loads on the Pletscher aluminum racks. But for greater dependability, you should fit your bike with a triangular Blackburn rack.
A handlebar bag plus two standard-sized pannier bags should provide more than enough capacity for six weeks of hotel-motel touring or hostelling. It’s best to avoid front panniers, which make the bike more difficult to steer and handle.
Most panniers are made of coated nylon stitched around a rigid internal frame, and they attach to the rack with a quick-mounting system. Each pannier has at least 3 outside pockets. Special panniers for mountain bike touring are also available that lock onto the top of the rack.
Handlebar bags attach to the handlebar with a quick-release system. They usually have a sturdy composite frame and come with front and side pockets and a map case. Mountain bike versions are also available. Everything you might need quickly should be carried in the handlebar bag along with camera, papers, and wallet. When ever you leave the bike, take this bag with you.
Square-shaped rack bags to go atop your rack are also available should you need to carry more. Or you could use one in lieu of a handlebar bag. While they all are made of coated nylon, and have rain covers to protect the zippers, these bags are not entirely water proof. Hence everything inside should be packed in large, strong plastic bags.
Travel Light
For light touring your total load should be well under 20 pounds. Except for tools, spares, and maps, you can usually pick up anything you forgot as you go along. Pack the heaviest items in the bottom of each bag. Never carry a rucksack, hip bag, or any other kind of bag on your person. Not only will the pack or bag raise your center of gravity and interfere with your balance, but it will also dig pain fully into your body after a short time.
Choose everything for minimum weight. If you expect cool weather, take warm gloves, a sweater, windbreaker, and raingear. Carry long pants as well as shorts, and highly visible above-waist clothing. Incidentally, it’s quite practical to bicycle in a pair of dark, wide-cut work pants, which you can also wear in hotels and restaurants. Keep your raingear in a pocket where you can get at it quickly.
Everyone has a personal list of what to take, but here are a few items I would prefer not to forget: a deep aluminum plate and camper’s knife-fork-spoon set; can opener; metal cup; sunglasses; sewing kit; bandages; insect repellent; small flashlight; ten feet of nylon cord; and ample funds in travelers checks.
A single pair of bicycle touring shoes will see you through. Make sure you can walk comfortably in them. Avoid any plug-in electrical gadgets. For one thing, they won’t work on the current in Europe or New Zealand.
Shipping Your Bicycle for Your Vacation Tour
Most airlines accept solo bikes but not all will take tandems. Nor can bicycles be carried on some smaller planes that serve small airports. Nonetheless, you can normally carry your bike as part of your baggage for around $30 each way on most domestic flights, and free on most international flights, provided it is counted as the larger of your two allowable suitcases. Its maximum permissible weight is 60-70 pounds.
Before choosing an airline to fly by, call and check its specifications for shipping bicycles. If you don’t meet its requirements, your bicycle can be classed as excess baggage and charged a higher rate. For example, if you take a suitcase as well as a bike, the suitcase may be restricted to a total measurement of 55 inches.
Most airlines prefer your bicycle shipped in a box. If you can, get two bicycle boxes from a bike shop, one slightly larger than the other so that one can be used as a lid that slides over the other.
To pack, remove the saddle and post as a single unit; handlebar and stem, also as a single unit (and don’t detach the brake cables); the front wheel; and the pedals. (The left-hand pedal has a left- hand thread.) Also unbolt the rear derailleur, partly deflate the tires, and shift all gears so that the cables are slack. Wrap all parts, together with the frame, in newspaper. Tape the front wheel to the center of the bike; tape the cranks parallel to the top tube; and tape the rear derailleur between the spokes of the rear wheel. Place a label on the bike giving your home and destination addresses and the flight number.
Insert the bike in the box and cradle in the handlebar and stem, the saddle and post, and the pedals. You can usually also pack in a tent, mattress, and sleeping bag, which will further help to protect the bike. To prevent the box from being crushed, insert sturdy pieces of cardboard to protect the quick-releases. Then cut two short pieces of 2 x 4” lumber to act as internal braces and insert nails through the outside of the box to hold them in place. Secure the box tightly with tape or cord and place another label on the outside giving your home address, destination, and flight number.
