Gear – Solo Female Cycling Around The World

Rags To Riches…What’s The Best Tent For Bicycle Touring?

“Is that tent supposed to look that way” The campground manager says with a curious WTF sort of tone. I am tucked inside a claustrophobic cocoon of what remains of my mountain hardware 2.1 skyledge tent trying not to laugh. However, the broken rake that I propped under one of two sewn up zipper doors in order to combat last nights rain is just too much of a site for my sarcasm.

Mountain Hardware 2.1 Skyledge in Cape Town after a year of touring (about 300 solo female cyclist sleeps)

The longer I cycle tour, the less these things seem to matter” I chuckle from inside as I attempt to unsuccessfully sit up straight under the broken poles, contort my body into a pretzel shape and crawl out the permanently open zipper door. This is sort’a normal isn’t I think to myself as I stand up in the sand and straighten my new hay stack haircut, a frazzled homemade mess of locks resembling Cramer’s from Seinfeld. People like me really shouldn’t be allowed access to scissors. I think to myself as I run my fingers through my botched attempt at cutting off my own sun-baked hair.

(the red line is what I cycled, the dotted line is the sailing route, my apologies for the blurry map, it’s the best I could do)

Despite looking like a disheveled eighties rocker and feeling vain for the first time in a long while, I chuckle “I got lucky” as the managers well meaning concern for my lack of shelter forms a worried uncomfortable grimace across his hardly 20 year old innocent face.

I was given a new Hilleberg Jannu tent under sponsorship, it is coming in the mail, it will be here soon, I’m gonna crew on a sailboat across the Atlantic from Namibia up the Brazilian coast, then cycle the Americas to finish the cycling around the world thing. The tent will be perfect..from rags to riches, baby” I chuckle, feeling the glow of immense gratitude knowing Hilleberg The Tentmakers’s reputation as one of the best quality tent companies in the world.

Have you had a tent like that before?” The young manager asks looking far less concerned with my ‘who needs all the ‘right’ gear anyway, just go with what you got’ attitude. The same attitude that stop bothering to use a tent and started happily sleeping under the stars or road out of the wind instead.

wild camping due to broken tents, loads of fencing and high winds

‘I had the tough little Vaude Hogan for the first year of this 3 year world tour, great tent but I eventually lost the poles, it wasn’t worth the cost to replace them and the tent wasn’t free standing which was an issue when camping on rocky ground. I also tried an OR bivy sack, nice and light but there was too much condensation. I wanted something bigger. I’ve slept in the ultralight MSR Hubba Hubba 2 person, it’s is a popular tent, loads of space, great tent. My new Hilleberg Jannu has a half goedesic design, strong poles and top quality material… should hold up the best in the winds of Patagonia”

Big Agnes Fly Creek UL 2 Person in Tibet, China. The material was too light for continuous use, I stuck my hand through it after 3 months…2 days later after I slept in the Hilleberg Jannu…

How’s the new tent, do you get wet last night?” The young sleepy manager asks, his orange hoody is pulled loosely over his uncombed hair. The cloudy morning sky suggests there is more rain to come. I am standing next to my new tent proudly grinning. I am pondering how a TENT got to be so puuuurdy while debating if being orgasmically happy about a tent is something to worry about.

W.E.T,… in this? No way, I loooooove it. At 3 kilos after a zipper pull replacement, it is worth every ounce” My arms flail in full participation as if breaking into a happy dance before coffee over a tent is perfectly normal behavior.

This tent is amazing, I can’t believe how great it is. You really have to sleep in it to believe it, come on inside”. I utter as the manager uncomfortably grins, shifts his stance and takes a small step back. He turns and hurries off barely able to keep his flip flops on. Ooops…scared him… he either thinks there is a horney old maid trying to seduce him or that I’m some spastic over the hill lunatic with a fetish for tents…not sure which is worst I think to myself as I step through the huge tent door to spend the morning out of the rain, dry and comfy in my spacious sturdy tent thankful for my new sponsor Hilleberg!

LATEST From The WOW (Women ON Wheels) Wall

Every now again you get the rare opportunity to come across such an amazing adventure that about the only thing you can say is WOW. Meet adventurer Anne-Sophie Rodette, presently she is tackling Patagonia by UNICYCLE

One, Two, Three, Sleeping With Little Ole Me…What Tent Should You Choose For Your Solo Adventure?

