Welcome to the wonderful world of Bicycle Touring!

Recently, I was told that a local bicycle shop, Bike Pro is stocking & selling Surly Long Haul Trucker frames. This development with the number of inquiry that I received from visitors to my Blog, indicated that more and more people are interested in Bike Touring. Hooray!!

I started to be interested in Bike Touring about 10 years ago when I visited New Zealand South Island in Summer 2002. It was in Picton that I saw a guy loaded his bicycle onto the train heading to Christchurch. Then, on the way to Greymouth via Arthur's Pass, I saw a lone rider with a trailer. She was struggling climbing some steep section of Arthur's Pass. Then I met an old lady who looked like a seasoned triathlete, camping near our cabin in Te Anau. That was the first time that I saw a folding bike that she was touring with. And  her age, lean physique & folding bike really amazed me.

Came back from New Zealand, I decided to embark on a bike tour. But it took me about 1 year before I started my new venture of bike touring to Scotland in Jan/Feb! And it was still winter. There were still snow in some places. The towns were empty but I still can see sheep on the empty grounds and the Highlands.

So I brought my road bike converted to touring bike of striking yellow with rear racks along.

It was my first experience of bike touring as well as winter riding. It was a bit cold for some one who came from a country with 32C average temperature. But I did all my research from internet, on how to ride through snow, winter clothing, winter ride equipments etc. It was cold but I really enjoy my ride. And I learned that it rains everyday in Scotland.

So, when I came back to Malaysia, I start planning to tour Malaysia for 5 days. Therefore, we choose to ride from Alor Star to my house in PJ. About 500km in 5 days. Being young and active at that time, riding 100km a day is fine with us. We successfully finished the tour by stopping at Sg Petani, Taiping, Ipoh, Teluk Intan. It was an amazing experience. I got hooked.

Since then, we have met a local group of 'seasoned' riders who were into Bicycle Touring. And then joined their group riding and touring. Over the years, we have tours around the roads of Malaysia, Sarawak, South Thailand. Riding in a group is always fun and give you a sense of security especially if your tire got punctured, bicycle parts failed, if you meet an accident, or too exhausted to continue, etc. you can always rely on someone to assist you.

I personally love riding in group for above reason. But prefer to ride alone or with another rider because I love to manage my own time on what time to wake up, where to stop for lunch, ride at my own pace, etc..

But riding alone, you will have to carry everything by yourself- tools, spares, cooking utensils etc. Which in group these can be shared among the tour members.

Bicycle touring is exciting. I love stopping at the roadside stall and have my ice lemon tea and pisang goreng.I remember being surrounded by people who got stuck by traffic jam on the way to Maarhi, India. They start asking question about my handheld GPS, camelback and my bicycle. In fact a newlywed did took picture with my bicycle at Manali! Majority of the people thought that my handheld GPS was a satellite phone and even 1 guy thought my Camelbak hose is for oxygen when we were at 12,000ft near Rohtang Pass.

Bike touring allows us to meet various types of people. Majority of them are friendly. Maybe because we shared the same interest.

In Thailand, I met a German lady who allows me to try her KTM bicycle with Rohloff Speedhub which she was very proud of for being made by the German. In India, I meet a couple from France who were teachers, a couple from Australia who work as doctors on 1-year sabbatical leave touring The Himalayas, an Indian Ironman who traveled with his backpack, notebook & DSLR hanging on his neck, a group of fun-loving British guys, and nice old couple from Scotland who were embarking on a very long tour! What I like about these people is their down-to-earth attitude and never trying to show off like some Lance Armstrong wannabes. Some of them even ride on normal bikes with cheap parts.

What I like about Bicycle Touring is that it is for everyone regardless their physical condition but willing to take some time to prepare. It is not for macho men or women with perfect bodies or fancy carbon bikes, it is for anyone who with sense of adventure, humor (cause we like to joke around when travel in group) and those who drawn to explore the back roads, countrysides, the highlands, cruising the coastal roads etc. It is for people who would like to travel with few barriers as possible. Whether you are young or old, male or female, you don't have to be all that athletic, gearing & patience are more important than raw strength.

