Pages most recently added

``The Great Heart Travelers'' promote the blood donation riding around the world. They made a Europe tour of 5400 km in 2004, and a tour in New Zealand in 2005. (Follow the archive link at the bottom of the page to go to the European tour.)

A record of my progress from Alkmaar to Aix; by pedal power. From Netherlands to France via Belgium.

Most important is perhaps to point out that this for me was a most enjoyable thing to do. It was also an easy thing to do, and required remarkably little advance planning. I checked the bike and did the necessary repairs and changes, I drafted a route though the low countries and through France, estimated how long it would take me to do it, and with the minimum physical preparations I set off from Alkmaar on the 5th June.

I benefited of course from previous bicycling experience, I was aware of possible (physical) problems that might turn up, and was very careful not to let minor problems develop into more serious ones. Also extensive travel experience over the years (not much of it on bicycle) has taught me that there is always accommodation, there is food and drink to be found on the way. I climbed from Bonnieux up the hill [...] there was the most fantastic ride down the narrow valley towards Lourmarin, narrow hairpin bends, and again a downhill ride that seemed to go on forever.

A 2 week tandem tour of the Abruzzo and Puglia regions, taking in the Gran Sasso region (Campo Imperatore), and the Gargano Peninsula. Includes daily ride reports, maps, photos, planning and packing info.

We are 2 18 year old students. We made a tour across Europe from Holland to Sweden and Great Britain. After this we took the boat to Holland and set off to the south of Portugal.

In the spring (2006) we are going to make a trip from Anataly Turkey to Holland.

In September 2003 I organised and led a charity ride in the Pyrenees. A group of 14 braved the elements, and gravity, to raise £12,000 for Intermediate Technology Development Group. The two-week trip involved tears and blood, food and wine, 2000m cols and 50 mph descents. What follows is the record of that trip.

A self supported relaxed bike tour along the beautiful Loire valley. Pretty villages, nature, castles, delicious food, nice hotels - a report of a nearly perfect tour.

Additional infos about travel by train in France.

In this page you can find some links to my bicycle tour in Switzerland, Austria and Liechtenstein, from year 2000. From 2004 there are some photos available.

A tour of the French Alps, from Geneva to Nice, returning via the Piemont plains of Italy, followed by a visit to various climbs in Switzerland.

Six days - eight fjords - nine mountains.

Glaciers, waterfalls, white nights, trolls...and 200 great-spirited cycling enthusiasts sharing the Fjordland fairytales.

Cycling Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

60 photos and movies by Steven Hill and Rebecca Heald.

This past weekend, Rebecca and I participated in a really nice, informal, two-day bicycle tour through the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in the Sierra-Nevada, California. These parks protect some of the most stunning habitats you'll find anywhere. The huge elevational range (1,500' to 14,491') in this region features immense mountains including Mt. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states; huge trees including the General Sherman Sequoia Tree, the largest (by volume) living thing on earth and deep canyons including Kings Canyon which is deeper than the more famous Grand Canyon in Arizona.

Eine anspruchsvolle Radtour in 6 Tagesetappen über insgesamt 480 km durch typische Toskana-Landschaften, Tagesetappen zwischen 58 und 104 Kilometer.

Eine anspruchsvolle Radtour in 5 Tagesetappen über insgesamt 439 km durch bergiges Gelände, Tagesetappen zwischen 59 und 107 Kilometer.

Eine anspruchsvolle Radtour in 5 Tagesetappen über insgesamt 491 km, Tagesetappen zwischen 61 und 151 Kilometer.

Eine anspruchsvolle Radtour auf Sizilien in 12 Tagesetappen über insgesamt 1025 km, Tagesetappen zwischen 50 und 120 Kilometern.

This is a photo illustrated chronology of a six day bicycle trip from Prague, Czech Republic to Vienna, Austria in September, 2004.

Follow the adventures of Kevin, Tom and Paul, three Canadians as they tour through scenic countryside through towns with place names they could not pronounce.

This tandem-bike tour led us from Prague in the Czech Republic via Tabor, Ceske Budejovice and Cesky Krumlov to the border at Horni Dvoriste. The trip continued along Austria's Tauern bike route (Tauernradweg) from Krimml, Austria, up through Bad Reichenhall, Germany, and ending at Salzburg, Austria. The trip report contains many useful links and resources to assist other tourists in their trip planning.

