Why Adventure Cycling?
This is a guest article by adventure cyclist, Dane Frost. You can follow Dane’s adventure through Latin America here. I met Dane in La Paz, Mexico, riding his touring bike along La Paz’s famous malecón. He had a fishing rod attached to his bike frame and a violin case strapped to his rear rack. […]
Isn’t The Cycling Enough? Why I Work Out While I Tour
Several people have asked me to write a fitness-related article. Apparently, I appear “athletic” in some of my photos and some of you have wondered if it’s from all the bike touring. It’s not. No, the reason I’ve resisted writing about fitness is because I don’t want to send the message that you need to […]
Hitch-Riding – Part One: Thumbing Out Of Trouble
Travelling by bicycle is the most enjoyable way to see a country. Except when it’s not. If you tour long enough, eventually, you’ll have a bad day. Whether it’s torrential rain, intense heat, bad drivers, swarming insects, broken gear, illness, injury, fatigue, or just plain boredom, the time will come when you’ll want to stop […]
Hitch-Riding – Part Two: Etiquette
In Part One we discussed the whens and wheres of hitch-riding. Now, let’s look at the whos and hows. Choosing And Approaching Drivers When you’re thumbing out on the road it’s hard to see drivers’ faces. Better to go somewhere you can walk up to a driver, such as a gas station or restaurant, […]
How The Heck Do You Pronounce Yby Ya’u?
Places with strange, hard-to-pronounce names are intriguing. Kaa-lya. Xcalak. Torixoréu. Parangaricutirimicuaro. A location seems more exotic when you go to say its name and your tongue doesn’t know what to do. You feel more curious about going there; and more adventurous for having gone. What sort of adventure awaits in Joyabaj, for example? Or in […]
Is Latin America Really A Dangerous Place To Bike Tour?
“So, did anything happen?” It’s the first question most people ask about my tours in Latin America. Of course, what they mean is, did anything bad happen? They want to hear stories of being robbed, assaulted, arrested; anything that confirms their suspicions of all those dangerous countries down there. And, although I know exactly what […]
Interview: Big Sur
Big Sur is the clever name Sarah and James – a couple of relaxed adventure cyclists from the UK – have given their ongoing tour of Latin America. With so many bike touring blogs out there nowadays it takes a lot to even catch my eye, let alone hold my attention. But Big Sur hooked […]
Are You A Dirtbag Biker?
Have you ever met a touring cyclist who has completely given up on personal hygiene? You know the type. Yellow teeth, bad breath, blotchy skin, matted hair, clumpy beard. Enough fingernail dirt to start a community garden. The dirtbag biker. Truth is, it’s easy to descend into dirtbagdom, especially if you’re touring solo. If nobody […]
Cycling Latin America: Where To Begin?
Latin America represents the final frontier in adventure cycling. The planet’s longest mountain range, largest jungle, driest desert, biggest salt flat, widest street, highest waterfall, tallest volcano – they’re all here, daring you to explore them. But where do you begin? Well, it depends on how much time you have. Keep in mind, environmental factors […]
Dead Cops And Donkey Backs (A Guide To Speed Bumps)
I’ve put this one off long enough. Of all the concerns we’ve addressed in El Pedalero there is one critical issue that remains unexplored. That’s right. We need to talk about speed bumps. What do they look like? What hazards might they pose for cyclists? But first, what are they called? BY ANY OTHER […]