I wish I was a bear. I could eat myself fat in the summer and then hibernate in the winter and by the time spring comes I have a beach body, or at least a thinner body. As it is I have to work out in the winter to keep my summer body and fitness level. If I put on weight in the winter, it takes me half the summer to get it off again.

How do you stay motivated. Are you a winter cyclist? Cycling through all weathers and temperatures? Or do you head onto a trainer and work out with Strava, Rouvy, Zwift or Peleton? Do you sign up at a gym and take part in their spin classes.

The question is how to stay motivated? It can get soooo boring cycling on a trainer in the basement. I am not a competitive cyclist, I do not have to train and keep my fitness level up ready for a race or a competition. However, I am getting up there in age and find it harder every spring to get out there and ride 50 – 60 kms. I have to break myself in gently and it is taking longer every year to get back to the previous year’s fitness. If I put on winter fat it takes me longer to get it off again. The trials and tribulations of getting older.

How do I stay motivated to ride my bike in the winter? First and foremost, I no longer ride my bike(s) outside in the winter. If the truth be told I usually stop riding outside when the temperature drops below 5 – 10 degrees C (41 – 50 F). However, in the spring I will be out there as soon as the snow and salt have been cleared and it is above 5 degrees. I love cycling outside.

Honestly, I usually have two slug months. One is in November, the weather is changing and I don’t want to ride outside nor do I really want to commit to the basement so early. The other is February, no particular reason other than, by that time I am bored with the indoor cycling and I want to be outside again. However, in Ontario it is still below freezing and often snowing. Therefore, I have to ride in the basement.

2024 was a different year. We were cycling in Taiwan in November and I felt awesome when I came home. Summer fitness level was good, goal weight had been reached and maintained and I committed to basement dwelling (cycling) in December. I cycled most days and I only added one pound over Christmas – amazing. I have already lost that pound.

Motivation came easily when Ralf bought me a new trainer for my birthday in December. I couldn’t let that go to waste. It is a semi-Smart Trainer, it can connect to Zwift/Rouvy but it is still a wheel-on trainer. I didn’t want to connect or pay for Swift/Rouvy or any of the “video cycling games”. I barely connect to Strava, why would I want to cycle with and against other cyclists. I have a cadence/speed metre on my bike and wear a heart-rate monitor which connects to my Garmin bike computer so that I can record the rides.

I record my rides and kilometres in the summer and set myself goals. Not so much in the winter. So where does my motivation come from? It is a struggle every year.

This year I have found numerous virtual rides on YouTube. I have cycled in the stunning mountains/hills of the Austrian/Italian Tyrol. Followed the River Mosel and the vineyards above the river and the River Saar, a flatter, more relaxed ride along riverside bike paths in Germany. I have cycled in the warmth of the Andalucian sun in Spain.

Yesterday, my ride in the Austrian Tyrol started at +17 degrees, the outside temperature in Brockville was minus 17. It was a lovely ride, a good steep hill to start and then flat for a while then rolling hills to finish. No competition only me trying to keep the same cadence and speed with the rider who has produced the video and finish with the same kilometres. That isn’t always possible, as some of the videographers are on ebikes and go up the hills a lot faster than I can maintain.

Ralf and I usually train together, (another motivation) we pretend we are outside. O.K. I pretend I am outside actually riding in Austria, Germany, and Spain. I warn pedestrians on the cycling paths that we are “am den linken seite” (on their left). They all move out of the way. I complain about the car drivers, I complain about the headwind (fan). I talk to myself going up the hills – “o.k. just get to the next light post.” I comment on the scenery, thank the dog owners for keeping their dogs under control (in Germany). I thoroughly enjoy my virtual rides. I even wave to other cyclists, some wave back, others not so much. I know I am daft, but it helps.

There are usually new rides every week. Although you may ride in the same area there is a lot of variety in the rides. Some of them are flat, some hilly, some on dedicated bike paths and a few on forest trails. I am not so keen on mountain biking, so I usually don’t pick them. Although Ralf picked one last week. Some single track that I really should not have been doing on a skinny tired road bike. I had to get off my bike twice to lift it over logs that was over the path, I got hit by a branch and stung by nettles. I will not be doing mountain  biking routes again. O.K. maybe I am taking these virtual rides too seriously!

On other days, just to mix it up, we join a group of cyclists in Melbourne, Australia. This cycling club adds interval training to their rides. We are still riding along some great roads but testing our stamina with the intervals.

