Derek’s back in the states and has started sorting through all his footage from his recent tour. In his first video update, you’ll get a look at what he saw in Istanbul as well as a quick interview with a local he’d met. If you haven’t been following along, read up on his journey at Horizons Oblivious and be sure to watch his second video on Cappadocia.
-B
If you’ve been following along for the last month or so, you’ll remember our good friend Derek’s been touring through Rwanda on his Trucker Deluxe. Unfortunately, his trip was cut short after he broke his femur (read how here), but he’s remained positive and already looking towards his next journey. We’ll probably try to get a little New England tour together towards the end of the summer, care to join? Check out this short that Derek put together from a few days of riding and be sure to read his stories at Horizons Oblivious.
-B
Our buddy Derek’s been truckin’ along through Rwanda on the tour of a lifetime. If you missed our earlier updates on his journey, he’s already made it through a number of countries and even spent some time volunteering at a community bike shop in Kenya on Mfangano Island. His last update is full of photos and stories from his recent journey from Kigali to Kivu. I can’t really do justice to his words, so you’ll have to head over to his travel blog Horizons Oblivious and read about his experiences so far. I need to get out and do some touring this year!
Above you’ll see Derek’s fully loaded Trucker Deluxe and a shot of him giving a little guitar lesson in Gitarama. Don’t skip on his site though if you’re looking for a good read. His stories are rich with detail and will make you want to get out and explore the globe via bicycle.
-B
The last time I posted about Derek earlier this month, he was packing his Long Haul Trucker, getting ready for a tour of a lifetime. So far, he’s made it through Istanbul, Turkey, Iraq, Kurdistan and is currently in Kisumu, Kenya on Mfangano Island where he’s volunteering at the Ekialo Kiona Community Bike Shop. After that, he plans on exploring Rwanda by bicycle for a while before returning to Boston. Keep up with him and his captivating stories and photos at Horizons Oblivious (head’s up, you might get sucked in for a few hours).
Posted above is his personal hut on Mfangano overlooking Lake Victoria and the Kenyan mainland. Best of luck on the rest of your journey buddy, can’t wait to ride again when you’re back in the states!
-B
My good friend, former co-worker and riding buddy Derek just set off for a 3 month tour where he’ll be traveling via his Long Haul Trucker Deluxe through Istanbul, Kenya, and Uganda. He’s planning to volunteer at the Ekialo Kiona Community Bike Shop on Mfangano Island for a month before getting back on his bike to travel through Rwanda.
This video of him packing his Trucker Deluxe was made the same day I frame-saver’d my Necro Pug, so Derek’s been on the road for a week or so. Follow his journey here Horizons Oblivious.
-B
I’d first like to wish my good friend Dan a quick recovery from a pretty serious accident he was in last week. Dan was riding home from the Catamount Family Center when an SUV took a left right into him. If you know Dan, you know he’s one of the most responsible and well-prepared, year-round bicycle commuters you’ll come across. So when I got a call from him at the hospital, I knew something serious had happened. Even with the brightest dynamo-powered headlamp and defensive riding, this is proof that we all need to keep our eyes and ears open for the unexpected. The good news is that he’s on track to make a full recovery and should be back on his bike in due time.
A few weeks ago, Dan and my friend Derek took a journey out to the White Mountains in New Hampshire for some camping, class four roads and what looks like a serious adventure. Derek wrote a great piece on the trip over at the Old Spokes blog, so you’ll have to head over there for the full scoop and a ton of awesome photos.
-B
I really hope everyone had the chance to spend some time in the saddle this weekend. The weather in Vermont was absolutely perfect, making for a perfect weekend to get out of town and do some camping. Saturday morning I loaded up the Soma Saga with a couple panniers and with my Slumberjack tent and Hunt and I headed south. We were on a mission get to Mayfest, an annual outdoor party about 30 miles south of Burlington and wanted to get there early for beer and hot dogs.
We left Burlington around noon, which put us in for some heat and high sun. I wore my new Search and State jersey and kept surprisingly cool, especially it being all black, though I did apply sunscreen for the first time in a while – so that definitely played a part. I highly recommend wearing some if you don’t already, especially if you get late starts like us. The ride was just shy of 27 miles, mostly dirt and had a fair amount of climbing for the distance (about 2050 feet) making me really feel the extra weight I was carrying – but in a good way. I’m really happy with how the Saga handles (pictured below). This was my first time running some real weight and the 26″ wheels felt incredibly stable, even at high speeds and on dirt/gravel descents. I just need to remember not to take turns too sharp, I nearly laid my one pannier out hanging a hard right.
After getting back on to some pavement, we made a quick stop for some snacks and a cola and then rolled back onto dirt for the last 7 miles. Upon arriving, I downed a quick beer and dog and started scoping potential grounds in the tent city. The tent went up quickly, and before I knew it the kegs were tapped, music was going, there was some heavy barbecuing, a large pallet fire, and eventually some live music. Didn’t snap any party photos, I never trust myself with nice things (cameras) in these situations. Check out a few photos I did manage to grab below. Hope everyone had a great weekend, any tales of good weekend riding?
-B
photos: Russ Roca
Wow. My jaw dropped when I saw this first photo – it really did. I recently ordered a book on bicycle touring in New Zealand and am casually throwing the idea around for a trip sometime within the next year and a half. These two photos from Russ Roca convinced me – time to start planning.
-B
1,000 and Counting from America ByCycle on Vimeo.
I can’t wait to begin planning my spring tour. Originally I wanted to do something in October but thing’s got super busy unexpectedly! Don’t miss this fun video from America ByCycle! Anyone else planning a tour soon?
-B
Some of our good friends have been spending the past few months touring around South America, taking in the scenery and having a damn good time. I’ve been keeping up with the crew through their blog Bicicleta Abajo and I’d love to get into some sort of adventure like this in the near future. Thanks for taking some amazing photos guys!
Read the latest news about their excursion here.
What an awesome concept and creation! This couple has created a solar bike that allows for two riders plus a dog and some cargo.
-B
So our friends are currently touring South America and plan to ride as far south as the land can take them, and then all the way back up to Vermont. They made it to Santiago so be sure to follow their blog Bicicleta Abajo and keep up with their happenings. Check out the Monster Mash shirt Dan has on!