“Hyena misses, no camp, hyena misses no camp here” The sound of a dozen local Ethiopian villagers permeate the barrier of my tent wall. The sun has just set and I have moments ago jumped inside, through one of two spacious doors. “Hyena misses, hyena misses, no camp here”.

People have gathered in a curious huddle to have a look at the surprise visit from a wonderful tent popping up so quickly on their village border, a green and grey tent that I call home. A mountain hardware 2.1skyledge, purchased last x-mas onsale for $196. Equipped with wonderful camouflaging colors for hidden freedom camping, blending unnoticed in to most environments.

“Hyena Misses, no camp here”, their heartfelt concern is as insistent as my laziness to relocate. My little tent home will set up and pull down very quickly and free stand just about anywhere. However, regardless of the giggling locals and the great point they are making, I have a feeling I might just make it through another night camping solo in my 2.1 person tent home.

For good measure, I put my xx-L knife named Willy, in one of the oversized strong mesh pockets that line the walls. My small flashlight dangles over head, clipped securely to the overhanging storage area while my pannier rests with loads of room by my feet. “Hyena Misses, no camp here”, I zip back one of the sturdy zippered doors, I thank them for their near teasing concern, and say goodnight.

As the stars bounce forth from the setting sun, I roll back the rain fly and peer up through the almost 360 degree view from beneath the rounded octanguliar skylight. From inside my tent home, I listen to the tranquil sound of African magic resonating from my MH skyledge 2.1 stout 2 1/2 poll free standing design.

Morning comes after another tranquil night of peaceful sleep on top of my sleeping pad with Pandemic The Magic Bicycle parked in clear view in front of the screen door. I pack my beloved tent home perfectly into the bottom of one classic Ortlieb pannier. I wave good morning to a gathering crowd of villagers and pedal off to greet another day of lightweight bicycle touring in Ethiopia, Africa.

Special note: I am unsponsored by MH. However, if you remember to shop at amazon.com through this website, it will not cost you anything extra. The small percentage (4%) I receive goes towards the bicycle ambulance project and website maintenance.

Waiting On A Man, Rohloff, Where Are You?

Perched high in a round balcony, a widow peers out into the distance Mediterranean oceans waiting on a sailor who left for the hospital in Germany a long time ago. Since the early 1800’s, when the first widows perch was built women have sat patiently and waited for the return of a life they once knew. It is now 2012, I find myself in camaraderie with the women of history as I sit halted from my world bicycle tour waiting on a man, my hubby Rohloff.

The other day, I came across the rules for women cyclists in the 1800’s. Times have changed for WOW women on wheels for we are now not so rare. For instance in 1895, Annie Londonderry became the first women to cycle the world. Motivated by the suffragist movement, dared in a public courtyard, Annie set off by bicycle to show the world she could indeed take care of herself, and with a derailleur she probably did. Annie Londonderry certainly wasn’t waiting on a man to start or finish her world bicycle tour.

Fast forwards a few hundred years and unlike Annie Londonderry, I find myself waiting on a man, my hubby Mr. Rohloff Wheel. He has been a steady companion proving to be unstoppable in any condition through 18 countries. Never a tool have I ever held to his adjustments. As anyone who has read Top 5 Reasons Why Rohloff Makes The Perfect Hubby, I am firm believer in the modernization of too clog-able often replaced derailleur.

However, it is most important to remember that people have been pedaling up mountains wearing nothing but flip flops for a very long time. And going with what you got truly takes the Rohloff verses derailleur debate by any vote. Even so, I will never complain about my modern expensive hubby Rohloff’s reliability on mountain, desert and ocean roads. Mud, rust and clog free, his no maintenance style has softened my heart and turned me into a committed partner.

Regrettably, there had to be a trial separation recently between me and my hubby. He was sent off to Germany for repairs. Roadside assistance, he will not bear for he had busted his bearing, a not too common issue for his age. However, when his bearing blew he needed to be shipped to the Rohloff hospital in Germany, so I detoured my route and ventured to Greece, Cyprus from the Iran/Turkey border because EU Cyprus garnishes the EU data post mailing service.

So what is the story on how long a woman should wait for a man?

