The story of how I saved money, quit my job, sold my possessions, and set off to endlessly travel by bike around the world. My Plan

My 3 Books
I write, self publish and sell books about touring

(see all 3 book)

HOME
Where am I?
Videos
Picture Gallery
Journals
Travel Plan
Finances
Shopping
Equipment
My Books
About Me
Media/Press Room
Contact

Photo Use Info

Subscribe to  Newsletter
Read Sample
Continue My Travels

Places I have been
(How can I afford this?)

India and Neighbors
May 2010 to present

Alaska / Canada / USA
May 2008 to April 2010

New Zealand
Sept 2007 to May 2008

Australia
Sept 2006 to Sept 2007

SE Asia / China
Nov 2004 to Sept 2006

South America
June 2003 to June 2004

AZ, Mexico, and Central America
March 2002 to April 2003

How I started
The 5 years before I left

Sign up for my RoadNews Newsletter

 Written on the road as I travel around the world on my bicycle

*Help Support this Web Site and Continue My Travels.

Equipment Pages Index

Introduction
How Much to Bring and Weight
Some Advice About Advice
A Note to Perspective Sponsors and Gear Suppliers
(See more about Sponsorship)

START HERE for Touring Bikes and Commuting Bicycles
Custom Touring Bicycles and Bike Upgrade Buyers Guide
Bicycle Touring Frames 
The Steel Repair Myth.
Steel and Aluminum Derailleur Hanger Repair.
Bicycle Touring Wheels
Phil Wood: The Best Bicycle Hubs

Panniers / Bike Bags
Cargo Trailers Vs Panniers
Tires for Bike Tours..
Bicycle Touring Saddles.
Women's Specific Bike Touring Saddles
Brooks Leather Touring Bicycle Saddle Care and Conditioning
Bike Computer
Touring Handlebars, Bar Ends, Adjustable Stems, and Padded Grips.
Kickstands
Sealed Cartridge Headsets
How to prevent flat tires
Bike Route Trails and Maps

Camping
Buying Camping Equipment
Tent and Ground Cloth
Sleeping Bag
Sleeping Pad
Camp Stove
Pots and Pans
Water Filter
First Aide Kits
Solar Power for Camp

Clothing
Bike Touring Shorts

Electrical
Short-wave Radio
Computer
Internet
mp3
Bicycle touring lights

Books
Packing list
Pictures of Equipment Failures
Shopping

Traveling the world on two wheels February 3, 2009 at 5:43 pm by Alan Wechsler, staff writer

With meetings being held about improving cycling in both Albany and along the Champlain Canal, this may be a good time to reflect upon those who have embraced the bicycle as a way of life. I speak of Tim and Cindie Travis, an Arizona couple who have spent more than five years touring around the world on their bicycles.

The Travises are professional cyclists. They are able to support their adventures by selling books about their trip and advertising on their web site, www.downtheroad.org. They don’t make much, but make it last by traveling through cheap countries in Asia and South America, eating like locals and sleeping in tents or in the  houses of friends they make along the way.

They’re poised to start a journey across America, which may stretch their budget.

The couple is now staying in Yuma, Arizona and preparing for the American leg. Their time here has made for some interesting interactions, as Tim Travis reported in an email today:

“Bike commuters are rare to non existent in this town and our riding instead of driving a car always causes quite a commotion … Some cannot believe life is possible without a car.  One man told me it was, ‘Un-American not to drive like a normal person’ and another well meaning man, assuming I had a DUI (drunk driving), told me, ‘With a good lawyer you can get your license back.’  Sometimes I feel like a stranger in my own country.”

I had the pleasure of spending a week with them while biking through Cambodia in December, 2004. I haven’t seen them since, but I’ve kept in touch, and hope to host them when they roll through Albany sometime in the next year or so.

In the meantime, anybody interested in bicycle travel might consider picking up one or both of the Travis’ books. The couple is now selling them over the Internet at half-price, so now’s a great time to buy. They are not professional writers, but their stories are both inspiring and instructive about a world few of us see.

Traveling the world on two wheels

Bicycle Touring
Tips & Advice
(see all Equipment Pages)

Touring Bicycles
Panniers
Racks
Saddles
Tires
Lights

Tents
Sleeping Bags
Camping Mattress
Camp Stove
Water Filter
Pots and Pans
First Aide Kits
Solar Power for Camp

Much MORE Gear Here!

Sponsors (how?)

Blog RSS 
Video PodCast
Email Newsletter

J other   Jtext BW cc let let2 dre  ll