The scenery is always good and gives me ideas of where  to tour in that country.

We still use our old DVD’s that have virtual rides in Lake Placid, Arizona and Maryland also some indoor spinning workouts. I know, how old are we that we have a DVD player?

After the rides Ralf will map them and we can see the elevation and routes that we have taken. It keeps us interested and up to now (end of January) motivated.

After the ride I usually do about half an hour of yoga, to keep the old muscles and bones supple.

Motivation also comes with looking forward to the year of riding ahead. I really enjoy the Rotary Club Lilac Ride at the end of May In Prince Edward County. I always sign us both up for the 100 km ride. On the day I usually switch to the 50 k ride and let Ralf ride the 100 km ride, as I don’t feel ready for the 100 kms.  NOT this year I am going to be so fit and ready for a 100 km. Plus I have my new Trek bike that fits me perfectly. I am looking forward to some great riding this summer. At least one (metric) century ride every month. Goal for the year 6700 kms, outdoor kilometres.

Enjoy your winter riding, however you do it.

Last summer I was cycling on the 1000 Island Parkway (an off-road cycle path, along the St. Lawrence River) and saw a group of cyclists about 500 metres in front of me. I could not tell how many there were, even though they were  coming towards me. The lead cyclists and the last cyclist were wearing bright yellow (often referred to as screaming yellow). The remaining four cyclists were wearing a variety of colours from blue to red. It got me thinking about hi-vis and cyclists’ safety. Should we, as cyclists, be wearing screaming yellow jerseys and/or using flashing lights. It wouldn’t matter on an off-road path like the 1000 Island Parkway, but on the road should we be as visible as possible. Hi-vis clothing, reflective clothing, flashing front and rear lights.

I started to look into the research that has been done regarding hi-vis and reflective clothing and this is what I have found.

A Danish study in Accident Analysis & Prevention found cyclists who use flashing daytime lights had 47 per cent fewer collisions with other road users. A UK Study suggests that hi-vis clothing and flashing lights may help drivers to spot cyclists earlier. A Canadian Study indicates that visibility aids have the potential to increase visibility and enable drivers to detect pedestrians and cyclists earlier.

A study in the United States had participant identify when they saw a cyclist depending on what colour clothes the cyclist was wearing. The outcome of this was that it was the contrast between the background that made the difference as to when the cyclist was spotted and if the cyclist was moving. The disadvantage of this Study was that the participant was looking for the cyclist.

The studies also informed about hi-vis and reflective clothing. Clothing that has reflective strips are more noticeable at night or in diminished light. Although often the reflective strips are not big enough to be useful. Hi-vis is not as noticeable at night. (See diagram below).

The Canadian study showed that fluorescent materials in yellow, red, and orange improved driver detection during the day; while lights, flashing lights and retroreflective materials in red and yellow, particularly those with a ‘biomotion’ configuration (taking advantage of the motion from a pedestrian’s limbs), improved recognition at night.

What did surprise me with these studies that during low light it is the movement of the cyclist that is detectable. For example, if the cyclist is wearing reflective/hi-vis clothing on their legs/ankles the motorist recognizes them quicker than if they are only wearing a reflective/hi-vis jacket.

Front and rear flashing lights are also an important tool for cyclists. During the day the rear lights should be flashing, at night it is suggested that two rear lights be used one flashing and the second not flashing. I have a Varia rear light – this has several flash options that I can program. However, most importantly this piece of equipment tells me when a car is coming up behind me. It shows on my bike computer when a vehicle is 150 metres  behind me. As the vehicle approaches me it flashes faster. With a bit of luck if the driver had not seen me prior, the faster flashing of the light will catch the drivers eye and will then maneuver around me. I also have a mirror on my bike and I can see if they are moving over or I will have to take the ditch!

All of this begs the question then why are cyclists, joggers and pedestrians not wearing reflective/hi-vis clothing or using lights all the time?  One of the comments from a UK Study was that of victim blaming. If a cyclist is hit by a motorist and not wearing hi-vis, the excuse is I didn’t see him, thereby it was the cyclist’s fault, not the car-driver who was not paying attention to other road users.

I am of the opinion that cyclists and joggers should wear clothing that is highly visible. I almost always buy screaming yellow jerseys and jackets. I very rarely ride at night. Yes, I do look a dork if we are on a tour and have to wear a screaming yellow jacket at night or on our rest days of the bike. At the very least Ralf can see me in crowd.

