38 — Sunday, October 4, 1998 — North Shcre News Cyc Brady Fotheringham Contributing Writer BICYCLE touring can mean setting off on a once-in-a-lifetime adven- ture, with pannier racks piled high or it can mean embarking on a weekend trip with noth- ing more than a Visa card. Touring can tke you through the Karakoram moun- tains and deserts of China as I did, or the vineyards of Napa Valley and the Provence in France. Bicycling, exposes you to nature’s conditions; it stimu- lates and relaxes you; it teaches you to navigate by the stars; it utilizes your senses attaining them to new sounds and smells. Exhilarating landscapes and crimson sunsets will enthrall you as easily as they exhaust you. I’ve provided tips for all enthusiasts, whether cycling the Gulf Islands on a day mp, the cobblestone back- roads of Europe, an ancient Inca civilization, or travelling the world on a year-long jour- ney. If you’re travelling with a professionally organized tour group or going solo to the iddle of nowhere on a self- contained odyssey, the solitude of a bike allows one to see the world at your own pace, unfet- tered with rigid schedules and tour buses. M Dedicated touring bikes A good touring bike designed for long-distance trav- elling and heavy Icads, needs to provide a stable ride, handling and comfort. Frames built from aluminum with large-diametre fields of tubing help side-to-side sway induged bw heavy panniers tsaddlebags). Langer chain stays centre the weight over the rear Wheel more effectively and relaxed geometry Gan upright tiding position), provides for more predictable and respon- sive handling. Al these charac- teristics should be kept in: mind when purchasing touring-spe- cific bikes. Marinoni, Trek and Cannondale make excellent touring bike models. On the North Shore vou can contact your nearest ‘Trek and Marinoni dealer at the Bike Cellar (985-2213) and Cannondale dealer. at Ambleside Cycles (926-6242). @ Mountain Bikes Cheek for mounting basses (braze-ons) on your frame to attach carrying racks for pan- niers. Chromoly steel? is the most suitable frame material because of its resilience. Additionally, a steel frame can be fixed in any backwater Third World village by a local welder. The larger tubing and fatter dres make a mountain bike more ideal for certain offroad routes, whereas a tour- ing-specific bike might be bet- ter suited for the flatter paved roads of Europe or a trans- Canada trip. In the Adas Mountains of Morocco and the Karakorams of Pakistan, I used mountain bike frames with and without front’ suspension. Travelling with rear panniers, I distributed the weight by adding a handle- bar bag and front rack. @ Supplies: Take the following on the type of trip planned. Saddle: discard your racing seat for one with padding that sup- ports your pelvis better (some A TRAGITION OF EXCELLENCE? Evrope north shore news ing essentials preter gel seats), Ask oa shop tor proper help with fang. Gearing: 24-speed with ull gear (EE 281 772-301), Pedais/Shoes: tocclips and straps with low-profile hiking shoes — if you can pack an extra pair of shoes, use clipless pedals and: shoes for optinzal power efficiency, ‘Tires: Offroad slicks (a) cross beteeen commuting and mountain treads) -— popular brands (Michelin, Wildgripper and Bontrager Revolt) Clothing: lavers, layers, layers - I love Paragonia’s Capilene long underwear which are light, functional and comtort- able. Clothing needs to prevent overheating while wicking away perspiration. Sugoi and Activa make great raingear and tights. Lyera shorts (8-panel with chamois), long fingered gloves (leather palm) and headband, are definite needs tor self-con- tained trips. Tools: take the following — a tire patch kit, Schrader tubes (universal valve | standard), Presta/Schrader valve adapter and pump (Blackburn), multi- tool {Alien too} is my favourite), chainlube (Pedros), chain tool and extra chain link, spokes, spoke wrench and free- wheel remover, zip ties, electri- cal tape, brake and gear cables, cyclometer batteries, extra nuts and bolts and hose clamps, sewing | kit. it GUTZ makes a variety of kits geared to your specific needs (located on Pemberton Avenue in North Vancouver), Also necessary are matches, Deet insect repellant, ibuprofen for