A week-long tandem bike tour on the Tauern bike route (Tauernradweg) from Krimml, Austria to Passau, Germany. Daily trip notes, useful trip-planning links, and a comprehensive resources page with information about touring in Austria and Germany, using the train systems, etc. Tour report published in Oct. 2005.

In 2001 vanuit Nederland vertrokken en nu okt 2005 meer dan 65.000 km en al meer dan 40 landen doorgefietst.

A photo diary of a 210 mile bicycle trip from Passau,Germany to Vienna,Austria in May 2005 with an initial stop in Regensburg, Germany.

some of my followers expect that I am on big tour, most probably at South America - but I am not....

We expect to carry our recent bought ship home to Austria. The ship still rests at Frankfurt / Main (Germany). Needless to say, it is a costly and time consuming job. That's why...

I have not forgotten to train myself. One of the very typical daily tours lead me to the 'HEIDE' (a local recreational area) A trail, which starts right in front of my house and consequently ends here... Distance: a rough guess: 23 kilometers (about 15 miles) . Climbing, moderate, up to about 550 meters elevation. Duration: with a short rest and a beer: 2 hrs.

Enjoy the pictures and my report. Good luck to all my followers!

Itinerario en bicicleta de montaña con alforjas que partiendo de Tortosa, a orillas del río Ebro, cruza la Comunidad Valenciana de norte a sur por las montañas del interior, finalizando junto al río Segura ya en Murcia.

Circulando por sus comarcas interiores (Tinença de Benifassà, Els Ports, Alt Maestrat, L´Alcalaten, Alto Mijares, Alto Palancia, Los Serranos, La Plana de Utiel-Requena, Valle de Ayora-Cofrentes, Canal de Navarrés, la Costera-Valle de Albaida, El Comptat y El Vinalopó), a lo largo del recorrido se visitan gran parte de sus macizos montañosos (Benifassa, Els Ports, Maestrat, Penyagolosa, Sierra de Espadán, Caroig, Sierra Calderona, Sierra Mariola, Sierra de Aitana y Maigmó), y algunos de sus parques naturales (Tinença de Benifassá, Penyagolosa, Serra d´Espadà, Serra Calderona, Chera-Sot de Chera, Hoces del Cabriel, Serra de Mariola y Font Roja).

La ruta sigue fielmente el itinerario Travesía de la Comunidad Valenciana (Fredes-Pinoso), diseñado por Aníbal, incansable "biker", gran conocedor de la Comunidad Valencia y sin cuya aportación no hubiera sido posible, por lo que desde aquí quiero expresar mi más sincero agradecimiento.

Recorrido en bicicleta de montaña con alforjas que cruza los Pirineos de este a oeste, desde el Mediterráneo (Llança como punto de partida) hasta al Atlántico (y Hendaya como punto final). Toma como referencia la guía "La Traversee VTT des Pyrenees Françaises", de Georges Veron y editada por Altigraph Edition, siguiendo su mayor parte su itinerario principal.

Partiendo a orillas del Mediterráneo primero recorremos la región de Languedoc-Rousillon, cruzando sus departamentos pirenaicos (Pyrenees Orientales, Aude), donde visitaremos Côte Vermeille, Massif des Albères, Vallespir (Vallée du Tech), Massif du Canigou y Conflent (Vallé de la Têt)A

Ya en la región de Midi-Pyrenees (los departamentos de Ariege, Haute Garonne y Hautes Pyrenees), a donde entramos siguiendo el Sentier Cathare (por los castillos de Puilarens, Roquefixade, Montsegur y Foix), seguimos el antiguo Chemin de Piémot, que nos llevara por las Gorges de la Frau, l´Ariege, el Couserans (por el Col de la Core), el Valle de la Garonne (pasando por el Col de Portet d´Aspet), el Vallé de Ger, la Neste, l´Adour (cruzando les Baronnies) y la Gave de Pau.

Por último, y ascendiendo los puertos de Soulour y l´Aubisque, entramos en la Aquitaine (departamento de Pyrenees Altantiques), donde recorreremos Gave de Ossau, Gave d´Aspe, Béar, Pays Basque, la Soule, Bass-Navarre (pasando el Foret d´Irati), la Nive-Nivelle, para terminar a orillas del Atlántico en la desembocadura del Bidasoa entre Hendaye e Irún.

