Why bicycle-touring.com may be useful:
- I bicycled interesting places, relatively early in their popularity as tourist-destinations.
- I took many photos.
- I kept a journal.
I was not an experienced tourer, and thus many of my entries capture real mood-swings.
Let me comment on that last bullet. The other evening I was working on the Turkey Web pages. As I was rereading my complaints about cold, wind, hills, etc., I thought that I should do some editing, and make the article a positive tale. Likewise my Vietnam writings: I thought that I should edit-out the negative stuff. But I'm going to keep the text as written. It's more entertaining, and it's really what this site is all about -- a normal person figuring out how to complete difficult rides.
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Why Travel by Bike?
If you're going traveling, riding a bike is unequivocally the best way there is to really sight-see.
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There are negatives:
- Climbing hills and mountains will break your spirit.
- Riding in the rain for more than one day in a row will break your spirit.
- Long boring stretches can break your spirit.
- Bicycling is work!
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But the positives are very positive:
- You can go anywhere you want - you never have to see if "this train stops there."
- Getting around town is a piece of cake. While other tourists are still figuring which bus will get them to the museum, you're half-way there!
- You can eat and sleep for less, since you'll be off the tourist track.
- You will experience the local culture as no regular tourist ever will.
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Admittedly, the above-mentioned minuses could offset the positives. But with a little pre-trip planning (specifically selecting routes and watching seasonality), you can stack the deck in favor of the positives, and a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
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