Taiwan (Part 2): Love at Second Sight (Taitung to Taipei)
One of the things people always wish cyclists is that the wind will be at their backs. I didn’t really understand the importance of this until the almost impossible headwind we encountered on our way to Taitung. So after a few rainy days in Taitung and checking the forecast and winds over and over again we decided that if the wind is not going to change directions then we will. We caught the train to Hualien, again sending our bikes and gear separately on the cargo train. When we arrived to Hualien it was still raining… We found a cute and cheap home stay and went to explore the city. …
Taiwan (Part 1): Not Love at First Sight (Taipei to Taitung)
Taiwan wasn’t love at first sight. It started with our arrival to Taoyuan Airport. A bus took us from the plane to the terminal. But it took a roundabout route that passed through a series of dilapidated buildings. A taxi then took us from the airport to our Warm Showers host in the outskirts of Taoyuan. It was in an industrial wasteland, ugly, and with no shops or restaurants in sight. Looking for something to eat for lunch involved a long walk on the road that ended at the 7-Eleven. We did find a coffee shop that had tasty Australian Meat Pies. They were rather good, but that wasn’t exactly…
Japan (Part 3): The Cycling Highways of Japan (Tobishima & Shimanami Kaido)
Saving the best for last is a good way to go. The previous four weeks in Japan were beautiful but they didn’t lack challenges like traffic, tunnels, climbing, and a bit of rain. After a few restful days in Matsuyama where we made sure to visit Dogo Onsen every day, we were recharged and full of energy for the last and best couple of weeks of our tour in Japan. Coming with such high expectations can be a problem sometimes but luckily we were not disappointed. We took the ferry from Matsuyama to Kure and stepping off the ferry we set foot (or wheel) on Honshu, the main island of…
Japan (Part 2): Along the Coast and Over the Mountains (Shikoku)
We had been climbing for the past few days and were finally approaching the pass, at 720m. From there it would be all downhill to the other side of Shikoku. Our route took us up a small road, which turned into a dirt road and then a rough trail, hardly an option for us. Damn cycling app! When I started thinking about heading back to Japan for another cycling trip, I soon heard about the Shikoku Henro. It’s a pilgrimage circuit around the island of Shikoku through 88 temples. Most pilgrims walk the circuit, but some cycle it or even drive it. The cycling route around the island was the…
Japan (Part 1): Jumping Into the Bike Trip (Takamatsu and Shodoshima)
I always claim that one of the most challenging parts of each bike trip is getting to the airport. This trip was no different. With a 2am departure and two children things were a bit tricky. But the kids were troopers. They went to sleep for a few hours at home before being woken up suddenly to come down to catch the taxi. Neil was sleeping so hard I didn’t think he would wake up. I transferred Kai easily to the carrier where he continued sleeping. On the way to the airport I kept on thinking – what kind of parents are we? Waking up their kids in the middle…
Greece: Cycling Through Seven Islands with the Double Fours
Do animals have a belly button? How can a volcano be sleeping if it doesn’t have eyes? What do fish eat? Where is the shadow of the sea? How come the rules in Greece are a bit different? Where are our bike boxes? Why is Kai sad? Which side to ride on? Which side is the right side? This is just a fraction of the questions we got from our four year old while we were cycling together in Greece over five weeks. It didn’t matter how many times we told him he should be cycling on the right side, he still kept on asking about 500 times a day,…
Around Lake Michigan with a Three Year Old on a Bike (Video)
In May we went to a family wedding in Chicago and decided to stay on and do an 11 day bike trip around Lake Michigan. It was the first long bike trip on which our three year old son Neil biked part of the way by himself. The route was very flat and included many bike trails, some of which used to be old railways. We crossed the lake by ferry, cycled in four different states, stayed with friendly families through Warmshowers and took the train back to downtown Chicago. We hit a heatwave so we swam in the lake a lot and to Neil’s delight we made a stop at…
2018: Recap of a “Peak Year”
I have a theory that every few years you have what I call a “peak year”. Most recently I would say that 2013 was a peak year for us in which we crossed Central America on our bikes and then started our lives back in Vancouver. Next up, 2015 was definitely one with Neil being born, the start of Kids on Wheels, moving into the co-op and then our three month cycling trip in South Korea and Japan with baby Neil. Most recently I realized that 2018 is getting up there among the “peak years”. Although we didn’t do any “big trips” this year, the shorter ones we did were…
Every Day is ‘Just Another Day in Paradise’ While Cycling Around Maui (Video)
In February 2018 we set out on a three week cycling adventure around Maui with our three year old. After hearing how touristy Maui is we were surprised to find some of the quietest roads we’ve ever ridden, deserted beaches and endless views at every bend. Maui literally took our breath away. It was a magical experience and every day on Maui truly felt like ‘Just Another Day in Paradise’.
A Mini-Guidebook to Cycle Touring Maui: A Figure Eight From Heaven
When we started planning our trip around Maui, we found it difficult to find information online. This mini-guidebook should hopefully answer most practical questions about cycling around Maui. For the story of our trip, see our other blog post. Basically, if you are already inspired to cycle around Maui, this is the place to get the nitty gritty details. If you are looking to get inspired, read the other post. On Maui the weather changes far more when you go from one end to the other, than it does when the seasons change – it rains about 20 times as much on the wet side (the Eastern side) than it…
