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The Pedalshift Project 091: Your Summer Bicycle Tours 2017

As summer begins its slow wind down, let’s take a look back at some of your amazing summer bicycle tours of 2017! From Oregon to Iceland to Scotland to South Korea, Pedalshift listeners have certainly shrunk the world by bike! Plus, a special early preview of what’s in store for Pedalshift 100!

The Pedalshift Project 091: Your Summer Bicycle Tours 2017Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 091: Your Summer Bicycle Tours 2017 (mp3)

Subscribe to The Pedalshift Project:
RSS – iTunes – Overcast – Android

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.

Pedalshift Tour Journals Vol.8: Western Penn

 

Available now at Pedalshift Plus!

Hey I’m riding the Pacific Coast again!

I’m planning on an October tour from Newport, OR to San Francisco, revisiting a section of the 2014 full coast ride and one I just adore. Looking forward to sharing more details with you in a future pod!

The march to Pedalshift 100

The Pedalshift Project 100

I have something special lined up for episode 100. We’ll have friends of the show Brock and Aaron as special guests and we’ll chat all about the usual nonsense. But but but… there’s more. We’re looking to do a joint meet up slash holiday spectacular live and in person the first weekend in December in Portland, Oregon. Details to come…

The Journal: Your Summer Bicycle Tours 2017

Greg in Santa Cruz on credit card touring the Oregon Coast

Go read Greg’s Crazy Guy journal… it’s not super detailed, but that’s kind of its charm. He took Amtrak up from San Jose to Portland and saw some of the bikey podcast sites… SE Div and  12th… VeloCult… you know, the highlights. He also tackled the Portland to Tillamook ride which even most PDXers eschew in favor of taking the MAX out halfway. Good on ya Greg!
He rode a chunk of the coast I did last summer, so check out Pedalshift Tour Journals Vol 7: Oregon Coast for some audio on that ride to supplement your reading. I noticed Greg gave Pedalshift a shout out for naming “The Book” but I’m not sure I can really take credit for that, other than saying it 73 bajillion times on a pod.

Paul Staten on trail angels in Oregon

 A couple months back, work took me to Portland for a science conference. I was itching to rent a bicycle and go for a longer ride up the Columbia River Gorge, but my conference ended in the evening one day, and I flew out the afternoon of the next, so I didn’t have a good, single block of time. But I just so happened to have a sleeping pad and blanket with me, and I’d recently started reading some of Tom Allen’s stuff, and decided to just ride up the canyon in the evening, and try really hard to make it back in time for my flight. (Worst case, I would have to eat a couple hundred bucks. And I decided I’d rather do that than always wonder what the adventure would have been like.)
I rented an old bike from the folks at Everybody’s Bike Rentals and Tours. It was about $50 overnight. The frame wasn’t long enough, the bike lights were cheap, and the saddle was terrible (and I was wearing basketball shorts), but the bike was sound. I didn’t know where I was going to sleep, but I took a train to the 99th street mall, and started biking east along the river from there. You sound like you’re pretty familiar with Portland and its surroundings, so you probably know all I saw on my way up past Multinomah falls. Beautiful, right? But it was already getting on towards dark by the time I got to the mouth of the Gorge (Troutdale, right?), so I was a little nervous; I kept looking for places I could tuck in and hide for the night.
I passed by a pair of cyclists who were shopping and waved hello, wondering if I should have stopped to chat. But, of course, I was nervous about stopping somewhere, and didn’t feel like pestering them about it. Later, while checking out some falls, they passed me. I noticed that they were slower than I was (they were packed for a few days), so I decided to try to catch up, ride close to their brighter lights, and ask where to camp. We chatted for a while, and they showed me up the canyon a good ways further than I would have dared to go in the dark on my own, right to a state park with one of Oregon’s amazing hiker-biker stops. Portland is great for cyclists; I didn’t realize that Oregon as a whole is incredible. I rolled out my mat, kept warm enough to sleep with my blanket, and made my mattress and the grass my bed.
I would expect a couple of women cyclists to be wary of a man catching up and being all friendly on the road, but they were totally cool. I had to leave camp early in the morning to catch my flight, and I didn’t wake them, but I wish I could thank Oregon riders Sally and Delta for being my “trail angels” and helping my out on my first S24O.
Oh and Paul has a question for the hive mind… anyone have a good S24O recommendation for Boulder? I assume there are tons, and CGOAB would be a good resource, but I know I have a bunch of Coloradans and Colorado-adjacent types out there. Shoot a note and we’ll pass it along!