South America tour:

1. hike (and bike...) to the Nazca Lines - May 2013
2. Inca trail to Machu Picchu May 2013
3. Ride, hike and travel Lima-Miraflores and vicinity (Peru)
4. Lago Titicaca and Perurail trip 2013

As a bicycle traveler, I have been lucky to book a bike tour at the local organization bikingtoursoflima. Located at Miraflores. Not far from my hostel (Pirwa). Pirwa hostel is somehow better as rated and described at tripadvisor... So, the bike tour has been quickly organized. This time, I have been lucky. It worked! I have been supplied by a bike.

You should know, Lima's roads are not made for bicyclists. They are wide, but the traffic is so heavy and car drivers are so 'nervous', that you may quickly will be run-over, once you show up on road. Most of the cross roads throughout the city, we have pedaled on sidewalks. No way - it seems to be a must! Once you reached the shoreline it is a very scenic place. The road follows the cliffs. Very nice. Right in the middle of Miraflores there is a food mall located. With extreme high class restaurants. Worth to go! Some Peruvian Soles could be spent there... Remember, we are now nearly on sea level. The typical Peruvian elevations are over by now. But the cliffs makes you ride on rolling hills. As we hit just some of the suburban villages down South, as e.g. Barranca and Corrilleres it didn't exhaust us to much. In this area, you may not find any signs of Inca culture at all. Lima-Miraflores is a place, where the well-doing upper class people live.

See impressions from the ride at the pages below! Enjoy the pictures. Good luck to our followers!

South America tour:

1. hike (and bike...) to the Nazca Lines - May 2013
2. Inca trail to Machu Picchu May 2013
3. Ride, hike and travel Lima-Miraflores and vicinity (Peru)
4. Lago Titicaca and Perurail trip 2013

The tour starts at Cusco. The major capital city of the Incas.

At Cusco you may find at least, if not thousands of travel agents who are offering the Inca trail tour and others. I have planned my tour in advance and... was cheated by an agent 'info@mapitrekperu.com'... Just $ 150,- which I have been asked to send via Western Union to Jenny Maribel Machacho Quispe at the address of Calle Hatun Rumiyonc Nr. 487, Cusco Peru. Emails bounce back, Telephone cannot be 'completed as dialed', their web-page does not exist anymore. But at Cusco I contacted the tourist police and they told me, this lady has many cases and is already ordered to court.

I have therefore purchased a new tour at Coca travel agency at Cusco. Reliable! A 4days/3nights tour which has been a combination of biking and hiking to the Machu Picchu. [...]

Without a tour guide, it wouldn't be wise to take the trail. For many reasons. Security is one, food and drink supply another. Check out the correct route another (not to found in a Coca jungle laboratory, whereas the 'shining path' protects the business).

The hike up to the Machu Picchu ruins is not for mountain bikers as well. The path is so steep, that even young people give up and walk on the winding road up. But there the conflict with the never ending line of tourist buses start. The road is ruled by the bus drivers. Man, they can be rude. The road is narrow and they drive their way, no matter if a tourist is in their way... Sometimes scary.

South America tour:

1. hike (and bike...) to the Nazca Lines - May 2013
2. Inca trail to Machu Picchu May 2013
3. Ride, hike and travel Lima-Miraflores and vicinity (Peru)
4. Lago Titicaca and Perurail trip 2013

I tried to book a bicycle tour, as I did on other locations at Bolivia and Peru... It has not been working out. The guys from bikeperu.com didn't find the time for a reply... No bicycle means automatically to find other means of transport - the car of the hostel keeper (Marco from Pirwa hostel Nazca). Nazca is a sort of rural place. It takes nearly 7 hours to go down by bus from Lima. You may meet people from all over the world.

The way down to Nazca is on good paved road with wide shoulder. But there is low infrastructure in between. Let's assume you bike down on the Panamericana Sud, you have to plan your stay carefully in advance. It is a very dry, hot and sandy area. Never have seen a single bicyclist on the road. The high elevations are over...; nevertheless you may find 'rolling hills - a coastal road is never totally flat. The last part down to Nazca is 'inland' with some minor hills to climb in between.

I have refused to fly over the lines. They have two steel structure platforms, whereas you may see a lot of lines. Figures etc. Most of the lines go back to 800 before Christ. They belong to the times before the modern Inca. [...] Enjoy the pictures. Good luck to our followers!