Is it a false sense of security? There is no doubt that there have been times where a car driver has pulled out in front of me or made a turn in front of me and I scream I am wearing bright yellow how come you cannot see me and then a few not very polite words after that. I do believe that if a car driver can see me in plenty of time, they should have enough time to maneuver around me, giving me space.

Driver reaction times can vary widely, but several studies find that for a driver to perceive an unexpected object, recognize it and act (either to slow the car or steer it away from the object) typically takes about 1.25 to 2 seconds.

In a stationary world, two seconds might seem pretty fast—but a car going 50 kph (30 mph) will travel at least 15+ metres (55 feet) in those two seconds. Ramp the speed up to 80 kph (50 mph), and the car will travel a third of the length of a football (soccer) field before the driver can even move his foot to the brake pedal. And it’s imperative that action happens in those two seconds: a 2016 study in Sweden that measured how drivers pass cyclists on open roads found that most start to steer around the rider roughly 1.5 seconds before the vehicle reaches the rider. The math points to an unsettling conclusion: under normal conditions, if a car is coming at you and the driver doesn’t notice you, he won’t react in time to avoid a collision.

Worse, those reaction times are for an undistracted driver. Consider that it takes about four seconds to unlock an iPhone, which at just 50 kph (30 mph) equates to almost the entire length of that football (soccer) field.

As the UK Study concluded:

“The research suggests that it may help drivers to spot pedestrians and cyclists more readily, but there was no evidence by how much and it was impossible to say whether that made them safer, as spotting them was one thing and driving safely around them another.”

Be safe, be seen, and be aware of road users who have seen you but don’t know how to safely pass a cyclist.

When it comes to safety, grabbing as much attention as we can, as early as we can, remains our best bet.

Almost, as soon as we return from one trip people ask where to next? I usually have a couple of ideas for future trips and will tell them either here or there. Not really having any idea where we may end up at that time.

This is how I plan our trips. Now that we are retired, we do not have any time constraints. Money constraints yes, but not time constraints. The only time constraint would be, do we need visas and how long can we stay in any given country?

The first part of the planning is where to go. We prefer to go to new places. If we have been there before, why would we go back? South Korea is one country we would go back to for cycling and have plans to go back. New Zealand we would go back to, but more for the scenery and the people.

I usually look for new places to visit. Both Ralf and I lovely history and architecture, that is always part of the reason to choose where to go. Occasionally a country is big and we only touch on a small section of that country, we may choose to go back to a different area. The United States for example, we have cycled the southern tier and the Pacific Coast Highway. We may cycle the Atlantic Coast of the United States, but not yet. Newfoundland and Labrador (Canada) we didn’t get there on the Round the World Trip (RTW)

Places on the bucket list include China, Russia, Japan and the old East Block of Europe. China and Russia are out for the foreseeable future. The history in Europe and cycling infrastructure is always a draw. When we were living in Germany, Ralf was not allowed to go to Berlin.

Once we have decided Where to Next? I start researching the logistics of getting there, visas, vaccinations, approximate cost for flights, accommodation, food, best time to go (weather) and finally routes. I also research possible risks and threats. This part is easy for me because I have a British Passport and I have registered on their websites for warnings. I add the countries I plan to visit and if there are any issues in those countries I get an email. For example: I received an email from the UK indicating that Marshall Law had been imposed in South Korea (December 2024) within hours of it being imposed and when it was lifted.

If we plan to go to multiple countries, what visas do we need and can we get them in advance. How long are we allowed to stay in each country? Visa information is easy to find out. I just go on to the countries website and look for tourist visas.  As a Canadian, Europe has a 90 day visa exemption. This means you can go anywhere in Europe that is part of the Schengen Agreement for 90 days, then you have to leave for 90 days. The Schengen Agreement is made up of 30 countries. However as of 2025 we now need to apply for the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) prior to going. This is a pre-screening for border security.

Then I check if we need our vaccinations updated. Tetanus is always one that should be up to date. “Dr. Google” is a great place to check. However, when we went on our RTW, we had an appointment with a Doctor who specialized in travel related vaccinations. He advised us about things like Yellow Fever, Japanese Encephalitis and Rabies.

