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Ah, Valentine’s Day. One of those holidays where you either love it or absolutely hate it. There’s really no in between. We don’t celebrate many holidays, but we usually try to make Valentine’s Day special. We’re not big on chocolate or roses, so we usually just make sure to spend some quality time together. This year, I thought I’d put together some special bicycle themed Valentine’s for my Valentine.
What do you think? What are you going to do with you Valentine this holiday?
So, what are you going to do while your husband is on his bike ride? Are you going to drive the car for him and carry his gear?
This question was recently asked of me, by a stranger, who had just learned that we are planning a long distance bicycle tour. Even though we said “we,” the guy didn’t seem to understand that we were doing it together. When I explained that I would be riding my bicycle alongside my husband, carrying gear and camping out with him, he was stunned. Apparently his wife would never agree to even try something like that.
My wife would never do something like this with me.
Part of a conversation I had with a man while in the middle of a particularly tough obstacle course race. My response to him: You didn’t marry the right woman. Some of my favorite memories have happened while my husband and I work as a team to complete the obstacles in the races.
When my husband and I got married, I had no idea where our marriage would take us. Did I think we would become long distance bicycle tourists? Not really. And I had never even heard of obstacle course races. But I did know that we were both adventurous, and willing to try new things. And I knew we liked to do things together. And once we tried this whole bicycle touring thing, we loved it. Yes, we have separate hobbies. But there are many activities that we enjoy doing together.
I think the key is finding something that you both like to do, that requires cooperation. Whether we are riding our bikes, setting up camp, or finishing a race, my husband and I are a team. We rely on each other to meet our goals. We have become closer as a couple, and learned to appreciate each other.
What kinds of activities do you enjoy with your significant other? Give us some ideas in the comments below!
Hello all! As you may have noticed the stream of updates around here is going to slow down a little. We are heading off on a bicycle tour around the Southern Island of New Zealand! As part of that we are going to be journaling on a different site at http://NewZealand.OnA.Bike/ or you can click here.
Yes that is the web address, no www or .com required. Feel free to follow along and look forward to some articles, and lots of pictures, from our New Zealand trip in the near future.
If you live in Southern California, or you have family in the area, and are looking for a great 4 day practice ride, I might suggest Goleta to Los Angeles. There are a few advantages to this ride: ease of transport to the start line, beautiful ocean riding, and access to convenient state campgrounds.
First off, take the Pacific Surfliner train to Goleta. Amtrak is a great option for bicycle tourists. It’s easy to purchase a ticket and reserve a spot for your bicycle (advanced reservations for bicycles are required). When the train gets to the station look for the conductor waving you towards him, you will either wheel your bike directly on to the train or lift the bicycle up to the conductor in a cargo car near the rear of the train. Panniers can stay on the bike if it is not too heavy to lift.
Upon arrival at Goleta use ACA Section 4 Maps 55 and 54; make your way north to Refugio State Beach. You might be tempted to stop at El Capitan State Beach, but trust me, the hiker/biker sites at Refugio are worth the extra few miles; you will be staying as close to the beach as you can get.
For Day 2, retrace your route from Day 1, and continue on through Santa Barbara to Carpinteria State Beach. This makes for a very short, approximately 35 mile day 2. Enjoy the ride, especially on the bike path through UC Santa Barbara. As you ride through campus, you will notice all the bike racks for the students, and if between classes the hundreds of people biking around. It truly is amazing.
Day 3, leave Carpinteria State Beach, and head south through Ventura and Oxnard, around Mugu Point and follow the ocean to Malibu. Leo Carrillo State Beach has a very nice, isolated hiker/biker site behind the dumping station, hidden in the trees. You can walk to the beach or just enjoy the sunlight filtering through the trees.
For your final day, make your way into Santa Monica. The ride through the transition from Malibu into Santa Monica is the most harrowing part of the ride. Keep your eyes open for doors opening on the right, and cars wishing to pass on the left. It’s just a few miles, and then you have the dedicated bike path to look forward to. Although you have to share the path with runners, walkers, roller bladers and other cyclists, it is still a pleasant ride past the pier.
From Santa Monica, there’s a few options. Ride into LA, find a metro station, and head back to Union Station. From there you can return to your starting point via MetroLink or Amtrak. If you ride the Balloona Creek bike path upstream (away from the ocean), you can pick up the Expo Line at the end of the bike path.
And there you have it. A nice, four day bicycle tour, through some of the best that Southern California has to offer. Can anyone else suggest a short tour? Leave your ideas in the comments!
Day 36 of our Pacific Coast bicycle tour started off on the wrong foot. The previous day’s mileage had been cut short due to allergies, and we both went to bed cranky. The biting flies didn’t help put us in a better mood, either. While packing up the next morning, I could not for the life of me find my leg warmers. I just knew Matt had put them somewhere, and now they were lost. It was a cool, Pacific coast morning, and I didn’t want to ride with just my shorts. I had had it. This bicycle touring had quite suddenly become not fun. We were getting on each other’s nerves, and it was starting to show.
So, how do you maintain a good relationship while spending every waking minute (and all the sleeping ones) with another person?
It’s not all rainbows and sunshine. First off, you have to realize that it’s bound to be rocky sometimes. Even the best couples go through rough patches sometimes. Everyone only has so many nerves, and it’s easy to let little irritations become big ones.