Aizlynn Johnston and Pedalshift Society Member Caleb Jenkinson’s summer bicycle tours of England and Scotland

I thought you might like to know our method of getting out. It is not too dissimilar to your own. We live in North Yorkshire just outside of Leeds so we ride to York (25 miles), catch the train up to Edinburgh, change trains to Aberdeen, get the  North Link Ferry to the Shetlands, spend 6 days in the Shetlands, get the ferry to the Orkneys, 3 days on Orkneys, ferry back to the mainland, train from Thurso down to Inverness, then Edinburgh, then York, then ride home. When you book train tickets you have to book spaces for your bikes (roll on service) and even then you have to get there early in case someone is there ahead of you. You can usually get on if you have booked the spot but some runs are first come first serve so it depends how pushy you are.

Rob calls in from South Korea!

Hey, Tim. My name is Rob. I’m calling out of South Korea. Currently. I’m doing the Korea cross country cycling road tore it consist of about 4 different major Rivers ranging from about I don’t know. 400 kilometers is 600 kilometers an h. I just wanted to thank you for putting on such a great show really enjoyed listening to it, and I just wanted to give you a shout out from way over here pretty hot. It’s about 35 degrees Celsius is about 80% humidity and it’s about 9 a.m.. 10 a.m.. So I was going to get hotter hope you have a good summer of rides and keep up the good work on the podcast. Thank you. Bye.

Mark Lendzion calls in about touring ICELAND!

Hey, Tim. This is Mark. Said in my review that I would call the number so I’m calling now. I’m leaving a voicemail about my trip to Iceland so I it’s sorry with three of us still in Iceland and actually service for of it’s all going nicely not stop by to do a month long tour of there, and then one of them dropped out like 2 months before scheduled departure no big deal and then. We the three of us with Iceland and we sent a few days together and the two other people decide that point not to want to cycle as much as well. I guess they were playing and it’s likely this much as I was playing on site where they wanted to do more. Bus transit and stuff like that, so everyone comma went their separate ways I said so anyways I ended up pretty much taurine Iceland my cell for the for the whole month except for the 3 days, but it was amazing. I mean it was a blast. I had a sap like it. So I was able to there’s no roads. Are you know route that was off limits? So it was it was really awesome in that aspect be able to go everywhere and have everything on what I need 18 it was more of a like a fight packing set up which I really I’m happy. I had that rather than the traditional can hear stuff because of the the wind the wind was insane it was the most windows ever been in my life and It that that’s the one thing. I will always remember about Iceland is it’s wendy and the weather is great. Never gets dark camping is expensive food is expensive everything expensive, so unless you’re independently wealthy I would not. Truly recommend it for anybody, but I would at the same time because it forces you really tighten up your blood jason figure out different ways to make it all work do more wild camping and not you so many resources. It’s taken off the deep fat a little bit, but just Iii awesome. Definitely got more to lose on my mind. I don’t know if my wife will let me do all or my job, but hopefully. The let me do at least a couple weeks in the future alone now the group because that diana. I just did not really work out that well this time. Did you would be the feature? It would be you know I got a little homesick when I was out there. So would be nice to do it with a with a group.
And there are still more to share!
So call in… write in… I really would love to share more of your stories from  summer bicycle tours on top of the ones I have. More connections are rolling in and I have some super cool ones to share in a future pod! Thanks!

