On this edition, I open up my bike tour planning process and technique for a tour I’ve been mulling over for years. Originally podcast December 24, 2020.

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Almost everywhere, the cheapest bet to stay fed on bicycle tour is a town’s grocery store. In this best of, I covered my grocery store strategies on bike adventures… from prep to pedaling off with panniers full of treats to chow on later! Originally podcast December 19, 2019.

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Detours and closures are a part of bike touring, but how do you handle it? On this edition, five things to think about on how to handle bike route detours and closures without losing your cool. Originally podcast February 11, 2021.

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A chat with Mary McGowan is the Rebel Without a Car. She’s a Delaware native now in South Carolina who went from a car-free bike commuter to bike tourist and has discovered a ton of adventure along the way. Originally podcast September 24, 2020.

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Brock and Adele from The Sprocket Podcast rejoin The Pedalshift Project, already in progress! In part two of our chat, we discuss bicycle tourists and people we meet on tour… some of them we don’t connect with so well, and others warm our little hearts. This is also part of a cross-over with Sprocket Podcast episode 259 and Pedalshift Project 031 with our Friends of the Show from the land of sunshine and bunnies (AKA Portland, Oregon). Originally podcast October 12, 2015.

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As promised, my detailed video breakdown on how I bicycled onto Disney property and all the way to the All Star Movies resort. See how it all works, and the other resorts you can bike to reasonably safely!

Happy new year! About this time last year, I shared my struggle with offseason weight gain. For those of us with a distinct touring offseason[footnote]if you can tour year-round, the rest of us jealously gaze in your direction![/footnote] being off the bike means you have to keep an eye on what you eat and the other activity you maintain, or you’ll have more to haul up those hills in the spring.

Here’s the dirty secret about bike touring – it can be a lousy way to maintain weight loss. Sure, you’ll probably get in better shape during your ride, but a lot of people find they gain weight back shortly after their tours because they don’t adjust their eating habits off the bike. I know that was a problem for me two seasons ago.

My experience

When I weighed myself in January 2014, I couldn’t believe the number that was staring up at me from the scale. Only 5 months before, I had biked a substantial part of the Pacific coast and was in pretty good shape. A two month book tour and a half winter later, I was the heaviest I’d ever weighed.[footnote]True story – I got the call that my grandmother had passed away, and I went through two thoughts. First, “tomorrow is the first day of my life when I won’t have my grandmother in my life.” Second, “holy sh*t, there is not a chance in hell I’m fitting in my suit for her funeral.”[/footnote] My post-tour eating habits got the best of me. I needed to drop a substantial amount of weight and I was motivated to do it in a smart, healthy way.

Step 0 – Admit it’s time

Before you do anything, it’s time to stare in the mirror (figuratively… let’s not be creepy here) and admit you let things go a bit. Until you’re ready to do that, the next steps are a lot harder.

Step 1 – Set your goal

I used an app called LoseIt to come up with a weight goal and a weight loss goal. Losing a couple pounds per week is probably the healthiest way to go, even if you want to go a little faster. It’s sustainable and leads to better habits.

Step 2 – Watch your intake

The app made this a lot easier, but be ready to be shocked at the caloric deficit you need to maintain compared to what you cram down during a tour. It’s pretty much the opposite vibe. For me, I need to watch calories and focus on eating whole foods rather than processed ones, especially those that are carbohydrate heavy. You may have a different experience, but generally speaking watching what you eat and avoiding the things that pack in the calories or otherwise are your kryptonite is the way to go.

Step 3 – Stay active, but watch for the calorie trap

Everyone’s body is different. For me, weight loss is almost all about what I eat. In fact, there’ a bit of a trap… when I exercise, I have a tendency to eat more calories than my exercise creates in deficit. In other words, exercising a lot makes it harder for me to lose weight. I know – total trap, right? That’s not the case for other people, but it was a surprising finding for me. Your mileage may vary!