Alternatively, you can pack your bike in a strong plastic bag or a special bicycle suitcase. A proper plastic shipping bag is fairly ex pensive, and the suitcase is quite expensive. They are sold by larger bike shops. However, if you can obtain a strong, well-padded plastic bag, you can pack your bike in that. Remove the front wheel and pedals, lower the saddle, and tape the handlebars parallel to the top tube. One advantage is that plastic bags are often stowed on top of suitcases and are less likely to be crushed.
Some airlines will accept an unprotected bike provided you sign a waiver of liability. If you ship a bike this way, you must remove the pedals and tape the handlebars parallel to the top tube. I’d also detach and remove the rear derailleur and pad the bike with foam wherever possible. Unprotected bikes can be easily scratched or damaged and the spokes broken.
Tips on Traveling with Your Bicycle
When you arrive at the overseas airport, your bicycle can be taken along with the rest of your baggage to the hotel where you spend your first night. Larger hotels have their own minibuses which meet arriving passengers and convey them, together with their bags, to the hotel. Alternatively, jitneys or airport buses exist which will usually drop you and your baggage at smaller hotels. If none of these is available, a taxi will always take you and your luggage (including your boxed bicycle) to the hotel at which you are staying.
Provided you spend your first and last nights overseas at the same hotel, you can invariably leave your bicycle box, bag or suitcase in the hotel’s baggage room free of charge while you go on your tour.
Bikecentennial’s Great Parks North route in GlacierNational
Park takes cyclists through some of North America’s
most dramatic scenery.
On occasion, I have unboxed my bicycle at the airport, thrown away the box, and ridden out of the airport to commence my tour. In some cases, I’ve found that airlines provide boxes for the return flight. But they often run out and you may find that no boxes are actually available. Hence I prefer nowadays to store my bike box at a hotel until my return. Bike boxes are hard to find outside the United States. If you do plan to box your bike at the airport, take along some strong cord to fasten it with.
If you have a newer and an older bike, both equal in performance, take the older bike on your overseas vacation. If it’s lost or damaged, you have less to lose. Mountain bikes are sturdier,
To ensure that your bicycle arrives at your destination with you, avoid tight connections. Try to fly all the way by the same airline. On some trips I have personally transferred the bike from one airline to another at a changeover airport by using a baggage pushcart. And do check in at the counter in plenty of time for the bike to be loaded.
If you’re flying overseas, try to arrive at your destination 24 hours before your tour starts. This allows more time for your bike to get there. Some airlines have a much better reputation for handling bikes than others. I’ve found Air New Zealand to be exceptionally cooperative and the airline encourages passengers to bring bicycles.
Taking a Bicycle by Train or Bus
Amtrak will take boxed bikes as baggage on trains that have baggage compartments, but to ensure that the bike is at your destination when you arrive, I’d ship it a week ahead. You can also ship a boxed bike as baggage when you go by bus. Here again, I’d ship it 48 hours ahead of your own departure.
In Europe, New Zealand, and elsewhere, unprotected bicycles are accepted as baggage and they usually go either by the same train as you, or by a following train with a baggage car that usually arrives within 12 hours. There’s one important caveat. When taking your bike on a train trip that requires crossing Paris, or any other large city, from one station to another, ship the bike only to the Paris arrival station. Ride it yourself across the city (or take a cab) to the departure station, and reship it for the onward journey. Other wise, your bike — or any other luggage — can take a week to arrive.
Renting a bike on arrival might seem one way to avoid shipping it. But unless you are certain you will get a well-maintained multi- geared bike with low climbing gears and a frame that fits, don’t consider renting. Some group tour operators can supply satisfactory bikes. And in mountain bike regions you may get a quality rental bike (but at a formidably high rent). Elsewhere, most rental bikes are clunkers or 3-speeds.
Where to Stay
There’s absolutely no need to rough it when you go bicycle touring on your own. The oldest couple to bicycle around the world, Ken and Jaque Proctor, spent a million dollars during their recent nine-year tour of 150 countries, and they went deluxe all the way. Many older bicyclists who tour on their own prefer to stay at deluxe inns, lodges, resort hotels, dude ranches, and 4-star motels, and they dine in style every night.
