Questions and Answers
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

Well, at least asked once.

Question from Visitors to DownTheRoad.org

Answers from Tim and Cindie Travis

March 15, 2003

Hello Tim and Cindie, The more I read through your website the more anxious I become for the start of my tour to South America. Tim, I have some questions for you. I see that you are a big fellow. I am also a big guy at 250ish pounds, though I am not as tall as you (5'11"). I am still searching for a bike that will be able to handle the weight of not only me, but all my gear. I know that once I hit the road and get some miles behind me, I will loose a lot of the weight. Even if this happens, I doubt I will drop below 200 lbs, due to my large broad frame. My budget is fairly limited and would like to stay under $1,500 for a complete bike. After talking with 11 different shops and getting 13 different answers, I am ready to get some advice from someone like you that I am sure has gone through the same trouble of finding the right bike. Any help on the following questions will be of great help!

1.  What rims do you use and how do you like them? How many spokes do they have (32,36,40, or 48)? I have had several people recommend getting tandem wheels, rims, hubs. Sounds intriguing, but this would mean getting a custom made bike to fit the wider hubs.

2.  You say Bruce Gordon refused to sell you a bike because of your weight? Does he not have the faith in his product?!?!?!?! Bruce Gordon bikes were on the top of the list for me. Now I am not so sure. Now I am getting into a "funk" about what to do. Aargh!

2a.  If I am able to get my hands on one, do you think that such a bike will do ok for such a heavy load? Does Cindie have a Rock-n-Road or a BLT? I am thinking of buying just the BLT frame, fork, B.B., and maybe stem/handlebars then outfit it with wheels and components that I can acquire wholesale. Or maybe do this with a Co-Motion??? Hmmm?

2b.  I would go for a Co-Motion, but since I am new to the sport I don't think I want to spend that much money on a bike. How long did it take to get your Co-Motion delivered after placing the order?

3.  What was the final cost of your bike with out racks and panniers?

4.  How much did Ed's services cost you?

5.  Can you give me a list of the tools you have along with you?

6.  Under what conditions have you broken a steel framed bike?

7.  What tires are you using? Kevlar beaded? How many spare tubes and tires do you have?

8.  A 26" tire seems to be a better idea than 700c, but it seems that most have a lower max. psi. How do they work for big guys with big loads such as you and I?

9.  If memory serves me, you are carrying 150 pounds of gear, correct? Will you two be posting your packing list on you website anytime soon?

10.  Have you researched the Trek 520 touring bike? The gearing would need to be swapped out as well as some components, but its the 700c rims that is really holding me back on this bike.

11.  Have you used or have you run into anyone else using the BOB trailer? Any thoughts on it over panniers or vis-a-versa?

I know that you have limited times to connect to the internet and I have asked many questions. I will truly be indebt to you for any assistance with any of them. Please don't feel obligated to answer all of them. My main concern is finding a good bike that will hold my bulk and that of my gear.

Both you and Cindie are great inspirations to me and I am sure to many more. Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. By the way, great website! Be well,

(signed = Ryan, USA)

Many bike shops and other "experts" do not understand the special needs of a cyclist who exceeds 200 pounds (about 100 Kilograms). I have been told that a persons weight and height are not logical factors in choosing frame sets and bicycles in general. I can not believe that. Most of these "experts" were about half of my weight. Other sports seem to understand that a big guy needs bigger and stronger equipment. Bowlers use different weighted balls, skiers have different length skies and amounts of flex. To put it simply big men need a bigger and stronger horse.

I believe that most bikes are made for men who weigh around 180 pounds.  If you weigh more (or less) it will not handle the same. My biggest complaint with bicycle framesets is that they have too much flex. I weigh well over 200 pounds. I have owned several bikes that flexed so much that it would actually shift on its own due to the frame flexing. Through the years I found that I usually preferred an aluminum bike that the bike magazines rated as "to stiff to be comfortable".

I will try to answer your specific questions below:

1.  I started out with front and rear SUN Ryno Lite rims. We used the same type on our tandem for a couple of years and liked them. Unfortunately my rear rim met it's end in Guatemala. I had the rear rim replaced in a very nice bike shop in Guatemala City. Cindie used a regular mountain bike rim. All four of our wheels are 26 inch (mountain bike) 36 spokes. It was a very good thing we had these type of wheels because a rim would have been impossible to find in Guatemala and we heard that it would have been over US$100 in shipping to get a rim sent from the USA.

2.  Bruce Gordon did not like my weight but he especially did not like my height. I am 6 ft. 3 inches. I guess that he does not make bikes that big. Cindie likes the feel of her frame. The tubing seems to be correct for someone her weight. I weigh almost twice as much as her and the same frame would flex a to much for me.