Pedalshift Society

Help support the show and join the Pedalshift Society with monthly or one-shot contributions!
Ethan Georgi
Kimberly Wilson
Caleb Jenkinson
Cameron Lien
Andrew MacGregor
Michael Hart
Josiah Matthews
Keith Nagel
Brock Dittus
Thomas Skadow
Seth Krieger
Marco Lo
Terrance Manson
Noah Schroer
Harry Telgadas
John Sikorski
Richard Killian
Chris Barron
Scott Taylor
Brian Hren
Mark Van Raam
Brad Hipwell
Paul Mulvey
Stuart Buchan
Todd Stutz
Mr. T
Roxy Arning
Nathan Poulton
Harry Hugel
Ferguson Meek
Stephen Dickerson
Vince LoGreco
Ruth DeVorsey
Michelle Miller
Matthew Lewis
Michael Baker
Billy Crafton
Paul Culbertson
Scott Culbertson
Matt Perry
Danielle Jepson
Cody Floerchinger

And all anonymous and past contributors for helping make this show happen!

Music

You’ve been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for many fine episodes. I got news for ya. New. Sunfields. Album. SEPTEMBER 15th. I’ve heard it. It’s top notch.

Check Jason and Sunfields on tour too:

09/02 Groningen, NL – Vera
09/08 London, UK – Biddle Bros
09/16 Montreal, QC – O Patro Vys (Pop Montreal)
10/20 Sherbrooke, QC – La Petite Boit Noire

eastern express route

The Pedalshift Project 079: The new Eastern Express Route alternative to the Trans Am

Planning for a June tour… someplace… I stumbled upon a brand new tour option: the Eastern Express Route is an alternative eastern spur for the Trans Am route, starting in DC. It includes the C&O, the GAP and Katy trails and we chat with the person who did the heavy lifting (and cue sheet creation!) for this amazing new option.

The Pedalshift Project 079: The new Eastern Express Route alternative to the Trans AmHey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 079: The Eastern Express – a new Trans Am bike touring alternative route (mp3)

Subscribe to The Pedalshift Project:
RSS – iTunes – Overcast – Android

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.

Followup

Hey, the C&O Guide has *lots* more in it now!
  • Segmented into about 10 mile chunks
  • Adding descriptions over the rest of the spring
  • Embedded maps
  • Embedded campsite video reviews
  • More to come!

The Journal

  • West coast touring options for June?
  • Vancouver Island
  • Multimodal Oregon/Washington tour
  • Brompton or no?
  • Eastern Express as another option? C&O->GAP-> and beyond. Hooks up with the Katy eventually. Hmmm…
Reached out to the originator to get him on the show!

The Interview: The Eastern Express Route with Frank Mortiz

Frank Moritz, originator of the Eastern Express RouteFrank Moritz, is a veteran Adventure Cycling tour leader, instructor and board member, and completed the initial research to create an “eastern express route” addition to the legendary TransAmerica bike route. This new route provides a welcome option for TransAm cyclists to bypass the severe mountain climbs and nasty dogs that confront cyclists in southwestern Virginia, eastern Kentucky, and southern Missouri on the eastern half of the existing route. It also replaces three major high-altitude climbs in Colorado with one gradual and scenic climb to the Continental Divide. Amazingly, almost 600 of the 2,100+ miles of this route are on dedicated bike/pedestrian paths, towpaths, or rail-trails.

Questions

  • Your background in bike touring, including your work with ACA
  • Your thoughts on the Trans Am route as it currently is routed in the east
  • It’s one thing to develop an alternate route, but quite another to do ALL of the great work with cue sheets etc. for the Eastern Express… what motivated this?
  • What is the plan for the route – it feels like this is a “public beta” and you’ll be doing some refinements after comments this year.
  • What can Pedalshift listeners do to help with this process?
  • Any other recommendations that might be different from “the usual” routes out there in the US?
You can learn more about Frank and the Eastern Express Route at easternexpressroute.com.