However, most independent bicycle tourists prefer to stay at smaller economy motels in small towns. Virtually every American town with a population of 1,000 or more has at least one mom-and- pop-type motel. In the Sunbelt many of these are now operated by East Indian chains and each is managed by an East Indian family. They are comfortable, adequate, and inexpensive.
Additionally, in larger towns you’ll find chain motels of the Motel Six, Motel Eight, Days Inns, Scottish Inns, Econo-Lodge, Ramada Inns, and other chains that offer a dependable level of comfort at a reasonable rate. Ramada Inns, Days Inns, Econo-Lodges and possibly others give a discount to bicyclists aged 60-62 or over.
One advantage of staying at motels in the United States is that you can take your bicycle into your room. This is not possible at Bed & Breakfast guest houses or hotels in Europe, nor at many motels in these countries. You must store your bike in an enclosed area out side, or else in the baggage room. So bring a small lock to secure it.
When to Make Advance Reservations
Out of season you can usually count on finding a motel room in any U.S. town of 5,000 or more if you arrive before 6 P.M. —that is, except on Saturdays, legal holidays, and during special events. I’d always have a confirmed reservation at these times. If you schedule one rest day per week, try to stay in the same place on both Friday and Saturday nights, thereby ensuring a room on the Saturday. Always have a first-night reservation for any destination to which you are flying. While touring you can phone ahead to make reservations on a day-to-day basis.
In some European countries, such as Ireland, Britain, Denmark, and Yugoslavia, you’ll find tourist information offices in every resort town. For a nominal fee these offices will locate you a Bed & Breakfast room or a hotel room, in the price bracket you wish to pay. They will also phone ahead and reserve you a room at your next night’s stopover. This room-finding service is not available in all countries. Yet virtually every town in Europe that is visited by tourists has an information office that will direct you to hotels, pensions, or guest houses that have vacancies in the price bracket you desire. In almost all these offices someone speaks English. Despite the language difference, traveling in Europe is often simpler than traveling in the United States.
Youth Hostels
Few adults stay at youth hostels merely to save money. Two people can share a budget motel room in many parts of the United States, or an economy hotel room in Europe, for little more than the cost of staying at a youth hostel. Most adults stay at youth hostels because many of the hostels occupy unique locations in the hearts of scenic areas, and also for the opportunity to meet and mix with other bicyclists.
How many bicyclists, or other members of the fitness culture, have you ever met at a motel? Or have you ever found a motel in a lighthouse on the California Coast, or aboard a World War II battleship in Massachusetts, or on a ranch in the West? These are actual locations of some of the 250 youth hostels in the United States.
With an American Youth Hostels (AYH) membership you can stay at a friendly hostel in over 60 countries, mostly in cities or in scenic areas ideal for bicycling. The AYH is part of a worldwide network of hostels called the International Youth Hostels Federation, based in London. Most overseas hostels are in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. Their locations and facilities are all listed in a series of handbooks available when you become a member.
The typical hostel provides dormitory-style accommodation, with separate rooms and bathrooms for men and women. Each dorm room accommodates 4-8 hostelers, but some hostels also have family rooms. There’s a self-service kitchen where you can prepare your own meals, plus a dining area, and a common room where you can swap yarns with travelers from all over the world. Some hostels serve meals. All you need bring is a sheet sleeping bag and a washrag and towel. Most hostelers are asked to do a few volunteer household chores.
Although hostels tend to be crowded and noisy, many adults of all ages are avid hostelers. With the exception of Bavaria, and possibly Switzerland, hostels in just about all other countries welcome bicyclists of all ages, both the young and the young-at-heart. The only caveat I would mention is to keep your valuables with you at all times. Bikes are usually kept in a bicycle shed where they should be locked.
Personally, I’ve enjoyed hosteling all over the world. Some hostels are in areas where economy-priced hotels and motels don’t exist. And thousands of adults wouldn’t travel any other way. Yet hosteling certainly isn’t the only option for adults who go bicycling on their own.