I personally love it because I can manage my own time to travel i.e., ride at my own pace, take lots of photographs, enjoy the local delicacies and as well as enjoying the beautiful scenery. Also, I don't have to wear those colorful jerseys and tight pants (ha! ha!). And if I happen to come back last from a ride, I can always say that at least, I did enjoy the scenery longer.... HAPPY RIDING FOLKS!

Bicycle Touring

Bicycle Touring from - on Vimeo.

Hotel Etiquette

Respect is something everyone has to earn. As traveling cyclists, that can sometimes be harder to remember — but even during moments of frustration, we should always keep in mind that whenever we are out riding, we're ambassadors for current and future riders. One area where we may forget our duties as ambassadors is when we finish the day's ride and check into the comfort of a hotel or motel room.

While I like to camp when touring, occasionally it's nice to grab a room to get out of the rain, or to enjoy an evening of air conditioning. While most hotels and motels are good about allowing bikes into their guest rooms, it takes only a few bad experiences for a hotel to take this privilege away from everyone. To help keep the option open for fellow cyclists, here are a few things you can do to maintain a good relationship with the staff and management at a hotel or motel.

1. Have a rag on hand to wipe down your bike before entering the hotel, especially if you're coming in from the rain. Focus on keeping the tires clean so you don't lead a trail of mud and dirt to your door.

2. Don't crowd other guests in the elevator with your bike. If there are a few people in the elevator already, let them go and grab the next empty one. They will appreciate it, and it will save you the effort of positioning your bike in a tight space.

3. Once you have the bike in your room, be aware of your chain. Try not to let it lean or brush up against the bed sheets, curtains, or furniture.

4. If possible, avoid storing the bike on carpet. Sometimes this is unavoidable, but if there is a tile or hardwood portion of floor, leave your bike there. Inevitably, there will be some water or debris that falls off your bike, and it is much easier to clean up from a hard floor than from carpet. Private balconies are ideal.

5. Don't use hotel towels to clean your bike. While this can be incredibly tempting, always keep your own rag on hand for this.

6. Lastly, be sure to thank the hotel staff for allowing you to safely store your bike in your room.

If for some reason the hotel you're visiting does not allow bikes inside their rooms, ask about a storage shed, or a secure courtyard where you can lock up your bike for the night.

The better we represent ourselves to the public, the better position we put ourselves in to earn respect from others — and for other cyclists.

Source: Adventure Cycling Association Facebook- by Joshua Tack

Manali-Leh 2010

This year's Manali-Leh Cycling Tour is full of drama. Too many incidents happened; landslides, flash floods, cloudburst, crash, altitude sickness, etc.... But I still had great time in the Indian Himalaya region of Himachal Pradesh & Ladakh. Jullay!!!

Manali - Leh Tour Update

For the last 2 months, I have been observing the weather at Manali & Leh (Himachal Pradesh & Ladakh) to decide the date for our departure. Unfortunately, even by today (mid June), it is still heavy snowing & raining in some area of which the reason why they still closing the road. In fact, 2 days ago there was a massive avalanche near Baralacha La.

Out target for the tour is on 3rd week of July and back to KL by early Aug so that we will have at least a week to rest before the month of Ramadan.

Preparation of cycling training and bicycle tour equipments are still on going. We have decided to expect the worst of the weather especially with the current climate change, so we will equipped ourself with winter gear to prepare for sub-zero weather especially at night and waterproof and light gear for chilling/ raining or hot cycling day at daytime. Still looking into the details of the routes, pit stops for food and water, especially the water points and camping sites. Hopefully by July, we'll be able to proceed with our dream rides on the highest motorable highway in the world.

Keep praying for a good weather.