2a.  I see that you are a few inches shorter than me. This makes the Bruce Gordon more possible for you because of two things. First, he probably has a bike big enough to fit you. Second a smaller frame is inherently stronger and flexes less. I understand your dilemma. I is hard to buy an expensive bike that you can not even test ride. Furthermore, you can not compare it to another steel bike even of the same brand of tubing. The geometry is much different and, unless it is loaded, it will never have the feel of actually being on your extended loaded tour.

2b.  I got my Co-Motion in about four weeks. I think that is very fast for a custom bike. If you are new to the sport I do not recommend a custom bike. You have not yet discovered what you really like and do not like in a bike. I think that it would be best to buy a stock bike, learn what you want different, then buy your expensive dream bike.

3.  The final cost of my bike was about US$3,500

4.  Ed's services did not cost any extra. He charges reasonable rates for labor and a small mark up on the parts. He was much cheaper than a regular bike shop.

5.  I do not yet have a list of tools. I have worked as a mechanic in several bike shops when I was younger. I just mentally know that I can do all road side repairs and even some major work. Some day I will make a list.

6.  I have broken many steel frames. About 2 were track bikes on a velodrome while racing, Maybe 4 were road frames while training or racing, and one touring bicycle while touring. I have never broken an Aluminum frame and never owned a steel Mountain. bike.

7.  Our tires are wire bead. The main reason is cost. I am not a big fan of any certain brand of tires. We only carry only one spare tire, It is a small folding 26 x 1 tire. I is used only to get us to a store that sells bigger tires. We have only used it once. We carry about 5 - 8 tubes. 26 inch tubes and tires are easily bought everywhere we have been so far.

8.  It is true that a 26 inch tire has a lower psi than a smaller 700c. This lower pressure is certainly less efficient. This is a small price to pay for the convenience.

9.  We do not travel light. People are often amazed at the amount of stuff that we carry. I tell people that "this is not a vacation for us. This is where we live now." My bike and gear usually weighs between 100 - 150 pounds (50 - 75 Kilograms) depending on how much food I am carrying. Good stores can be few and far between. I have been trying to make a list of all of our stuff. I just can not seem to get it done. Keep checking because you never know.

10.  I have never really looked at the Trek 520 touring bike. My advice is that you are going less than 4 months or will be traveling in Europe or North America a 700c bike is great. Otherwise I would not compromise on the 26 inch wheel.

11.  I have never used a BOB trailer. I have met several people on the road that have had broken BOB trailers. It is usually a broken axel or frame. I have also heard that replacement tires are hard to find in many countries. I also think that pick pockets and bag stasher would have a easy time, with your stuff so far behind you, when you are pushing your bike around a city. (Tim)

Feb. 26, 2003

Dear Tim & Cindie, a very amusing website & trip! Just a mixture of questions, just answer them if you want to, some of the information maybe somewhere in your site that I haven't seen yet.

1.  I assume that you are using ATM's. Any problems with them so far? Are they frequent enough? Have you some travelers' checks &, if so, has their exchange rate been tolerable?

2.  Have you got decent tyres? Early on I think it was a Continental Town & Country that went; have you got a good replacement? is Cindie using the same tyres?

3.  When you organized your bikes before the trip did you consider Rohloff hub gears? I'm thinking of using them on trips (to avoid glugging up of transmission with mud & also the problems of rear derailleur bending, etc). Have you heard anything good/bad about them?

4.  Except for Cindie's front rack, are there any other equipment things that you now would have preferred to be different (especially related to the bike but also in general)?

5.  What are your bike transmission gear ranges? Are they adequate?

Answer this if you could be bothered. If you do though you'll probably get the odd email later from me asking more!

Enjoy your amusing trip! bye,

(signed = Michael Falk, Melbourne, Australia)

1.  We have no travelers checks. It is probably better to have some for emergencies. The exchange rate is not as good when using travelers checks. We have a Visa ATM and have used it in all of the countries that we have been to so far. ATM's can be scares so we get 2 or 3 weeks of cash at a time.

2.  I have not been impressed with our tires. We have used the Town and Country and the Avocet Cross II. Our tires are 26 inch and we can buy cheapies anywhere so far.

3.  I have never heard of Rohloff hub gears.

4.  Except for Cindie's front rack we are fairly happy with the bikes.

5.  Our gears range from a 22X36 to 48X11

We will be in Australia in about 5 years. We plan on arriving in Darwin from Indochina. It will be around August. We will spend at least a year in Australia. Do you have any suggestions or information on wind, weather, and possible routes? (Tim and Cindie Travis)

Feb. 10, 2003

Hi Guys:   Ojala que esten gustando sus viajes! I have a question I'd like to ask you: what kind of locks are you using on your bikes? I am contemplating a trip and would appreciate your security recommendations. Thanks guys - safe touring!