Regrettably, many U.S. hostels close soon after Labor Day, at a time when weeks of good cycling weather remain. This is often not the case in Europe. I’ve toured Norway late in the season and had entire hostels to my group. And I once made a fantastic bike tour of England and Wales in February. With the exception of Saturday nights, my group were the sole guests at every hostel at which we stayed.
When to Go Touring
Touring the United Kingdom in February might seem unrealistic. The days were short, we had some cold weather, and it did rain and blow. But there wasn’t a single day on which we failed to cover at least 50 miles. We did not meet a single tourist and we had our pick of accommodations wherever we went. The only drawback for those staying at guest houses is that room-finding services are closed during the off-season. Out-of-season, you have to hunt up your own accommodations. In fact, in resort areas all over the world, many accommodations close between late fall and early spring, and in France many mom-and-pop hotels close for a vacation in late October.
Nonetheless, the best time to go bicycle touring is during the early and late seasons: between May 1 and July 2; and between Labor Day and early November. Both in Europe and the United States, the worst months are July and August. Tourists are swarming every where. Roads that are quiet in June and September are often full of cars in midsummer. And most accommodations are booked solid weeks in advance. Yes, you can do it, especially if you tent camp. But if you’re light-touring, you should have confirmed reservations in all tourist areas.
Almost everywhere, late spring and early fall are the best seasons for bicycle touring. That includes Australia and New Zealand, where the seasons are the reverse of ours. You should also anticipate some extra weekend traffic during the fall color season in Colorado and New England.
For midwinter touring you might consider Hawaii, Baja California, Tasmania, New Zealand, and, in settled times, Sri Lanka. In the United States, the Texas Hill Country offers surprisingly good touring between November and April, although you can encounter occasional periods of wind and rain. Here again you should have confirmed reservations during the late-November to early-January hunting season.
Where to Get Maps for Your Tour
Most small-scale road maps used by motorists are useless for bicycle touring. You need large-scale maps that show the backroads and secondary routes that get you away from traffic.
Regardless of where you will tour in the United States, you should join Bikecentennial, a not-for-profit information, resource, and routing service for recreational bicyclists. Co-founded by Greg Siple, who with his wife and a group of other bicyclists rode from Alaska to Argentina in the 1970s, Bikecentennial maintains information on a 18,500 mile network of low-traffic secondary roads throughout the United States.
These include the Cross-Country Trans America Bicycle Trail, plus these routes: Canada to California; California coast; Maine to Virginia; Virginia to Florida; the Great Parks; Iowa to Maine; Washington to Minnesota; the Great River route; and a loop tour of Oregon. All are available in minute detail on water-resistant, state- of -the-art three-color maps designed to take you through the most beautiful parts of America at the perfect pace of bicycling.
Additionally, you receive The Cyclist’s Yellow Pages, a complete guide to maps, books, routes, and organizations plus all national, regional, and overseas cycling organizations and travel information offices plus hundreds of invaluable facts such as which national parks and forests permit mountain bicycling.
You also receive the Cyclosource Catalog, a guide to the largest collection of current cycling information in the United States. Every regional bicycling guide and map, plus foreign guides and mountain biking guides, is listed and available from Bikecentennial. Member ship also brings 9 issues of Bike Report magazine with descriptions of tours and day rides in the United States.
For U.S. county and topographical maps, see under “Maps to Take You Roaming in the United States” in section 12.
Bicycling Maps for Touring Europe
For bicycling maps on the continent of Europe, write to Michelin Maps and Guides for a map and price list. Michelin makes detailed maps of France, Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Denmark, Morocco, Greece, and Yugoslavia.
Michelin’s 35 regional maps of France and Corsica are incredibly detailed, each showing a labyrinth of quiet backroads that can take you almost anywhere without setting a wheel on a main highway. Each of les Petites Routes is smoothly paved, numbered, and clearly marked with signs. The Michelin series also includes maps of major cities and hotel guides to each country.