Many times I have checked at the Internet this ride... Now, dreams has come true... The Death Road, or as it is called 'the most dangerous road of the world" is the ultimate downhill ride. People from all over the world doing this, and try to get a kick.

I did it with the support of 'Gravity Biking'. A very reliable organization, which I really can recommend. They have experienced tour guides, who makes this ride easy and safe. Gravity Biking also provides the bike. We had blue sky weather, with some exceptions, e.g. when crossing a waterfall, or a misty jungle area. You should take into consideration, the start is elevated at a height of 4.700 meters, finally going down to 1.250 meters. Passing at least 3 climate zones. The road comprises a ride on paved road, round 13 kilometers and about 47 kilometers on dirt road. Hanging cliffs, makes the ride somehow scenic (...and dangerous).

Today, not so many bikers die per year.... The original name came by the fact, that, before the new paved road, this road has been the connecting road to go from La Paz to Santa Cruz. Today, as the new road is completed, the old road became a mountain bike Eldorado. The organized tour ends with a zip line event. We found a three rope zip line - the flying fox (check out at the Internet!)

Please note: when entering the lower part of the road, just before the paved roads ends, you are passing a local police check point. It may happen that even tourists are forced to undertake a drug test. Because this area is known as one of the Coca farming area. Coca leaves has two sides: one is the Coca leave tea, which is legal and a rather good medicine to overcome height sickness symptoms. The other side is the processing the Coca leaves in jungle laboratories and traffic the final product. They say, the "shining path" organization today comprises no more than 50 people which protect the Cocaine trafficking.

This has been a counter visit of of our German biking friends from Hamburg. Beate, a powerful riding lady; Norbert with an E-pedelec and a very good Li-battery has been accompanying us on our 3 day tour. My daughter Anne and her boyfriend accompanied us on our first day of riding. We ended the tour by riding through the Thaya national park, as our German guests decided to continue riding back home using some popular trails in Czech Republic. I am still impressed of the performance of our guests. They have been riding the national park trail with all their heavy luggage (which I called 'stone collection').
Enjoy the pictures and comments. Good luck to our followers!

Recorrido en bicicleta de montaña con alforjas por la Región de Murcia siguiendo el itinerario de la TransMurciana, a través de caminos históricos y rurales, especialmente por vías pecuarias y viales de uso compartido. Coincide en gran medida con los Caminos de la Vera Cruz, Itinerarios Ecoturísticos, Corredores y Vías Verdes, y los Senderos de Gran Recorrido que atraviesan el Mediterráneo (GR 92 y GR 7). Sin grandes desniveles visita la gran mayoría de los Espacios Naturales Protegidos murcianos, viéndose representados su gran variedad de paisajes.

Partiendo de Murcia capital, y tras cruzar el P.R. Carrascoy y el Valle, desciende hasta el mar cerca de San Pedro del Pinatar, para bordear el Mar Menor hasta Cabo de Palos. Sigue toda costa murciana, en gran parte por el GR 92, pasando por La Unión, Cartagena, Puerto de Mazarrón y Águilas. [...]

Recorrido en bicicleta de montaña con alforjas desde Almansa, pasando por Cuenca, hasta Burgos siguiendo el Camino de Santiago-Ruta de la Lana. Incluye el enlace del Camino de Levante, en Almansa, con la propiamente llamada Ruta de la Lana, en Monteagudo de las Salinas.

Itinerario en bicicleta de montaña con alforjas desde Ponferrada hasta Espinosa de los Monteros, que recorre la Cordillera Cantábrica pasando por muchos de sus macizos montañosos más representativos. Sigue la ruta descrita por Juanjo Alonso en la guía Transcantábrica en BTT editada por la Editorial Desnivel, coincidiendo en gran parte con el recorrido ciclomontañero.

Itinerario en bicicleta de montaña con alforjas, que tomando como punto de partida Granada, da la vuelta a las principales cumbres del Parque Nacional de Sierra Nevada, en su zona granadina. En gran parte la ruta coincide con el itinerario senderista GR 240 Sulayr y la ruta cicloturista Transnevada. Desde Granada capital, recorremos la vertiente norte de Sierra Nevada, pasando por Jérez del Marquesado, para cruzar a la vertiente sur por el Puerto de la Ragua. Ya por la Alpujarra, llegamos a Lanjarón tras pasar por Trevélez, Pórtugos y Capileira. Tras recorrer la Rinconada de Nigüelas, llegamos a Granada por Gójar y La Zubia.

