Touring - Great bike touring page link.

I enjoyed reading it beyong believe.
For those who didn't see it before, hope you have a great time!

This person rode from Florida to Alaska.

Pedaling to Nirvana: A North American Bicycle Journey (http://www.cyclingtrip.com/index.html)
http://images.animfactory.com/animations/nature/flowers/butterflies_flowers_md_wht.gif http://images.animfactory.com/animations/nature/flowers/tulips_pink_md_wht.gif

I can not understand. He cycled without fenders across America? :confused:

That surely shows those people who are against touring on a mountain bike!!!!

I am touring on the hybrid bike with 2.1 tires, but it has some fenders.

The wheels will throw mud during the rain without fenders, won't they?

Originally posted by gonesh9
That surely shows those people who are against touring on a mountain bike!!!!

I used to tour the midwest during the summers with my MTB when I was younger. I tried to mix both road and offroad routes. It was a lot of fun. I honestly can't say I would have gotten further with just a road-touring machine. I know I wouldn't have been able to use some portions of the routes (beautiful portions) I had planned if I hadn't had offroad capability however.

Originally posted by khuon
I know I wouldn't have been able to use some portions of the routes (beautiful portions) I had planned if I hadn't had offroad capability however.

I understand what you mean. Wide tires and strong frame is already something.

I looked at the photos on the website and saw that the man crossed the USA (and Canada!) on the bike without fenders.

What on Earth did not allow him to buy the fenders for the MTB for 15 currency units?

Maybe he knows some secret how to remain clean during the rain without fenders?

Or maybe the mud just does not bother him. Like he does not even notice it.

Originally posted by Max

Maybe he knows some secret how to remain clean during the rain without fenders?

Or maybe the mud just does not bother him. Like he does not even notice it.

Well, to be honest, I never bothered with mud-guards either. When I was touring, there was already enough stuff in the back rack to keep mud off my back. The overhang from my rack was pretty good at keeping the gunk off the luggage although guards probably would have helped. In the front, I probably could have used them but I guess I didn't care. Back when I was doing it, mud-guards for MTBs weren't that great or reliable anyhow.

This is one of the first journals I read and one of my favorites as well.As its one of the few through the Keys and central Fl. I read it before doing trips myself in those areas.Maybe I should have learned more from it as I ended up riding in the grass on the same 17mile stretch around Miami that he did.I also like it because his route is one I would like to do but based on his experience I might go a little west of Al/Ms before cutting up to Colorado etc.Here is the absolute first I read and I recall I liked this one as well and I had also read his AT journal which I also liked prior to this. http://www.wanderingtheworld.com/showme/index.htm

An impressive feat.

I began reading through Wade's journal entries with some level of interest but was more than a little annoyed by his constant references to the rude Florida drivers as "rednecks" who were apparently trying to run him off the road (if he would have researched his route a little better and followed better roads, he would have had many fewer problems).

After fourteen days of redneck references, he offers this commentary in response to his unwanted host's thoughts on black people:

"This was very disturbing to listen to since I do not agree with racism or hatred of any kind. I'm more of a pacifist and this place I'm at is the complete antithesis of who I really am."

What a jag-off...

I will have to defend Wade somewhat(though I agree he went a little over the top with the language) as I have encountered some of the same rudeness and intolerence towards cyclists in central Florida areas particularly rural and I found myself yelling and screaming back at drivers more than I would like to admit. You are right about the research though the areas around Belle Glade and Pahokee are as bad as you can get and best avoided or at least bypassed.Once he gets above Ms. or So. Ark. though he settles down with the language.