Best wishes, (signed = Jon, unknown location)

I hope this answers you question. If there is anything else please just ask.  (Tim)

Jan. 3, 2003

Hello Tim and Cindie, We are about to start a trip through Central America virtually identical to yours, although we are planning to hug the pacific coast of Mexico because we both love the sea.

1.  Could you tell us why you chose your particular inland route?

2.  We are getting conflicting and mostly bad reports about safety. Did you have this problem before you started out? We have been reading you journal entries and it seems that you have had little or no problems on the road.

3.  Some people have said that the Mexican roads and traffic make it difficult for cyclists, did you find this?

4.  Have you encountered many people doing the same trip along the way?

I am sure you get loads of e-mails and are very busy so any information you can pass on to us would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks (signed = Melissa and Beau, unknown location)

1.  There were several reasons that we rode down the middle of Mexico and avoided the coast. Some are facts and others are just personal preferences based on opinion.

FACT

The biggest reason for our route was the fact that we were riding in Mexico during the summer and the coast would have been very hot. The middle of Mexico is quite high and very comfortable in the summer. It sounds like you will be there in the winter so that is not a problem. Also I (Tim) had already ridden both coast on previous trips and wanted to go somewhere different.

OPINION

From my experience the coast has less to offer in terms of culture and what I call "The real Mexico". Inland Mexico is full of interesting villages and quiet roads well suited for touring cyclist. Inland Mexico is much less expensive as well.  The Mexican coast does have the occasional rural fishing village where you can meet some interesting locals and witness life unpolluted by tourism but mostly it is tacky tourist areas. The coast is infested with big time resort towns where people come from all over the world and enjoy Mexico's fabulous beaches. At these places you are more likely to speak English to a German tourist than Spanish to a Mexican. It can be very expensive and posh. They do not call it the Mexican Riviera for nothing

The coastal route is on a well used road and has a lot of traffic. It is the main highway that connects the flow of goods to and from Mexico and Central America with the large cities in northwestern USA and Canada. It is also crowded with North American vacationers pulling boats and campers.  This fact aside you can easily ride the busy coastal road.  Mexican drivers seem to have much more respect for bicycles.

I was also disappointed to find out that the coastal road, which looked on the map like it hugged the ocean with fine views, actually only occasionally came near the beach. Most of it runs several kilometers inland on a wide coastal plain. If you want a great beach and bike route you may want to look at Washington, Oregon, and California.

Finally the hoards of tourists bring more crime. We met a Danish couple that got robbed on an overnight bus along the coast of Oaxaca. I believe that you can ride through without problems but it is much safer out of the tourist zones.

2.  As for the reports of Mexico being dangerous, we heard them as well.  I will give you a quote from a former co-worker of mine (Cindie's); "Your are going to get killed in Mexico and returned to the US in a coffin, I am really nervous about this trip of yours". In reality he had only been to Rocky Point, near the border between Mexico and Arizona, and he has a habit of visiting the bars a lot. Anywhere you go in the world can be dangerous but we were pleasantly surprised with the friendliness and helpfulness of the Mexican people. We also noticed a lack of Americans in Mexico, so I think that people are afraid of the unknown.

3.  As for traffic and road conditions, some of the roads in Mexico are narrow and some have good shoulders. We stayed on secondary roads whenever we could. I thought that the majority of traffic would be on the toll road like in the US but instead everyone including the 18 wheelers were on the one lane libre (free) road because the toll road is very expensive. We did not have many problems with traffic, in fact, the truckers took extra care to go around us. The bus drivers are another story, they are not as courteous.

4.  We have not encountered many others doing the same route. We met one biker, Jeffery in Toluca, Mexico, two Swiss bikers in Ocosingo, Mexico, and three bikers in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. No one was going exactly our way because there are so many options. All through the central and northern highlands of Mexico we were the lone rangers.

We do get a lot of email but we love it.  At this point we answer almost every one.  It is a lot of fun for us both.  I hope this helps you on your way.

Well I am sure we have given you a few things to think about, if you have any other questions feel free to write. Let us know when you head out the door.

(Tim and Cindie Travis)

Dec 11, 2002

What's better, a Robert Beckman or Bruce Gordon custom made bike with panniers, or a mountain bike with a trailer attached. And let's say that the trip will be twenty to thirty miles a day on flat terrain, specifically the Netherlands.

(SIGNED = David, California, USA)

You may want to consider buying a bike for its versatility.  If you are going to tour for several months or longer a bike designed specifically for touring is ideal (my opinion) but not absolutely necessary.  If you are going to tour just a few weeks during each year you may want to consider a bike that will serve your needs at home as well.

