What does romance have to do with bicycling? If you’re an avid cyclist this might appear to be a dumb question. Those of us that ride, not only have a love affair with our bikes but also with the distant places our bikes take us. This is particularly true when we have the opportunity to
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Do you ‘CONNAISSEZ’ this climb? I’m still learning French. In fact, I will always be learning French. Just this morning, for instance, I had a French lesson while climbing the Col de la Forclaz. The French verbs ‘connaitre’ and ‘savoir’ are always tough. Both connaitre and savoir mean ‘to know’ and it’s highly confusing to
Gale Bernhardt ©2011 A bike tour complete with riding many of the classic cols in Europe is, for many, the chance of a lifetime. You want to be as fit as possible before you leave for your trip, given other life duties. That means being very precise with your training, alternating weeks of more volume
My entire life I’ve been a non-competitive athlete. I love outdoor sports for the intrinsic satisfaction of a good sweat, a runner’s high, a shared experience, scenic beauty and, of course, some of the thrills (e.g. windsurfing or a good descent). This is not to say I don’t love a good challenge. In fact, I
Chanthaburi, Thailand to Ko Samet 112 km+ Route Details Conditions: Road surface was perfectly paved asphalt, fast flats until Ko Samet. Weather: extremely muggy and hot. At just 12 degrees north of the equator, the extreme heat upon waking up this morning was predictable. It was another sunny and muggy day in Southeastern Thailand and we
Battambang to Phsa Prum/Ban Packard Thai Border – 103 km Route Details Conditions: Good paved roads, light traffic, very little shade, pancake flat for nearly the first 60 km. After a few too many rest days, flying to Siem Reap, Cambodia, touring the Angkorian temples and eating our way through the streets of Siem Reap, we finally
Day 2- Kiouw Kacham to Kasi Hot Springs – 75 km/1235m (4050’) vertical. Route Details. Conditions: Generally good asphalt with some dirt on the hairpin turns. Weather was perfect with coolish windy conditions in the morning and overcast skies in afternoon. The age old question presented itself early this morning as chickens and roosters
Luang Prabang to Kiouw KaCham – 78 km, 6300’ vertical, conditions = smooth perfect asphalt, cool morning and hot afternoon. Route Details. There’s a difference between a rude awakening and a healthy challenge. Today was a mix of both. Our 8:15 departure from the Merry Lao Swiss Guesthouse in Luang Prabang was as smooth as
The first question every client asks after signing up for one of our climbing-based bike trips in Europe is ‘What’s the best thing I can do to train and be prepared for this trip?’ I ask myself the same question every season. Logically, we know what to do on the bike. Put in your base
There it is. The word is officially out. Nine years after my first cycling trip to the Ariege there it appears on the world cycling map in the 2012 Tour de France route! It’s not the first time the Ariege region has featured in a Tour de France. When it does, however, it usually passes
