The Essential Touring Cyclist: A Complete Guide for the Bicycle Traveler, Second Edition

by Lovett, Richard A.

• ISBN13: 9780071360197
• ISBN10: 0071360190
• eBook ISBN(s): 9780071360197, 9780071705134
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-01-08
• Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press
• More Book Details
• Purchase Benefits

Summary

The classic guide for beginning and intermediate cyclists is back-and it's better than ever. With the latest on bikes, gear, and training techniques and new sections on short tours, and touring abroad, this new edition of The Essential Touring Cyclist promises to appeal to a whole new population of aspiring cyclists. Whether you're heading out for five hours or five months, this vividly designed, heavily illustrated, and resource-rich guide delivers everything you need.

Author Biography

Richard A. Lovett has published more than 2,000 articles on travel, science, and cycling for such publications as the Economist, Backpacker, and Travel & Leisure. The coauthor of Freewheelin': A Solo Journey Across America, he has bicycled more than 50,000 miles, including a 5,400-mile trek from California to Maine. He is also coauthor of The Essential Cross-Country Skier: A Step-by-Step Guide and Alberto Salazar's Guide to Running.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Cycle Touring 101. Getting Started

1 Choosing and Equipping a Bicycle

Types of Bicyles; Gearing; Wheels, Tires, and Tubes; Saddles; Toe Clips; Other Components; Accessories; Useful Additions; How Much Must I Spend?

2 Equipping Yourself

Helmets; Gloves; Eye Shields; Shoes; Cycling Shorts; Shirts and Jerseys; Jackets and Wind Shells; Rain Gear; Cold-Weather Clothing

3 Making Friends with Your Bike and Staying Friendly

Before You Buy; Stems and Cranks; Adjustments

4 Basic Riding Skills

Pedaling Cadence; Riding in Traffic; Traffic Laws; Wind; Dogs; Railroad Tracks, Cattle Guards, and Rumble Strips

5 Day Tours and Training Rides

Training Basics; Spring Training; Base Training; Training for a Tour; Training through Winter; Stretching and Weight Lifting; Doing Your First Century

Cycle touring 102. Beyond Day Riding

6 Organized Tours

Summer Camp on Wheels

7 Vans and Credit Cards: You Don't Have to Camp or Carry a Lot of Weight

Types of Tours

8 Loaded Touring: You Can Take It All With You

Basic Camp Equipment; Bags; Loading Up; Getting Rid of the Shimmies; Other Packing Tips; Light-Touring Rig; What to Carry

9 Life on the Road

Choosing 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 Size

10 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 Riding

11 Getting There: Planes, Trains, Automobiles, Buses, and Ferries

Making a Choice

Appendix: 65 Great Tours--and More

Index

Acknowledgments