Source: Photo from world66

Bike Touring 101 (Reprise)

Lately, I have received emails from visitors to my Blog who expressed their interest in Bike Touring. Hey, it's always a pleasure to encourage people to try Bike Touring because it's simply FUN!

OK, Bike Touring is NOT for macho people who wants to go fast & furious and those who fancy light carbon bikes. Bike Touring is for ANYONE with sense of adventure who wants to explore the back roads, highlands, country sides, coastal roads, etc. It's not about the speed or distance. Instead, it's about the journey that you are to take. Whether it is 30km or 100km, along the way, you will meet and talk to people who you just met, enjoy the food at roadside, taking photographs with your friends, enjoy the beautiful sceneries, etc.

It doesn't matter if you are 25 or 65, if you are in sound physical condition and willing to take some time to prepare, you will be ok. Bottom line is, in Bike Touring, gearing & patience are more important than raw strength!

As long as you know how to ride a bicycle and are familiar with the basic operation of gear shifting and braking, then you are ready for a Bike Tour. No problemo!

For a beginner, I would advise that you don't splash your money on a new bike. Just ride your own bike whether it is a road bike, mountain bike or a hybrid. Try to fix a rear rack to your bike to carry your stuff. Then, invite your friends to join you for a short trip, maybe a day trip or an overnighter.

Once you got hooked on the Bike Touring, i.e. you don't mind riding for 5-8 hours for few days under hot sun or in the rain, getting dirty and smelly, get used to the local foods at the road stalls, then only you should consider invest in a proper Touring Bike and its accessories.

Welcome to the world of Bike Touring!

Manali-Leh-Khardung La Tour

For the last few weeks I have been busy gathering information about this famous route on the Himalaya. The best information I got if from Laura Sloane's Himalaya By Bike book that provides details of the route including its maps and profiles. The details in the book are so informative and updated. So I guess, I will be making only some copies to bring along on the tour to cut down the weight. ha ha..

The plan is to fly to Delhi, travel by bus to Manali, acclimatize, super slow ride to Leh for 6-7 days, ride up to Khardung La and back, and fly back to Delhi. I'm yet to study in details but hope that the whole trip/ tour can be done in 2 weeks' time. Preferably in July-August 2010 before the month of Ramadan.

So far 2 of my other buddies are keen to join me. But our main concern will be the AMS. We might have climbed few 7,000ft high mountains but we have never done any high altitude bike touring before. The Manali-Leh-Khardung La is climbing from 6,000ft to 18,000ft high over 500km of winding, narrow and some bad roads. But in July, I think the weather will be warmer and it is more suitable for us. From my past winter ride experience, I will definitely try to avoid the snow again!

It will be an unsupported bike tour on hardtail, will travel light with a bar bag & panniers.

We will sleeping in tent and accomodations available along the way as it's not expensive. The food is fine with us as we are used to eating north indian food- pakoras, chapati, chai, rice, dhal etc.

In the meantime, I will spend time getting more informations, studying the details and continue our training. So... Himalaya, Here We Come!

Source: photo from himalaya by bike, dirjournal.com & indiamike.com

How much stuff shall I carry?

Ok, I only do light touring because of my work commitment. Therefore, I can only do 1-2 weeks of bike tour.

I always remember Willie Weir said that the amount of luggage he carries for 3 days is the same for 3 weeks' tour. So, the key words here are 'travel light' and 'recycle'.

For me, a pair of medium size pannier at the rear + 1 handlebar bag is enough for my trip. Hence, there is no need for the front rack.

My bar bag is the 'tour control centre' as the late Sheldon Brown put it. It's where i keep my valuables- passport, cash, keys, camera, gps, road map, cellphone, and foodstuff e.g. chocolate bar, nuts, raisins etc. The rest of my stuff will be in my panniers. This bag is never out of my sight.

The heavy stuff will be put on the bottom (But no jeans please- it's bulky & heavy) and the lighter or things that I may need fast wil be on the top.