Other outstanding map series include Bartholomew’s maps of the United Kingdom; Ordnance Survey maps of Ireland; the Shell Deutsche Generalkarte for Germany; the New Zealand Automobile Club maps of New Zealand; and the Australian Automobile Club maps of Australia. Maps for other countries can be had by phoning or writing to the respective national tourist offices listed in the Cyclist’s Yellow Pages (or in the New York Yellow Pages). Free hotel guides are available from most national tourist offices, together with a map and general tourist information.
With the exception of New Zealand and Australia, don’t depend on finding maps along the way during your tour. Frequently they are not available. Have all the maps you need before you leave home. That means advance planning. So begin planning and writing away for maps etc., at least three months before your tour. Don’t forget, too, that you may need a visa for New Zealand, Australia, and possibly France, among other countries.
For a long tour of Europe I have carried as many as 35 maps, a fairly heavy load some three inches thick. As I used them, I mailed them home in packages of six.
Sightseeing
Unless you have a sizable group, you can’t do much visiting of castles, museums, or cathedrals. That’s because one member must always stay outside and watch the bikes. Even in super-honest Ireland or Scandinavia, you can’t leave expensive bicycles and bags unwatched. So if you expect a lot of sightseeing, you may want to reconsider going by bike.
In any event, take a light lock. You can also temporarily immobilize a bike by flipping the rear quick-release.
Never go into a café or store unless you can see your bike through the window. Otherwise, one member should stay outside and watch the bikes. Groups can take turns with each member guarding the bikes for five minutes.
You should also consider your companions. Are they inveterate sightseers, late risers, faster or slower than you, do they have different tastes or interests, or might they give up and leave you to ride on alone? For these reasons, many men or couples prefer to tour on their own and forgo sightseeing.
How Far Should You Ride?
For light touring, the maximum average distance should be 85 miles per day on fairly level terrain, 75 miles in hilly country, and 65 miles in mountains or when carrying camping gear. Really fit people can maintain these distances for at least six days each week.
For those who prefer to browse and stop for snacks or coffee along the way, half these distances can be ample. Learn your own daily mileage capability and select overnight stops to dovetail with the distance you can ride.
However, no one should consider touring independently unless able to ride at least 50 miles a day without getting tired. You might also consider what would happen if a strong headwind prevents you from reaching your planned destination for the day. One good reason for touring in the off-season is that alternative accommodation is easy to find.
Bicycle cam per touring in the northern Cascades of Washington state.
Best Touring Areas at Home and Abroad
As a very rough guide to some of the best touring areas I have experienced, here are a few comments.
United States and Canada
• Alaska. Good biking exists in south central Alaska, especially from Anchorage through the Copper River Valley and by ferry to Columbia Glacier and Whittier, thence by train back to Anchorage.
• Arizona. The Grand Canyon country is popular with many, both North and South Rims. Be prepared for traffic.
• California. Good riding exists in Guerneville and the Russian River country; Alexander Valley; Bodega Bay; Mother Lode country; Delta Region; Point Reyes Seashore; Napa Valley and the Silverado Trail; Monterey Peninsula; the Redwood Country and Eureka; and the Pacific Coast.
• Colorado. Exciting mountain scenery exists through the Rockies. Try Boulder to Estes Park via Raymond-Allenspark thence Trail Ridge, Grand Lake, Idaho Springs, Mount Evans, Golden, and through Arvada to Boulder. Or try Golden to Vail via the bike route over Loveland Pass and the Vail Pass bike path, thence to Glenwood Springs, Independence Pass, Leadville, Dillon, and via Loveland Pass back to Golden. Best immediately after Labor Day.
• Hawaii. Circumnavigate the Big Island of Hawaii from Hilo to Waimea, the Kohala Peninsula, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and back along the north Kona Coast. Expect some traffic.
• Massachusetts. Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket offer short, easy touring, but go during the off-season to avoid traffic.
• Montana and Wyoming. These two are top bicycle touring states.
• New Hampshire. You’ll find lots of good cycling and scenery in this delightful New England state.
• New York. The Finger Lakes country is perennially popular.
• North Carolina. This is probably the best bicycle touring state in the South.
• Oregon. From Astoria to Brookings, U.S 101 hugs the Pacific, taking you over rugged headlands and past hundreds of miles of wild seascapes and surging ocean. Many state parks offer camping, there are plenty of accommodations, and the best time is immediately after Labor Day. Although shoulders are wide enough most of the way, traffic is fairly constant and includes a mix of logging trucks and RVs.
