Originally Posted by JoeyBike

Well, not exactly answering your question but...

1. I have never found the time to read on a bike tour. There is so much to do besides riding the bike if you camp. If you hit the Motel, there will be a TV. I usually keep one magazine stashed in my panniers for emergency reading, but it is usually just dead weight.

2. One of the major reasons I hit the road for weeks or months at a time is to GET AWAY from all those connections. The last thing I want to do is Skype with anyone. I like to hear my wife's voice once a day, so a flip-phone covers that.

3. I wear cycling shoes I can walk in. So if I have time on my hands, I pack some small binoculars and take a walk/hike to see the things I went to all the trouble to BIKE to see. The whole reason I tour is to discover what is OUT THERE, not what I could read at home or who I could spend time with at home.

I only bothered to post this because maybe, perhaps, you are missing the point of having an ADVENTURE in the first place. Since I don't know you I can't judge you so please don't take offense. In the modern era where everyone is in constant contact, many never know the feeling of being "free" from those constraints. There is a lot to be said for getting "lost" in one's thoughts as well. You might want to try this. It may be your only chance! Trust me. It is addictive.

Ever see someone let a dog off the leash in a big field? The dog runs as fast as he can over there, then turns for no reason and runs over to another spot, then somewhere else, without any rhyme or reason for the direction he is heading. Your MIND will do the same thing if you take it off the leash. Don't miss a big opportunity to experience the feeling of that dog off the leash. It is awesome.