COMPANIONS WANTED 7 WAYPOINTS 8 OPEN ROAD GALLERY 47 ADVENTURE CYCLIST GO THE DISTANCE. APRIL 2012 WWW.ADVentURecYCLing.ORG $4.95 BUYEr’s gUIDE: Today’s Touring Bikes PLUS: HOW TO PLAN YOUR TRIP STARTING THE KIDS EARLY IMAGES FROM ABROAD PROFILE: IBF AND BIKE AFRICA 2 ADVENTURE CYCLIST APRIL 2012 ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG ADVENTURE CYCLIST APRIL 2012 ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG 3 4:2012 contents April 2012 · Volume 39 Number 3 · www.adventurecycling.org ADVENTURE CYCLIST is published nine times each year by the Adventure Cycling Association, a nonprofit service organization for recreational bicyclists. Individual membership costs $40 yearly to U.S. addresses and includes a subscrip- tion to Adventure Cyclist and dis- counts on Adventure Cycling maps. The entire contents of Adventure Cyclist are copyrighted by Adventure Cyclist and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from Adventure Cyclist. All rights reserved. OUR COVER In Mauritania Gostelow rests under the first tree he’d seen for 2,000 miles. Photo by Peter Gostelow. ERIC SCHAMBION (left) In Niger a camel carries more than Amaya Williams. MISSION The mission of Adventure Cycling TOURING BIKE BUYER’S GUIDE by John Wider Association is to inspire people of all 10 What to look for when shopping for your next (or first) touring bike. ages to travel by bicycle. We help cyclists explore the landscapes and history of America for fitness, fun, A TWO-WHEELED GAP YEAR FOR GROWN UPS by Amaya Williams and self-discovery. 16 Ready to plan the extended bike tour you’ve always dreamed of? Here’s how. CAMPAIGNS Our strategic plan includes three A WORLD OF IMAGES by Peter Gostelow major campaigns: 24 A selection of photos from an adventure cyclist’s world bicycle travels. • Creating Bike Routes for America • Getting Americans Bicycling • Supporting Bicycling Communities 32 PASSING DOWN THE BIKE by Eric Butterman You want to pass on your love of cycling to your kids, right? Just don’t be too pushy. How to Reach Us To join, change your address, or ask questions about membership, visit us A WORLD VIEW WITH SPOKES by Dan D’Ambrosio online at www.adventurecycling.org 38 A profile of David Mozer, the man behind the International Bicycle Fund and Bicycle Africa. or call (800) 755-2453 or (406) 721-1776 email: [email protected] DEpaRTMENTS LETTERS Subscription Address: Adventure Cycling Association companions wanted LETTER from the Editor P.O. Box 8308 07 04 Missoula, MT 59807 08 WAYPOINTS 05 LETTERS from the readers Headquarters: Adventure Cycling Association 150 E. Pine St. 42 MarKetplace/ClassiFieds 06 LETTER from the DIRECTOR Missoula, MT 59802 47 OPEN ROAD GALLERY COLUMNS 36 Road test / Patrick O’Grady The Pashley Clubman is an absolute classic 2 ADVENTURE CYCLIST APRIL 2012 ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG ADVENTURE CYCLIST APRIL 2012 ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG 3 ADVENTURE Letter from the Editor CYCLIST 2012 NAHBS April 2012 volume 39 number 3 Incredible bikes and a good vibe in Sacramento WWW.ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG EDITOR MICHAEL DEME [email protected] ART DIRECTOR GREG SIPLE I recently attended the The North American [email protected] TECHNICAL EDITOR Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) for the JOHN SCHUBERT [email protected] first time. This version of the NAHBS was in FIELD EDITOR MICHAEL MCCOY Sacramento, California, and was the eighth iteration of the [email protected] CONTRIBUTING WRITERS event, which is a congregation of independent bike builders DAN D’ambrosio nancy CLARK WILLIE weir jan HEINE who manufacture (mostly) sume) bicycles. PATRICK O’GRADY custom bicycles of an There were so many COPY EDITOR PHYLLIS PICKLESIMER amazing variety. Most are memorable bicycles I ADVERTISING DIRECTOR the kind of bicycles that couldn’t write about RICK BRUNER 509.493.4930 the average cyclist would them all, but a couple ADVERTISING@ ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG trade all of their fac- stood out. One was a STAFF tory bikes for, and they’d replica Whippet built EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR need to because the price by Paul Brodie, an JIM SAYER tags on most of these instructor of Bicycle [email protected] CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER machines would make the Frame Building at the SHEILA SNYDER, CPA majority of riders blanch University of Fraser MEMBERSHIP & DEVELOPMENT JULIE HUCK amanda LIPSEY noticeably. But from what Valley in Abbotsford, AMY corbin josHua TACK I could tell, that’s not the point of the British Columbia. Whippets were safety THOMAS BASSETT ALEX CAMPBELL MEDIA show. The exhibitors at NAHBS are there bicycles built in England in the 1880s WINONA bateman micHAEL MCCOY to show off their frame-building chops, and were some of the first pedal bikes to ALISON