Once I have the visa and vaccination information, I start looking at flights. When we went to Taiwan I choose a connecting flight as it was $2,500 cheaper than the direct flight. I am not going to do that again, unless I have no other option. The jetlag was awful on our return, and I was concerned about the bikes not making the connector.

Things I take into consideration when looking at places to go on a cycle trip, time of year (are schools on break) prices will be more expensive. We can go in shoulder seasons, which generally means accommodation is less expensive. Of course, shoulder seasons may mean that the weather is not as good. Although sometimes better as the summer season can be too hot to cycle. Weather is always a factor for a cyclist. Too hot, too cold, too humid, too wet, too windy, Goldilocks, will we ever find just right? Then again, due to climate change I could pick the perfect time to go according to historical weather data and the weather is different.

I look at festivals and celebrations that may be worth going to that country to see or avoid because the prices may be much more expensive.

I always get insurance; specifically flight cancellation or flight delay insurance. Ralf has out of country medical expenses covered in his military coverage. On our RTW we did get Insurance which covered us for medical, dental and theft. We didn’t have to use it, but that is what insurance is all about.

Finally, I look at a route. I map a very rough route on google maps, calculate the distance and then divide that by 70 (average of how many kilometers I want to cycle in a day). Once I have that number, I divide that by 7 (how many weeks it will take us) and add one rest day per week. I also look at places we may want to stay an extra night for being a tourist for the day and add that.

For example: our latest trip in Taiwan the route was approximately 1,200kms divide that by 60 = 20 days of cycling. Three weeks add 3 days on to 20 = 23. Then add the extra tourist days – Taitung, Tainan, Sun Moon Lake, Alishan Railway, Kenting National Park, six more days = 29 days. Then add an extra day on arrival and four days in Taipei at the end to be tourists in Taipei – 34 days. Two days for flying to and from was a total of 36 days. We had the flexibility when the typhoon stopped us for a few extra days. Instead of cycling to Sun Moon Lake we booked a day trip. We couldn’t take the Alyshan Railway because of the Typhoon, so we did a day walking in the mountains around Sushon. We could always cycle further to make up the time or take less time in Taipei at the end of the trip.

I try to build in a few “just in case” days. If something happens like a typhoon or a mechanical breakdown – what do we do? Is there alternative transport – trains, taxis, rental cars etc.

When all that is done, I check flight costs again and book a flight.

Then I find someone to look after the house and cat. Not that Callie is low on the priority, but we have used Housesitters Canada to have someone house and pet sit and it works out very well.

Where Next?  A clue – it is our 40^th wedding Anniversary in 2025, will it be somewhere new or somewhere we have been and want to revisit.  Beer Run (Europe) or Special Trip?

Wait and see.

This blog is written specifically for women. There are more than enough articles on the web for men and any discomfort they may have while riding a bike. There are very few articles regarding women and the discomfort we may have.

When I talk to women who do not cycle, they often say that they tried cycling, but their bum was so sore after a few kilometres. They have no idea how I ride 60 – 80 kms a day.

What causes saddle sores? Simple answer – friction. Rubbing your bum or soft tissue area onto the seat of your bike or chafing against your shorts/bibs.

If you are reaching for your handlebars, you may rub the pelvic bone and get sore. If you sit upright and are reaching for your pedal stroke you are moving from side to side and your sit bones and bum will get sore.

How do you prevent saddle sores? The easy answer is to get a bike that fits you. In my opinion one of the most important things to do when buying a bike is buying one that is the correct size and if possible, to have a professional bike fit. If you don’t get a bike that fits you something will hurt; hands, knees, bum or soft tissue area.

A good saddle designed for the position you are riding. Of course, it is not always that easy. A lot depends on anatomy, women have different shapes and sizes. Your clitoris may stick out or be recessed (outie or an innie), this can rub against the nose of your saddle, so the adjustment of your saddle may not be higher or lower, but forward or back, or up or down.

Always where clean shorts, if you wear shorts for more than one day then the sweat from the previous days ride will rub “salt” into the wound so to speak. Get out of those sweaty shorts as soon as you can after a ride. If you can shower straight away that is good but if not, slip on a skirt. The shorts can be rinsed and hung to dry overnight. When you get a chance throw them in to a washing machine for a good wash. Personal hygiene goes without saying.

As kids we often ride bikes that do not fit properly, but as we get older and want to ride more and be comfortable it is important to get a bike that fits.

