|
You’re out for a Saturday morning ride on your favorite roads.
Sunshine warms dew-covered fields, sending plumes of mist into
the green hills. There’s no traffic and a hint of a tailwind. You
feel great, like you could ride forever. Too soon, it’s time to
turn and head home.
Next time, don’t.
A weekend cycling trip makes a perfect getaway for your family
and friends. Just think: a day of mellow riding through beautiful
scenery, followed by a sumptuous dinner and a good night’s rest
on a canopy bed at a romantic country inn. Then a giant
pancake-and-eggs breakfast and another day of two-wheeled
exploring. You might never go home.
Credit Card Touring
Welcome to the world of
credit-card bicycle touring, so named because you pack your
plastic and little else. It’s the no-hassle, travel-light cousin
of traditional bike touring, in which intrepid wanderers load
their bikes with 40 pounds of gear—tent, sleeping bag, stove,
tie-dyed T-shirts, lots of peanut butter—and head off to see the
world. That’s a wonderful way to travel if you have the time—and
can survive without basics like a mattress, shower and tiny
gold-wrapped mint on your pillow.
For busy people who crave a bit of adventure with their mint,
credit-card touring fits the bill. Instead of roaring past the
Scenic Wonders in a sheet-metal box and gawking from behind a
plate-glass windshield, a bike tourist becomes one with the
countryside. Going 10–15 mph, you move just fast enough to get
somewhere but slow enough to savor the journey—that
hole-in-the-wall bakery selling peach muffins, a hidden stream
made for dipping tired feet, the mom-and-pop museum complete with
stuffed mountain lion. Best of all, the locals talk to you.
You’re seen as an unthreatening curiosity, not a tourist. You get
a sneak peek into their lives and maybe even into their kitchens.
"A glass of homemade ice-cold lemonade? Well, if you insist..."
Non-Workout Workout
Touring also falls under that
wonderful category called the non-workout workout. It’s great
exercise, but you’re having so much fun that you don’t notice.
Somehow you can ride farther when traveling unexplored roads than
when circling the same old loops at home. And the promise of a
special dinner and classy accommodations at the end of the day
does more to get you over that last climb than thoughts of
reheated pork-and-beans back in your fridge. As you dig into your
inn’s chocolate-chip cheesecake that evening—in front of a fire
crackling beneath a fieldstone chimney—you can indulge
guilt-free, knowing that you got here under your own power.
Besides, you have to fuel up for the ride back tomorrow.
Some tips on planning a weekend cycling trip
Putting it Together
By Scott Martin
The simplest way is to select an attractive destination within a
day’s ride (say, 30–75 miles, depending on your fitness) and
leave from your front door. A local bike shop or club can be a
good source for information on bike-friendly roads. Make a
reservation—don’t get stuck without accommodations. Be sure your
destination has a secure place to store bikes and a restaurant
within walking or easy-riding distance.
An alternative is to drive to an inn or hotel and do day rides
from there, which allows you to explore farther afield.
Especially at popular destinations, hotels, and tourist boards
often have information on good places to ride.
Too busy to plan a tour? Bicycle-touring companies offer tons of
organized trips, though most are closer in length to a week (or
more) than a weekend. Traveling with an outfitter is less
flexible and may be more expensive than a do-it-yourself weekend
trip, but the company typically takes care of everything:
routes, accommodations, guides, meals, etc. All you have to do
|