Connections

Where are you listening?
I hope you are well! I listened to a podcast where you where curious about from which countries your listeners are from. Well, I’m from Sweden (Stockholm) and I really enjoy listening to you. Keep up the good work!  – Paula in Stockholm
Data!
Perhaps not too surprising… most of you are in the United States. All 50 states listen (even Wyoming – someone has to be last, but you’re beautiful and windy Cowboy State listeners!) and the top states are:
  • Oregon (wonder why?)
  • California
  • New York (Empire State!)
  • Illinois (biggest surprise?)
  • Texas (everything’s bigger)
International
  • UK (about 25% the US DLs)
  • Canada (about 7% – c’mon Canada!)
  • Australia (4%)
  • Sweden (1.4%)
  • Ireland (my people! 1.3%)
  • New Zealand
  • Germany
  • China
  • Netherlands
  • Japan
Also hear from members of the US military who listened while stationed in Afghanistan and elsewhere… hey, if this dopey little show about riding bikes helped pass the time while you were serving, trust me when I say it is literally the least I can do.
Thank you all for listening! If you’re listening from exotic spot (well and exotic spot for me) drop a line or leave a note in the comments! Bonus points for calling the Pedalshift voicemail!!

Pedalshift Society

Ethan Georgi
Kimberly Wilson
Caleb Jenkinson
Cameron Lien
Andrew MacGregor
Michael Hart
Josiah Matthews
Keith Nagel
Brock Dittus
Thomas Skadow
Seth Krieger
Marco Lo
Terrance Manson
Noah Schroer
Harry Telgadas
John Sikorski
Richard Killian
Chris Barron
Scott Taylor
Brian Hren
Mark Van Raam
Brad Hipwell
Paul Mulvey
Stuart Buchan
Todd Stutz
Mr. T
Roxy Arning
Nathan Poulton
Dereck Waggoner
Harry Hugel
And all anonymous and past contributors for helping make this show happen!

Music

You’ve been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for 79 fine episodes. I got news for ya. New. Sunfields. Album. This August.

The Pedalshift Project 078: More Bicycle Touring Music with Anna, Brock and Aaron from The Sprocket Podcast

Part two of a crossover episode celebrating the 350th Sprocket Podcast, we revisit the popular bicycle touring music playlist in all new categories. Maybe a few songs for your next tour!

The Pedalshift Project 078: More Bicycle Touring MusicHey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 078: More Bicycle Touring Music (mp3)

Subscribe to The Pedalshift Project:
RSS – iTunes – Overcast – Android

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.

Bicycle Touring Music II: Electric Boogaloo

The playlist courtesy of all the totally legal uploads on YouTube:

First song to play in camp after a long day in the saddle

Tim – FC Kahuna, Hayling (low energy) Stars, The Night Starts Here (high energy )
Brock – Mute Math – Blood Pressure or Black Keys – Lonely Boy
Anna – Solange – Junie
Aaron – Sonic Youth – Teenage Riot and Blitkrieg Bop by The Ramones

Most embarrassing song I like to play on tour… so embarrassing I may not put it on speakers, just earbuds

Tim – Sugar Ray, Falls Apart. (I’ll be leaving now.)
Brock – Shakira – Empire
Aaron – Montell Jordan this is how we do it
Anna – Justin Bieber – Sorry

Wildcard: pick a category, name the song for said category

Song I most like to sing at the top of my lungs when no one is around – Tony Lucca, Devil Town (FNL soundtrack). Runner up: Johnny Cash, Ring of Fire.
First song for the night in the sleeping bag – Feist – Cicadas and Gulls
Worst song to be kept up at night by car campers across the way – Skynnard (anything); Three Dog Night (anything)
Prep for something you hate – Eastern Youth, The World Shatters and Resonates in my Ears
Zimpala – New Home
Chumbawumba – anything
Niki Minaj – Itty Bitty Piggy
Kelis- Bossy
Dirks Bentley – drunk on a plane
Tv on the Radio – Wolf Like Me

