Here’s another update from my new cycling friend Rob Greenfield who is currently cycling across the United States….totally off the grid.  He’s impressed and amazed me over the past week of knowing him, and I just had to post his Day 26 journal entry seeing as he mentions me in the post.

Off the Grid Bicycle Tour: Day 26

by Rob Greenfield

It was a long night with an undesirably minimal amount of sleep.  The night was cold and to conserve heat I had to fold myself up into a ball.  This position did not give my weary legs a chance to recover and between the cold and aching legs I found myself awake for too much off the night.  Alas the morning did come but it was a cloudy cold one.  When I awoke at 6:00 I thought about… breaking down camp but instead spent a few hours in my tent on my computer.

Even with the cold, it as an enjoyable morning in the snowy Rocky Mountains.  I was on the road by 9:30 and was happy to leave the 9,400 feet of elevation and spend a good portion of the forty miles pedaled in the morning descending.  The windy road was likely the most enjoyable and fun that I have pedaled yet in the last four weeks of biking and the sun came out to greet me.

Throughout the day I was accompanied by birds of prey soaring along side me guiding me through the Rocky Mountain flats as they scanned the green pastures for pray.  Mid day I was fortunate to see a hawk succeed in its hunt and come up with a small rodent in its talons. A phone call from my new friend, Darryl Kotyk, on the island of Grenada 3,500 miles away, added brightness to my day.  He is the creator of the wonderful blog, Loving the Bike, (http://lovingthebike.com) and has been posting updates on my journey.

In the early afternoon rain decided to change my plans of pedaling 80-100 miles today.  Instead I found myself ducked under an overhang of a local bar where I spent an hour and a half waiting for the rain and hail to pass.  That it did around 4:30 and I continued onward somewhat lethargically but feeling good that I had already done a fair distance of riding.

Three individuals at the bar had told me the road would continue down hill to Granby but the next sixteen miles were quite the opposite of downhill.  In town I took a break and then continued on with the intentions of making it to Winter Park 20 miles away before nightfall.  Just outside of Granby the climbing resumed past herds of beautiful cows in the pasture and more water fell from the sky.

It was dark and gloomy but quite enjoyable.  The sun just barely peaked out over the foothills behind me creating a majestic sun shower and in front of me a magnificent rainbow presented itself.  I was astonished to see it growing across the sky and increasing in brightness each second.  It was a fabulous near end to the night but I was still 10 miles from the comforts of my tent and sleeping bag where I hoped to make it an early night.

As the sun faded completely behind the foothills I continued on and a new set of rain clouds opened up on to me.  It was down right miserable but at the same time down right awesome to be exposed to the harsh elements.

Many of us forget that we are a part of this earth but the harsh elements make for a good reminder.  The elements became unbearable and I was happy to see a sign for a YMCA where I pulled in to find they had rooms available.

I thought about taking one but realized it would likely compromise my mission even if I did not use any electricity or water.  They would likely clean the room and wash the sheets even if I did not use them and this would use water from on the grid.

Instead I explored the large complex and found a basement room with a back entrance where I set up my sleeping bag and sleeping bag.  This simple accommodation kept me out of the rain and the cold and gave me confidence that I would get a fair nights rest.

For more on Rob’s adventure and additional pictures and stories, visit his facebook page.

The awesome photo above was done by Brent Martin.

Last year at Interbike, I picked a company called Broken Bones as my favorite of the show.  It wasn’t because they had the best technology or had the best bike, but because of the very cool attitude they were bringing to the cycling industry.

I  like to call myself a rule-breaker, and I’m definitely far from being normal traditional….so I generally migrate towards companies that do things differently.

Anyway, Josh from Broken Bones bicycles just launched the Broken Bones Garage webcast series.  In it he gives tips on training, diet, strategy and also tells some of his best crazy “racing in other countries” horror stories.

