Green Goddess Glamping: January 2013

Friday, January 11, 2013

Burley Travoy Bike Trailer: A January Test Run

Yesterday it was in the 50s in Iowa, warm and a little windy.

I needed to buy groceries and decided to try out my new Burley Travoy commuter bicycle trailer. After all, soon it will be highs in the 20s again.

Hooking up the trailer to my trusty old Fuji Thrill mountain bike that I've converted to my winter commuter bike, I took off down the road to the store about a mile away. Riding into the wind, I didn't notice much resistance from the body of the trailer. I did notice some road noise with the empty trailer, but that disappeared when the trailer was loaded on the way home.

The Travoy rode like a dream, both empty and loaded. There was no sense of pull or drag, although I found coming down one gear and increasing my spinning revolutions made for a more effortless trip. What I did notice was people staring as I rode by. I imagine in the summer when I hitch the Burley Travoy trailer to my Burley Koosah recumbent, I'll get even more stares--the Freightliner tractor and trailer of bicycles!

The great joy was to stop at the store, unhitch the trailer, and roll through the doors to shop. For this trip, I didn't take the top bag, but think I would have if I had it to do again. I would have put the bananas in the top bag to ensure there would be no bruising. Rolling down the aisles, I added items, filling the green grocery bag about three-quarters full. Pulling up to the check-out, I unhooked the bag, set it on the counter, and then helped the cashier empty it. Then, as the items were scanned, I packed the bag for the trip home, placing the heavier items to the bottom and back.

The trailer actually rode better with a load; it seemed more stable. As I rode past the kitchen window on the way to the front door, my wife saw me and said to herself, "There's a photo opportunity!" And that was the genesis of this blog post with the photos.

I'm looking forward to using the Travoy this summer with our weekend bike touring. I think it will work well and ride with more stability than the rear panniers on the recumbent.

Burley makes a duffle bag with specialized attachment hooks for their Travoy trailer. "That's your birthday present," my wife said with a smile. My birthday's coming in about three weeks. I'd better order soon! Judging from the dimensions of the bag and it's looks, my challenge will be to not pack too much on camping trips!

Using the Travoy will add some joy to my commuting, although I imagine I will most often continue to use my Bike Pro City Bags that attach to my rear rack. They are very handy. For big shopping days, though, and for local weekend bike camping, I think the Burley Travoy adds a lot of potential to my bike-riding capabilities.

(Note: As the content for Green Goddess Glamping evolves, sometimes content focus will dictate that articles will be posted on some Facebook groups and not others. Articles on Dutch oven cooking, portable toilets, or bicycle day rides, for instance, could find posts in different groups. The best way to ensure that you are receiving all articles is to subscribe to follow this blog by email notifications. And if you don't get a confirmation notice, be sure to check your spam box.)

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Miles From Nowhere: Book Review

Miles from Nowhere, by Barbara Savage is one of the greatest bicycle travel journals or travelogues ever written.

Published by The Mountaineers, a non-profit outdoor activity and conservation club founded in 1906, every year the organization, in cooperation with Larry Savage, awards The Barbara Savage/Miles from Nowhere Memorial Award to "an unpublished nonfiction manuscript that presents a compelling account of a personal journey of discovery undertaken in an outdoor arena."

Beginning as no-nothing bicycle travelers and challenging the hills, winds, and rains of the American Pacific coastline, Barbara Savage and her husband Larry continue on through the Yukon and across and down the United States to Florida. Then it's on to Europe, Morocco, Egypt, and on around the world.

