I'm the primary cook in my family, and prepare most meals totally from scratch. So when I take my annual solo bicycle tour, I kick back and mostly eat in restaurants -- although lunches often consist of bread, cheese, and fruit bought at a grocery store.

But by the end of these trips, I am keen to return to the kitchen. I finished one eight day trip by staying with friends. Their garden was beautiful, everything was ripe, and I ended up harvesting enough basil to make them a year's supply of pesto. And that was after an 80 mile ride (130 km) that day!