December 30^th I sent my wheel to Rohloff Germany expecting an “expedited” repair, my hubby arrives 5 days later to Germany with the EU Data Post mailing service.

January 4^th received by Rohloff and than a 5 days wait for the arrival of a tire I ordered from England sent to Rohloff. The Rohloff hospital in Germany indeed serviced my hubby very promptly and he left the shop for his return voyage with a new tire (1/11).

January 11^th Rohloff’s return shipping of an expedited repair EU to the EU?,13 plus days and still no hubby. Apparently, he must have been sent by mule. By the time I get back on tour perhaps even my hubby Mr Rohloff Wheel will have joined the camp of cyclists who are and will always be derailleur fans.

January 18^th The post office here in Greece EU Cyprus said that if Rohloff had of been sent as certified, registered and/or express mail, the same service that I utilized for my delivery of my hubby Rohloff, I could have been back in my wheels in 1-3 days.

January 24^th 26 days later, Rohloff lingers longer then a widow at her perch longing for a life she once knew, and I still sit like my sisters of history not yet back on tour pondering the word “expedited repair” waiting on a man.

photo credit

Rohloff or Roll On, You Decide

After about 30,000 uncounted kilometers, Pandemic The Magic bicycle is suffering a cough due to cold, a pesky hiccup of sorts that persists with a hypochondriac’s insistence that something is not quite right.

In 2009, my first magic bicycle tour began when I left SJS cycles in England on a thorn raven touring bicycle. I was equipped with full set of top of the line Shimano components, sexy steel forks and my Rohloff internal gear system. Rolling with full amazement that only a baby’s first steps to bicycle touring can muster, we headed out the bike shop door.

Fast forward, 16 countries, 2 and ½ years and about 30,000km’s later, I am now still on my first bicycle tour and many lessons away from Europe. I am in India having just pedaled the Himalaya. How’s the Rohloff rolling these days?…you might wonder. Wobble I do, on a possible warn bearing, through Kashmir, Manali to Leh highway and Spiti Valley of N. India. My Rohloff began wobbling in the Taklamakan desert, China with increasing retaliation about 4000km ago, instead of rolling with the same steady flawless confidence it has always shown. I contacted Rohloff, a company notorious for great service and support of bicycle tourists like me on the road. True to form, Rohloff responded immediately and will be replacing the bearing and warn sprocket at no cost, a 2 day repair plus shipping.

(Rolling on last year in Mongolia When I met Micheal on a titanium racing bike. He felt the Rohloff was too heavy)

Rohloff’s sturdy internal 14 gear system and longevity means the wheel wobble will not prevent me from pedaling forward through Pakistan, Iran and closer to Europe, where the entire wheel will be shipped back to Germany for the repair at no cost under an amazing lifetime warranty. I have met cycle tourists who over the course of a 4 year continuous bicycle tour had to replace their cassette, derailleur and entire gear unit not once but 3 times. Sure my wheel at the start costs a little more but after all this time of flawless gears while pedaling, one repair at the cost of 38 euros for shipping seems like quite the bargain. Rohloff or Roll on, you decide.

Ssshhhh, I Can’t Hear You…Why I Love My MSR Whisper Lite Stove

The MSR int’l whisper lite might lack the glimmer of a low simmer but boil it will in a record breaking spill

No need to buy the primus for surely all those fuel cartridges will cause an international fuss

Up in flames she went due to my unattended head, I screwed the cap on wrong, for I must have been thinking about a bong

To no avail, she recovered from my fail and she still burns great even if you’ve cycled all day and it’s getting late

Pasta on demand in a quick boiling camp pan, I am stumped for a better nutritional plan

High altitude passes and the Gobi desert she has gone and even then this stove hasn’t gone wrong

Her silent ways have been proven with every cent well spent even packed tight into a pannier you won’t find a dent

What’s that you say? You want one today but sssssh I can’t hear you. For the whisper lite is always right even if the operator is fresh from a rain soaked bicycle touring night

Special note: Just so you know, I am unsponsored by MSR and enjoy writing about things that have proven to work from almost 3 years of continuous bicycle touring through 18 countries. However, the bicycle ambulance project is on my mind. If you shop at amazon.com through this website it doesn’t cost you anything extra and I receive a small amount, about 1% of the sale. The money will go towards the purchase of a bicycle ambulance and will be given to a community in Namibia when I arrive by bicycle. The profits from the Be The Adventure T-shirts also go towards the bicycle ambulance project. If you shop at amazon.com anyway, a big thanks to you for remembering to shop through the amazon.com icon on the right sidebar.

