Tag: advcycling

Christmas Wish List: Handpresso

Does anyone know if this works?

If it does, I want this for my next Adventure around the country.

Handpresso Wild is at the core of the NOMADIC ESPRESSO. Simple, light, elegant and compact, it works without electricity. It has all the basic qualities to make a premium quality coffee anywhere.

Travels with you

Small and handy, it travels with you on holiday, at weekends, on trips… With Handpresso Wild, you can enjoy your espresso inside as well as outside, thus creating a recreational and friendly moment wherever you want.

Makes perfect coffee

Handpresso Wild prepares a tasty espresso with a perfect crema. An outstanding quality obtained by a high-pressure extraction, a patented Handpresso system. “ A fine and smooth crema, subtle aromas, a structured body, a lengthy finish: a “vintage” coffee!”

Packs away

Light and well-made, Handpresso can be stored easily in a drawer or hung with the kitchenware. It requires no maintenance and guarantees a premium quality in every cup.

How does it work?

Nothing is easier! Just pump the machine to 16 bar, add hot water from a kettle or a thermo insulated bottle and an E.S.E. pod. Then, serve a premium quality coffee in your cup by pushing the button.

Discover Handpresso Wild on video! >>>

Summer 2010: Rode Across the US

This summer I haven’t posted as I was out riding across the TransAmerica, TransAm, #acatransam!  The trail took me from Yorktown, VA to Portland, OR.  See the trip, with notes and pix on Google Maps or TrackMyTour.

I am decompressing at present and haven’t even cleaned or performed maintenance on my Rivendell Atlantis: Home 4,143 miles, 0 flats, original tires!  It was a sweet bike to take on the road and saved me!

TransAm Thousand Mile Club: A Trip Inside Myself

Inspired by the California Triple Crown I have crystallized one of my secret goals into an actual goal for the adventure which is the TransAm.  I was reading on their blog about “The Rollercoaster” which is the whole emotional up and down that comes along with riding long distances.  I didn’t know it existed as a major component, although I certainly have experienced it, and did not realize that folks have written about it.

This has been in the back of my mind and I didn’t know how to explain it.  I would very much like to be a “Thousand Miler” on my my trip, that is to say…complete Five Doubles or Double Centuries (back to back days).  I really haven’t a clue other than I think it has to do with my idea of fitness, or learning to ride within myself, or understanding “how to be” and probably all of them at once.  I haven’t a better explanation for the entire justification, it  simply feels like an itch, something I would like to try to do.

The trick that I see is to apply myself hard enough to the task to overcome the obstacles and put myself in a position to do it without becoming so obsessive that for one minute I fail to have as much fun and positive interaction with the people and the land I am traveling through.  To not go so fast as to miss what touring is, but fast enough to get it done.  I just think the balance will be something to contemplate: a trip inside myself

Wish me luck.

Invitation to 4/7 Adventure Cycling Gathering in Portland

We’d like to invite you to a very special Adventure Cycling gathering in Portland on Wednesday, April 7 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm. Adventure Cycling’s Jim Sayer and Jenn Milyko will be in town to unveil the brand new 2,400 mile Sierra Cascades Bicycle Route and to share the latest news on bicycle travel and adventures in North America (and perhaps beyond!). This will be a grand celebration with our friends at REI, which provided financial support for route research. We are especially excited because the Sierra Cascades route takes the Adventure Cycling Route Network over 40,000 miles – to our knowledge, the largest mapped bicycle-friendly route system in the world!

Join us at REI’s Store in the Pearl District for this important event. Refreshments will be provided and the fun will begin at 7:00, with the program starting at 7:30. For directions, click on http://www.rei.com/stores/13 — or call (503) 221-1938.

Please RSVP by April 2nd by responding to this email or calling me, Beth Petersen, at 800-755-2453 x 211. We also encourage you to invite cycling colleagues, other friends or family. The event is free and open to the public.

We are looking for a few volunteers to help with the event and prepping the gathering location.  Please contact Beth Petersen at bpetersen@adventurecycling.org or 800-755-2453 ext. 210 if you are interested.

Thanks and hope to see you there.

Happy riding,

Beth Petersen
Adventure Cycling Association
800-755-2453 x 211
Inspiring people to travel by bicycle for fitness, fun and self discovery.

Preparing For Your Long-Distance Bike Tour

From a Facebook post by Darren Alff (see notes at the end).  For those not on Facebook.

