The classic guide for beginning and intermediate cyclists is back�and it's better than ever. With the latest on bikes, gear, and training techniques and new sections on short tours, and touring abroad, this new edition of The Essential Touring Cyclist promises to appeal to a whole new population of aspiring cyclists. Whether you're heading out for five hours or five months, this vividly designed, heavily illustrated, and resource-rich guide delivers everything you need. Each year thousands of people pedal across the country, and even more choose weekend or weeklong tours near home or abroad. Bike touring is a way to really see and experience the countryside and come home healthier than when you left. The Essential Touring Cyclist, the only fully illustrated manual for bicycle touring, guides you through choosing a bike, equipping and customizing it for touring, and preparing yourself for life on the road. Other features include: Getting into shape and dealing with aches and pains. Touring solo or with groups. Riding skills and endurance techniques. Tips on clothing, camping, food, and safety. Whether you're heading out for a few hours or a few months, this new edition of The Essential Touring Cyclist gives you everything you need to know about traveling on two wheels. Table of Contents: Introduction CYCLE TOURING 101. GETTING STARTED 1 Choosing and Equipping a Bicycle: Types of Bicyles; Gearing; Wheels, Tires, and Tubes; Saddles; Toe Clips; Other Components; Accessories; Useful Additions; How Much Must I Spend? 2 Equipping Yourself: Helmets; Gloves; Eye Shields; Shoes; Cycling Shorts; Shirts and Jerseys; Jackets and Wind Shells; Rain Gear; Cold-Weather Clothing. 3 Making Friends with Your Bike and Staying Friendly: Before You Buy; Stems and Cranks; Adjustments. 4 Basic Riding Skills: Pedaling Cadence; Riding in Traffic; Traffic Laws; Wind; Dogs; Railroad Tracks, Cattle Guards, and Rumble Strips. 5 Day Tours and Training Rides: Training Basics; Spring Training; Base Training; Training for a Tour; Training through Winter; Stretching and Weight Lifting; Doing Your First Century. CYCLE TOURING 102. BEYOND DAY RIDING 6 Organized Tours: Summer Camp on Wheels. 7 Vans and Credit Cards: You Dont Have to Camp or Carry a Lot of Weight: Types of Tours. 8 Loaded Touring: You Can Take It All With You: Basic Camp Equipment; Bags; Loading Up; Getting Rid of the Shimmies; Other Packing Tips; Light-Touring Rig; What to Carry. 9 Life on the Road: Choosing a Destination; Where to Spend the Night; Route Planning: You Say Theres a Big Hill Ahead?; Finding Your Way through Cities and Towns; Showers, Sanitation, and Locks; Food; Water; Group Size. 10 Challenges and Adversities: With Proper Preparation, Both Can Be Fun (Almost): Hills and Mountains; Poor Visibility: Forest and Fog; Deserts; Living--Or at Least Drinking--Off the Land; Bridges, Tunnels, and Freeways; Gravel; Construction Zones; Hitching a Ride; Avoiding Confrontations; Rain; Night Riding. 11 Getting There: Planes, Trains, Automobiles, Buses, and Ferries: Making a Choice. APPENDIX: 65 GREAT TOURS�AND MORE About the Author: Richard A. Lovett has published more than 2,000 articles on travel, science, and cycling for such publications as The Economist, Backpacker, and Travel & Leisure. The coauthor of Freewheelin: A Solo Journey Across America, he has bicycled more than 50,000 miles, including a 5,400-mile trek from California to Maine. He is also coauthor of The Essential Cross-Country Skier: A Step-by-Step Guide and Alberto Salazar's Guide to Running. Published by McGraw-Hill/Ragged Mountain Press. Sofcover. 160 pages. 50 b&w photos and illustrations.

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