It’s officially summer in the northern hemisphere (sorry Australia… it was a good run, but it’ll be back) and it’s time to live vicariously and follow some of those summer bicycle tours. In this episode I let you in on three I’m following, plus give you an update on my C&O through ride this coming weekend and some additional bikey plans I’ve got.
Hey it’s the direct download link: The Pedalshift Project 052: Summer bicycle tours to follow (mp3)
Reach out to the show via email, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to join the newsletter too.
Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshift@pedalshift.net or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109.
The Journal: Summer bicycle tours to follow
Tours I’m following this summer
Michael Riscica @biketouring999
Met Michael at Pioneer Nation super briefly last fall when someone I met was like, “I HAVE to get the two bike touring guys to meet!” He’s working his way westbound on the TransAm and has mixed in some pretty dope videos of his ride mixed with punk soundtracks. Worth the follow and the reads!
http://coast2coastbikeride.com/
Patience @biker_girl_pay
She’s about half done rolling from Seattle to Boston in tribute to a friend she lost late last year. It’s also one of those “I’m riding two months before I have to enter the real world” kind of rides, which I always wish I had done back when it would have matters for me. Really cool pics in the IG feed. Also, she wears a lot of orange, so she must be super cool 😉
@biker_girl_pay on IG
3 Girls on a Bike:
Vicky, Wendy and Linda… riding cross country (notice a theme?) to raise money for local bike pathway projects in Illinois. Aaron from Sprocket Podcast helped them out with directions when they got semi-misdirected in Portland a few weeks back. I’ve reached out and hope to get them on the show as they roll into DC in August.
Fundraising: https://www.gofundme.com/3girlsonabike
Blog: http://eliacci.com/3girlsonabike/
C&O ride
Hey another tour for me! I’ll be through-riding the C&O again starting today as this podcast is released! If you’re a newsletter subscriber, not only did you get the bonus podcast this month (my five favorite bike touring books) but you also got the special feed to listen in on Tour Journals Volume 6 while I ride. Missed out? No worries, it’ll be in Pedalshift Plus in a few weeks. If you’re needing a fix for some C&O audio journals, check out Volume 2, the GAP/C&O ride from last year.
I’ll have a full run-down on the next Pedalshift Project too. Trying out a new stove that I’m really digging… super inexpensive and compact. I hope to have a review up on Youtube too. What about your summer bicyle tours? Let me know in the comments or via social media!
More summer bicycle tours coming
Going to Flagstaff, AZ over the 4th of July weekend and doing some riding, likely on the Grand Canyon rim and maybe a few other choice spots. Hoping to get some good pics to share on these day rides!
August… Oregon coast! MJ is doing a little unintentional scouting for me in the next couple of weeks. More to come!
Connections
Thanks for checking in! You can always reach out at pedalshift@pedalshift.net or hit me up in the comments section or on social media.
Ethan Georgi on gear inches
After your ep mentioning gear inches for climbing, especially how what you didn’t know WAS hurting you, I looked up mine. 34.6. Not cool. Gonna look into a triple crank with a smaller chainring. Thanks for the nudge.
Steve K -pulling a Hammerhiker (as I will now call this) and getting dropped off in Meyersdale and bombing down the long hill from the Eastern Continental Divide to Cumberland!
Noah tackling the C&O – asks about bears and camping sites being full?
1- wouldn’t worry about bears. The majority of both trails aren’t wildernessy enough to get your exposure to the level that you need to up your fpod storage game. If you prefer, consider getting some smell proof bags. I’ve never encountered a bear on either trail and I don’t think I recall hearing any real reports of one.
—
2- You’ll never have a problem getting a spot at any site on a C&O summer bicycle tour. If someone is there ahead of you it’s just a chance to say hi and pitch your tent in another section of the site. I’ve chosen to ride on another 5-10 miles to get a chance at my own site but I’ve never been shut out if any site because of congestion.
Sidebar… after this ride, this and more info will be coming to a much more pimped out Pedalshift Guide to the C&O. I’ve also got some killer ideas for more in the coming months, and thanks to your support through Pedalshift Plus and Pedalshift Society, I might be pulling the trigger on one of those ideas soon. Stay tuned!
Another 5-star review from Pedaling4Purpose!
Pedalshift Society
A big thank you to all of the monthly supporters of the show! If you like what you hear, you can help me keep the show listener-supported while expanding the offerings (like the new C&O online guide!). A buck, two bucks or even 5 helps with the costs of hosting the podcast and the website, plus the Pedalshift Society allows me to do cool new things I’ll be rolling out in future shows. Check it out and join at pedalshift.net/society.
If you’re interested in one-shot support, consider something over at Pedalshift Plus and get something cool in return! If the GAP talk is interesting, consider Pedalshift Tour Journals Vol. 2: DC – PGH with multiple daily podcasts chronicling my ride in 2015. You can get that at Pedalshift Plus. On to the Society!
- Ethan Georgi
- Matt Buker
- Kimberly Wilson
- Caleb Jenkinson
- Cameron Lien
- Andrew MacGregor
- Jonathan Martin
- Michael Hart
Thank you for supporting the show!
Music
The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ album, Habitat, wherever cool music resides. I heard Jason’s new album in January and it is AWESOME. More info when that drops!