• Pennsylvania. Lancaster County, with its Amish farms and covered bridges, is the popular favorite, but I’ve bicycled through much of northern Pennsylvania and enjoyed it.
• Texas. The Hill Country, bordered by San Antonio, Austin, Ozona, Uvalde, and Llano, offers hundreds of miles of lightly traveled backroads for all-season touring. Best in spring and late fall (summer afternoons are hot). County road maps are essential. Big Bend National Park offers rugged mountain bike touring. West Texas also has good road touring in the fall.
• Utah. For a superbly scenic desert and mountain tour go from Cedar City to Cedar Breaks National Monument, Panguitch, Bryce Canyon National Park, Escalante, Boulder, Torrey, Capitol Reef National Park, Hanksville, Natural Bridges National Monument and Blanding via some of the most dramatic scenery in the United States. You need a tent, it’s hot in summer. A fantastic ride over looked in the stampede to Grand Canyon. Big hills.
• Vermont. A major bicycling touring state full of winding country lanes, historic villages and country inns. The Champlain Valley, the still-wild Northeast Kingdom, the Connecticut River Valley, and the mountains of central and southern Vermont all offer appealing touring and mountain biking opportunities.
• Washington. The San Juan Islands, reached by ferry from Anacortes, offer easy, hassle-free touring.
• Canadian Rockies. The Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper and Icefields Parkway region offers grand bicycle touring on wide shoulders with glaciers, peaks, elk, moose and black bear. You can camp or stay at resort accommodations. Start your tour as soon as possible after September third, which is approximately when the main tourist season ends. (I very strongly suggest arriving in Banff not later than September fourth and starting your tour the following day.) The off-season is quite brief, and it can get really cold toward the end of September.
Europe
Distances are short, few towns are more than 25 miles apart, and most of Europe north of the Alps is honeycombed with back roads. There is little trash or broken glass, and few loose dogs. Go in late spring or early fall.
• Austria. You can cycle through famous wine regions in flatter eastern Austria, and also continue into Hungary. Expect some traffic.
• Denmark. This delightful country is mostly flat and covered with backroads and bike paths. Stay in kros (rural inns), explore Jutland, the west coast, and the town of Ribe. From Copenhagen you can ferry over to Sweden and return to Denmark at Helsingor.
• France. In my estimation, this is the world’s top bicycling touring country. Good regions are Alsace, the Rhine and Vosges; Normandy and Brittany; the Loire Valley; the Alps and Provence; south central and southwestern France; and Corsica. Avoid large centers, stay in small towns, dine sumptuously at local bistros and stay at inexpensive hotels or atmospheric hostelries of the Relais et Chateaux group. Out of season, Corsica resembles one big national park. There are lots of hills everywhere in France plus fast trains that carry bikes, and superb cycling on the world’s most extensive, fully paved backroads system.
• Germany. Bavaria is the favorite region, a land of alpine peaks, castles, and medieval towns. The Black Forest is also pleasant out of season, and I have enjoyed cycling in north Germany, Lunenberge Heide, the Romantische Strasse and along the Moselle. Expect some traffic.
• Ireland. Out of season, the entire coast, plus the interior of Ireland, is a bicyclist’s paradise. Riding over the great headlands and peninsulas is sheer joy. So is cycling through the glistening. mountains of Connemara, and circling the Ring of Kerry, looking down on vast seascapes of golden bays and pebble beaches. Full of friendly pubs where you can hear the silvery-tongued rhetoric. Avoid July and August, bring your raingear.
• Italy. The hills of Tuscany and Umbria, the region around Bologna, and the Veneto region (including Verona, Padua, and Vicenza) offers good backroads bicycling. But expect some traffic and avoid large cities.
• The Netherlands. Networked with fietspads, you must learn the rules for riding these bike lanes. They have their own traffic lights and signs. Bike bells, lights and reflectors are required by law. A bicycling mecca for the easy rider with gardens full of flowers, and fietspads that run along the dikes, the Netherlands is a picturesque and pleasant place for a beginners’ tour.
