The Essential Touring Cyclist

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