I usually store my stuff in large or medium size zip-on plastic storage bags for better organization & water-proof purpose. Whereas, the tools will be kept in small pocket of the pannier for easy access.

And the amount of clothing that I usually carry are:

1. cycling gear (2 sets- dri-fit/clima365 shirts, cycling thights, knee warmer) + rain jacket
2. sleeping/prayer attire (1 set- cotton t-shirt & track pants + sarong + light prayer mat)
3. sight-seeing/ casual clothing (1 set- shirt+track pants)
4. underwear (3-5 pieces- it's small & light)+ medium size towel
5. additional clothings (if required depending on the location)- sweaters/light weight jackets.No parka (thick and heavy)- i opt for layers of clothing instead.

I prefer Synthetic clothings because they are very light and easy to dry off.

So, in overall I will carry luggage of not more than 30kg (including my bike) when check-in. The heavy stuff (jacket + shoes + helmet) in small bag (exclude tools) will be hand carried (usually 7-10kg) and the rest will be checked-in- i.e. pannier + bike (in bag). So, I will board the plane with a small (but 'heavy) hand carry bag and my handlebar bag with shoulder strap (act as my camera bag- I usually carry my dslr) This is because some airlines only allow 1 hand carry bag but excluding laptop bag, handbag, camera bag, etc.

And it is advisable to carry a spare t-shirts/light pants/underware & toiletteries in your hand carry bag - I speak from my 'bad' experience after being stranded in heathrow during one winter blizzard - where all domestic fligts were cancelled and I had to spend overnight in the airport. The worst part was I only got my luggage 2 days after my arrival. I guess, this is common when you change your flight at last minute.

But hey, don't listen to me. This is just how I pack my stuff for a tour. It might not be suitable for you and your tour.

What you can do is to make your own list. Just remember not to overpack with stuff that you dont need. Actually, the less the better!

And if you tour with another cyclist, you can share some of the stuff like cooking utensils, repair tools, lubes, etc.

Cycling the world at 74

Not many people would swop a night's sleep in a regular bed for a snooze on grass on the side of the road in Woodlands.

Yet a 74-year-old cyclist from Italy is happy to do so.

Meet sprightly Janusz Rivers, who has been cycling solo around the world for the past nine years, getting by on the equivalent of $5 a day and sleeping rough. All this at an age when most people are sitting out their golden years in a comfy chair, not on a tiny leather saddle.

The intrepid (some would say eccentric) bachelor is visiting Singapore for the first time, having flown here from Poland on Tuesday. He is here to start the South-east Asian leg of his seemingly never-ending journey.

He aims to cycle across the Causeway, cover the whole of Malaysia and southern Thailand before returning in April for a month's rest. He will then fly to Papua New Guinea to cycle there and on through Timor Leste, before flying to Australia in early 2011.

Rivers, a retired sports manager, is being put up here by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports at the Singapore Sports School in Woodlands. Despite having a comfortable room to stay in, he reveals that he left it at midnight on Wednesday to sleep on a patch of grass he had found by the road.

"I always sleep in the open. It's quiet and natural," explains this self-described "citizen of the world" who has no home base.

Rivers hails from Poland originally but moved to Rome in 1979 until the call of the road hit on Dec 31, 1999, and he began his journey. He tours an area for about five months, rests for a month or so in one country he chooses as a base, and then continues.

He claims to have travelled to 115 countries, been kidnapped 30 times and survived a potentially deadly snake bite. What's more, he has made his epic journey on the same US$50 bike he bought when he first set out. The frame is original, but the tyres and gears are changed yearly.

Amazingly, he has not had a single puncture. He credits this to his German puncture-proof tyres, which he changes twice every six months.

Unlike some adventurers, Rivers is not undertaking his journey to raise money for charity or draw attention to himself. He says he is financially comfortable and is doing this just to stay active.