Dear Rohloff

Dear Rohloff,

Please take care of my hubby Mr. Rohloff Wheel. He has been on quite a voyage and due to the fact that he is overweight and too large in certain areas, I was unable to ship him with his tube or tire. The postal service said NO, however an outlandish 20-30 day trial separation was suggested.

I walked across the border here in Turkey Cyprus to Greece Cyprus and found a shipping service that said yes he could go on a 3 day express holiday to Germany but only if he lost some weight and trimmed down his perimeter. I hope he arrives safely to you for his rehabilitation. I really appreciate your warranty hospital services for my hubby Rohloff, he has been unstable for quite some time. He definitely has got some issues that sparked our trial separation. His issues are:

Wheel wobble, a gap between the sprocket and hub area, possible bearing
The plastic cable cover that attaches to the wires for shifting that lead out of the hub has worn free
If possible at no cost, I would love the other type/size of sprocket put on. I would like to have 3 more gears on the hills. It was set too high at Thorn at purchase because I did not truly understand at the time what I was being asked. I had never cycled before. This would also get me out of gear 7 which is my present pedaling gear and the one that wears the hardest over time. The ideal gear is 10 and I would love to pedal in gear 10 to take it easy on my hubby and continue pedaling the world.
Also, if it’s ok, I will buy and ship you one tire and if it is ok you could use that to protect the wheel on the way back. The German postal system is a lot better than here so I think my hubby Rohloff’s overweight and length issues will not be of concern. Is that OK?

Thanks, my hubby’s stability has been deteriorating for quite some time and negatively affecting our relationship. I look forward to my hubby Rohloff’s return in an improved state so we can reconcile and continue to pedal together.

Signed,

The old ball and chain @skalatitude.com

Loretta Henderson (t-shirt size women’s S)

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Pakistani My fanny

Chugga chugga choo choo….the train plugs along at the speed of a bicycle through Baluchistan province, Pakistan. A part of the world in which blending in and passing by unnoticed is a really good idea. What the hell am I doing in this desert? I am thoroughly informed by everyone, guest house owners, other over-landers and military police, that cycling the road from Pakistan into Iran is not possible but is passable in a military convoy with mandatory armed escorts. Convoys at times stop and wait for hours or nights for an organized safe passing of the area. The advice by all is to keep a low profile, “take the train, avoid confrontations with the military and the convoys, you will get there easier, safer and faster”

Long Sleeve Shirt from “The Cycle Tourists That Don’t Meet Terrorists Clothing Line”, $6USD, available at the tailor next to the Regal Internet Inn in Lahore Pakistan

I figure in order to prepare for such a stealth occasion, that new concealment clothes are in order. I went to visit a tailor, a man who studied clothing design in Toronto and London, then returned home to open a men’s tailoring shop in Pakistan. He is a funny, highly dramatic, artistic type who loves designing clothes. We chat about shirts for some time and come up with the perfect cycling shirt. The “cycle tourists that don’t meet terrorists” clothing line for women cyclists in Baluchistan, an up and coming market, I am sure of it or at least Pandemic The Magic Bicycle and I think so.

Sharif, a men’s tailor seems delighted with the girly girl gear challenge. He sent me out shopping for material with his trusted man Oman. I pick out brown cotton, brown being my all time favorite color because, it is far easier to keep clean outdoors if you just dress the color of dirt to begin with. So what should we wear for bicycle touring in Muslim countries?

Girly Girl Gear For Cycling In Muslim Countries

Pakistani Your Fanny Cover that bum with a long shirt, either a man’s shirt or any xxx-L shirt will do. Kind of like maternity wear even though you may not be pregnant.

Cleavage…How Low Can You Go- Similar to voluminous bosoms popping out in the western world, ankles in Muslim countries are considered to be oh la la sexy, sort of like ankle cleavage. Keep the shorts and ¾ length pants tucked away in the back of the drawer. Adorning yourself with long pants that cover your ankles is a legal must in Iran and highly suggested for Pakistan and recommended for India Kashmir, Muslim Indonesia and Malaysia.

