Play chicken in Helsinki traffic

by Tom Johansmeyer on

I was pretty impressed by Helsinki‘s public transportation, which was more than ample with trolleys, subways and buses. There were few SUVs, and the bike lane was rarely empty. While the Finns got the ingredients right, the mixing was … well … suboptimal.

The least menacing of the interesting transportation overlaps involves the bike lanes and sidewalk. Neither is clearly defined, and I almost got clipped by a cyclist my first day on the ground. And, that wasn’t the only Finn to take a shot at me. Of course, this is tame compared to the streets, in which cars, buses and trolleys jockey for position.

I actually saw a trolley, bus and car jammed in traffic, while a pedestrian walked straight into a guy wearing headphones while riding a purple woman’s bike. From my spot on the small patio in front of the Klaus K Hotel, I was able to enjoy the misfortune of others. But, I almost lost my arm at the hands of an errant cyclist while taking the few steps back to the front door.With Satan traveling the roads, what chance does any pedestrian have?

I snapped this shot with my Blackberry. This was the taxi in which I rode while in Helsinki over the summer. Needless to say, I did pause for a moment before getting in.

Tour d’Afrique Off and Running!

by Kraig Becker on

The 2009 edition of the Tour d’Afrique got underway last Sunday, with cyclists setting out from Cairo, Egypt on a 7317 mile long race to Cape Town, South Africa. In between they’ll pass through the Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, and Namibia, fostering international goodwill along the way, while raising funds for environmental protection and promoting cycling in Africa.

The race is broken down into 96 stages of various lengths, with a typical day getting underway at 7:30 AM, when the top riders start out on the course. They are soon followed by another group who may not be contending for the top spot, but still want to complete every mile, while the “Back Pack” is made up of a group of riders who just want to enjoy the adventure and soak up some of the culture of the countries they are passing through.

This is the seventh year that the race has been run, and the web coverage seems to be the best ever. For instance, there are photos from each stage, videos from the various countries and introductions for some of the riders, and a daily blog with results and news from the course.

With six stages done, the riders have more than three months of riding ahead of them through a variety of climates and terrains before reaching their final destination on May 9th. They’ll struggle through the Sahara Desert, roll across the Equator, and race across an endless savannah, and they each payed more than $10,000 for the privledge. Seems like it’s an adventure worth every penny.

Fit For Trips Gets You Ready For Adventure

by Kraig Becker on

Some people like to go on vacation to relax, sit on a beach and enjoy fine foods and sip fruity drinks. Others take a break from their regular life to go on an adventure. They climb mountains, they trek through the Himalaya, and they cycle through the south of France. Adventure travelers need to be in great shape before they leave on their vacations, and that’s where Fit For Trips comes in.

Fit For Trips offers 4, 8, and 12 week programs designed to get you ready for your adventure vacation. Each of them is easily adaptable to the activities that you will be participating in while traveling, and can be custom made to match your itinerary, and best of all, they can help someone who is just starting to get in shape or is already working out regularly.
There are programs designed for biking, both on and off road, trekking, paddling, walking, and multisports. Rates vary depending on the length of the program and the levels of customization. Typically a four week program starts at $169 while a twelve week program tops out around $339. For your money, you get video clips of exercise routines specific to your activities, reference charts and photos demonstrating your exercises, unlimited access to the Fit For Trips forums, and unlimited e-mail consultation from the FFT trainers. You’ll also have online tracking of your progress and the whole thing comes with a money back guarantee.

The idea is that you’ll enjoy your adventure travel more if you are in better condition and won’t suffer physically while taking part in all those activities. As a happy traveler your get more from your vacation and have more of an opportunity to soak up the culture and the adventure. To check out sample work out routines, click here, and to take a tour of what Fit For Trips has to offer, click here. Then start preparing for your next trip with the right routine as soon as possible.

Ecotourism comes to Cambodia

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Mountain bikers can reclaim wilderness that once belonged to illegal loggers and poachers. Hidden in the foothills of Cambodia‘s Cardamom Mountains, the village of Chi Pat is now home to a mountain biking experience that is unparalleled in trail and impact.

This new program is the result of cooperation among Wildlife Alliance (formerly known as Wild Aid), Asia Adventures (a Cambodia-based adventure travel company) and the villagers of Chi Pat. Off-road cycling tourists are expected to bring a sustainable source of income to the villagers while exposing guests to some of the world’s last remaining virgin wilderness.

Chi Pat is two hours from Phnom Penh by boat and is portal to old logging routes, undulating trails and streams and shallow rivers. Ride through bamboo thicket, rain forest and hills while gazing upon waterfalls, bat caves and waterfalls. A lucky few will see rare wildlife, such as elephants.

Simply by mountain biking in Chi Pat, you can help the villagers reclaim their home from years of abuse by illicit tree-choppers and hunters. Merely enjoying yourself has never been so powerful.

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[Photos thanks to Asia Adventures]

Cycling in the Canary Islands

by Jamie Rhein on

While doing a bit of research on the Canary Islands for the post that was inspired by my friend’s story of her mother’s life as a lady’s maid on a cruise ship, I found this video on You Tube. Tenerife looks like a cyclist’s dream which is one reason why quintessentquirk posted this video. Quintssentquirk owns a cycling shop on the island. There’s an informative write up about the process of making this video and the song choice–“Kalifornia” by Kashmir.

Tenerife is one of those places where strong legs and lungs is an asset when bike riding. Watching this might entice you to hop on a bike.