We’re teaming up with Josh and the Broken Bones Garage and will be featuring some of his tips over here at Loving the Bike.  Here’s the first one all about how smiling can help get you through the suffer points of your ride.  Watch for more from Josh in the coming weeks.

Royston from Knights of Mo’ Bay Cycling Apparel recently completed a ride across Jamaica, and is here to share the experience with us.  Have a read and find out what it’s like to see Jamaica by bike.

The Jamaica Reggae Ride

by Royston C

Let’s get a couple of facts out of the way. The roads from Negril to Port Antonio were the closest thing to road perfection. After a couple hours, we stopped looking for pot holes or road debris. No grunting screams of hole breaking the tranquil silence. Along the way, we saw workers removing broken glass, discarded debris and automobile castoffs. As a cyclist who has ridden in cities across the US, most US roads are not this clean. Yes, Jamaican drivers are not accustom to cyclist on the roads, but in the vast majority of situations, they gave us more than 3 feet clearance regardless of our motor cycle escort presence or not. Active Holiday serves lived up to the Jamaican slogan, “No problem”, airport to airport service with everything covered in between. We never heard “Soon Come”. Now that we have addressed many perceived issues, this was a fantastic five day cycling adventure.

I came in a few days early and was able to see the Jamaican Racing team do their Mo’ Bay to Lucea Pepper Ride on Thursday morning, a 50 mile out and back. They left at 7 am and were back at 9 am. These were our guides. They rode with us over the next three days, maintained our bikes, escorted us through towns, and coached the novice and expert cyclist up and down Black Mountain and if necessary pushed members up the hill. We had two members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force escorted us on motorcycles. They blocked traffic at stoplights, created a lane for us in a number of busy areas and in a few cases carried both cyclist and cycle up hill.

Cyclist flew in on Thursday morning and were picked up at the Mo’ Bay airport. They were taken to Active Holidays Welcome Center. The staff unpacked their bikes and assembled their bikes. Boxes were stored away and cyclist transported to Negril. We had a wonderful reception on the patio looking over the famous Negril 7 Mile Beach. We met our new comrades who came from across the US, Europe and the Caribbean. We had an almost United Nations of nationalities. We also met up the Jamaican Notational Cyclist Team and Mo’ Bay Cornwall Cycling Team. After the receptions, we dispersed to various eating establishments on dining recommendations from Jennifer, who didn’t tell us, she was foodie. Every town we visited, Jennifer had a restaurant recommendations and she communicated in I believe (4) languages, not including Jamaican Patois.

The next morning, we had a hardy inclusive Jamaican breakfast and some great quick bike maintenance and repair. The ride out with motorcyclist escorts Winty and Farrakhan was great. The first day was the easiest with not a lot of serious climbing and a pleasant ocean breeze to cool us down. We stopped in the town of Lucea, half way to Mo’ Bay, where we enjoyed our lunch in the market place consisting of fresh Jamaican fruits and cocoanut water straight from the cocoanut. The second half consisted of small rollers until we made to Mo’ Bay and stayed at the Sunrise. Many of the riders took advantage of the free pools, gyms and beach chairs. It appeared the first day ride did not tire out some members, who were seen partying to reggae music late into the night, while other took taxi’s into town and roamed the streets.

The second day of riding was definitely more challenging than the first in respect to length, number of long climbs and tropical breeze. You learned to love the westerly breeze because it kept us cool, but it delivered a little head wind. On most rides, the sight of a hill causes fear and panic in the hearts of novice riders. Not on the Reggae Ride. The cyclist tour guides would come up behind cyclist who were having difficulty and place a firm hand on their backs and push them up the hill. I think a few of our riders immediately moved out to the far outside and waited for their Jamaican Pushcart service which was faster up the hill than those of us who powered every hill.

We stopped at the home/hotel of renowned Jamaican artist, Joe James. A cute off the beaten path Hotel Gallery where we were serenaded by kids singing Jamaican folk songs. This was a beautiful little spot to rest and recover before the second leg into Ochi.

We ended our second day ride at ScotchieJerk Restaurant and then headed over to Dunn’s River Falls by bike; some members after lunch were not feeling the bike, so they took the bus. After 70 miles, we did more climbing, but it was climbing the cool steps of the Dunn’s River Falls and enjoying the best massage nature can provide, gallons of water pounding against your sour muscles. After the falls; a few hardy souls rode the final leg to the hotel. Yes, a long day, but after a quick shower, we dispersed across the town of Ochi checking out another set of Jennifer’s recommendations. Jennifer made the tour bus available to us.

The last day was more challenging if you didn’t like rollers. The eastern tip of the island is greener and more mountainous. We were traveling just below the northern portion of the infamous Blue Mountains, home of the finest coffee in the world. The first two days were lots of straight roads with a few climbs. The last day more climbing up and down the hillsides dropping into small hamlets, crossing multiple river bridges and then we got to Black Mountain. Not the longest climb, but definitely the winner for steepness and highest number of hairpin turns. At the top, the folks came out and cheered with us as members came up the apex. The descent was perfect, definitely my favorite section. After a rest stop, we rolled through small towns along the coast heading to Port Antonio and finally ending at the Frenchman’s Cove, a once exclusive hotel of the rich and famous in the 50′s. We had lunch on the beach, hung out at the beach and Active Holidays bused our bike boxes. The bikes were disassembled, loaded onto the bus and we were taken back to Ochi. Next day, we went straight to the airport.

Great adventure with great service. We had access to constant bike repair and tuning. Many of the riders were able to get massages immediately after or during the rides. We were broken into two groups, one for the folks that wanted to roll hard and the second group for those who wanted a more leisurely pace. We made quick stops to see the sights, but every ride was challenging. This is a great ride to see the country up close and personal. We had a lot of encouragement from Jamaicans as we rolled through towns and hamlets. We rolled past a school at recess and the kids stopped everything to cheer us on. Many of riders got great cycling tips from professional cyclist and many of us were humbled by their athletic ability.

For more on the Jamaica Reggae Ride, visit www.jamaicareggaeride.com.

Yesterday we posted an article about Rob Greenfield and his bicycle journey currently taking place across the United States.  The cool thing about this mission is that he’s doing it totally off the grid.

I’ve personally been so impressed by what Rob is doing and what he stands for that I wanted to follow up on his adventures by periodically posting from his journal as he makes his way across the US.

This one hit my emotions button for sure….and we’ll be posting more from his journey in the days ahead.

Bicycle Touring Off the Grid

“So much inspiration churned inside my body that on the surface shivers erupted and my eyes were on the brink of exploding with tears all throughout the day.”

Shivers of inspiration ran through my body from head to toe all throughout the day as I pedaled up and down the green Colorado hills.  On multiple occasions tears formed in my eyes, more often as I was flying down hill or ja…mming out on flat land then when I was climbing the grueling hills.  Jack Johnson, Trevor Green, and Xavier Rudd – Official along with educational sustainability podcasts inspired me to keep on pedaling through the intense heat and in turn to keep inspiring others to live a happier healthier life.

The tears came as I thought of the amazing changes that are to come and the people out there doing good, bettering their lives, and inspiring others to do the same.  Not for the sake of religion, or government, or any organization, but solely for the sake of us as individuals, community, and the planet that we have made home.

When I awoke this morning the sun had already graced the land with warmth.  I prepared myself a dish of eggs, beats, rice, and garlic over a fire as I took down camp.  I was on the road early this morning, around 9:20, and even with large hills to climb was making great progress.  The morning continued to heat up as the sun moved overhead and the rolling hills continued on as far as the eyes could see.  By 2:00 I had pedaled 50 miles and was exhausted.  I stopped in a cool building in the town of Craig, Colorado, as I could not bear the heat any longer.  By 4:00 I moved on still feeling lethargic from the heat.  Out of water and quite thirsty I saw a grouping of about 30 bee boxes that I couldn’t resist but investigate.  I sat amongst the bees as thousands buzzed around me going about their own business.  Occasionally they would fly into me, or land on me to clean their bodies but they had no qualms with me being in their presence.  I’ve wanted to do this for many years and to finally spend time amongst masses of bees was a dream come true.  Not to mention all the honey I ate while they buzzed around me.

After an hour I pedaled on in search of a river to quench my thirst.  I found one just five miles east and spent time sitting on the bank guzzling water as I purified it. I topped off my water bottle and was back on the bike.  Conversations with friends helped the miles fly by and I had another 45 miles to make it to my friend John Miller’s house in Steamboat Springs.  I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to do it but his home beckoned me to continue on.

As the sun set and the light faded in the sky I received a call from a friend that changed everything.  I had 25 miles left to pedal and the conversation led me into darkness.  Immersed in the conversation it was becoming night and a change in topic launched a dagger into my heart.  I was on the verge of a new type of tears, very different from the tears of inspiration earlier, now tears of sorrow.

I pedaled on for miles through the darkness feeling great depths of sadness.  When I ended the call it was pitch black and I texted John to let him know that I am still riding and I will make it to his home tonight.  I needed the comforts of a home and a hug from a friend to help cure my sorrows and bring me comfort.  As I texted him a great deal of confusion ensued and I realized I was not on the road anymore and I was in the ditch on the opposite side of the road.  Very confused but still on my bike I managed to stop safely before hitting anything and simultaneously coyotes began to howl all around me.

I pulled myself out of the ditch and continued on. I had no lights on as the batteries were dead and shortly later was blinded by the flashing red and blue lights of a police car.  Wes, the officer, was very friendly and wanted to make sure I was safe but at the same time in my sorrowful state the flashing lights of the police car were not comforting and added to my disorientation. I wrangled up some rechargeable batteries from my pack and was on my way.

The dagger still in my heart, I felt like I couldn’t go on. Hopelessness overwhelmed me.  I knew I must go on and I knew a positive attitude and a smile would overcome sorrow and despair.  Looking at it from a different perspective I could see light beginning to shine upon me.  Wait, is that a headlight?  No! It is a light representing a new beginning.  With every end there is a new beginning.  I shed an unneeded weight that was holding me down and now I am free!  The inspiration flowed back into my body and a smile grew on my face.  Just five minutes prior I felt like my world had ended.  This is proof that life is a matter of perspective and as I’ve said before happiness is a choice.

I continued on 10 more miles to Steam Boat Springs through the darkness and the cold and was welcomed by my fellow Wisconsinite, John Miller.  He welcomed me into his warm home and I sat down on his comfortable couch where I ended the long day 97 miles down the road from where I had started.

Photo by Brent Martin

I think anyone who does long distance bicycle touring is pretty awesome, but doing it totally off the grid like Rob Greenfield….is downright amazing.  This guy definitely has a Make it Happen attitude.  Please join me in reading all about Rob’s ride across America, and what he hopes to accomplish along the way.

Off the Grid Coast to Coast Bicycle Tour

by Sean Aranda

Cycling 4,500 miles across the USA, that’s the easy part.  So what’s the hard part?  How about doing it completely off the grid?  For three months, adventurer Rob Greenfield of Greenfield Adventures is showing and inspiring Americans how to live sustainably and decrease their environmental impact.  This means he is:

• Using electricity generated by portable alternative energy devices
• Creating near zero trash
• Using water from natural sources
• Eating locally produced organic and unpackaged foods
• Composting all food waste
• Shopping at businesses that are committed to creating a healthy planet

When Rob isn’t managing The Greenfield Group, he is out picking up trash and living life as if it were one big adventure.  Having explored numerous countries and seeing how they live, he thought it was time to travel coast to coast across America spreading sustainability awareness.  What better way to show educate others than to show just what is possible when you put the environment first.

The adventure began at the San Francisco Earth Day Celebration on April 20th and will take Rob through 19 states.  Traveling mostly on ‘blue highways’, he will also be spending time in cities including Salt Lake City, Denver, Kansas City, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia, New York, Providence and Boston.  The journey is scheduled to end on August 1st at the 1% for the Planet Headquarters in Waitsfield, Vermont.  During the three month trip Rob will be raising $10,000 for 1% for the Planet non-profits, including Guitars in the Classroom and Below the Surface, as well as finding 20 new businesses to join the 1% for the Planet movement. 1% for the Planet is a growing global movement of over 1,000 companies that donate 1% of their sales to environmental organizations worldwide.

Rob is riding a beautiful bamboo bike by Bamboosero, filtering water through products by Drips Water  and powering his devices with portable solar devices by Goal Zero.

Along the way, Rob will be hosting zero waste events and bicycle rides, visiting environmental causes and businesses that practice corporate social responsibility, promoting sustainable products, working with community gardens, practicing the ukulele, and hosting do good giveaways via Facebook.

Rob is currently on day 24 cycling through the middle of America.  You can read all about his daily adventures by visiting The Greenfield Adventures Blog.

The journey is being documented by professional cameraman, Brent Martin, and can be followed pedal by pedal online at the Greenfield Adventures blog or by adding Rob on Facebook.  If you would like to donate to one of these great 1% for the Planet non-profits, feel free to contribute to the Greenfield Adventures Donation Page.

How much do you know about HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and how it can benefit your cycling?  Well, we’ve got Shane (the bike expert) in today with all the details.

HIIT – Painful fad or incredible training trump card?

Speed is an elusive quality for racers; we’re all in search of it and we all want to find it, but it’s sometimes tricky to achieve! Conventional training includes vast volumes and base miles, these can really sap the speed out of your legs! It can be tough to cram all these miles in with family commitments, work deadlines and seeing friends – enter High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT.

HIIT can take a number of forms, from brief 5-10 second sprints, to 2-3minute high intensity efforts (Laursen et al. 2005). These efforts build well on your existing aerobic base, boosting your top end speed and performance – think last minute breakaways, fighting for position in changing wind direction and the last lap of a crit race!

Many studies have looked into the impacts of high intensity training on untrained participants, but more recent work has looked into the effects on already well trained cyclists (Laursen and Jenkins, 2003).

The studies have produced conclusive proof that HIIT increases VO₂ max and therefore performance gains (Laursen et al. 2005; Laursen and Jenkins, 2003; Creer et al. 2004). The great thing about HIIT training is that it can fit easily into your day. A 35 minute or 45 minute turbo session is all you need to fit in your HIIT workouts, I even managed to fit one in while my dinner was cooking last week!

Due to the short duration of the sessions, HIIT doesn’t increase your training load excessively, and hence provides maximal gains for minimal extra time – think SMART training, not just excessive training! Be careful to throw in some recovery time though, these sessions will hit you hard!

The benefits go way beyond simple VO₂ improvements – studies have found that improvements in neuromuscular activation, and hence reactions, were also significant and therefore led to improved repeated spring work performance (Creer et al. 2004). HIIT should boost your metabolic rate, you’ll burn through more calories throughout the day or night after a session and this should help you manage your weight down to boost Watts-Kg!

It’s great to see a new training method really taking hold and having some fantastic results! There are plenty of great sessions available on the net, from Youtube to specific sites! A personal favourite of mine comes courtesy of CycleCore training, found here.

Happy Suffering, Happy Winning!

I’ve been enjoying the guest articles we’ve put up lately that talk about cycling in various locations around the world.  This time, we’ve got a great guest post about where I call the world headquarters for cycling….Amsterdam.

Cycling in Amsterdam

When people go on holiday, they usually return home feeling bloated, worse for wear or just generally out of shape. It might be because they spent a bit too long at the breakfast buffet or due to spending too much time lying down on the beach, but it’s possible to come back from your trip feeling better after getting a little exercise.

Walking, swimming, canoeing and even rock-climbing are all healthy activities which can be great for your physique, but for something a little gentler, why not get on your bike instead? Cycling can be a lot of fun, especially when with the family; and destinations like Dutch capital Amsterdam are perfect for cyclists of all ages and abilities.

Travelling among the tulips

Holiday firm Cheapflights recently did a blog post on top cycling destinations. One that surprisingly didn’t feature on the list was Amsterdam. It’s one of the most cycle-friendly cities in Europe, and the straight streets make it easily navigable for small groups who want to explore the place by bike.

Amsterdam has an extensive network of dedicated bike paths, which makes cycling through the city pretty easy to do. While on your bike, you could take in a few sights, visit some of the capital’s most famous landmarks or just go wherever you decide to pedal if you want to see something a little different.

Culture by cycle

Arguably the most important cultural site in Amsterdam is the Rijksmuseum. First opened in 1800, it has played host to exhibitions charting local, national and global history, and is a great place to take the kids. Admission is usually cheap, but be prepared to queue, as it’s very popular with tourists from all over the world.

The Van Gogh Museum is great for art lovers and plays homage to one of the city’s finest ever painters, while the Heineken Music Hall is a great music venue where you can see some of today’s biggest and up-and-coming acts. For a little peace and quiet or if you need a place to rest your legs, the Vondelpark is great, especially during summer.

Photo c/o  http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amsterdam_0002.jpg

If you have even the slightest interest in cross bikes, you’ve absolutely got to read this.  Today we’re laying down a guest post from Patrick of Asylum Cycles….and he’s here to tell you all about the cool and unique way this bike company is launching their brand.

Oh, and if you help back them (before their May 18th deadline) you’ll get a wicked deal on a frame or complete bike.

Asylum Cycles

My name is Patrick Croasdaile. I work for an upstart bike brand: Asylum Cycles of Portland, OR. We’re trying a new method of launching a bike company: crowdfunding. While there are plenty of bicycling projects on websites like Indiegogo and Kickstarter, a lot of these projects are either small in scale, or attached to pre-existing companies.

We want our launch project—the Meuse: a full-carbon disc-only Cyclocross bike—to give us the footing to start a whole new company. Asylum’s end-goal is producing exactly the kind of product serious cyclists want to ride. There are a number of exciting designs in our pipeline once the Meuse funds. Customer input will be crucial for every project we undertake. In that way, our customers become our partners. This is a major reason why we chose to crowdfund.

(photo courtesy of Jake Tong from www.thewolfsmouth.com)

As a Portland brand, there wasn’t a better launch product than a cyclocross bike. Since the early 1990s, ‘cross has flourished in the Pacific Northwest. The Asylum Meuse is recognition of the sport’s growing importance in America as well as an acknowledgment of the Northwest’s racing roots in Low Country cycling culture. We refer to Portland as “Belgium by the Willamette.” The name Meuse comes from the very same river that flows from Le Châtelet-sur-Meuse through the Low Countries and into the North Sea.

The Asylum Meuse straddles the line between purebred Cyclocross bike and gravel road racer. Though we’ve leaned heavily toward the Cyclocross end of things, our bottom bracket drop keeps the bike very lively. I don’t get that “oh crap I’m in the middle of the air” feeling when I dive into a corner at high-speed on the road. Conversely, I’m not striking my crank arms on rocks and roots when I take it off-road. Tire clearance is exceptional for a race bike as well. You can fit up to 35mm cross tires on it and probably larger if you opted for slicks. We’ve done our best to future-proof it by equipping it with disc brakes (it’s also hydraulic compatible). The Meuse’s geometry makes it incredibly versatile both on- and off-road.

One of my favorite features is the Powerflow design on the downtube/bottom bracket/chainstay interface. This stiffens the rear end considerably. I’m a “bigger” racer at 6’1″ and 175lbs. I don’t feel any flex in the rear end. The Meuse flies out of corners and climbs on the road exceptionally well.

Having partnered with Rogue Ales of Newport, OR, we’re also offering a special Rogue Team Edition in addition to the regular Asylum scheme.

We opted to crowdfund on Crowd Supply because, unlike the other crowdfunding platforms, they handle the e-commerce, warehousing, and shipping once a project successfully funds. This means a lot to a small company like Asylum. In that way, Crowd Supply gets to incubate new brands and help them grow once their project is successful. They’re also a company run by bike nerds.

We’re offering our backers the chance to reserve their very own Meuse for virtually wholesale (4 build options on offer). That’s our way of saying thanks for helping us launch our company. We have to hit a minimum order, so the more bikes we can pre-sell, the better.

On top of the introductory price, our 10-year no-fault crash replacement policy—for original owners—and 3-year warranty are our way of building a partnership with our customers. We want the people who get in on this brand from the get-go to share the journey with us. We also want you to ride your bike hard.

May 18th is the project deadline. We’re over 70% funded.  Support Asylum by going to their Crowd Supply page:

http://www.crowdsupply.com/asylum/asylum-meuse-cyclocross-bike

Although a couple of my best friends are from Switzerland, we never have discussed what the cycling is like over there.  But this great little guest post helped introduce me to what riding is like there, and I hope you enjoy it as well

Cycling in Switzerland

Just a stone’s throw away from capital city Bern, there are some of the most unique cycling routes in the whole of Europe. The Bern-Sud route contains so many twists, turns and sharp corners, not to mention steep inclines that even the most experienced cyclist might wonder how they’ll ever manage to navigate it in one piece!

At 42km, it’s not quite the Tour de France route, but it’s challenging nonetheless. Meandering over the Langenberg und Belpberg Mountains, the route takes in views of the magnificent Apline chain, the plains of Gurbetal and Aaretal and numerous side roads that run through the outskirts of Bern itself.

Velocity in the valleys

The route begins in the Biberze, moves through the Gibelegg and leads to Riggisberg. There, the Abegg-Stiftung Foundation exhibits precious examples of local art if you fancy a quick stop. Next, you’re on your way to Gurbetal and then on an upward climb towards Belpberg and Gerzensee, one of the most peaceful parts of the route.

Towards the end of your ride, you’ll take in the Aare waters, wealthy Munsingen and some of the Aaretal’s oldest villages. Next, you’ll be taking in floral Trimsteinmoos and the Weroble valley before you finish when Route 37 ends in Worblaufen, a district packed with industrial developments.

Staying off the beaten track

Although Bern and the surrounding environs have plenty of places to stay, the small town of Interlaken is less than 15 miles away from the Bern-Sud cycling route and is easily accessible by bike or train. It’s also got quite a bit going for it if you’re a keen cyclist who enjoys a little adventure.

Liz and Mike Cakebread, travel representatives based in Interlaken for Inghams tours, have experience of the area and all it can offer for tourists who want to explore this part of the world by bicycle, train, cable car or even by foot.

“Cruise round Lake Brienz with its emerald-green waters – stopping off at the Grand Hotel Giessbach to see the Giessbach Waterfalls then onto the wood carving village of Brienz.  If you have time, continue onto Switzerland’s largest open-air museum – Museum Ballenberg”, they said.

They also recommend trips to the Jungfraujoch railway station, the highest in Europe, and the Schiltorn, the revolving restaurant which famously featured in James Bond film ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’.

Photo c/o www.commons.wikimedia.org

It’s another one of our Let’s Talk features, and my good friend Shawn is in to get you talking about mountain bikes.

Shawn runs the website, www.texasmountainbiketrails.com and in this video he poses an interesting question to all of you….especially if you’re primarily a road cyclist. Oh, and Shawn just happens to be a video graphics master and includes some cool stuff in this one.

You definitely have to check this one out, and then please leave your answer/comment before leaving our website.

Let’s Talk.