Pro-tip: Try not to distract other drivers with your sexy ankles because causing motorcycle collisions while cycling can be hazardous.

Head Bang’in In Your Headscarf-Covering your head is legally necessary in Iran and highly recommended in many areas of Pakistan. I would of never imagined that pedaling in Muslim countries listening to the Beastie Boys rapping on full volume while wearing a headscarf could be so much fun. Also, choosing cycling routes in cooler climates such as high mountains helps keep me to a sane temperature while cycling in a headscarf.

Pro-tip: listening to the Beastie Boys while cycling in the summertime with a winter scarf wrapped around your head can be fun

FOR GUYS

3 piece suit, cufflinks, bowtie and a top hat. Just kidding, however, men should dress conservatively. The most respectful way to dress is to wear long or ¾ length shorts instead of daisy duke short ones, cover the spandex and wear t-shirt. The traditional shalwar kamiz worn locally is also appropriate and helps you blend in. However, whatever you normally wear is most likely acceptable as well.

Special note: The internet firewall here has my website and others sites blocked. Therefore communication will be limited. I used a special trick to check my e-mail, post this, and update FB and Twitter. I am not sure how many more tricks I have up my sleeve. Thanks for understanding, check back frequently for new news.

Top 5 Reasons Rohloff Makes The Perfect Hubby

My Rohloff, my German internal gear hub system, love of my life, I take thee for better or for worst, in sickness and in health until death do we part, my friend, my companion and love of my life. I lawfully wed thee in front of the cycling community… You may now kiss your hubby Rohloff.

Isn’t he cute? I always have loved red hair

Top 5 Reasons Rohloff Makes The Perfect Hubby

Number 5. No Skid Marks On The Derailleur You never have to clean skid marks off the derailleur. Actually Rohloff is a S and M freak, after all he is German (bad joke). He prefers to wear metal underwear especially if it is a thon. He will however settle for wearing a thorn instead at most occasions. His internal gear system is encased in a strong metal casing so gumming up the derailleur is never an issue.

Number 4. Low Maintenance. I have been in this exclusive relationship for 2 and ½ years. A long time for a relationship that began online. It doesn’t take much to keep my mail order hubby happy. The secret? Cook him up a little “oil de la oily” for dinner every 5000-10000km and you are good to go. (the rohloff hub requires an oil change every 5,000km)

Number 3. Always A Great Ride. Smooth, gentle moves every night of the week, Oh la la, need I say more. 16 countries and 30,000 km later. Rohloff has still got it. (lifetime guarantee)

Number 2. Watch Bicycle Porn Rohloff’s idea of a great time on a Saturday night is watching a thrasher movie featuring a derailleur that has lost its gear on the western side of the middle of nowhere. Out in the Gobi desert, Karakorum Mountains or the jungles of Borneo, my hubby Rohloff has stood loyal and faithful throughout all of the above.

Number 1. Your Sugar Mama Will Be Jealous. Ok, so Rohloff comes with a high price and you might need to get another sugar mama to buy one of these, however, over time the cost will make up for itself with an unending, committed happiness. And like an expensive wedding ring, you will look at it, feel it’s beauty and smile knowing that this one actually does come with a lifetime warranty.

For more gear news see Girly Girl Gear For Guys Too

Trying Out For The Red Carpet, What To Wear On Your Next Adventure?

I would like to say as I round the world by bicycle that I am cloaked in a wonder women cape full of magic capabilities. Attire, that is suitable for the red carpet and engineered by fashion experts.

However, light weight astronaut specialists, or red carpet outdoor experts have not sponsored me to fashionably propel my hopeful thunderous thighs through the Himalayas foothills of China. I am a self funded human. After 21 months of solo female bicycle touring without sponsorship, I am existing on a budget of limited means. Likewise, I am full of realistic thoughts on the needed and affordable attire for the adventure.

However, it has become abundantly clear that bicycle touring reeks havoc on the wardrobe. My bags are tiny to say the least and my laundry capabilities are limited at best. Today’s tree strung clothes line, in the shade of the cold Laos mountain air, barely did the trick to dry my newly acquired Asian cycling pants made of thin cotton fabric.