Packing for a bicycle tour is one thing. Preparing your body and mind for life on the road is another. In this article I address how you can 1) get in shape and 2) mentally prepare for a long-distance bike tour.

Get In Shape — Ride Your Bike
Bicycle touring can be a workout…and you need to be physically prepared. Before you even step on your bike, you need to assess your personal level of fitness. Some people have never ridden a bicycle before. Others are experienced cyclists with thousands of miles under their belts. Most of us are somewhere in between. If you are an experienced rider in good physical shape, you can likely skip this step. But if you are new to cycling or know that you are not in as good a shape as you should be, then please keep reading.

It is important that you see a doctor before heading out on a bike tour, and before beginning a training regiment. Once you’ve been given the go-ahead to start training for your trip, jump on your bike and start riding. It’s important to ride your bike as much as you possibly can! The goal to 1) get in shape and 2) feel comfortable, safe, and in control of your bicycle. Working out at the gym, improving your cardiovascular workouts, and eating healthy foods can also play a part in preparing for a long-distance bike tour. But while working out at the gym is good, riding a bike for long distances is even better. You know you’re ready to depart on your bike tour when you can ride at least 20-30 miles without feeling any extreme discomfort.

Become A Strongman — Add Some Weight
Once you’ve become comfortable riding your bike, start adding some weight. Add a couple panniers to your bicycle or start pulling a trailer. As your departure date nears, start riding your bike with more and more weight added.

Riding a bicycle with no weight on it is completely different than riding a bike weighted down with 30-60 pounds of additional gear, especially if you plan to ride with front panniers, which drastically affects the way your bike handles.

Riding with a weighted bike while close to home will help to ensure your safety on the road once you start your tour and it will get your body in shape — as carrying that weight on your bike does require some extra muscles.

Understand Your Gear — Practice Packing Your Panniers/Trailer
Experienced bicycle travelers will pack and unpack their bikes several times before they leave on tour… and I recommend you do the same. This packing and unpacking process will help you understand what items you REALLY need for your trip. It will also allow you to practice distributing the weight of your gear evenly across your bike and placing your personal items back in the same place each and every time you pack your bike.

Know What It’s Like — Live Off Your Bike
As your tour grows closer, start living your life as though you are already on your bike tour. Pack up your bike completely and start living off of it. Start sleeping in your sleeping bag; bathe with the same toiletry kit you’ll be using on your tour; wear the same clothes you’ll be traveling in; and go on bike rides on a daily basis — even if it means riding to and from work. Do this for a few days (or even a few weeks) and you’ll get a taste of what it’s really like to be on tour.

Toughen Up — Sleep On The Ground
If you are really into the preparation process and you plan on camping while on your tour, try sleeping on the ground (or even outside) for several nights before you leave on your trip. Camping is a very hard thing for some people to adjust to. But if you can get used to the camping process before you leave on your tour, you will be that much more comfortable once you hit the road.

So, there it is! Five things you can do right now to start preparing for your upcoming bike tour.

What else would you add to the list? How are you preparing for your next bike tour? What questions do you have about preparing your body and mind for life on the road?

—

DARREN ALFF conducted his first long-distance bicycle tour in 2001 at the age of 17. He’s been traveling by bike ever since and just recently returned from a 9-month tour of central and eastern Europe. Darren now runs the website at www.BicycleTouringPro.com and is working to inspire a new generation of bicycle travelers to get out and explore the world.

Colin and Ashley Ride Across America

The following two riders make me want to leave earlier than June, despite a job, and raise awareness and funds for something.  What about you?

http://www.moneyformilescampaign.info/

Collin Roughton and Ashley Mitchell, two Portland Cyclists setting out on January 2nd, 2010 to travel from Florida to San Diego, and back along the coast to Portand, Oregon.

We’re riding because we love to cycle, and we’re riding for Bike Farm, and the Coalition for a Livable Future, two organizations we support, love, and want to see be successful in their work within the Portland Community.

We’re asking that you, and your organization make a monetary donation to these two organizations. We want to raise $1 for every mile we ride. That totals just around 5, 080 miles, and $5,080 dollars total between these important organizations. Help us reach our goal!

A little can go a long way! Your donation of $5, $10, $25, $35, or $50 towards one or both of these organizations will help us reach our goal. Please visit the ‘our organizations’ page below.