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Greetings from Costa Rica (at the moment)

Old 11-14-11, 01:25 PM
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Greetings from Costa Rica (at the moment)

Hey guys, I'm alf.

I started frequenting these forums and decided I wanted to say hi.

I live in Costa Rica, and I am making arrangements to travel across Europe and Asia in February 2012.

Inspired by stories and blogs I have found along my investigation about places to visit and means to get to them, I have come across literally hundreds of places that seem worth of visiting, and a handful of options for transportation.

My budget is tight (maybe sufficient for 6 months of travel the traditional way: trains, buses, planes, hotels and hostels). But the thing is, I don't want to travel 6 months and come back to the rat race.

I am packing clothes for about a week, a couple jackets, a fishing line and hooks, a medical and tool kit,a laptop,a gps and a camera. Pretty much it. I intend to blog my way across the world, pick jobs as a web designer (I am a Software Engineer and Project Manager in the IT area) informally as I go, wwoofing, couchsurfing, workaway, warmshowers, and pretty much grabbing any opportunities along the way.

I have done my homework regarding visas, requirements, etc. So probably I won't make so many dumb questions. I have not figured out the details, I just have a couple plane tickets (first NY, then Paris), and planning on getting a train ticket out of Schengen under 90 days after just to ease my entrance to Europe (for 18 Euro from Ljubljana to Zagreb, I won't really mind missing it and exiting towards any other direction 3 months).

I have hundreds of questions, and I will be posting in the respective forums. But if any of you have any pointers on the tip of your tongue, a response in this post would be greatly appreciated.

At this point I may face a few different scenarios:

1. Buying a folding bike in NY. It has the pros and cons of folding bikes. I haven't found a folder that seems to have the right balance between affordability, quality for long term touring and size. I will be on the lookout of NY craiglist and try bike shops and pawn shops once I am there. It would be ideal if I have to hop on a plane, train, bus or getting a car ride any day.

2. Buying a bike, any bike, in Paris. Probably pick up something used, replace the important parts, and carry spare parts. I would rig it for holding my backpack. Something I could trust for long distances, but not something that would break the bank if stolen. I would initially ride all the way to Portugal. I am concerned that I would not be able to fold it and hop anywhere with extra fees and/or hassle.

3. The same as in Paris, but in Portugal, it may be cheaper.

I am not sure how border crossings work in a bike, I have heard that there are borders that can only be crossed in a car, bus, etc.

I am not a bike guy, and my shape is not great, but I won't force myself beyond my stamina. I don't mind if the first weeks progress is pathetic, I know I will gain condition after a few hundred kilometers. I used to ride heavily all my childhood and teenage years, and I even used to deal with traffic and different road conditions, so I have the skills, even if the condition is rather rusty. Some years ago I got into free-style bmx, and that's all the exposure to bikes I have had in the last decade. I doubt I have ridden more than 20 kilometers in a day in the last decade.

If you have read this far. Please tell me, am I nuts for even considering this? Any of you has done it before? Would you be able to point me in the direction of websites and resources I could use?

Thanks,

alf
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Old 11-14-11, 02:26 PM
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Hi Alf,

Welcome to Bike Forums.
We have members that tour on folding bikes.

https://www.bikeforums.net/forumdispl...-Folding-Bikes

https://www.bikeaccess.net/bikeaccess/folding_db.cfm
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Old 11-14-11, 07:11 PM
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Thank you, 10 Wheels!

After some research it seems my budget is a bit too little for a good new folding bike. I will keep an eye out for craiglist deals or visiting local shops, seeing if I find an used one in good shape.

In the worst case, I will just pick whatever I can find in good shape once in Europe, folder or not.

alf
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Old 11-14-11, 07:51 PM
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Welcome aboard. Your plans are very grand, nothing wrong with
that. But reality might bite you in the butt if you're not ready for
it. Why not start small, say a few days travel from where you're
located right now. This way you'll get some experience with actual
touring by bike; the physical aspect, preparations, etc. Sure you
can learn a lot from reading articles, but it's another thing when
you actually try it. Here's a website that might be of help to you:

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/
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Old 11-15-11, 02:20 AM
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Originally Posted by alf41
Thank you, 10 Wheels!

After some research it seems my budget is a bit too little for a good new folding bike. I will keep an eye out for craiglist deals or visiting local shops, seeing if I find an used one in good shape.

In the worst case, I will just pick whatever I can find in good shape once in Europe, folder or not.

alf
Why not a bike with quick release hubs? Once the wheels are off the frame is quite small, and along with the wheels should be easy enough to handle. Just pick a bike that's light enough that carrying it won't strain your back. Your plans sound like a real adventure, rode my hardtail motorcycle across the country and back alone and had the time of my life.
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Old 11-15-11, 04:19 AM
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Re: crossing borders on bike, I wouldn't expect any particular difficulties within continental EU as long as you're taking a road where biking is legal in the first place. You would obviously have to make some arrangements if you plan on e.g. crossing the Channel. Possible restrictions in those situations would be related to whether or not ferries / trains take bikes and at what costs. For example, there's a freight ferry connection from Finland to Germany that also carries passengers, but they specifically state passengers must have cars ("because the only way to move through the restricted port area at either end is by your own car"). When I asked about it, turns out bikes would be OK as well.

Outside of EU, different story, but even then I suspect it's more of a Schengen / visa issue (e.g. EU to Kaliningrad or vice versa) than a question of your chosen means of transportation.
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