Originally podcast December 22, 2014. In the summer of 2014, I took 6 weeks to ride the Pacific coast from Victoria, BC to the US-Mexico border. I recorded a 2-5 minute audio entry every day for the Tour Journals podcast to share the more detailed aspects of the ride, but always intended to edit and condense it into a more manageable length to share my Pacific Coast bike tour here.
We kick off the year with a question people ask me before every trip – are you riding your bike to the airport? On this episode… tips on how to do it! Plus – a major tour announcement, a gaggle of Pedalshift winter meetups and the next live show announcement! Read more
The Great Allegheny Passage is arguably one of the premier bicycle touring routes in the eastern half of the United States. It stretches from Pittsburgh, PA to Cumberland, MD over a gloriously mountainy 150 miles of crushed limestone paralleling some of the great rivers of western Pennsylvania. My plan was to grab a cheap bus to Pittsburgh and grab the train home at the end of my ride. On this edition of the Journal, my takeaways from a short but sneakily fun tour.
The Great Allegheny Passage is arguably one of the premier bicycle touring routes in the eastern half of the United States. It stretches from Pittsburgh, PA to Cumberland, MD over a gloriously mountainy 150 miles of crushed limestone paralleling some of the great rivers of western Pennsylvania. My plan was to grab a cheap bus to Pittsburgh and grab the train home at the end of my ride. On this edition of the Journal we follow along on Days 1 and (sort of) 2 on my ride through western Pennsylvania. Sometimes weather wins the day…
The Great Allegheny Passage is arguably one of the premier bicycle touring routes in the eastern half of the United States. It stretches from Pittsburgh, PA to Cumberland, MD over a gloriously mountainy 150 miles of crushed limestone paralleling some of the great rivers of western Pennsylvania. My plan was to grab a cheap bus to Pittsburgh and grab the train home at the end of my ride. On this edition of the Journal we follow along on Days 0 and 1 of the adventure as I ride the bus from DC to Pittsburgh, and get rolling through the industrial parts of western Pennsylvania.
Previewing the GAP bicycle tour with the little clown bike itself, my orange Brompton! What’s in store for this tour… here is how it all started. More next week with how it went!
Recorded live from Hedgesville, WV, this episode of the Pedalshift Project includes my fall tour reveal and gear tips for your fall bicycle touring. Plus banter with you… because this was live!
Ella Embree is a born and bred Alaskan with a big sense of adventure. Recently Ella was inspired by Lael Wilcox to tackle a new adventure – bicycle touring 1000 miles around her home state, some on a tandem. On this episode we chat on the eve of the first leg!
The final installment of this edition of the Pedalshift Beginners Series with James Rosenberg as he sits with me in Washington, DC a few days before he begins his ride across the United States on the TransAm. We cover final prep plans, things you might not think about as a first-timer and more!
Friend of the show and Pedalshift Society member Mark van Raam checked one off the bucket list this year… a cross country ride on the southern tier bicycle tour route across the US. From deserts, to mountains, to encounters in the deep south, this was a trip of a lifetime! On this episode of the pod, we chat with Mark and get his thoughts on the adventure, what it was like being in an organized tour, and what might be next.
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.
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 Journal: A Southern Tier bicycle tour with Mark van Raam
What was the drive behind biking across country? Did you choose the southern tier for a specific reason?
You rode with a unique sounding tour leader… how did you get acquainted with Bubba?
Your buddy Robb came along too. How important was it to have someone you knew ride with you from the start?
You’re a fellow Novara Safari rider (let’s pour one out for this discontinued beauty!). How did it perform and would you recommend it for an organized tour where you ride less loaded than self-supported or would you have rather ridden a lighter bike?
With nearly three weeks in one state… did Texas ever feel like it was going to end? I hear it’s big.
You met some interesting people on the trip… astronauts, friends of Ray Charles… who was the one that stood out to you and why?
What was the most challenging time on tour?
We love each and every state in this fine country. But you had to have had a favorite one and one that wasn’t your favorite on this route… tell us each one and why.
How long did it take to readjust to coming home afterwards?
You’ve mentioned this is a one and done thing. What smaller routes are catching your eye for next tour?
Hi from Australia! Thanks heaps for your podcast, it’s my listening staple on my commute to and from work each week. Thought I’d share a video of my 9yo daughter’s first overnight bicycle trip here in Australia. She’s also a big fan of The Pedalshift Project – we listened to 7 hours worth of episodes last weekend on our road trip to and from the start point of our ride! 🚴♂️🚴♀️👍
More connections are rolling in and I have some super cool ones to share in a future pod!
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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.