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Time for Touring

By Joe Hall • 22nd April 2010 06:33pm • Posted in Misc

© Jobst Brandt

After a week where volcanic ash prevented thousands of people from flying to locations in and out of Europe, it's time to rethink the art of travel. Supposing we didn't have the convenience of commercial flight and instead depended on more grounded means of transportation, how should we approach it? Two words: Cycle Touring. It seems that we have grown far too dependent on air travel and spend all weekend in the departure lounge.

Of course, Rapha has its own brand of cycle-touring planned this summer in the form of the Rapha Randonnées where riders will undoubtedly have to make use of air travel. But I predict 2010 is the year to dust off the panniers and bedrolls and set off to the Alps, Dolomites or Rockies and create your own brevet without even a sniff of an airport . Rapha even have guides to help you plan such journeys.

© Pete Drinkell

Yes, cycle touring may remind you of wrinkly old buzzards in anoraks, but it doesn't have to be that way. So don your Touring Shorts, grab your Michelin Maps and get touring.

Comments

ben matthews

22nd April 2010 07:15pm

3 months in canada, vancouver to halifax starting 28may it is then

john bailey

23rd April 2010 07:05am

"Yes, cycle touring may remind you of wrinkly old buzzards in anoraks"…

ah c'mon…i'm only 41… however, I am glad you flagged up cycle touring, I have been trying to 'sex up' cycle touring for a couple of years now by making journeys by cycle with a 6x7 rangefinder camera or sometimes a 5x4 large format camera plus all the gubbins that goes with it, and photograph the circumstantial landscape I come across…let me say, you really do get into 'suffering' for your art. Nothing like ascending the first ramp of the Julierpass outside St Moritz with a 5x4 rig onboard plus camping equipment (14%)…however thanks to Rapha, I not only managed to stay comfortable in the sunshine in my sportwool jersey but look immaculate & refined when I reached the summit for a hot chocolate. Also that gillet really was the best thing for a chilly descent. Thanks you lot for all your hard work with Rapha, I hope it continues to grow, you make some great products. Love Jobst's photographs too - you really ought to put a book out of his work.

John Bailey.

ps can I have a plug?

www.velostouri.com

even contains a Rapha still life…

http://www.velostouri.com/E002/E002011.html

Stefan Rohner

23rd April 2010 07:47am

"Michelin Maps"? when I cycled from Barcelona to Tirana last year, many cyclists asked me: which navigation system did you use? no navigation system, just michelin maps… today most people use that garmin stuff, without these small computers they cant cycle anymore ;)

Jorg Kuijl

23rd April 2010 02:36pm

@ Stefan Rohner,

I fully agree. I'm using that Garmin stuff too but mostly for analysing. To me trips are the most fun when is't not planned and when you encounter the unaspected.

Cheers,

p.s.
For an other fresh cycling blog…
http://www.koersvandedag.nl
(sorry it's in Dutch but has nice photography)

Stefan Rohner

23rd April 2010 07:44pm

""To me trips are the most fun when is't not planned and when you encounter the unaspected""

yes!

Jorg, for me no numbers since around 10 years ;)

is this the self promotion day? ;) www.stefan-rohner-net

I knew your blog already.

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