Welcome to Gareth & Shannon’s travelogue. Our posts are primarily written with family and friends in mind, though we welcome the curious.
If you’re thinking about giving cycle touring a go, here is a not so subtle nudge; go for it. You don’t need expensive equipment, or to be young and super-fit, or to go anywhere exotic. We’ve seen families travelling with their pets loaded into baskets dangling off handlebars; babies sleeping in bike trailers with young kids weaving along behind their parents — albeit on separated bike paths; elderly cyclists on e-bikes leisurely passing us on uphills. If you have a bicycle, grab it, put a rack on the back, load up your tent or bivvy, a change of clothes, some water-bottles, a few energy bars, a good raincoat helps, spare tubes, allen keys… and start off with a trial over-nighter somewhere near home.
Keep in mind that as the trips get longer, or train connections are missed, or hills get steeper, or good weather turns to wind, cold, and heavy downpours… frustration may mount. Over time, the mind has a way of lightening these more uncomfortable moments and it is precisely these more challenging experiences that can become the most treasured memories and funny stories once the immediacy has passed.
Bon voyage.
