First time I "toured" was on my MTB in the mid 90's. I was 15 years old, living in one of the best places to be a mountain biker-Colorado Springs. We had a nearly endless system of trails quite literally out my back door and I realized I wasn't satisfied with the day forays into the hills and that I wanted more. So, I strapped some overnight essentials to my body and my bike and went bike camping. I don't know how many miles I did, but I rode UPhill all freakin' day. The next day was the best, and was twice as fast, as it was all downhill. My arms were jello. I subsisted off of Clif-Bars and Iodine tablet water, and it was invigorating.

My dad was very adventurous, though, and we did lots of backpacking as a family, tons of BC skiing, and eventually I went the way of career mountain guide. So, it was a natural extension for me to find ways of quiet sports travel like cyclo-touring. I'm kind of eco-conscious anyways, and I just like to get out and ride...it feels amazing to be so self sufficient and in tune with what's going on around me.