• Norway. Smooth but largely unpaved roads offer great bicycling. Early September is best. Take a mountain bike with road tires, warm clothes, raingear, and lots of money. It’s frequently wet, cool and overcast—but don’t miss it!
• Portugal. Northern Portugal remains one of Europe’s most colorful and unspoiled regions with great rides between such towns as Viano do Castelo, Calheiros, Braga, Guimaraes, and Vieira do Minhos, and through the provinces of Douro and Minho. Expect some traffic and watch for cobblestone roads. A mountain bike with road tires is probably best.
• Spain. Galicia, in northwest Spain, is a timeless region that adjoins northern Portugal. You can stay at deluxe, historic paradores or at a choice of inexpensive hotels.
• Switzerland. Northwest Switzerland resembles France’s adjoining Haute Savoie and offers good hilly biking. But there are relatively few roads in the Alps and they are full of cars.
• United Kingdom. The farther from London, the better the bicycling. Stay on the backroads and off the main roads. The Cotswolds are the most popular bicycling area but Cornwall, Scotland Ulster, and west Wales offer beautiful backroads touring. East Anglia has flat riding for the easy rider. Room-finding services and Bed & Breakfast guest homes are most numerous on the coasts and in resort areas. Nontourist areas may not have much accommodation.
Other Countries
• Australia. You’ll find good bicycling in the island state of Tasmania with lots of hills and campgrounds. Expect some traffic. I also found interesting mountain bicycling around Cooma, Mount Beauty, Bright, and other towns in the Snowy Mountains of Victoria. There are plenty of inexpensive motels and campgrounds. But on the mainland, paved highways are relatively few and unsuited for touring. Biking in Australia is most worthwhile if done in con junction with a tour of New Zealand. A mountain bike with road tires is best.
• New Zealand. Resembling Scotland, the South Island is one of the world’s best bicycle touring areas. Take a mountain bike with road tires as there are also many unpaved roads worth exploring. Go down the West Coast from Picton to Nelson, Murchison, Westport, Greymouth, Franz Josef Glacier, Fox Glacier, Haast Pass, Lake Moeraki, and Queenstown to Fiordland National Park and beyond. There are plenty of good campgrounds but motel rooms may be hard to find during the December-March tourist season. There are also comfortable inns, hotels, and fishing lodges. Go in early or late season, or in midseason if you are tenting. Highly recommended, but bring raingear and warm clothes. It rains heavily on the West Coast; use mudguards. Do not use skinny tires. Some dirt road riding is inescapable though most routes are paved. 27 x 1h/4 tires or comparable 700 sizes will get you through.
• Bali, Indonesia. Best taken in our midsummer, a mountain bike tour of the island of Bali is becoming increasingly popular. Expect extreme heat and humidity but grand scenery. It’s about 260 miles around the island via Sanur, Legian, Bedugul, Lovina Beach, Pene lokan, Candidasa and Ubud. Expect traffic. Safe but adventurous; allow ten days or more. This tour can be done at any time, but rain is heavier in our winter season.
• Guatemala. I have enjoyed magnificent touring in the Guatemala Highlands away from Guatemala City. Take a mountain bike with road tires. Most places have comfortable hotels. Expect some traffic. Grand scenery. Adventurous.
• India. I have enjoyed bicycling in the Himalayas starting from Rishikesh, north of Delhi. Take a mountain bike with road tires. Light traffic, hilly. Adventurous.
• Nepal. From Kathmandu you can tour much of Nepal, riding to the Tibetan border and all over the highland area. Take a mountain bike. It’s possible to mountain bicycle on some of the main trekking routes. It’s best to tent camp. Safe, but hilly and adventurous. Mountain bike rentals in Kathmandu can be arranged in advance through Narain Getaways to Nepal, 948 Pearl St., Boulder CO 80302, phone 303-440-0331.
• Sri Lanka. Once the political situation calms down, Sri Lanka should become one of the most pleasant and attractive countries for adventure touring. Ride around the southwest coast and return through the interior via Kandy and Nuwara Eliya. Flat on coast, big hills in interior.
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