If you live near trails then you may want to tour on a mountain bike while abroad and then have it to ride trails at home.  A lot of people have circled the globe with mountain bikes pulling trailers and many will tell you it is the best.  It is probably the cheapest.  Touring bikes, especially like the ones you are looking at, generally cost more than an adequate mountain bike.  Racks and panniers (saddle bags) probably cost more than a trailer.   The trailer can be used at home for groceries and other errands.  I guess the same could be said for the bags.  Racks and bags can (usually - check before buying) be mounted on a mountain bike as well.  There are several different tires available that fit mountain bikes that are not knobby and well suited for touring on the pavement.

If you live in a great road riding area then you may want to think about a road bike with a triple crank set.  (similar gearing as a mountain bike) You can pull a trailer or go with racks and bags.  Once your tour is done you will have a light road bike for solo or club rides.  You may find yourself in a pace line in the future.  (Tim)

I have a Bruce Gordon BLT, I like the bike, it fits me well and the racks are sturdy.   I have one problem.  Bruce makes two types of racks mounts over the front wheel and one for a called a low rider rack that mounts you bags next to the front hub. I asked Bruce to put the low rider rack on my mountain bike style touring bike.  He absolutely refused, he said that my bags would drag on the ground.  Thinking he knew what he was talking about, I changed to the other rack that is high above the tire.    Other than the rack, I am very happy with my bike.  I soon found out that it was difficult to handle a load on the from wheel that is way above the tire.   It is particularly difficult  to handle when climbing hills slowly.  I intend to change forks and rack to get my load lower.  This of course will cost more money and be a hassle, it would have been easier if it was done right in the first place.

We contacted Robert Beckman and he said that he sold the bike with racks and bags.   We already had our bags so this did not seem a very good fit either.  We also read on another web site that they had ordered a bike from Beckman 10 months before they were ready to leave, 1 month before they left the bike was still not ready so they bought a new Cannondale to tour on and when they returned from the trip they found their brand new touring bike from Beckman waiting for them.   (Cindie)

October 24, 2002

I live in Sweden and I am fairly new at longer bike rides.   I started a couple of years back and this spring I bought a new, better bike (Trek 7500).  So far it has rolled about 2,000 km, half of that on a two week tour in a circle around Paris.

1.  I really enjoy this and I am beginning to dream of more trips, perhaps sometime in the future across the States. Have you done that, previous to this trip, I mean?

2.  One thing I have been thinking of when it comes to longer touring trips, what kind of stove would be the best to have? Here in Sweden white gas or LPG (is that the right word? not petrol or ordinary gas that cars drive on, but liquefied) is the most commonly used source of fuel. But is that widely available? What about different tube standards? Another common stove here is using methylated spirits. I would rather not use ordinary gas (petrol) because of the smell. What are you using, a multi-fuel stove? What would be the wisest kind to buy for a trip to the States? Has it been difficult to find places to buy more fuel when needed? Any problems with your burner?

3.  Another thing on my mind is how to transfer photos. I guess you bring a digital camera? At least I would, but what about when the memory is full (ok, I can have a spare one, but eventually that one will get full too), how do you transfer it? Of course, you bring a laptop! I forgot... Well, I don't see myself carry such a weight, possibly a PDA of some sort. But I cannot transfer photos from a camera to a PDA, can I? And I guess most Internet cafés would not allow me to install any camera software on their machines, which is needed if I want to load the pics to a pc. This is really something to be sorted out...

Hope to hear from you when you have time and a connection available.

(SIGNED = Eva, Sweden)

Thanks for the great E-mail with some good questions.  It sounds like you have a nice bike.  Your ride around Paris was a good one.  We hope to be in Europe in the spring of 2004 and plan on riding in France as well.  We will spend at least a year in Europe.  We do not know exactly where we are going there but many people have recently been telling us how wonderful Sweden is for bicycle touring.  Sweden is on our list of places that we would like to visit.  There are so many great places in Europe that we may have to spend even longer there than we originally planned.

1.  I have bicycle toured quite a bit in the USA but I have never rode from coast to coast.   It is a route that is popular in our country and there are many books and bike orientated maps available to help you along.  I think that you will find Americans very friendly and always will to talk to you.  Cindie and I always say that we will tour extensively in the USA once we have had enough of traveling internationally.   Riding across the continent sounds fun and we will surly get to it some day.

2.  What kind of stove to bring and fuel availability is a good question.  I have only owned stoves that burn White Gas or car gasoline.  I am not sure about other types.  We currently use a multi-fuel stove and burn gasoline most of the time.  The advantage for us is that we know that we can find fuel in any country of the world and gasoline is sold conveniently on the road.  These type of stoves have some major drawbacks.  As you mentioned the smell of gasoline is bad and lingers for hours.  It does not have much of a odor while burning but gasoline often gets on the outside of the bottle when filling.  Cindie really hates the smell. It is always kind of funny to pedal up to the pump and see the confused look on peoples faces.  Other problems include a complicated lighting procedure, clogging/cleaning, and general regular maintenance.  You have to be a bit of a mechanic and carry specific tools and replacement parts to keep it working correctly.

