Hi, we're Pam and Gilbert of 2bikes 4adventure.
In another video
we covered six of the most common questions we hear when we tour on our folding bikes.
In this video we'll explain how we answer the other question we frequently get:
Why tour on a folding bike when a full-sized bicycle might be a lot easier?
It is more likely to be asked by an experienced cyclist and it calls for a
more complex answer. We started touring back in a previous century on regular
touring bikes so we can truly compare our own experiences. When we were first
touring, we slept in a tent with sleeping bags and cooked on a camping stove.
It was the frugal choice, but now
we spend a little more money every night for a bed
and a hot shower and carry a lot less gear. As we explained in our adventure
touring video, our individual baggage now consists of a single 20 litre or 7 kilo bag.
This means that we no longer need the carrying capacity of a bigger bike.
Folding bikes simplify getting to our starting point.
Many of our trips involve air travel and as shown in one of our oldest videos,
La Loire a velo, rebuilding two full-size bikes at the airport could be
a time-consuming ordeal. With our folders we can much more quickly unpack at the
airport, click on our luggage and head off to our first destination. In addition,
because we pack the bikes into bags of standard checked luggage dimensions,
we avoid the extra fees charged for bicycles-- not to mention the hassle
of maneuvering a full-size bike box.
While a bicycle itself is a superb mobility device,
it becomes a major impediment when it's packed in a box that you have
to struggle with in addition to your luggage. If we decide to reuse our
packing material, we compress it into a neat package and clip it on the back rack.
At some airports, there's no legal or safe way to cycle so we easily push
or carry our folding bikes onto a commuter train or subway-- no need to hire a large van.
Public transport restrictions on bicycles are often waived for folding bikes.
We have taken our bikes on Amtrak, TGV,
as well as numerous other national and regional trains,
metros and buses in North and South America, Europe and Asia,
all without any additional fees or schedule restrictions.
We have also taken our bikes on ships when crossing both
Pacific and Atlantic oceans, without any issues.
Any bicycle can be a magnet for thieves. Being able to fold our bikes and bring
them almost anywhere with us greatly reduces our risk. We even put them in our
shopping cart at the grocery store. We rarely bring a lock which further
reduces the weight we carry. For even more risk reduction, in a worst-case
scenario caused by mechanical or medical problems, we know we can always
grab a taxi or take a bus, fold the bikes and reach our destination no matter what.
It may be argued that our folding bikes could not keep up with the speed of full-size bikes.
As we mentioned in previous videos, we are not fast cyclists. Our usual pace
on any sized bike would not keep up with more serious cyclists. Cycling fast is
just not our priority, but we know that motivated riders can maintain higher
speeds on bikes just like ours. How about rough trails? We can and have taken
off-road trails with our folding bikes. We're not aiming to mountain bike but we
can handle dirt paths that are not too steep or rutted. Anything worse than that
and we may end up walking or finding an alternative route. Over the years we've found
that we don't need the supposed advantages that a full sized bike may offer.
In addition, we appreciate that traveling light with folding bikes
allows us to experience long distance adventure while still keeping our
careers and home life. We hope that our touring videos inspire you to plan to
cycle the world at your own pace.