Belle Starr and Tim
Brock
Anna
Aaron

Bonus! Tim’s Sonic Youth story…

Direct download: Pedalshift Project 078B – Tim’s Sonic Youth Story

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. Five bucks, two bucks or even 1 helps with the costs of hosting the podcast and the website, and you can do it for a bit and cancel anytime. One-shot support is welcome if you’re not into the small monthly thing. Check it out and join at pedalshift.net/society. And society members please go to pedalshift.net/stickers and let me know where to send some Pedalshift stickers to you! On to the Society!

Ethan Georgi
Kimberly Wilson
Caleb Jenkinson
Cameron Lien
Andrew MacGregor
Michael Hart
Josiah Matthews
Keith Nagel
Brock Dittus
Thomas Skadow
Seth Krieger
Marco Lo
Terrance Manson
Noah Schroer
Harry Telgadas
John Sikorski
Richard Killian
Chris Barron
Scott Taylor
Brian Hren
Mark Van Raam
Brad Hipwell
Paul Mulvey
Stuart Buchan
Todd Stutz
Mr. T
Roxy Arning
Nathan Poulton
And all anonymous and past contributors for helping make this show happen!

Music

You’ve been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for 78 fine episodes. I got news for ya. New. Sunfields. Album. This August.

Pedalshift 074 fast forward your bike tour

The Pedalshift Project 074: Fast forward your bike tour

On this topic show, we tackle one of my favorites… how to fast forward your bike tour. It’s your ride… make it the best you can by bypassing parts you don’t want, catching up on a schedule or accommodating an extra day in a cool spot!

Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 074: Fast forward your bike tourThe Pedalshift Project 074: Fast forward your bike tour (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 pedalshiftproject@gmail.com or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109.

Fast forward your bike tour!

Fast forwards – it’s not cheating, it’s your tour
WHY? Why the hell not?
  • Avoiding weather
  • Avoiding climbs
  • Avoiding dodgy roads
  • Making up for zero mile days or staying on track during one
  • Skipping boring stretches to get to better ones
What works for fast forwarding?
  • Mass transit agencies
  • Regional rail
  • Amtrak
  • Intercity busses
  • Hitching
How?
  • Plan ahead – download all the schedules and store on your phone or (gasp!) print them out. Many transit agencies still print their maps and schedules and either post them at stops or you can pick them up in town.
  • Pro tip: know when some transit modes restrict bikes (hint: usually rush hour)
  • Ask around! You’ll learn a lot from transit pros in any given town.

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. Five bucks, two bucks or even 1 helps with the costs of hosting the podcast and the website, and you can do it for a bit and cancel anytime. One-shot support is welcome if you’re not into the small monthly thing. Check it out and join at pedalshift.net/society. And society members please go to pedalshift.net/stickers and let me know where to send some Pedalshift stickers to you! On to the Society!

Ethan Georgi
Matt Buker
Kimberly Wilson
Caleb Jenkinson
Cameron Lien
Andrew MacGregor
Michael Hart
Josiah Matthews
Keith Nagel
Brock Dittus
Thomas Skadow
Michael Riscica
Seth Krieger
Marco Lo
Terrance Manson
Noah Schroer
Harry Telgadas
John Sikorski
Richard Killian
Chris Barron
Scott Taylor
Brian Hren
Mark Van Raam
Brad Hipwell
Paul Mulvey
Stuart Buchan
Todd Stutz
Mr. T
Roxanna Arning
And all anonymous and past contributors for helping make this show happen!

Music

The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ latest release, Habitat, wherever cool music resides. And a little birdy tells me Jason’s recording some new music. More when I know…

The Pedalshift Project 071: Bicycle touring India and Eastern Oregon

An interview with Pedal Dream’s Guthrie Straw on his adventures bicycle touring India, plus his thoughts on adventures in his native Eastern Oregon and keeping your touring bike secure in the land of sunshine and bunnies™, Portland, Oregon.