As I said, I have never owned a LP or propane stove but I have seen several people using them.  They are very easy to light and I do not think that there is much maintenance or cleaning.  It appears to light and burn just like a gas burner in your house.  These type of portable camping stoves use a disposable fuel canister that is widely available in the USA.  Wal-Mart, K-mart, and even supermarkets (in western states) usually carry the stoves and replacement canisters.   I have no idea if a stove bought in Sweden would use the same canisters as in the USA.  You will have to look into that or buy your stove in the USA.   A stove of this type sounds like a good choice for you in the USA but I would seek additional advice from someone who owns one in the USA.

3.  We have met many travelers who have trouble storing their digital photos.  We bring our own laptop so it is not much of a problem.  What I have seen many people try is bringing the software and USB cable with them in hopes of burning their photos to a CD at an internet cafe.  Some people we have met have had a very hard time actually getting it to work.  Most of these people I would consider very knowledgeable in computers so I believe that it is not easy.   It is possible that internet cafe computers have blocks and firewalls that prevents it.  I have helped several desperate people out by connecting their camera to our computer and burning CDs with their pictures.  I have heard of large storage devise (1 Gigabyte or more) that are small and connect to your camera and could hold several  months of pictures that you may want to look into.  Our camera Sony DCR-PC110 Digital HandyCam Camcorder also stores digital pictures on a small cassette tape.   These tapes also hold digital video and are easily found.   I am sorry that I do not have a clear answer for you.  I do think that you are wise to research this completely because it would be a shame to have a expensive digital camera with you that you are not able to use because it's storage devise is full.  Sadly, I have seen this same situation all to often. 

(Tim)

Oct. 9, 2002

Subject: Touring questions

I am so very interested in touring.  I have been looking into how to get into it for awhile.  I now own a Kona cyclocross bike.  Do you think a cyclocross bike is OK for loaded touring?   I am looking to do Africa some day, maybe Ireland.  I am not very interested in flying and need to get over that. :)  What do you think would be some tips for a 23 year old beginner.  I am thinking of starting with Utah this summer.  I dream of touring, but I need to muster up the courage to do it. By the way, great site :)

(SIGNED = Tim, USA)

A Kona cyclocross bike should be great as long as you can mount racks and panniers (bags) on it.  A local bike shop can tell you this quickly just by looking at your bike.  I used a Bianchi cyclocross bike for years and it did well.  All the bags and equipment can be found at REI.com.   They also have a good touring equipment list that we used for preparing for our current trip.  The bike shop in REI will give you the list for free.

Once you have all of your equipment assembled, and gone on a few long day rides, I would go from your house to a nearby State Park, National Forest, or something similar.   It should be a place that you have been to before and not far (30 - 40 miles) from your house.  This will give you a chance to realize what you need and do not need.   After a few weekend trips like this you will be ready for something bigger.

Utah is a beautiful place to bike tour.  It is a very bike friendly state.   Ten years ago, I bike toured in Southern Utah and enjoyed every mile of it.  I even found a job at a bike shop in Moab and stayed several months.  I recommend playing connect the dots on your map with the numerous national parks there.  Plan on spending at least two nights in each park.  More nights are preferable to give you some hiking days and rest days.  Most beginners make the mistake of planning to much riding and not enough for rest and exploring.

If you do not mind riding the bus, I always recommend the west coast for first time tourists.  There are several good reasons for this.  There is an excellent bike route system all the way from Seattle to San Diego.  This system includes bike friendly campsites that you never need reservations for and usually include other attractions like sand dunes, beaches, and Redwood forests.  The wind (almost) always blows from the northwest.  If you head south you will love the daily tailwinds and fine views of the ocean.  Thousands of cyclists are on this route every year which means that even if you start out alone you will soon meet others to ride with.  The best thing about riding this route is that there is an excellent book Bicycling the Pacific Coast: A Complete Route Guide Canada to Mexico that describes every detail of every day.  This book will take all of the unknown and nervousness away because you will always know what is next.  It even has detailed maps to get you through the big cities like San Francisco and a basic "how to bicycle tour" section in the beginning.  Courage is nothing more than knowledge and experience applied to the unknown.

As far as obtaining further information on the ins and outs of bike touring I do not believe that there is a better single source than The Essential Touring Cyclist: A Complete Guide for the Bicycle Traveler, Second Edition.  It goes into great detail about your bike and equipment options.  I have the first and second editions in my collection.  I learned a great deal from this book and could not be on our around the world bike tour without first learning the information in it.   Thanks for the nice compliment on the web site and please keep me posted on your progress.  (Tim)

Sept. 10, 2002

Dear Tim and Cindie:

I have signed up for the email contact that your web site offers. I do have specific questions for the both of you?

