Still hopeful that folks at this Touring subforum will spend a little time considering cultural components as well as materials components of their upcoming tours. I have often been surprised at the comments in tour journals at Crazyguy and other sites about places such as Jeffrey City, struggling Dakota towns, and eastern Kentucky. Frequently, they are little more than, "What a depressing place!"

Well - - why? I remain baffled why someone would spend months discussing frames and spokes and racks and panniers vs trailers; yet, no time reading about those areas along the route that might be more understandable with a little background info. The very roads that we touring cyclists love - low traffic and great scenery - are often that way because they pass through areas which have been bypassed by 20th-century growth.

Do you ask a rancher in a cafe in Leoti, Kansas how many cattle he has? Why do Fernie, BC and Coleman, Alberta present such a stark contrast? How are the maple trees doing around Hancock, Vermont? Why would you want to go over to Portsmouth on the Outer Banks?

Surely, those of us who have toured a good deal have had to deal with the sometimes hostile question, "How can you afford to do this?" It's hard for the farmer in North Dakota or the miner in western Virginia to imagine how someone has the time, let alone the money to do this. There is often a cultural divide.

Touring solo often forces you to have more contact - even if that contact is awkward. Groups touring together often turn to each other at stops along the way. Even a couple riding together can choose to grab a booth and pore over a map, rather than try to break the coolness of raised eyebrows at the counter.

If I ever do toss in the towel on work altogether and have winters free, I plan on touring in Patagonia. The first question I will ask is "Where should I go and why?" It's that extra day spent in a place you knew so little about beforehand that gives you a new perspective on things.

I'd be curious to hear from folks who have taken that extra day off - whether in Queensland or Scotland or Maryland.

I wouldn't assume that everyone who talks toys here don't have a cultural or historical interest in where they tour, True many people are all about the toys and mileage per day. I would say most of cyclists I have met over the years I had a more than passing interest in the places they have visited.
I like talking toys too. But I also would like to see more discussion about the places we have all been to. But that is often difficult in a forum because not everyone sees or experiences the same things even in the same place on the same day.
As for preparation for a tour I read extensively about the places I travel through,especially history before I ever mark up a map. Sometimes I ride a route described in a book.

I was thinking about this thread for a couple of days and meaning to get back to it because I think you made some interesting points, Jamawani. There certainly is a lot more technical discussion on this forum than non-technical, but I don't think it necessarily implies a lack of interest in the other aspects of touring. I think most of us are interested in the cultural, historical and people aspects of our tours - but those topics take more time and effort to write about, which discourages those who have limited bandwidth to spend on it. Technical topics are easy - wheels, frame materials, tires, etc, because they are factual and objective discussions for the most part, and require less consideration to properly convey.

The cultural and personal encounters we experience take more effort to describe to others, but they also take a greater perception and effort to capture in the first place, through a journal of some sort, otherwise the thoughts and impressions will get lost. Engaging in conversations can take effort when we are tired, especially for shy folks, and can have an emotional component that isn't easily expressed in writing, especially on a forum. Being subjective, these narratives also reflect to some degree our view of the world, which carries some risk, unlike a technical discussion. I admire those who do not let that dissuade them from making the effort to express themselves, yet I also have been disturbed by the shallowness of occasional narratives I have read. Far more however, were brilliant, reflecting considerable insight and understanding (not to mention editing prowess).

I suppose I would summarize by guessing that many here are exploring, discovering and learning while on tour, but little of the internal thought process, reflection and conversation makes it to print due to the constraints mentioned. There are however, a few on this forum such as yourself, who do a spendid job of placing a person or place into a historical or otherwise interesting perspective, and piquing the interest of the rest of us. A few images, wrapped in some concise, yet thoughtful commentary. Gets me every time. Keep up the good work!

-john

FYI
Asking a rancher how many cows he has is like asking a city slicker how much she has in the bank - a definite faux pas.