I found this on the Ergon website, I have no idea if it is a good product, but if you cannot afford a bike fit, this DIY may help. https://www.ergonbike.com/en/product/?a=bikefitting

If you do not get a professional bike fit, then at the very least know how to adjust the bike so that you are comfortable on it. Your legs/knees should not be completely straight at the bottom of the pedal stroke, there should be a slight bend in the knee. Your elbows should have a slight bend when on the hoods (if you are riding a drop handled road/gravel bike. If you are riding a mountain/gravel bike with flat bars, then your wrists should be straight and not at an angle when riding. You should not have to reach for the bars and feel pressure on your pelvic bone.

Whenever you make any adjustments to your bike saddle do it in small increments. Always start with the saddle horizontal, then make small adjustments. For example; saddle height a very slight adjustment up or down. If it makes a difference, great, if not move it back to its original position. Adjusting the saddle slightly downwards may make you feel as if you are slipping down the saddle, and you may put more pressure on your hands. Tilting upwards, may cause more rub on the clitoris or other soft tissue parts. Moving the seat forward or back, may affect your knees.

As a woman ages your skin is not as firm as when you were a young woman. I am talking about wrinkly/crepe skin, if you do not have good cycling shorts your wrinkly bits may rub against your shorts, causing sores at the top of your legs rather than on your bum or lady parts. The other problem aging women have is dryness around the vagina and labia. This can cause rubbing over and above the pressure from your saddle. The joys of getting older.

All these things can be fixed, apart from aging of course.

The three things that have most contact on your bike are where your feet hit the pedals, where your hands reach the handlebars and where your butt hits the seat.

For women and men getting that comfortable seat is really important. I have three bikes and three different saddles. For me it boils down to the position that I am riding; road bike (drop-handle bar), touring (drop handlebar) and gravel/mountain bike (flat handlebar).

When we went on our two year-round the world trip (RTW) I had my bike built for me. I was measured and it was recommended to get a Brooks leather saddle. When I eventually got my touring bike, the Brooks saddle was installed, and it was a perfect fit. I could ride this bike without padded shorts, if necessary, although I always where padded shorts.  The bike builder set me up on a trainer and adjusted the bike perfectly. I never had one issue with saddle sores or soft tissue soreness, throughout the two years or any other tour I did after that.

My road bike was a different story, I moved from one saddle to another eventually settling on a Terry Butterfly Cromoly Gel saddle with a cut out. This bike was not quite the right size for me. I had bought it at the end of the season and got a good deal. Although the bike shop adjusted the seat and the handlebars, the reach was a smidge too long and I would, on longer rides, (80km to 100 km) get very sore in the soft tissue area. I tried switching to a Ladies Brooks B17 saddle (not the one above) but that made it worse. I had constant sore bits on longer rides, so I shortened my rides to about 50 kms.

BROOKS B17 SHORT

My new road bike is a perfect fit and I have a Terry Butterfly Cromoly Gel saddle. Again, I had a fitting before leaving the bike store and I have not had any issues with this bike. I can comfortably cycle 70 kms on this bike and will build up my stamina to do 100 kms rides again.

The Montague Navigator is my new folding touring bike. I had put the Brooks B17 saddle on the Navigator as it advertised a more upright riding position. I know that the leather Brooks saddle can take time to break in, but I had over 1000 kms on this thing and, I was getting sore lady parts again. I switched the saddle to the Brooks 67, big arsed, spring-loaded leather saddle. I had bought this saddle for my Vintage Raleigh Ladies Bike. On our first test ride on the Montague’s, it seemed to be comfortable. On our first day riding in Taiwan by the end of the 73 km hilly ride, I was sore. I lowered the seat by about 1/8^th of an inch and for the rest of trip never had any issues.

Some people swear by chamois butt’r commonly referred to as butt butter. This is rubbed onto your chamois, but can be rubbed onto your skin. I prefer Udderly Butterly, it was used on cows that had cracked teats!!! It is marketed as a hand cream, but works perfectly for me to reduce the friction, especially on my old crinkly skin at the top of my legs! I also rub it on the inside of my labia to ease the dryness. I always carry a small container of udderly butterly, along with wet wipes and hand sanitizer, in my jersey pocket.