I want to know about your health issues. I am a RN, and want to put some info together for the wilderness medical society on long distance bike touring health info. I would like to know all about your health ailments, any problems, weight loss or gain, nutritional issues, psychological health, daily concerns muscle aches, saddle soreness. Anything! How the environmental surroundings, ie pollution or pristine effect your health. Thank You, soo much

(SIGNED = Susan, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA)

Tim: age 36 height 6 ft. 4 inches, weight at start of trip 250 lbs., has been a cyclist since the age of 11. Cindie: age 40 height 5 ft.7 inches, weight at start of trip 142 lbs., has been a cyclist since the age of 34.

Weight Loss

As of September 6, 2002 Tim has lost approximately 30 lbs. and I have lost approximately 15 lbs. we were pretty out of shape when we started, Tim lost 10 lbs. in the first week.

Saddle Sores, Dehydration and Sunburn

In the beginning (first three weeks) our endurance was low, we both had saddle sores (we both wore two pairs of shorts and that helped a lot) neither one of us has had saddle sores since those first few weeks. We started out in the desert so I experienced some dehydration even though I drank constantly. Tim never experienced dehydration. I also got a bladder infection about the second month of riding, that has cleared up and I have not had any problems since. One of our first days in the desert I forgot to put sunscreen on my arms and got a pretty good sunburn. I peeled and then heeled.

Digestive Issues

We did not have any digestive problems at all in Arizona. When we entered Mexico we took two tablets of Pepto Bismol for the first three weeks and that helped. I had slight diarrhea for the first two weeks. I got some kind of food poisoning in Guanajuato, Mexico about our 8th week in Mexico, I threw up, had diarrhea, fever, aches and pains for two days then it cleared up. I was well for two weeks and then I got diarrhea for a week straight. Since then (two months) I have not had any digestive problems. Tim on the other hand has had diarrhea continuously since about the third week in Mexico. He was so bad he took some Citpro and that cleared him up for about three days, and then he started having diarrhea again.

Nutritional Issues.

Tim is always hungry. We eat a meal before we ride, ride for two hours eat a lunch then we ride one to two hours more, then eat again. When we are on the road, we usually carry tortillas and peanut butter for lunch and a soup with pasta for dinner. For breakfast we have oatmeal with granola, raisins, or bananas. When we go out to eat in the city we have anything from eggs to enchiladas to my favorite, chili Rellenos. My biggest issue with nutrition is that I am hypoglycemic and can not eat a lot of carbohydrates like pasta, I can eat it in moderation but if I have too much I get irritable, and have problems with insomnia and frequent urination. The nice thing about riding all the time is that it does balance out my blood sugar so I can eat things like ice cream, cookies and pasta. Then I eat to much, have the above mentioned problems and then I start all over again. If you have any suggestions about controlling blood sugar levels (besides not eating ice cream and cookies) I would greatly appreciate it. I am always open to suggestions.

Psychological Health

Reducing the stress of work, dead lines and constant responsibilities have been wonderful. Some of the stresses added are riding in heavy traffic, I sometimes get tense. In the beginning of our trip I had constant neck pain for about three weeks and then I realized that I was gripping the handlebars to tight because I was frightened. I started to relax and the neck pain went away. The other stress is being attacked by dogs, we have had many battles and Tim has chased them all off. We are trying a new technique, we are carrying dog treats called bacon strips. We plan to toss them at the next pack of dogs that come after us.

We are constantly figuring out where we are at and planning a course through the unknown. I find this mentally stimulating and so does Tim, some people may find this stressful. In addition, we go to museums, read about the local history and yes, try to learn Spanish. These are all skills that we did not use at home. So on some days I go to sleep both physically and mentally exhausted.

Environmental Effects

We certainly have experienced everything from very cold weather to very hot weather. We try to dress for weather the best we can. Tim had the beginnings of hypothermia when we got caught in a hail storm. The Gore-Tex socks saved me the next day because my bike shoes were soaked but the socks kept me warm and dry.

I am beginning to prefer sleeping outside in the tent. The air is fresh and the temperatures at night are usually pleasant. I thought I would have trouble sleeping on the ground but with an air mattress I do just fine. Tim could live in a tent 100% of the time.

I guess I would include the people we have met along the way as an environmental effect, the entire time we have been riding we have been welcomed, taken in as guests, fed, given shelter, water, a shower and information about the area. We have also been stared at, yelled at (very infrequently) and laughed (much more frequently).

