The Joys of Cyclo Tourism

Cyclo tourism is a hobby that combines tourism and cyclism and is practiced by the cyclo-tourist. The activity consists of discovering new sites, landscapes and places or to visit lands and countries using the bicycle as a means of transportation. Cyclo tourism is not to be confused with long distance sporting racing events such as the Tour de France, it is first and above all a leisure activity, the extra exercise is an added bonus but not the main and only objective of cyclo-tourism. It is however a form of eco tourism.

Forms of cyclo tourism

Cyclo tourism can be characterized by the distance traveled, the length of the trip and the nature of the equipment used.

The short excursion consists of a single or a half day ride. It doesn't require any specialized equipment apart from the standard tire repair kit, water bottle and maybe a light snack.

The long excursion can be as long as a few hundred kilometers ride with camping equipment, a more extensive bicycle repair kit and special clothing and garments to face the eventuality of changing meteorological conditions. This way a cyclo tourist can circumvent entire countries, cross borders or travel between distant cities. Some cycle tourists even go as far as traveling the world and crossing multiple continents by planning ahead with great precision for any possible eventualities and scenarios.

In France and continental Europe a network of roads dedicated to cyclist tourist called "veloroute" is under construction to facilitate the movement of cyclists across Europe. These roads are specially designed to be far away from super highways and high traffic road ways while using common touristic itineraries giving cyclo tourists access to conventional touristic attractions such as camping grounds, museums, restaurants and accommodations. The economical advantages to local economies help to finance and develop the "veloroute".
History

Cyclo tourism was pioneered by Paul Vivie in France in the late 1890's, the first excursions were Lyon-Nice and were executed in less than 24 hours. He is the founder of the 7 commandments of Velocio (cyclo tourism):

- Take rare and short breaks
- Have numerous light and frequent meals, eat before being hungry and drink before being thirsty
- Never push until abnormal fatigue that leads to lack of sleep and appetite
- Cover yourself before being too cold and uncover yourself before being too hot
- During excursion, limit or eliminate tobacco and alcohol consumption

Equipment

The bike is the most important element of the cyclist tourist. It must be comfortable and sturdy to accommodate the extra weight required on long excursions. The seat is particularly important because if not suited to long trips it will cause blisters, bruising and pain on long journeys. The frame is usually made of high quality steel from reputable companies such as Reynolds, Vitus or Colombus. Mud flaps must wide and sturdy, ball bearings must be of high quality, saddle bags must be roomy and are often made of high quality leather. Most long excursion bicycles are actually usually custom made to withstand the special and extenuating conditions and circumstances that cyclo tourism can bring. Lighting should be complete with head lamp and break lights, tires must be of high quality and made for both street and moderate off road conditions.

Extensive resources and information portal

Hot Topics In Fitness

    Treadmll Ratings - What Most Buyers Don't Know About Treadmill Ratings

    If you're buying a treadmill, chances are you'll want to research before you buy. Everyone wants to get the best deal for a discount price. They also want to find the best treadmill to suit their work...

    Meditation Can Also Make Your Heart Happy

    Meditation is good for your heart. This is the message recently (in the year of 2006) conveyed by the Archives of Internal Medicine. The study reported that transcendental meditation (TM), a relaxatio...

    The History Of Tai Chi

    I've got something pretty miraculous to tell you about. I found out about this awesome way of balancing your mind and body. It is like nothing I have ever seen before. It's called Tai Chi and finding ...

    Tai Chi

    TaiChi is a complete and highly developed internal martial art (Neijia). A form of moving meditation, TaiChi promotes in the practitioner a sense of Qi (breath/life energy) circulation and health. As ...

    Is Home Exercise Equipment For You?

    We are bombarded with messages about the current obesity epidemic that seems to be under way and the need to combat it with daily exercise and a healthy, well-balanced diet. The FDA has even redesigne...

    Great Cardio Workouts You Can Do At Home

    You know how important cardio workouts are for your health and wellbeing, but it's hard to get a good cardio workout in when you can't leave to house to go to the gym or for a run. Here are some great...

    5 Tips To A Strong, Muscular Physique!

    For over ten years now, I have been a drug-free competitive bodybuilder, and I can tell you first hand what it takes to develop a muscular physique. In this article, I want to discuss with you my top ...

    Pulsating Tinnitus - Here's How To Beat It

    Throbbing Tinnitus - What Causes It?

    When you can hear a regular pulsing noise in your ears in tune with your your heart beat that is probably pulsatile tinnitus. There may be single or many rhythmi...

    The Top 5 Yoga Positions

    Often times the right information can change a person's life. This happened with me and yoga.

    There are a lot of yoga positions and poses that is built to enhance posture.

    All things consider...

    Why Weight Train During Pregnancy?

    There was once a time that a pregnant woman was thought of as "fragile". Any form of exercise was strictly prohibited by doctors and feared by concerned fathers. We've now come to realize that a pregn...

    3 Steps To Starting a Successful Fall Exercise Program

    Ah, the crisp cool breeze, the invigorating feel of the outdoors as the leaves start to turn colors, the sound of kids laughing on their way to school.

    Fall is the time for new beginnings. New...

    The Importance Of Creatine In Building Lean Muscle

    Creatine monohydrate can rightly lay claim to being the most popular and arguably most effective bodybuilding supplement currently available. The beauty of creatine is that it is 100% natural and occu...

Most Recent Fitness Supplements

Interesting Today:

Most Recent Fitness Blogs:

Releated to Fitness:

Fitness Links:

Fitness Fitness Rss feeds.