Cut the other person some slack. Are you tired and sore from the previous day’s ride? Well, he probably is, too. Was your sleep interrupted by some rowdy campers? Guess what. He’s right there with you. Are you cranky because you had trouble breathing through your stuffy nose? News flash. He had to hear you snore all night. A little patience can go a long way.
Give yourselves some space. Sometimes, you just need to be alone. That’s perfectly normal, and will probably save you both some sanity. Just make sure to communicate what your plan is, so he doesn’t think you’re purposefully avoiding him. You’re riding together, eating together, sleeping together. Sometimes, too much together can be too much.
Enjoy the little moments. When it starts to feel like work, slow it down. Find an awesome spot to sit and enjoy the view for a minute. Breathe the fresh air. Give each other a hug. Remember your reason for embarking on this epic journey together.
It’s going to be tough sometimes. But it’s also going to be amazing. You’ll grow closer than you ever thought possible. Besides. Think of the stories you’ll be able to tell your grandkids. Oh, and day 36? It ended on such a high note, at a campsite with a beautiful patch of grass and a view of the Pacific Ocean. I couldn’t wait for the next day’s ride.
Recently we found ourselves with some spare time after a trip to Monterey, California. Instead of taking the most direct route back home Pam and I decided to take the scenic Highway 1 down the coast. This put us on the prime bicycle touring route in the beginning of June. We thought it would be neat if we grabbed some snacks and drinks for any cycle tourists we encountered on our way home to Los Angeles.
We started off from Monterey and saw no one for miles and miles. In fact, we were beginning to believe that there were not going to be any bicycle tourist on our entire route. But finally we happened upon Jean from Quebec, Canada. We offered him water or snacks to which he politely refused (I never thought a bicycle tourist would refuse free food). However he did share some of his story, and as Pam put it: “He was full of happiness.” Jean and a partner have been going for 30 days straight with no rest days, yet Jean still had a smile on his face and was a blast to chat with.
After Jean we ran in to one more tourist who wasn’t interested in talking to us and a few tourists going northbound which we couldn’t stop to say hi to. We kept on driving down the coast and made it to Lompoc. From our own Pacific touring we knew that from Lompoc to the coast is a challenging ride. About ¾ of the way to the coast we saw a lone tourist battling a headwind and an uphill. We stopped to offer him some water and snacks. Dave graciously accepted and chatted with us.
Dave was also from Canada, but more from the Western side, and was 29 days into his tour, also with no rest days. We were certainly impressed; he was flying down the coast, and seemed to be a having a great time of it. We chatted on the side of the road for a bit and shared a little information on what was coming and where to stay.
Then Dave mentioned that we made his day by stopping and offering him some food and water. That in turn made our day. We had set out hoping to give a few people cheer along the way and had succeeded. Being tourists ourselves we know how much these random acts of kindness mean when you’re touring, and now we were able to pass that on to others.
What did it cost us other than a few moments of time, a bottle of Gatorade, and a few granola bars? Almost nothing, and we made a few people have a better day because of it. So as a thanks to everyone who has supported us on a tour, today we tried to pay it back, or pay it forward for the next adventure we embark upon. Either way, it was a terrific experience.
“Bicycle touring. That’s something I could never do.”
“ You guys are so lucky that you’re young; it’s a good thing you have no kids.”
“If my life was different, maybe I’d think about it.”
We heard it a thousand times on our recent tour. Whenever we would talk to someone about our journey, the person would tell us that there was no way they could do what we were doing. As if we were some sort of superheroes or something. But that’s just not the truth. The fact is, there’s nothing special about us. We were simply out there riding our bicycles.
Honestly, if you want to tour, you can tour. It may not look exactly the same as the way we tour, and you may not ride as far each day (or you may ride further, we’re kinda slow), but it doesn’t matter. Literally anyone can get out on a bicycle and have a great tour. Our goal is to help you have the most enjoyable tour by passing on some of our knowledge to you.
What does a bicycle tourist look like? We’ve met many bicycle tourists over the years. Old people, young people, and everyone in between. Groups, singles, couples, parents with kids. Super athletic or just beginning a fitness journey. The only thing that seems to matter is motivation. If the person decides to tour, they can tour.
Why would anyone want to tour? Why not? If you’re reading this, you’ve heard about touring somewhere, or you have met someone or know someone who’s done it. Most of them are not certifiably crazy, right? In fact most of the bicycle tourists we’ve met are very grounded in reality. There really is something deeply fulfilling about packing everything you need to live onto your bicycle and using your own muscle power to move it from one place to another. Even if you ride with a partner or in a group, no one can ride those miles for you. You have to do it all yourself. All it takes is determination to keep going, meeting all the challenges and adversity that comes at you day after day.
Bicycle touring is so simple. You get up, eat, ride, eat, ride, and live. It is so rewarding, knowing at the end of the day that you did it. You accomplished something that is solely your own personal accomplishment. Not too long ago (we’re talking just over 100 years) pioneers walked across the United States as they moved west in search of a new life. When you’re on a bicycle tour you are following in the footsteps of those pioneers, forging your own way. You can see the lay of the land as they did, enjoy the wide open spaces and the freedom to go anywhere! So, give it a try. What are you waiting for?