Step 4 – maintain

From heaviest to lightest this year, I was down 50 pounds.[footnote]about 23 kg for you metric types[/footnote] That’s a lot of weight off, and it took a ton of work and discipline to achieve. It made a huge difference in how I felt on my rides. I know I’ll gain some back over the holidays,[footnote]spoiler alert – already have[/footnote] but there’s no way I’ll be in the same position over the late winter and spring as I was last year. That gives me more opportunity to hop on trainers and exercise bikes to stay in bike touring shape, which gives me a leg up on early season tours.

Do you struggle with offseason weight? If not, what do you do to maintain being in bike shape through your offseason? Share your thoughts with the community!

Amtrak and touring bikes: this is a long story with a steadily happier ending. Once upon a time Amtrak only allowed touring bikes if they were packed in a box and checked with baggage at certain stops only. Since then roll aboard service has expanded on certain lines and we may (maybe… possibly… perhaps…) be seeing true roll-aboard service expanded to all lines. Read on…

ORIGINAL POST

In June 2014, Amtrak announced new baggage cars allowing checked unboxed bikes for all long distance routes “by the end of the year.” Well, it’s the end of the year… so are we a step closer to easier travel by train with our touring bikes?

Well, the silence from Amtrak doesn’t strike me as a good sign. When I got an update on Amtrak Express bike shipping service in St. Louis (thanks Kurt Werstein) it reminded me of the “end of the year” comment on bikes checked for passengers. Digging a bit today revealed little to suggest the rail transportation provider is likely to meet that goal. Although I haven’t had the opportunty to confirm this, a commenter on Amtrak’s original post announcing the new baggage cars noted we may be waiting a lot longer:

If you’re a masochist and prefer additional demoralizing fodder, read some of the comments by the curiously-in-the-know AMTK207 (cough cough Amtrak employee?[footnote]rank speculative opinion[/footnote] cough cough). The optimism that Amtrak will implement better national bike checking policies (to at least approach its excellent bike service on the west coast) seems to be fading. I’ll keep an eye on this into 2015.

UPDATE: looks like the first baggage cars are indeed in use, if only as a test. That might mean we’re in decent shape for unboxed bikes in the new baggage cars by next summer? Hoping to hear more from Amtrak as we head into spring…

UPDATE UPDATE: The baggage cars began on the Capitol Limited between Chicago and DC in mid-September 2015 and roll-on service is in effect at every stop. Listen to my experience on The Pedalshift Project 035. The Amtrak press release gives some good info:

Good News for Capitol Limited Customers: Bike Service Begins Aboard Trains 29 and 30

 

Effective September 15, 2015 Amtrak is pleased to announce that starting September 15, passengers can bring bikes on the Capitol Limited for only $20. Before bringing your bike aboard, please note the following:

• Arrive Early If you are checking a bike, get to the station at least 30 minutes prior to train departure to allow time to get your tickets and take your bike to the baggage car.
• Bike Reservations Bicycle reservations are required. Reserve your bike on Amtrak.com by selecting “add bike to trip” when booking your train travel. You can also call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245) or make reservations at any Amtrak ticket office. Bike reservations cannot be made through Amtrak’s mobile apps. Don’t forget to bring the ticket (travel document) for your bike to present to the conductor.
• One bike is permitted per person, and only standard size bikes are allowed. If your bike has a large seat/saddle bags, you will need to remove it from the bike before loading it on the train. The seat can either be carried on the train or checked, where permitted.
  Loading and Storing Your Bike Once you arrive at the station, take your bike to the coach/baggage car where it will be stored during your trip. A crew member will open the baggage car door.
• You must be able to lift your bike onto the train and stow it in the rack. You must also attach the stabilization bar with the strap provided to your bicycle frame. Amtrak employees are not responsible for storing or securing bicycles. Upon arriving at your destination, a crew member will guide you to the car to retrieve your bike once the train comes to a complete stop and it is safe to do so.

Enjoy your journey aboard the Capitol Limited, and thank you for choosing Amtrak.

Some of the images from the Central and Southern California coast: