Hello group,
I'm late in writing this, but in case anybody is interested, I thought I'd let you know that bike
touring is alive and well in Europe. My wife and I started a tour of eastern and western Europe last
April, and returned this past September. We saw a fair number of recumbents, none of which appeared
to be U.S. models. Most are what the Europeans call "lay-fiets" (laid-back, I think). Most of the
bents we saw were in Holland and Austria. Holland is absolutely wonderful for cycling. In fact,
cyclists have priority over cars in most areas there.
I rode a Rans Gliss, and my wife a Fold-Gold. We each had Bob trailers. I had about a dozen flats,
she had only one! And that was on her Bob. No mechanical problems with the Gliss at all, but the
Fold-Gold idler/roller assembly broke and since that was the only non-normal bike part, we had to
wait for five days in Austria for UPS to deliver a new part. The Fold-Gold seat also broke and in
Poland, had to be re-welded. This may have been due in part to bad airline shipping at the start of
the trip. There was always a slight creaking noise, and as the tour went on, the creak got louder
and then finally turned into a broken seat. But kudos to Easy Racers, as they were very fast and
efficient getting us a new part and helping us in telling the welder what needed to be done.
Overall, the trip was a blast. Suffice it to say, without going into details, that it was a trip of
a lifetime. I guess the reason it's taken me so long to write about it, is that it took a lot out of
me. I've toured long distances before, but this was a doozy. There was just so much to see and do in
Europe that I got a bit wiped out seeing all the cultural stuff. (Yes, vacations can last too long.
I never thought I'd say that, but it's true.)
Just a few details, as a little bragging is in order: we biked through 12 countries, and rode 8,000
kilometers. (I think that's around 5,000 miles, give or take). We had about 30 sightseeing days when
we didn't ride. The route started in Lisbon, Portugal, and went through that country, then Spain,
France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, and Italy. We
flew home from Rome.
For those thinking of touring Europe, I have only to say "do it." We never encountered any
anti-American sentiment. I think most people realize it's governments, not individuals who are doing
the odd things.
If you only have time to tour a small part of Europe, pick the Bohemian Paradise area of the Czech
Republic, or do Holland or Denmark. About the only country I'd avoid is Poland. The people and
sights are nice, but the infrastructure is falling apart, as they are not yet part of the EU. The
Czech Republic is incredibly inexpensive. We were able to stay in three- and four-star hotels for
the price of a campground. Food is a couple of bucks for a gourmet meal. I'd highly recommend going
there soon, because as tourism increases there, prices are sure to rise! Of course, the old
standbys, like France and Spain are very nice too.
For those thinking of a longer trip, I'd recommend our route, or something close to it. We didn't
realize it when we were planning the trip, but if you look at the order of countries we visited, it
resembles a large circle, and the wind patterns are such that we almost always had a tailwind.
We camped, stayed in hostels, auberges, B&B's, hotels, front yards, you name
it. Only once did we have to wait until after sundown to find a place to stay.
If anybody would like more information about cycling through any part of Europe that we went
through, please contact me. I'd be happy to give you what info I can. Happy riding!
Steve and Annie Segal [email hidden] or [email hidden]