Speaking to Life! at the Singapore Sports School, he recalls the fateful New Year's Eve when he decided he wanted a change in life. "I was sitting at home, eating macaroni and sipping Italian wine, when I thought, 'I'm getting old. What can I do with my life?' "

The next day, he bought a cheap bicycle and jumped on a ferry bound for Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. He says the decision was easy because he is not married and has no children.

From Lanzarote, he went back to Europe and cycled north to Norway in five months. It marked the beginning of his love affair with the open road that he says has taken him 125,000km across the world. He reckons it is the best way to see the world.

Each day, he aims to travel 30km. Every country he visits, he ensures that he has the sanction of the local government. He obtains this by either faxing or calling ahead, and the government usually provides his accommodation and food.

He sticks to the backroads so that he can interact with locals.While traversing the desert in Egypt, he says the local tribes would follow him on their camels to give him food and water. He says he has encountered generosity everywhere, and claims it is almost impossible to spend any money. This is just as well, as his prize possessions on the road consist only of an Italian coffee maker and a small radio.

He names Cuba as his favourite country so far, where he says he was the first tourist to cycle around the island without a police escort.

Rivers' world tour was scheduled to finish at the Beijing Olympics last year, but after taking a fitness test at the Russian space centre and finding that his heart and lungs are strong, he has set his sights on the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016.

Then he plans to stay in a South American village for the rest of his days. But for now, when asked why he keeps on cycling, he says: "I don't want to be found dead in front of the TV."

Source: The Straits Times/By Christian Seiersen

Inching Around The World

This is one of the best bike travel journal I have ever read.

They are Zoe & Paul, who are in their 50s, got tired of their job, sold their home and embarked on a world bicycle tour.

What I like about their journal is that they are full of nice photos, 'interesting' information about the local foods and their accommodations. And I really envy the way they tour... slow & steady with no time constraints. This is what I call 'Bicycle Touring'!

Being a Malaysian and a bike tourist myself, their photos and stories really brought back old memories of my tour in Malaysia.

And I'm sure that they are having great time on their bikes , going places. What (I think!) they are missing is they should have taste the durians. Trust me, it tastes 'out of this world'ly great! Just ask my buddy, Steve, a 'farang', 'gwai-lo', 'ang-moh' from Canada who is a durian fanatic! (sorry Steve!)

check out their journal at Inching Around The World and their website, 50ontheroad.com

Bike Touring

I've been asked about what bike is best for touring.

And my answer is always - "Ride whatever bike your are riding now".

Bike touring is not a race where you need the state-of-the-art, aerodynamic, sub 1-kg frame with campy gruppo bike.

What you need is a durable and reliable bike that will take you to places.

An aluminium frame is light but a steel is more comfortable and easier to repair. Make sure it has eyelets for rear rack. You need it if you are not pulling a trailer.

You can carry more load and ride off road with fat tire and 32/36 spokes rims. Customed wheel is not advisable.

In my opinion, fenders are one of the important parts of a touring bike if not the most important! Get a good saddle. Remember that saddle brand doesn't give you saddle sore, but wrong positioning of the saddle does.

There you go. If you are comfortable riding on road bike or a mountain bike, both can be your 'touring bike'.

But the more upright your riding position, the more comfortable it will be when riding for hours. Hence, mtb & folding bike gets my vote.

Forget about branded bikes like SURLY, BROMPTON, KOGA-MIYATA, KTM, SEVEN etc. Yes they are all great bikes, but they cost a bomb.Unless you are touring the world and have tonnes of cash to burn.

Don't worry about the weight of your bike. Bike touring is about carrying load and moving at reasonable speed. Nevertheless, I suggest that you travel light.

Additional accessories e.g, Bike lock & lights are important. Others is optional but good to have e.g. bike mirror, handheld GPS & speedometer.

So you can plan your bike touring now. It's not the distance nor the speed but the journey itself.

Bring a camera to record your trips becuase photos of old bike tour will always be good motivation to plan for next trip.

Enjoy riding!