Muscle aches

We usually like to ride for three to five days and then take two to five days off depending what we are doing. We just climbed about 5,000 feet in three days so my legs are pretty tired. My legs are usually fatigued for at least two days, after a week of riding. I try to do yoga when I can. Tim does not, however, he never complains about muscle aches.

Well I feel like I have complained a bit much. If you have any other questions, just ask.  (Cindie)

Aug. 15, 2002

1.  What are you going to do (about security) when you go through  Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia?

2.  I hear those places like to kidnap Americans and hold them for ransom.

3.  Are you guys packing heat :) just in case?

(SIGNED = Mike Baker, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA)

I have mixed feelings about Colombia.  Colombia looks like a beautiful country from the pictures that I have seen.  Colombia is very much into cycling.  There are always several Colombian men in the Tour de France.  They have the reputation as great mountain climbers and excel in the Alps and Pyrenees.  From my internet research I believe that there are three velodromes (bike racing tracks) in that little country.  They are truly bicycle enthusiast and I am sure that the average citizen would welcome us.  Because of this high popularity of bicycling Colombia is the country in Latin America that I wish to visit the most. 

On the other hand I do not want to be foolish.  The Mexican news papers, which contain extensive coverage of Latin American, regularly have stories about Colombia.   It has been getting worse recently and it looks like this wonderful nation is on the brink of full scale war.  From what I understand it is the government vs. the drug lords.  The Government just recently got a very large sum of money and military equipment to fight the drug lords from the USA.  The drug lords can write even bigger checks than the USA and buy whatever they want.  This includes mercenaries (soldiers for hire) from Europe, Canada, and the USA who are skilled, savage, and disposable.   Anyone that thinks a war (much less laws) will stop the flow of drugs has lead a very protected and naive life.

2.  It is true that these drug lords like to kidnap and ransom foreign tourist and Colombians alike to fund their activities.   They look for anyone who they think has family with money.  One reputable web site stated that these kidnappings have moved from occasionally to very frequent and to travel there is currently not recommended.

This kidnapping issue and the current deterioration of the security of Colombia scares me the most  For this reason I think we will have to skip it and fly from Panama to Ecuador and continue from there.  I hope that Colombia stabilizes someday.  I have promised myself that we will make an extended visit then.

3.  Guns are strictly illegal in most countries, (besides the USA) including all countries in Latin America, and to be caught with one would mean spending several years in jail learning Spanish the hard way.  If I could I certainly would bring a pistol but border searches make it impossible.  A cheap but reliable .38 snub-nose tucked away in my handlebar bag would bring me a very real sense of security.  I "pity the fool" that messes with Cindie or me while we travel on US soil.   (Tim)

July 6, 2002

1.  What has been your best day so far? 

2.  What has been your worst day to date?

(SIGNED = Ed Roush, San Francisco, California, USA)

2.   The worst day, so far, had to be our first day riding into Mexico.  Border towns in the north of Mexico are the worst.  Drunk men were yelling "stuff" at us, it smelled very bad, and the narrow road was full of trash and huge semi trucks.  Cindie's Journal for Northern Mexico can give you more details.  (Tim)

June 18, 2002

1.  Are you crazy?  Mexico is a very dangerous country and you are surely going to get robbed or killed or both. 

2.  Why not just bike in normal places like the USA or even Canada?  Don't you like your own country or your own kind? 

(SIGNED = Anonymous)

Camping in the endless corn fields of northern Michoacan

2.  We love our country but we have traveled extensively there before.  We like to experience the differences that only foreign countries can offer.  As far as being among our own kind; We are humans from the planet earth and so is everyone we come in contact with in Latin America.  Mexicans are our own kind!  (Tim)

June 11, 2002

How did you afford to travel for such a long time?  Any advice for someone wishing to do the same?

(SIGNED = Anonymous)

May 25, 2002

I see your bikes in a bunch of pictures.  Are they road bikes or mountain bikes?

(SIGNED = Patti, Albuquerque, New Mexico)

Full size Picture Pages

- Pictures from the first day
- Arizona Photo Page #1 Prescott AZ - Tucson AZ
- Lost Dutchman State Park
- Arizona Photo Page #2 Tucson AZ - Tombstone AZ
- San Xavier Mission
- Arizona Photo Page #3 Tombstone AZ to Portal AZ 
- Tombstone Arizona
- Ghost Towns in Arizona 
- Chiricahua National Monument
- Portal Arizona
- Chiricahua Wilderness Area Backpack (Trek)

Full size Picture Pages

- Mexico #1 Photo Page   Agua Prieta to Zaragoza, Mexico
- Paquime Ruins - Casas Grandes, Mexico
- Mexico #2 Photo Page    Zaragoza to Col. Alvaro Obregon, Mexico
- The Mennonites of Chihuahua, Mexico
- Mexico #3 Photo Page 
- Barranca del Cobre or Copper Canyon Photo Page