Here is an excerpt where they link up in the British Isles--a safe and clean ride except for the rain--with a friend from southern California who rides with them for a time:

"Tough! You folks 'er real tough. I'm dyin', and ya'll 'er goin' a mile a minute. They'll never believe this back in good 'ole Paso Robles," Cary chucked in his country drawl. "I thought the rough part o' yer undertakin' would be gettin' used ta pedalin' long distances. Heck, that's only a fraction of it! You've gotta get used ta bugs in yer food and campin' in animal manure and shoppin' fer food three times 'er more a day. An' then at the end o' the day, when yer tired and hungry, you've gotta search fer a good campin' spot and cook up yer dinner on that little stove before ya kin eat. And then you've still gotta wash the dishes before ya kin go ta bed, and lotsa times y go ta bed dirty. And besides all that, ya hafta bicycle in the rain and git all wet and miserable. Now that's what I call tough!"

Tough is indeed the world used to describe the Savages in this chronicle of their two-year odyssey around that world that began in 1979. Some experiences were sublime in their beauty, and some experiences they barely survived. Some experiences describe the openness and goodness of humanity, and some experiences described the closed narrowness and poverty of humanity.

All the experiences of this bicycle trek are told with Barbara's riveting prose style, with a great attention to detail that does not slow the rapid pace of the story. Although I don't use the term much, I can definitely state that this book is a real page-turner.

Here is The Mountaineers' description of the book:

This is the story of Barbara and Larry Savage's sometimes dangerous, often zany, but ultimately rewarding 23,000 miles global bicycle odyssey, which took them through 25 countries in two years. Miles From Nowhere is an adventure not to be missed!

Along the way, these near-neophyte cyclists encountered warm-hearted strangers eager to share food and shelter, bicycle-hating drivers who shoved them off the road, various wild animals (including a roof ape and an attack camel), sacred cows, rock-throwing Egyptians, overprotective Thai policeman, motherly New Zealanders, meteorological disasters, bodily indignities, and great personal joys. The stress of traveling together constantly for two years tested and ultimately strengthened the young couple's relationship.

Online reviewer Renee Sproles commented: "Enduring physical and mental hardships as well as relishing the pleasures of creation and human kindness, Barbara Savage sparked in me a yearning to break free of my daily routine and reach out to others however I can." She titled her review "a wake-up call from your daily routine."

This book awakens the adventure in us and enlivens our humanity. It provides us a wider picture of the world, expanding our sense of what it means to be part of the family of humankind. It increases our appreciation of our luck of living a life of privilege, compared to many in the world.

Read the book; get on your bike and ride. Remember that the tour bus doesn't really capture the reality of the land you're touring. On a bike, you are immersed in the world, surrounded by it--as heady and as scary an experience as learning to swim. Miles from Nowhere is an out-of-the-bathtub-and-into-the-ocean experience. Certainly invigorating, often chilling, but absolutely unforgettable.

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Bike Touring Basics: a book review

World bicycle travelers and authors of Bike Touring Basics, Friedel and Andrew Grant, describe their book in the introduction as "a compact and inspiring introduction to the world of bike touring, from the planning stage through to the equipment you might need to get started." They state the book's purpose even more concisely on the title page: "A mini guide to bicycle touring, for people planning a first exploration of the world by pedal power." These words accurately describe the Grants' tightly yet warmly written eBook on the what-to's and how-to's of the bike touring world.

The front cover indicates Bike Touring Basics contains information on "bikes and gear," "life on tour," and "inspiration." Many chapters begin with a quotation from some experienced world bicycle traveler. For instance, the chapter "Why Go Bike Touring" begins with a quote by Rebeca Jensen, a portion of which is as follows: "Bicycle touring is heightened awareness. It's the difference between microwaving and cooking a meal from scratch. It's the difference between standing awe-struck in front of a painting and clicking past it on the internet."

All these quotations are linked to sites on the web, and many more avid bicyclists who helped create the book are also listed, so the book becomes a source or index for a much wider world of experienced bike touring that the Grants have connected with. A free PDF version of the book is available at the Grants' website, TwoTravelling.com, but it is mentioned in the introduction to the e-Book that the PDF is not as full, lacking some information, links, and photos. The image on the cover, for instance, "was taken at 4,500 meters on the Puna de Atacama in northern Chile." It was part of a multi-month bike tour in South America, by Harriet and Neil Pike.

