We already credit the Swiss with being quite good at a range of things: Army knives, watches, chocolate and banks. Turns out we can add something else to the list: an impressive network of hiking, cycling, skating and canoeing paths perfectly signposted for us to use, as part of the SwitzerlandMobility project.
Apparently all of these trails and paths have been around for ages, but now that they've got them properly interconnected and have standardized the signage, there's no stopping us, whichever method of getting around we choose.
Hikers can choose from almost 4,000 miles of paths, cyclists from nearly 5,300 miles and even mountain-bikers get over 2,000 miles of signposted Swiss beauty. Those clever Swiss have even tied in public transport routes to help us get to and from these trails. No excuse for staying still in Switzerland now.
Yeah, pedals, not petals. Something about this super nice weather has us wanting to rent a bike and ride around some parks. Picnicking and day drinking are, of course, optional.
In Paris, those Velib bikes are the way to go, and other European cities have similar bike-sharing programs. Stateside, Washington, DC is launching a similar program next month, starting with a fleet of 120 bikes. The initiative is called SmartBike DC, though its set-up seems a little less tourist-friendly than some other programs. (Something about a $40 annual fee...)
At NYC's Central Park, you can go official and rent bikes at The Boathouse or just grab one from a tout in Columbus Circle. Oh, and if you shoot a crazy video while biking, do send it our way.
After a particular post on Monday, some people accused us of being heartless. As evidence to the contrary, allow us to present Davy and Daryl Vogel, two youngsters planning to bike from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. These kids are cute!
OK, yes, they'll also be biking with their parents, two schoolteachers who will help Davy and Daryl make it to Argentina. Along the way, the twin brothers hope to educate other, less fortunate kids about geography and set a world record as the youngest duo to bike the Pan-American Highway.
Obviously, there's a blog involved. We'll be watching for updates from the road, boys.
Unless you're traveling in bike-friendly metros like Portland, Oregon or Minneapolis, finding detailed cycling maps can be tough--which is a bummer if you're trying to travel green, or just want to get a ride in on your next trip. But worry not, Bikely has the answer.
The equivalent of a cyclist's del.icio.us, Bikely lets riders all over the world share their favorite routes. And for a site that's still growing, it's got a lot of destinations covered: from five-mile daily commutes in Seattle to 100-mile tours in the French alps to 15-mile cruises around Beijing's must-see attractions.
Bikely integrates Google Maps so cyclists can visually chart their routes but also leaves room for detailed text instructions, and users can print out condensed cue sheets to take with them on rides. Each route is tagged by location, type and difficulty.
Perhaps the best feature on Bikely is the forums, which lets cyclists comment on rides, sharing suggestions and criticisms. For travelers looking to tackle an unfamiliar city on two wheels, it can sometimes be nice to know the road you're on has been ridden before.
These days we like to throw around words like "freedom" and "escape" in explaining the lure of travel. Truth is we hardly know what they mean; working the 9 to 5 is the only slavery we've known. But with a new route following the Underground Railroad, Adventure Cycling is looking to connect travelers to a time when those words meant something real.
The 2100-mile journey starts in Alabama and snakes all the way up to Ontario, passing Civil War sites and crossing the Ohio river--one of the former dividing lines between slave and free states. AC promises the trip will transport riders emotionally as well as physically, as they follow in the footsteps of the many men and women who trekked north in search of freedom.
This is the second year of the guided ride, and so far there's still plenty of room to join in. Participants roll out of Mobile on April 27, taking the journey at an average of 53 miles a day, and reach Owen Sound on June 13. If you want to take it at your own pace, AC also sells detailed maps for the UGRR route.
Seoul's streets are a traffic-clogged melee of taxis, commuters and scootering delivery boys--a place where rules appear to be absent and the sight of cars rolling down the sidewalk is fairly common. It goes without saying, then, that cycling in the city is taking your life into your hands. But when gas is up, you gotta do what you gotta do.
In response to climbing oil prices, says the JoongAng Daily, South Koreans are taking a more active interest in greener options. CJ Mall, a Korean shopping site, reported selling over 1,000 bicycles just in the last month, the most popular of which was a $480 folding bike made by Strida.
Seoul and several other South Korean cities even hold their own "Critical Mass"--a loosely organized monthly parade of urban cyclists that takes place worldwide. (Though the "mass" looks to be pretty scant compared with rides in New York or Chicago.)
If you're feeling brave, fold out your ride and roll with the other Seoul cyclists this weekend; they meet every third Saturday of the month in front of the Kwanghwamun gate at 4 pm sharp.
Flying down narrow singletrack trails on a mountain bike is challenging. Doing so after sundown in the South African wilderness sounds damn near crazy. But if there's a beer and a beach at the end of the road, then we're all in.
Live2Ride tours in Langebaan, South Africa--a coastal city roughly 60 miles from Cape Town--offers just that experience for only about $30. Starting at sunset, riders head out from the beachfront, winding through town and up into the woods. The ride is just shy of eight miles long, but the darkness makes dirt roads all the more tricky. (Yes, you'll have lights.) The trail spits you back out by the water where you can score drinks at Driftwoods restaurant.
If you're looking for something a bit longer, Live2Ride also offers day tours for about $70. The Aurora route is a grueling climb up into the Piketberg mountains with a total elevation gain of over 3,000 feet. But save some of that energy for a fast descent on the second half--you'll need it to squeeze your break levers.
So daughters Sam and Lola aren't quite big enough to travel under their own power. In the mean time, mom Denise Richards gives them that little extra push to get to the park in Malibu.
Hey Denise, when they're old enough, check out this list of family biking tips from the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. Before you take them on something bigger than a trike, make sure they've got the right helmets with help from Away.com. And don't take them to Boobs on Bikes--yet, anyway.
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by amandak