Full size Picture Pages

- Zacatecas, Mexico
- Central Mexico #1  Zacatecas to Ojuelos, Mexico
- One Fine Day Down The Road  State of Zacatecas, Mexico
- Central Mexico #2 Zacatecas to Guanajuato, Mexico
- Dolores Hidalgo, the Home of the Mexican War of Independence
- Guanajuato and the Mexican War of Independence
- Guanajuato, Mexico #1
- Guanajuato, Mexico #2
- Mineral Museum of the University of Guanajuato

Full size Picture Pages

- Guanajuato to   Penjamillo, Mexico
- Penjamillo to Patzcuaro, Mexico
- Patzcuaro, Mexico
- Patzcuaro to Cuidad Hidalgo, Michoacan, Mexico
- Morelia, Mexico
- Into the Mist Mexican highway 15
- Cuidad Hidalgo, Michoacan, to Toluca, Mexico
- Toluca, Mexico
- The Velodrome in Toluca, Mexico

Full size Picture Pages

- Toluca to Chalma, Mexico
- Malinalco, Mexico
- Chalma to Amecameca, Mexico
- Cuernavaca, Mexico
- Amecameca
- September 16 Mexican Independence Day
- Various Extra Pictures

Full size Picture Pages

- Mexico City
- National Palace and Zocalo
- The Velodrome (bicycle track) in Mexico City
- The Ruins of Teotihuacan #1
- The Ruins of Teotihuacan #2
- Xochimilco
- Mexico City Zoo
- National Museum of Anthropology

Full size Picture Pages

- Museum La Venta and the Olmec Heads Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico
- Villahermosa, Tabasco  to Ocosingo, Chiapas, Mexico
- Palenque #1 Photo Picture Page
- Palenque #2 Photo Picture Page
- Misol-Ha Waterfall Chiapas, Mexico
- Agua Azul Chiapas, Mexico
- Tonina Mayan Ruins Ocosingo, Chiapas, Mexico
- Mexico's Day of the Dead Ocosingo, Chiapas, Mexico
- Ocosingo to Cuauhtemoc Chiapas, Mexico

Full size Picture Pages

- La Mesilla to Quetzaltenango, Guatemala
- The Indigenous Highland Village of San Andreas Xecul
- Climbing the Volcano Santa Maria.
- Quetzaltenango, Guatemala
- Quetzaltenango to Antigua, Guatemala.
- San Pedro la Laguna Lago (Lake) Atitlan, Guatemala
- Lago (Lake) Atitlan Santa Cruz to San Marcos Hike
- More San Pedro Photos Photo Page

Full size Picture Pages

- The Colonial City of Antigua, Guatemala. #1
- The Historical City of Antigua, Guatemala. #2
- The Active Volcano Pacaya, Near Antigua
- Antigua to Puerto Barrios, Guatemala
- The Mayan Ruins of Tikal, Guatemala
- Livingston, Guatemala

Full size Picture Pages

- Honduras: The Border to Comayagua, Honduras
- Omoa, Honduras and Fortaleza de San Fernando de Omoa
- Parque Nacional Cero Azul Meambar, Honduras Page #1
- Parque Nacional Cero Azul Meambar, Honduras Page #2
- Comayagua to Tegucigalpa, Honduras
- Tegucigalpa, Honduras to the Border with Nicaragua
- Odds and Ends

Full size Picture Pages

- Nicaragua: The Honduras border to Esteli, Nicaragua
- Esteli, Nicaragua:  the Stronghold of the Sandinista
- Esteli to Granada, Nicaragua
- Granada, Nicaragua #1
- Granada, Nicaragua #2
- Volcano Masaya - Near Managua, Nicaragua
- Granada, Nicaragua to the Costa Rican Border
- Isla / Island Ometepe, Lake Nicaragua
- Ernie, The Entertainer from Jamaica

Full size Picture Pages

- Nicaraguan Border to Playa Tamarindo
- Liberia, Guancaste, Costa Rica.
- Playa Tamarindo to Playa Samara
- Playa Samara to Playa Jaco
- Manuel Antonio National Park #1
- Rancho Mastatal, Costa Rica #1
- Rancho Mastatal, Costa Rica #2

Full size Picture Pages

- Parque National Manuel Antonio, #2
- City of Santa Elena and Monteverde
- Butterfly Garden, Santa Elena, Monteverde
- Finca Ecological, Monteverde
- Frog Pond (Ranario), Santa Elena
- Santa Elena, Cloud Forest, National Park
- Sky Walk, Suspension Bridge, Canopy Tour
- Sky Trek Zip Line, Canopy Tour
- Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

Full size Picture Pages

- Panama City #1
- Panama City #2
- Panama Canal