If you get saddle sores regularly, get a bike fit. If you have a good bike shop, ask if you can try different saddles, some saddles come with a 30-day comfort guarantee.  This is not a paid promotion, but Terry saddles do come with a money back guarantee. https://terrycycling.com/collections/saddles

Fortunately, I have not had severe saddle sores on my bum. If you have saddle sores treat them by:

• Staying off your bike for a couple of days. Skin can heal quickly if it’s not continually being irritated.
• Keeping the affected parts of your skin clean and dry to avoid infection or further irritation.
• Trying topical ointments, such as diaper-rash cream, antibiotic cream, and hemorrhoid cream (Preparation H), which can help sooth irritated and inflamed skin.
• Using over-the-counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
• Applying a warm compress to the affected area.

I hope this information helps you, so that you can enjoy your ride whether it be short rides or longer century rides.

I was recently asked what we take on a bike packing trip.  This is an interesting question because everyone has different priorities and are taking different trips. For instance, if you are on an extended trip; one year or longer then you will need to take more to account for different weather conditions and where you are travelling. If you are camping you will need to take camping and cooking gear. However, if you are going for a month or less you can generally plan your gear for where you are going and what types of weather you may encounter. Also, you will have to decided where you will be staying at night: camping, hotels.

The other thing to take into consideration is flights and weight allowance. We have been lucky with the flights we have taken – bikes are considered sports equipment and some airlines have separate regulations for sports equipment, and bicycles. Generally speaking, we keep the panniers to a weight limit of 5 kgs each pannier for a total of four bags of 20 kgs. On this trip, we managed to keep the weight down to 17.5 kgs for all our checked luggage, which was one bag, that held three panniers and a handlebar bag inside. The fourth pannier converts into a back pack and that was my carry-on. Ralf had his handlebar bag as his carry-on.  There are a lot of variables to take into consideration when bike-touring/packing.

Friends of ours who are currently touring in Thailand was told by a fellow bike-packer that they took too much. They only needed a hammock, mosquito net, one change of clothes, and you do not need bike specific clothes …. Our friends are in their early sixties and can afford a nice hotel (or not so nice) and like to take some comforts of home with them. Each to their own needs.

Therefore, I am basing this advice on what we take and why.

We decided after our three-month Europe trip that we are no longer camping. On this most recent trip we did take our foldable bowls/plates, cups and KFS (knife, fork, spoon). We had considered taking our Jetboil, so that we could boil water for noodles or tea/coffee. We decided not to take the Jetboil as we figured we could always get hot water if we needed to rehydrate some noodles and that was the case. We might take it on other trips. Everything including the gas canister is stored inside the Jetboil, which makes it very compact.

We use panniers rather than bike packing bags. The Montague folding bikes do not have a triangular frame.

Here is the list of things I took on this trip:

Although I usually take three changes of clothes, on this trip I only took two. I do wish I had taken another skirt for off-bike wear. Ralf also decided he needed another pair of shorts. We generally take the same, although Ralf doesn’t take a bra.

On Bike: two pairs of padded shorts, two cycling jerseys (Hi-vis, good quality), one sports bra, two pairs of light weight merino wool socks, one pair of leg warmers (didn’t use), cycle shoes/sandals, two jackets lightweight wind breaker and a rain jacket hi-vis. Helmet, gloves, sunglasses, buff neck tube. I wear SPD sandals.

Reasoning behind the stuff I take on-bike: I like shorts rather than bibs, if I need to take a wild-wee I can get out of them quickly. Good quality cycling jerseys, they tend to wick away sweat better than cheaper jerseys, Hi-vis because I want people to see me. I love merino wool socks, even if they are wet, they can keep my feet warm. SPD shoes/sandals, I wear SPD cycling sandals because Ralf told me that they can give you 20% more power than flat pedals. I have worn Keen cycling sandals for over ten years. I like them because they are comfortable and airy. If it’s cold I wear merino wool socks with them (very stylish).

Unfortunately, they are now falling apart, and Keen do not make them anymore. I am trying to find new sandals, but they are hard to find and what I have found are really expensive. Two jackets because sometimes the windbreaker isn’t enough. We also wear these off-bike if we need to have a light jacket when we are walking about. We don’t usually like to wear the same coloured clothes, but we do have matching jackets! I didn’t wear the leg-warmers but it is better to have them in case it is cool in the morning, and you can take them of as the day progresses. I figured on this trip the leg-warmers would be sufficient.

