encounter with cycle tourist

wade said:

Hello, it has been about 5 1/2 years since I last posted to this
newsgroup. I've been far away from the touring community and cycling in
general. ...

Well it will be interesting to start reading a bit in this news group
again after all these years. I hope the helmet wars have ended.

Hah!

Look up Ken Kiefer's site, if you have tissues handy.

Welcome back!

--Karen D.

wade said:

Hello, it has been about 5 1/2 years since I last posted to this
newsgroup. I've been far away from the touring community and cycling in
general. About a week and a half ago I saw a guy on a loaded bicycle
with a sign on the bike that read "Eating my way from NYC to Rio" and
had a small British flag waving on a small pole. So I stopped to talk
to him. Apparently his background was as a graphic artist in England
and a part-time food critic/writer. So he is trying out all the flavors
and taste sensations along his route. He has a spot where folks have
been suggesting where and what to eat along the way on his route. Under
the heading "the Plan" there is a section "Your Advice". Someone
actually suggested jellied moose nose in Canada, that sounds awful. But
overall it is a good place to look if any of you decide to tour through
those same areas.

If you're interested go to: http://www.thehungrycyclist.com/
He also has a game and the farthest I've gone so far is 2000 miles on
the bicycle tour. I keep either running into sleeping Mexicans or run
out of energy from not eating enough.

We were not prepared to compete for his search for "the perfect meal"
and had garlic soup already prepared to add to his repertoire. It was a
good way for me to pay back some of the karmic debt from all those
wonderful folks that helped me along the way on my tour. Made sure he
was fed, showered, and had a warm place to sleep. The next morning he
took off on his bicycle and I in my car driving to work.

Anyway, he was a nice chap and it started me thinking again about all
the experiences from my tour. I'm glad I did it when I did. Now I find
myself revising all the other cycle touring websites and checking out
new technology in bicycles and gear. A lot changes. But Chuck's site
doesn't seem to have any new touring pages, is he still touring? I blame
him for inspiring me to go ahead and take the plunge to go on a long
distance bicycle tour. I haven't been quite the same since that bicycle
tour! 🙂

Well it will be interesting to start reading a bit in this news group
again after all these years. I hope the helmet wars have ended.

Wade

Interesting read and some good info... helmet wars??? Im fairly new as
you can tell.

Dori said:

...helmet wars???

ah, that is a good thing then. I remember a lot of ranting about issues
such as that. Folks have their own opinions, are entitled to them and I
respect them. Even though it may differ from my own, it is good to be
different, but the problem was the proselytizing in regards to ones own
convictions.

Anyway, I did look at Ken Kifer's site the other day as was suggested by
"veloise"

It is a great loss, but at least he left a great legacy of bicycle
advocacy as well as great reading material and insight in Thoreau. He
will be missed.

Wade

wade said:

Dori said:

...helmet wars???

There are still some anti-helmet advocates around. I recall reading one
such "letter to the editor" in "Adventure Cycling" magazine not too
long ago. However, most states and many countries now have laws
requiring at least minors to wear bike helmets, and most organized
events, commercial bike tours and bike club rides will require helmets
for insurance liability reasons, pretty much making helmet use de facto
inescapable. Even in France and Italy, where you used to be able to
spot the N. Americans because they were the only ones wearing them (and
later the Germans), now you're as likely to see French and Italian
cyclists wearing them too, particularly since the pro races have
required them and consequently it's become fashionable.

If you're referring to the Skid-Lid battles, by virtue of the
manufacturer having gone out of business and at any rate helmets in use
gradually wearing out, it's not really an issue anymore. I did,
nevertheless, see a cyclist only a couple of weeks ago still wearing
one. He was maybe in his 60s and riding a clunker.