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you're planning to ride around the world for a year or around your
state for a weekend you're sure to find some helpful hints in these
tricks and tips garnered from Steve's 26+ years of touring.
1. Air Travel
Depending on your country of origin some airlines
may want you to put your bike in a box… and some will charge
you an arm and a leg (both of which you will need for your trip).
Boxing bikes to withstand the abuse of baggage handling is almost
an exercise in futility - but it can be done well. My rule of thumb
is that once the bike is packed away you should be able to walk
on the box!
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2. Money
Can't travel without it! In Europe it's no problem
to travel with a credit card or ATM card and in most cases you'll
get a better exchange rate than what you'll get exchanging cash
or Traveler's checks. However, beware of potential fees for cash
advances piling up at home. Try to have somebody manage your banking
at home. In Asia, the more remote, and subsequently more interesting
places, have never seen an ATM. It's changing fast, but outside
the major cities you'll need ample amounts of local currency and
in as small a paper denomination as possible.
3. Language
If you are heading off to a part of the world
where English is not an official language and you want to have the
best possible experience - get a phrase book and start practicing.
For example, I love bicycle touring in France, but it wasn't always
that way. My first tour there was a cultural disaster. Later trips
to France were much more successful because I was willing to make
a fool of myself linguistically speaking.
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