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- A bike route to the Arctic Ocean.
Welcome to the Bike Bulletin. It’ll make you feel like Christmas isn’t over and you still have time left for all your goals in 2023.
As always, reply directly to this email with your thoughts. I read every reply.
This is a weekly newsletter about bike adventures, cycling infrastructure, and people who love two-wheeled transit. I share new episodes every week, gearing you up for the week ahead.
Here’s what we have today.
How to train for a bike tour.
Remote riding to the top of Alaska.
A bike tour ski tour documentary.
Some quick hits.
ROUTE ON MY RADAR
The Dalton Highway
Here’s what you’d be getting into.
539 miles.
Unpredictable weather.
Long stretches with no support.
80% unpaved.
Guide and more info - pedalpowertouring.com
This route is challenging. You have steep gradients. Rough gravel roads. And one gas station/restaurant every 100 miles. That draws me in. You start in Fairbanks, AK, and make your way north until you hit the Arctic Ocean. It’s a tough drive and a tougher bike. Thorough planning is required. In the Pedal Power Touring article, they recommend mailing support packages to post offices along the route. Because the destination is so remote, the packages can take over 1 month to arrive.
You’ll be rewarded for the struggles. Pure remote Alaskan wilderness. More wildlife that I can get in Boston. Epic scenery. Kind people. Despite the terror-inducing reports about this route, it’s high up on my list of rides.
BIKE TRIP TIP
Training for a Big Tour
There are a few approaches to training.
Little to no training. Send it.
Moderate training.
Intense training.
Each has its merits. Each has its drawbacks. In any case, you get fit while you’re touring. Just sleeping and eating is enough for the body to recover. Most people I meet agree that they feel fit and stable by the end of their tour regardless of the fitness they started with. These three training options determine how the first two weeks will go. After that, who knows?
Yes, you can ride across the whole U.S. with no training and no bike touring experience. I have met several people who had never bikepacked a day in their life before riding coast to coast. Let’s start with the pros.
No time is required before the trip.
You build fitness on the fly.
It’s a crazy flex.
Your body can do it. Just beware that your butt will hurt a lot, and it will be mentally brutal. 50 miles a day over 10+ hours is nothing. Ride 1 hour. Break 1 hour. A bigger issue will be getting used to your gear. How do you know it works like you expect? How do you know what to eat? These are large cons.
It will be painful.
Susceptible to gear issues.
Bad routing and riding can be dangerous.
A better approach is moderate training. Do a few weekend trips to get a feel for life on the road. Everything always takes longer than I expect, so be prepared for that. From those trips, you can guess daily mileage.
Beyond a couple of weekend trips, I recommend riding for 10 easy hours per week in the 1 to 2 months before the trip. This will help your body get used to the bike. You can adjust the fit. Figure out what to eat and drink. And get comfortable on the road.
The final option is intense training. Only do this if you want to put away tons of miles every day. Most bike tourists are not racing through their ride, so this would be overkill. To feel your fittest without actually touring, you would be riding a weighted bike 15 hours/week for 1 to 2 months before the trip.
WHAT I’M WATCHING
Ride to Ski - Bikepacking and Skiing Adventure Through the Dolomites
Three adventurers take a 9-day tour through the mountains of Italy. This documentary felt like I was along with them. They mixed cycling with ski touring, going up and down some of the coolest mountains in the world. I kept catching myself thinking, “I should do that.” The women were mixed in experience, preferring skiing or cycling, but they stuck together and showcased camaraderie and friendship.
Watch on YouTube.
Stats for the Nerds
Permitted not Intended. Illinois Supreme Court said the cities are not liable for cycling injuries (due to issues like potholes) in areas where bikes are allowed but not intended. (Capital News Illinois)
310 km. The distance from Kisii to Nairobi that a Kenyan cyclist road in 16 hours. (kenyans.co.ke)
99%. The percentage of MTA stations in New York City that have a bike rack nearby. (news12 the Bronx)
Banff, CA. A city committed to helping its residents winterize their bikes, and keep rolling all winter. (Rocky Mountain Outlook)
2040. The year that one study claims Dubai will become the top cycling city in the world. (archdaily.com)
A Note From Sam
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