The Pedalshift Project 071: Bicycle touring India and Eastern OregonHey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 071: Bicycle touring India and Eastern Oregon (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 pedalshiftproject@gmail.com or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109.

The Interview: Bicycle touring India with Guthrie Straw

Guthrie Straw is a native of Eastern Oregon and lives in Portland. He created Pedal Dream as a place to fuel your sense of adventure, gain insight into what it’s like to tour by bicycle, and garner solid advice in the form of equipment reviews. It inspires you to get back out on the road, or if you’re already out there, keep pedaling the world with a perspective made possible by one of his favorite forms of transportation; the bicycle.

The Pedalshift Project 071: Bicycle touring India and Eastern Oregon

You talked about your India trip a little bit on The Sprocket Podcast (which I encourage everyone to go listen to if you haven’t). What was your route and would you recommend it to someone looking at India as a bike touring destination?
What was your experience transporting your gear to India and back? Any issues?
What is your typical gear setup and did it deviate much for India?
You’re from eastern Oregon, which is one of the most beautiful places in the US… and probably the least understood since most people from outside the northwest think Portland takes up the whole state and is a coastal city (like, for real). How would you describe eastern Oregon to an outsider?
What’s your favorite bike tour in eastern Oregon?
You’re working on a bike theft documentary in Portland… bike theft is a thing almost everywhere but it’s seemingly extra pernicious in Portland. What have you discovered in the course of working on the film and do you have any advice for bike tourists rolling into Portland on their trips?
Where can we find you on the series of tubes?

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. Five bucks, two bucks or even 1 helps with the costs of hosting the podcast and the website, and you can do it for a bit and cancel anytime. One-shot support is welcome if you’re not into the small monthly thing. Check it out and join at pedalshift.net/society. And society members please go to pedalshift.net/stickers and let me know where to send some Pedalshift stickers to you! On to the Society!

Ethan Georgi
Matt Buker
Kimberly Wilson
Caleb Jenkinson
Cameron Lien
Andrew MacGregor
Michael Hart
Josiah Matthews
Keith Nagel
Brock Dittus
Thomas Skadow
Michael Riscica
Seth Krieger
Marco Lo
Terrance Manson
Noah Schroer
Harry Telgadas
John Sikorski
Richard Killian
Chris Barron
Scott Taylor
Brian Hren
Mark Van Raam
Brad Hipwell
Paul Mulvey
Stuart Buchan
Todd Stutz
Mr. T
And all anonymous and past contributors for helping make this show happen!

Music

The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ latest release, Habitat, wherever cool music resides. And a little birdy tells me Jason’s recording some new music. More when I know…

The Pedalshift Project 066: Bike touring locks and America’s longest rail trails

Kicking off 2017 with a bang, we cover lightweight bike touring locks, the longest rail trails in the US and an overview of what’s to come on the show in 2017!

The Pedalshift Project 066: Bike touring locks and America's longest rail trailsHey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 066: Bike touring locks and America’s longest rail trails (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 pedalshiftproject@gmail.com or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109.

Happy New Year!