RILEY PUBLICATIONS and I’m telling you, there were some seri- become popular after the penny-farthing MICHAEL deme greg SIPLE ous chops to be shown. craze of roughly the same period. The DEREK GALLAGHer racHEL STEVENS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Compared to the borderline mad- other was an almost completely wooden JOHN sieber ricHARD DARNE ness of Interbike, which is the largest bicycle made by Bekes. Unreal. Both of JOHN EIKENS bicycle show in North America, the these were representative of many of TOURS ARLEN HALL MO mislivets three-day NAHBS was a real pleasure to the bikes displayed in that they are not PAUL HANSBARGER MADELINE MCKIDDY attend. From 9:00 to 11:00 AM on Friday, meant for sale but simply to show what ROUTES AND MAPPING CARLA MAJERNIK JENNIFER MILYKo the first day, only industry folk were is possible in the field of bicycle build- VIRGINIA SULLIVAN CASEY GREENE NATHAN TAYLOR MELISSA THOMPSON allowed into the convention hall. That ing. SALES AND MARKETING time flew by and I didn’t even make it For more information about NAHBS, TERI MALOUGHNEY through the second isle of exhibitors visit handmadebicycleshow.com. CYCLOSOURCE TED BOWMAN SARAH RAZ because I was able to chat up each and • • • OFFICE MANAGER every builder when I stopped to check I’ve got to fess up to a serious mis- BETH PETERSEN out their creations. To be fair, Interbike statement that I made in the February BOARD OF DIRECTORS is an industry-only show with no con- issue. In the review of the PDW Danger PRESIDENT sumer time and NAHBS is focused on Zone on page 50, I said that most cyclists CAROL YORK VICE PRESIDENT consumers, so there’s not the break-neck involved in a collision with an automo- WALLY WERNER pace set from Moment One to sell, sell, bile are hit from behind. This is statisti- SECRETARY sell. Builders were eager to talk about cally not true and I was rightfully taken ANDY BAUR TREASURER their designs and the reasons behind to the woodshed about it. For more see ANDY HUPPERT them and, if you’re into talking about the opposite page. BOARD MEMBERS JASON BOUCHER TODD COPLEY why cable guides are where they are and JENNIFER GARST GEORGE MENDES how they’re welded, this is the show for Michael Deme JEFF MILLER DONNA O’NEAL you. It’s also the show for you if you like Editor, Adventure Cyclist Magazine fantastic looking (and performing, I pre- [email protected] 4 ADVENTURE CYCLIST APRIL 2012 ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG ADVENTURE CYCLIST APRIL 2012 ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG 5 Letters from our Readers False statement about bike-car collisions more crosswalk talk Misstatement v. statistics hope that Adventure Cycling will main- requires it. The problem with motorists In the article “Seeing the Light” on page tain the tradition of gathering and dis- stopping when they have the right of way 50 of the February issue, I read the fol- seminating factual information which is that it puts the cyclist in a difficult situa- lowing statement: “In car-bike collisions, Burden and Burgess started. Thank you. tion. Do you cross or not? There is no guar- most cyclists are struck from behind so John S. Allen, bikexprt.com antee that other drivers are also going to be sure you can be seen.” Waltham, Massachusetts stop for you. If you cross and get hit, you The conclusion of that sentence is good are likely to be found at fault. It’s better if advice but the premise is wildly inac- everyone just follows the rules of the road. curate. Research shows the figure to be Crosswalk confusion Alan Bloom more like seven percent. Fatal collisions You’ll probably get a blizzard of mail Santa Rosa, California are more commonly rear-enders, but they about Bruce Wright’s “Who has right of are rare, and the percentage is under 50 way?” letter in the February issue, but percent. Car-bike collisions are only about it’s an important question that deserves Your letters are welcome. Due to the volume of mail 20 percent of serious bicycle crashes and discussion. and email we receive, we cannot print every letter. account for about 80 percent of bicyclist I’m not familiar with the vehicle code We may edit letters for length and clarity. If you do fatalities. in Virginia, but I doubt it is much dif- not want your comments to be printed in Adventure Cyclist, please state so clearly. Please include your It is important for cyclists to be seen ferent from California. According to the name and address with your correspondence. Email both from the rear and from the front — California vehicle code (CVC 21950), your comments, questions, or letters to editor@ also, to see ahead. I’m pleased that the vehicles must yield to pedestrians in a adventurecycling.org or mail to Editor, Adventure article includes a review of a headlight as crosswalk. A person riding a bicycle is Cyclist, P.O. Box 8308, Missoula, MT 59807. well as a taillight.