Off Bike: one pair of zip-off trousers (pants), one skirt, three merino wool tops – two short sleeve and one long-sleeve, one pair of merino wool thicker socks, two bras and three pair of undies, night wear, swim wear and a beach wrap (didn’t use), packable puffy jacket, sandals. hat.

Reasoning behind the stuff I take off-bike: Zip off trousers are not the most stylish trousers but they come in handy as shorts or wear them with the legs if it gets chilly at night. I usually wear my long trousers and long sleeve merino wool shirt on the flight. I like to take a skirt as it is so nice to get out of cycling shorts and slip on a skirt. Also combined with a black merino wool top it can look quite nice. I love merino wool shirts you can wear them for four to five days without them smelling, even in hot/ humid temperatures, something to do with the properties of the merino wool. They dry quickly as well. The undies I take are quick drying, you can wash them, and they dry overnight. The packable puffy jacket often stays at the bottom of the bag but is handy if you are coming back to Canada and the weather is different from where you are travelling from.

Toiletries: soap, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer, toothbrush, toothpaste (small), floss, comb and tweezers.

First Aid kit: antiseptic wet wipes, plasters, polysporin antiseptic cream, small lint free bandage, scissors and safety pins. Advil 200 and 400 (we suffer from migraines), Benydryl cream and benydryl tablets for bites, voltaren for our old muscles.

Bike stuff: two cloths for drying and cleaning the bike, oil – wet and dry, pedal wrench and multi-tool, garmin, varia light, bell, mirror.

Electronics: laptop, ipad, mirrorless camera, phones, and a host of electronic cables to recharge all the electronics we have and to test the power grid of every country we go to. Ralf carries the camera, battery and connectors for the camera in his handlebar bag.

Kitchen stuff: two foldable bowls, two foldable cups and two smaller cups which can double up as egg cups!. Two sets of KFS and a swiss army knife, that has a knife and a bottle opener and a can opener.

Miscellaneous: Two water bottles, Sun cream, Butt butter (see lady part blog), Sea to Summit clothes washing liquid. If you cannot get this, I have taken a small container of liquid Tide, quick drying bath towel and a hand towel, sleeping bag liner (helpful in less than clean hostels). Three dry bags: one for off-bike clothes, one for on-bike clothes and one stuff sac for dirty clothes, washing line and pegs.

Lady Stuff: I took mascara and an eye-liner, make-up remover and face wash. After the first few days these were relegated to the bottom of my bag and never used! If we had gone to a fancy restaurant, I might have used them. I no longer need menstrual pads, but there is something called a Diva cup which other women I have spoken to on an extended trip swear by. I also briefly had a she-wee. A she-wee is a gizmo that allows you to stand-up to wee. It didn’t work for me.

Logistics of washing clothes on a bike trip. I always have a small bottle of concentrated clothes wash, from Sea to Summit and a washing line with pegs. With this you can quickly rinse bike shorts, tops and undies in a hotel sink or campsite. I wash one pair of shorts as soon as we get settled in a hotel. After we have showered, we use the towels to wring them out and use the washing line to hang them up. Then when we are in a Town or City, we find a laundromat and give them a good wash in a washing machine. On this trip in Taiwan, we found lots of coin laundromats and they were cheap. We would throw all the clothes in the same wash, usually on a gentle cycle, we would also use the dryers. Most laundromats have soap that you can buy or if you have allergies you can take your own with you. The merino wool clothes, we do not put in a commercial dryer, we would hang them up in the hotel room.

Camping Gear:

We didn’t take camping gear, but when we did: Three-person tent (if you are only one person, I would take a two-person tent). You can put all your gear in a two/three person tent, and still have room to move. Sleeping mat, sleeping bag, pillow (although some people use a pillowcase and stuff their clothes into it). Stove, we had a muti-fuel burner and a jetboil, which uses canisters, pot-set – everything should pack into the pot, – pot, plate, cup. small frying pan, small kitchen utensils set included folding spatula, spoon etc. We also took a Helinox chair on our last Europe trip – lightweight and was very comfortable. Some campsites in Europe did not have picnic tables.

Our new bikes have a back rack and no way of attaching front racks, although we could possibly attach fork mounted bags. The benefits of two people sharing the load. On this trip Ralf carried all the clothes in two panniers. I carried the rest in two smaller panniers. Total weight for the blue bag was 17.5 kg. We had a weight allowance of 20 kg per bag. The bikes were considered sports equipment and had no charge with United Airlines.