2017 is going to be a great year for Pedalshift… a few things:
– Last year we had more shows than ever. This year we’ll top that. My intention is to have the 2017 Holiday Spectacular be Pedalshift 100.
– That means we have to have 3 episodes per month, SO…
– The Pedalshift Project will continue as is with episodes every other week, and
– There will be a 3rd episode every month on one of the off weeks covering a single topic… sometimes gear, sometimes tips, but always something useful… whether you’re a beginner or more seasoned.
– I’m also going to try to expand into more interviews… last year I did more than the year before, and I hope to do the same this year.
– Pedalshift, like bike touring, is an escape from the rest of the world… what would you like to hear? Shoot me ideas and topics to pedalshift@pedalshift.net.
– Oh yeah, new logo too! Seems to be tradition around here to update the look every year… still orange. Because, of course.
What about 2017 touring?
– 2017 will continue 2016’s emphasis on shorter, more accessible tours.
– I hope to mix in a few new spots this year (more on that in a bit)
– A longer (more than 1 week long) ride is hopefully in the cards, but I don’t want to plan anything substantial this winter so I can spend my time more flexibly later as opportunities firm up
– I’m definitely going to integrate Pedalshift Tour Journals and maybe Pedalshift AM into the future rides… more to come when those get going later this year.
– I hope to interview more people who are tackling bigger, more adventurous rides so we can all learn from those too

Gear Talk

Did you get anything good this holiday season? If you got loaded up with gift cards or cash and want some ideas, go check out the holiday gift guide… I listed a lot of my favorites in case you’re in the market for some new gear.

Lightweight bike touring locks

I tend not to tour in spots that have high security needs, so the locks I use in DC don’t tend to come with me. Still, I like to have the peace of mind to lock up outside grocery stores and other spots when I’m leaving my bike outside.
Some people are good with just cable locks on tour… I used to be ok with them, but I think they’re SO easily defeatable with simple tools that I prefer something more secure.
No lock is foolproof… all can be defeated. The trick is to find the right risk management.
New folding lock styles are interesting. I really like my Inbike folding lock as a touring lock option. Only downside is TSA sees it as a multitool every time so you should pull it out of your carry on separately or risk the (often lengthy) wait. Better yet, check it.
I have a new lightweight cinch lock on the way I’m excited to test out (Ottolock) – I hopped on their Kickstarter so hopefully should have it soon. May be a great touring option.

The Journal

Here are the longest rail-trail conversions in the US, as calculated by Rails to Trails Conservancy:
1. Katy Trail State Park — Missouri: 286 miles
2. John Wayne Pioneer Trail — Washington: 253 miles
3. Cowboy Trail — Nebraska: 195 miles
4. Great Allegheny Passage — Maryland & Pennsylvania: 150 miles
5. Soo Line Trail – Northern Route — Minnesota: 148 miles
6. Columbia Plateau Trail State Park — Washington: 130 miles
7. Paul Bunyan State Trail — Minnesota: 121 miles
8. Flint Hills Nature Trail — Kansas: 117 miles
9. Soo Line Trail – Southern Route & Saunders State Trail — Minnesota & Wisconsin: 114 miles
10. OC&E Woods Line State Trail — Oregon: 110 miles
11. George S. Mickelson Trail — South Dakota: 109 miles
12. Blue Ox Trail (Voyageur Trail) — Minnesota: 107 miles
13. State Line Trail — Michigan: 107 miles
14. Wild Rivers State Trail — Wisconsin: 104 mile

Music

The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ latest release, Habitat, wherever cool music resides. And a little birdy tells me Jason’s recording some new music. More when I know…

FEATURED IMAGE,ONE-SEVENTY-NINE/THREE-SIXTY-FIVE (CC) LAURA BITTNER

The Pedalshift Project 065: The Pedalshift Holiday Spectacular 2016

It’s the end of the year and that means it’s time for the Pedalshift Holiday Spectacular! Join Shifty the Elf and Tim for a showcase of the best of Pedalshift in 2016!

The Pedalshift Project Holiday Spectacular 2016Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 065: The Pedalshift Holiday Spectacular 2016
(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 pedalshiftproject@gmail.com or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109.

The Pedalshift Holiday Spectacular 2016

The Pedalshift Project 065: The Pedalshift Holiday Spectacular 2016

Music

The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ latest release, Habitat, wherever cool music resides. And a little birdy tells me Jason’s recording some new music. More when I know…

FEATURED IMAGE,ONE-SEVENTY-NINE/THREE-SIXTY-FIVE (CC) LAURA BITTNER