knee intlamma- tion, and polysporin. Add hypodermic needles if travelling in Africa or Asia in case you end up in a hospital. Camera: lead-cased bag to pro- NEWS photo Cindy Goodman BICYCLING is the best way to get around Amsterdam. Most residents go for the basic Schwinn models as they wind their way through the streets and canals. tect film against X-ray machines, extra lithium batter- ies (SLR cameras). Camping Equipment: water- proof tent or bivouac bag, ground sheet (if going with 2 or more people), sleeping bag (down packs up very small), Therm-a-rest_ type mattress, stove (MSR Whisperlite one cf the best on the market and uti- lizes variety of fuels including cheap low-grade gasoline usu- ally found in Third Word coun- tries), flashlight, pots and pans. Note: I bought everything I needed for two overseas sclf- contained trips from two North Shore stores with very knowl- edgeable staff which helps in stretching your dollar. For bikes and biking supplies (Bike Cellar) and for camping sup- plies (Coast Mountain Sports). Travel advice supplied by Infinity Travel in Edgemont Village. @ Touring organizations Info ~ Backroads 510-527- 1555 www.backroads.com - Butterfield & Robinson 1- 800-678-1147 www.butter- ficld.com (Europe) - Canadian Bicycle Tours 1- 800-668-BIKE Canadiantrails@msn.com - Exodus Travels (44) 081- 675-5550 (Europe, Morocco, Venezuela, India, Turkey) - Fresh Tracks 604-737-7880 www .reshtracks.com (Europe, USA, New Zealand, Vietnam, Morocco, Costa Rica, Chile, Bali) — Bike Treks International 1- 800-300-1565 (India, Turkey, Europe, Fiji, Vietnam, U.K, Ecuador) ~ Rocky Mm Bicycle Vacations 1-800-778-8586 www.rmby.com — Tread Ventures 403-286- 1095 (Indonesia) — Blue Marble 416-484-0119 (France, Germany, Spain , Portugal, Alps). Light Touring: Gulf Islands, SanJuan Islands day or week- Plus got 7% back tim Bay Advantage Dollare! end trips. Great for that first trip necessitating few supplies to take along. Info - Horizon Adventures 604-675-4976 (Okanagan, Kootenays) - B.C. Everything Outdoors Box 415 Brackendale, B.C. VON 1LHO - Gabriola Cycle & Kayak Tours 604-247-8277 ~ Rim Tours 1-800-626-7335 rimtours@aol.com (Colorado, Utah, Arizona) - Nichols Expeditions 1-800- 626-7335 nictrips@aol.com www.Nichols Expeditions.com (Utah) ~ Kaibab Mtn/Desert Tours 1-800-451-1133 www.net- pub.com/kaibab/ (Utah, Arizona). Dec. 22 to Jan. 05 12 NiGHTS cén $1800.00 ppvant Inciusive of: * Airfare to Rarotonga via Air New Zealand * Airport transfers/ traditional Lei greeting ' “12 nights accommoda- tion at the oceanfront Edgewater Resort “sland night Polynesian dinner show * Christmas dinner Xmas departure Dec. 15 to 29 also available. Longer siays available. Stopover in Honolulu available. Simply book your vacation between Sept. 12 and Nov. 15, 1998 and you qualify to enter. 299 KONA/KAUAI For | or 2 weeks Oct 12 - Dee 14 We Says. (Wednesdays) $349 $ For | week Nev 2 departure add $50 299 HONOLULU Air & Hotel $ Oct 12- Dec 14 For | week 499 MAUI] Air & Hotel & 2 DOCR CAR Oct 12- Dec 15. For } week 699 Kauai & Hawaii packages ulso avatiable ' BANADA 2202 GH Relichle WAffordable Air Travel Prices are in Canadian Dollars per person based on double occupancy and are subject to change without notice. See in-store for contest rules. 12-day cruises Sante 3 ) _ Cruising Europe is a special voyage, unlike any other. From May through November, 1999, choose a specially selected CAA exclusive sailing aboard the new ms Rotterdam or ms Maasdam, and see Europe from an entirely new perspective. Receive a 47% Discount on your choice of 8 Maasdam sailings or 49% Discount on select Rotterdam sailings. from $ 5 yy 3 5 s° BCAA MEMBER CDN. Per Person } * Price reflects May |, 1999 sailing of the ms Mausdam All perces include airfare teoea Vancouver fanless others ise specified) und port changes es BCAA Travel Park Royal North West Vancouver HONOLULU Oct 14 Dec 9 for 1 or 2 weeks (Wednesdays) *299 Personalized Travel Service to the North Shore for 17 yea: “Say TRAVEL Park Roya! North - 922-9683 or call toll-free 1-800-991-1919 Park & Tilford North Vancouver 990-1546 268-5650 B.C. Reg. No. 2910-5 B.C. Reg. No, 845-5 * Vakd on selected new bookings made between Sept 1 tc Oct. 31, 1995. Certain restrictions apply