Contributor: Alison Alsup In the summer of 2021, when I was 20 years old, I took a Greyhound bus from Columbus, Ohio, to Seattle, Washington. The three-day bus trip included me barfing on the pavement at the Minneapolis station, being offered hard candy “for a good time” in Billings, Montana, and disgusting motion sickness through […]
I Just Have to Move My Legs Read More »
Contributor: Phil Blumenkrantz I’m suffering separation anxiety – not from a girlfriend or job or my recently-deceased cat. From my Panasonic PT-3500. It’s been six months since I parted ways with the touring bike I’d ridden almost exclusively since the mid-80s. My sense of loss hasn’t softened. Each time I would complete a trip, I
Goodbye, Old Friend Read More »
Adventure seekers have traveled the world on pretty much anything with wheels – from unicycles to penny farthings. And while it is true that you can go on bike tours on nearly any working bike, it is also true that carefully selecting the right bike and gear can make your journey a lot more pleasurable.
Things to Consider When Buying a New Touring Bike Read More »
Contributor: Penny Schwyn As always, we get excited when it works out to host a cyclist. We had no inkling that our Warmshowers guest would be party to a life-changing event at our home. It turns out Seth LOVES gravel. When he found out we were going on a community fun ride, The Gravel Flamdangle,
A Warmshowers Guest to the Rescue Read More »
Contributor: Susan Fox This year, after 10 years of discussion and 5 years of planning, my best friend and I set out on our first cross-country tour. We had been inspired by a roadside gentleman who invited us to share his fire during our first tour in Eastern Oregon…in the rain. His story about his
As hosts, it is our job to bridge the gap between our own expectations of hosting and where our visiting cyclists are coming from. A cyclist just setting out on tour is in a different mindset than someone a week away from finishing. Maybe your visitor is carrying too much weight and hoping to ditch
Meeting Cyclists Where They Are: Your Home Read More »
Contributor: Ayleen Crotty, Filmed by Bike How the Filmed by Bike film festival persevered during this challenging time. In the early months of 2020, people around the world stayed indoors, unsure of what activities were safe during the increasingly confusing and scary global COVID-19 pandemic. For a while, there wasn’t yet any information on whether
An Unexpected Covid Silver Lining: Connecting the Global Bike Community Read More »
Contributor: Lance Chilton Sure, being a guest while bike-touring saves money. Sure, being a host makes us feel we’re paying back the Warmshowers community. But it’s more than that. Although I could probably afford to stay in four-star hotels, Warmshowers gives me a much closer opportunity to meet and learn from bicyclists in all the
Why Host? Why Be a Guest? Read More »
Great reads authored by the Warmshowers Community! Heidi Across America – One Woman’s Journey on a Bicycle Through the Heartland by Heidi Beierle When the 2008 Recession hit, 33-year-old Heidi Beierle was single, underemployed, and ready for a change. She returned to school, but her first term was not the liberating experience she hoped
Cycle Touring Books Read More »
So you’re going on a bike tour! Whether you’re setting out on a 1-2 night bike overnight or planning a months-long epic tour, the first step is to figure out your route. Here are a few considerations to help you out. Budget/Time constraints Depending on where you are starting your ride and how much
Route Planning: How to Choose a Route That’s Best for You Read More »