The UV sun fading capabilities of hours cycling in the sun will fade the most well designed shirts into a seductive breezy veil. After hours of pedaling, my bronzed sun tanned back acquired through my shirts will attest to this. Fortunately, the majority of my clothing, which has disintegrated in the hours of sunshine while pedaling, didn’t cost very much.

So, what should we be wearing on a bicycle tour? For some the answer is simple, spandex, high end synthetic UV protective fabric and a reflective vest. Or, anything that northface, OR, mountain research, shimano or Patagonia recommends and the pocket book can manage. For me, it is whatever is given to me, or that I can find in the local inexpensive clothing market for imported spandex flatters my red carpet figure to an extent that the masculine conservative world at large need not distract ME by. Even in Australia, a country comfortable with flesh, attention levels rise to distracting levels, if I flash my legs in my favorite OR cycling skort. Besides, there are plenty of cheap, stylish, affordable, conservative outdoor clothing choices for women, choices that will work on any bicycle tour and outdoor adventure, anywhere in the world.

There are several options in the wonder women spandex line

And the vintage shabby chic of yesteryear

Then there’s reality. In some areas of the world, were husbands and brothers barely catch a glimpse of shoulders and thighs, I have always thought it was wise to dress like the locals and cover up. The added sun blocking benefits only add to my thoughts. A long sleeve cotton shirt and long shorts with gusseted crotch will do the trick in just about any climate. In colder regions, zip off hiking pants are helpful because of their lightweight, quick dry capabilities. A light rain coat such as the Marmot precip jacket works well for rain gear as does a poncho. Padded spandex cycling shorts fit fell under most clothing and there are lots of options where the padded bum is build right in for extra comfort.

Let’s cycle the red carpet in style……….

Cycling Sandals…And the Happily Ever After

I would like to announce the upcoming matrimonial vows of Ms. Keene Cycling Sandal to Mr. Shimano Cycling Sandal. They will be married on the shores of Pantai Cenang Beach, Malaysia. In attendance will be a Canadian female bicycle tourist and her monkey. They will arrive by magic bicycle to attend the event and will be cloaked in floral bohemian cotton. The monkey will be wearing a Speedo swimsuit, a banana hammock of sorts to remain politely covered amongst the burka clad local Muslim women. Amongst the guests will be topless Swedish sunbathing tourists, Indian Malay parasailing entrepreneurs and local Malay Rastafarians adorned in decade old dreadlocks. Reggae beats unheard of since the heights of the Jamaican music scene in the 80’s will percuss through the shell lined sandy shores of the Andaman sea on Pantai Cenang beach. The menu will consist of $0.40 duty free beers and nasi goreng pedas (spicy fried rice), the local Malay specialty

Ms Keene Cycling Sandal is a delicate poorly constructed sort with a serial bride burnt out glow and a reputation for short marriages with a 3 month longevity. Her faults lie in the foot bed, angle strap and shoddy neoprene lining. Even since finding the perfect therapist and having new and improved angle straps sown in place, she still proves to be too delicate for bicycle touring. This is Ms. Keen Cycling Sandal’s third marriage in 16 months, she hopes by her union to Mr. Shimano Cycling Sandal to escape her serial bride reputation and turn a new pedal in the rolling game of bicycle touring commitments and longevity.

Mr. Shimano Cycling Sandal is the hearty, sturdy type with 3 thick velcro straps and concrete stiff inlaid spd housing, a rock solid masculine bloke with a stiff upper lip and proven longevity amongst bicycle tourists. This is Mr. Shimano’s Cycling Sandals first marriage.

The Canadian female bicyclist and her Speedo clad monkey have high hopes for Mr. Shimano Cycling Sandal’s sturdy commitment and proven longevity. And after 2 failed marriages, Ms. Keene Cycling Sandal could use a strong, sturdy well constructed replacement. Following the ceremonial exchange of vows, Ms Keen Cycling Sandal and Mr. Shimano Cycling Sandal will be honeymooning on a magic bicycle with the Canadian female bicycle tourist and her Speedo clad monkey in the semi arid Middle Eastern plains and the Africa sub-Saharan desert.

And if it doesn’t work out this time, there will always be lift out of town.