The touring experience of the Grants, coupled with their interaction with the world bike-touring community, provide a powerful sense of credibility to the book. The contents of the book range from the motivation of why to tour, to costs, route planning, on whether to sleep in hostels or to "wild" camp, equipment (gear), buying a bike, and loading up the bike. Equipment covered includes a balance of American and European gear. The Grants are Canadian, have lived in England, and are now living in the Netherlands, "a cycling paradise."

I found this book very readable--easy to follow and a nice balance of heart and intellect, satisfying both. I'll let the authors finish up this review.

". . . bike touring really is something anyone can do. You don't need to be super fit or below some arbitrary age barrier. You don't even need to know a lot about bike touring and you certainly don't need a fancy bike."

"Finally if you remember nothing else then remember this: people of all types and descriptions are out there right now, pedaling across their countries, continents and even the world. You can too, and you'll have the time of your life along the way."

They go on to mention that it doesn't hurt, though, to gain a little knowledge before striking out. Bike Touring Basics is an enjoyable and inspiring place to gain that knowledge. Here is a link to a YouTube video on the Grants touring with their five-month-old son. They seem like nice folks.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

What Would Fairfield, Iowa, Be Without A.J.'s Bike Shop?

(Originally posted at Tom Kepler Writing, June 19, 2012)

I'd say my son was about nine or ten when my wife and I decided to buy him a new bicycle.

Having out-grown his one-speed smaller bike, he was ready for a shifting bike. We went to A.J.'s Bike Shop in our town of Fairfield, Iowa. At that time, A.J.'s was on 4th Street in a small garage-like extension of an big house instead of his current location just off the town square.

"Just a minute," A.J. said, finishing up with another customer. After that, A.J. told us that he gave away a bicycle to every 100th customer who was buying a bike, and that we were number 100.

That was about fifteen years ago, but I still remember the moment: the small shop cluttered with shiny bikes, the smell of oils and mechanical things, and A.J. standing there in his blue denim mechanic's tool apron, a smile on his face while he enjoyed our happiness.

That's A.J. What would we do without such a man and such a shop in our town? I think over the years I've bought at least eight bicycles from A.J.'s Bike Shop. I've bought accessories. I've had my bikes tuned-up, modified, and fixed by A.J. I've learned about the greater world of bicycling, joined the national Adventure Cycling organization, and have even done a bit of bicycle touring. I've become a bicycle commuter, traveling to work regularly on my bike.

Now I commute regularly to my teaching job at Maharishi School, located on the Maharishi University of Management's campus. It's amazing how many places I go that are within two miles of my house--an easy bike ride. It takes as long to scrape my windshield and drive as it does to hop on my bike and get to work with pedal-power. I have a tee shirt that reads "The Bicycle: SUV of the 21st Century." Recreation includes bike rides with my wife. Bicycling has become a healthy part of my life.

At A.J.'s I ask about bicycle trailers (I recently bought a Burley Travoy there), a new commuter bike (such as the Raleigh Detour 2.5, a solid bike for a reasonable price), or the ever-popular biking conversation topic of gearing. It's one thing to surf the internet of information--a great thing!--but it's also wonderful to be able to talk face-to-face with a bicycle expert--and maybe even buy the desired item on the spot. Christmas on two wheels! My next evolution in bicycling is to learn more about bicycle maintenance, not to take away business from my local bike shop but rather to become more self-sufficient and able to do repair work on the road.

I wouldn't have experienced this growth and these joys without having a local bike shop in my town. Fairfield, Iowa, was designated as one of the Great Places in Iowa, and part of its greatness is in having such great businesses as A.J.'s Bike Shop. Here is a link to a video that includes information on Fairfield's Loop Trail bike path system as part of a general introduction to Fairfield.

With great joy and memories, I celebrate my long-term business relationship with A.J., his partner-wife, and with all those wonderful bikes. There's just something happy about all those spinning wheels--and every town needs as many happy places as possible.