Recorrido en bicicleta de montaña con alforjas siguiendo el Camino de Santiago en Cataluña. Parte desde el Monasterio de Sant Pere de Rodes hasta Pina de Ebro, donde se une al Camino de Santiago del Ebro, por donde continúa hasta finalizar en Logroño, donde se enlaza con el Camino Francés. Incluye tambien el enlace desde Montserrat con Barcelona, bajando por Martorell y volviendo por San Cugat.

The Reisalpe is rather high located (nearly 1.400 meters), and with a bicycle not easy to reach. We circled around to find a way up, which takes a while and made our day distance rather long: 55 kilometers. Some parts so steep, that we have pushed the bike upwards. I never have been riding so long distances on my most easy sprocket ring. Downhill has been another difficulty, as because of the steep decent, braking the bicycle made the rear wheel drifting... We have started at Wiesenfeld (near the city of Traisen) using the 'wrong' way up via Schindeltal, passed the Ebenwald summit, and later found the way up. We went down to Furthof and returned on the Traisen bike path back to Wiesenfeld. Our tour started 'wet' but ended in typical fall sun conditions. An evening break and rest at the restaurant of 'Mostheurigen Karner', located at the Hafnerberg road, near the little town of Noestlach rounded our tour. Enjoy the report and pictures. Good luck to our followers.

Recorrido en bicicleta de montaña con alforjas que cruza los Pirineos de esta a oeste, por su vertiente sur, desde el Mediterráneo (Llança como punto de partida) hasta al Atlántico (y Hondarribia como punto final). Toma como referencia la guía "La travesía de los Pirineos en BTT", de Jordi Laparra y editada por Prames, siguiendo su itinerario principal excepto para tomar la variante de Ordesa-Sierra de Cutas.

Description of riding the Munda Biddi Trail from the northern trailhead to Collie, the first major town as you head south on the trail.

The Waterous Trail is a fairly easy two day ride that takes in some of the Munda Biddi Trail in Western Australia. A great trail to ride to to get away for the weekend or to get a taste of off-road touring.

Itinerario en bicicleta de montaña con alforjas que sigue la travesía de los Alpes Occidentales, principalmente por su vertiente francesa, aunque los últimos kilómetros son por la vertiente italiana. Toma como punto de partida Ginebra, a orillas del Lago Leman, para terminar en Ventimiglia, en la frontera entre Francia e Italia, a orillas del Mediterráneo. La ruta sigue el itinerario descrito en la guía ''La traversé des Alpes à VTT, du Léman'' la Méditerranée'' de Patrick Bernard, editado por Didier Richard.

Recorremos en Francia: Savoie-Mont Blanc (Genevois, Chablais, Portes du Soleil, Grand Massif, Pays du Mont Blanc, Beaufortain, Tarentaise y Maurienne), Hautes Alpes (Briançonais, Pays du Guillestrois y Queyras) y Alpes-Haute Provence (Ubaye). Y en Italia: Piemonte-Cuneo (Valle Maira, Valle Stura, Valle Gesso, Valle Vermenagna y Valle Tanaro) e Imperia (Alpi Marittime y Liguria).

Ruta eminentemente montañera que coincide en muchos momentos con los tres grandes itinerarios transalpinos (Grande Traverse des Alps GTA-GR 5, Via Alpina y Route des Grandes Alpes) y con otros senderos de largo recorrido (GRP Littoral du Leman, Tour des Portes du Soleil, Tour des Fiz, GRP Tour du Pays du Mont Blanc, GRP Tour du Beaufortain, GRP Tour de Haute-Tarentaise, GR 57 Tour du Mont Thabor, GR 58 Tour du Queyras, GR 541, GR 56, GR 6, GRP Tour du Chambeyron, Percorsi Occitani, Via de la Sale y Alta Via Monti Ligure).

Se visitan algunos grandes macizos montañosos (Mont Blanc, Vanoise, Ecrins y Queyras) junto con otras zonas menos conocidas (Chablais, Giffre, Montagne d'Anterne, Beaufortain, Tarentaise, Iseran, Maurienne, Thabor, Grand-Briaçonais, Vallée de la Cerveyrette, Durance, Parpaillon, Ubaye, Viraysee, Mary, Haut-Piemont, Valle Maira, Valle Stura, Haute Roya y Liguria).