20 stories
Oct 15, 2026
Service it two to three weeks out, ride it 100 miles, and pack the spares only your bike uses. Here's what to check, what to replace and what to leave alone before a multi-day bike trip.
Oct 14, 2026
About 24 to 34 ounces an hour with real salt in it. How to read your thirst and your bathroom stops, and why extra potassium and magnesium work against you.
Oct 13, 2026
Early morning is the better time to ride most days, even though your legs are a little stronger in the late afternoon. Here's why, and how to stop feeling flat on early rides.
Oct 10, 2026
Your bike computer doesn't tell you three things: whether you rode alone, how hilly it was, and whether the stops counted. Here's how to read the number, and what it means for a group ride or a tour.
Oct 9, 2026
Riding every day is fine. Riding hard every day is what wears riders down. Here's how to ride daily, what several riding days in a row feel like on a trip, and the signs you need a day off.
Oct 7, 2026
A long climb and a day of short, steep hills are trained differently. Here's how to get ready for both, including what to do if you live somewhere flat.
Oct 5, 2026
Most bike tours still ride when it rains. How a wet day goes on a guided trip, what to pack, how to ride a wet road safely, and when to stop.
Oct 4, 2026
Three kinds of insurance matter on a bike tour: for the money if you cancel, for you if you crash, and for your bike. When you need each one, and where to get it.
Oct 2, 2026
Fly with it, ship it, or rent one set up to fit you. How each way of getting your bike to a tour works, and why I pack mine in a bike travel bag every trip.
Oct 1, 2026
Most recovery advice assumes tomorrow is a rest day. Here's the first hour after a long ride, in order, and how to tell in the morning whether you can ride hard again.
Sep 8, 2026
Racks and panniers on pavement, or soft bags on dirt. Here's what actually separates bike touring from bikepacking, and how to tell which one you've been picturing.
Sep 2, 2026
A century is less about fitness than most riders think. Here's how long 100 miles takes, why mile 75 is the hard part, and what to have ridden before the day.
Aug 30, 2026
Thirteen questions worth asking a bike tour company before you put a deposit down, including the ones most riders don't think of until they're already there.
Aug 22, 2026
You dress for the morning, carry three small layers for the afternoon, and pack far less than you think. Here's what to bring, what to wear each day, and what to leave at home.
Aug 7, 2026
Two questions hide inside this one: what you eat while you are riding, and what you eat the rest of the day so that tomorrow is any good. Honest numbers for both.
Aug 5, 2026
Not one major US airline still charges a bike fee. Here is what all five actually charge to check a bicycle, and the $100 line that catches riders who never think to weigh the case.
Aug 3, 2026
We do not accept tips, and I will tell you why. Then, since you are probably asking about somebody else's trip, what the rest of the industry actually expects.
Jul 30, 2026
Both are sold as bike tours and both cost real money, but only one of them puts people on the road with you. What changes, what it costs, and how to pick.
Jul 29, 2026
Two numbers hide inside that question: how many days you are away, and how far you ride on each of them. Here is what both really look like, with the day by day figures from two real trips.
Feb 20, 2026
Two lists - on the bike and off it - covering what actually earns its place in your suitcase, including what changes when you rent a bike.
