“BICYCLE TOURING HAS much in common with backpacking, kayaking, canoeing, ski touring and mountaineering. All are forms of self-propelled travel and bring the participant into close contact with the natural world, in both its gentle and harsh moods.” “Bike Touring” by Raymond Bridge
To me, bicycle touring is much simpler than the above because you are almost always on a paved roadway that sprouts all forms of support. Food and water are around nearly every turn. Today, much of the adventure is “tuned down” by cell phones, GPS and the high quality of the gear. But it calls to me for its simplicity, closeness to nature, slow pace and the easy way with which one meets strangers and makes new friends. One of the reasons I like to tour alone is that if I want someone to talk to, I have to talk to a stranger. Make a new acquaintance. (by Earl, proprietor of Acme Bicycles in Punta Gorda, FL)
For bicycle touring guidebooks to adventures in and around New York State, visit Cyclotour Guide Books.
