Sleeping With Bikes

The sun was still shining when we started our clinic. I guess that's what makes summer riding so nice; long, warm days in the saddle. We teamed up with Bike N' Hike again to discuss the finer points of bike touring, multi-day bike rides which, in most cases, involve hauling all your gear on your bike to the camping spot. Awesome.

There were four of us who spoke, and about 16 folks in attendance. I started things off by discussing camping gear, along with some weight and money saving tips. Next up was Bill Carson, the sales rep for Ortlieb and NiteRider (among others) who told everybody how to carry that gear as efficiently as possible, as well as the importance of illumination. Bike N' Hike's own Amy Krull gave us some great fitness tips. She also discussed apparel and, everybody's favorite, Chamois Butter. Last to speak, was Aaron Thurman, Bike N' Hike's assistant manager and mechanic extraodinaire. He told us what types of bikes to ride, what tools to bring, and what skills we should know to be self-reliant.

When all was said and done, and some great experiences were shared by all, we had one more thing to do, give out some swag in the form of a raffle. The odds were really good... Everybody won! There was a set of Ortlieb panniers, a $50 Next Adventure Gift Certificate, MSR cookware, NiteRider Lights, Chamois Butter, an ultralight stove, books, patch kits, Hammer Nutrition Goodies, and more. Talk about winning! Be sure to stay tuned to Next Adventure's and Bike N' Hike's websites and Facebook pages to learn about the many more clinics and events to come. Rumor has it that the next one will be about off-road touring. Shredgnar anyone?