While watching the rain and snow pile up outside the office last week, I had a chance to speak with Will W. Will is currently touring the beautiful island of Majorca (Mallorca), the largest island of Spain, located in the Mediterranean. With an incredible history, ruins on Mallorca date back over 8000 years. Today Mallorca is a tourist mecca. With miles of ridable roadways, it is also becoming a great place for cyclists to explore. Several professional cycling teams even use Mallorca as their winter/spring training grounds. While the island’s roadways are generally fine for riding, Will shared the following photograph with us demonstrating the need for a bike that can handle anything.
“You need a real mountain bike to climb this mountain.” - Will W.
Will purchased a Montague MX and had it shipped to Mallorca to begin his trek. To carry his loaded panniers he chose a Blackburn rack which easily attached behind the seat of his bike. As the island encompasses 3,640 square kilometers, Will has taken the better part of the month to travel and sightsee. You can follow his excursions
here as they are updated daily on
Ridethisbike.com.
December 27th, 2007
I had an interesting conversation the other day with Scott C. from Alaska. Scott is the owner of a Montague CX and the pilot of his Maule M-6. Last year he covered some serious ground in his plane by visiting over 30 states via airplane. While he was not in the air, Scott was pedaling his CX using it as his primary means of ground transportation. Below are two pictures showing how Scott is able to fit two Montague CXs as well as camping and traveling gear into his M-6.
Now you see them:
Now they are neatly tucked away and ready to fly:
One of the locations Scott was able to visit with his CX was North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Landing at the Billy Mitchel Airport on the southern tip of Hatteras Island, Scott was able to use his CX to easily tour up and down the island. Hatteras is a great vacation spot for cyclists boasting over 70 miles of flat road riding that cuts through the dunes and offers spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Pamlico Sound. Well maintained campgrounds dot the island system making it easy to find a place to put down your kickstand during a cycling tour. For great seafood, be sure to check out Breakwater Restaurant conveniently located on the docks around Hatteras harbor. Don’t forget to pedal your way to the Hatteras lighthouse, the tallest standing lighthouse in the United States.
A very tall lighthouse:
If the perfect solitude of Hatteras is too slow for your lifestyle, there is another small airfield in Kill Devil Hills which is just a short pedal away from the dunes that the Wright Brothers originally flew from in 1903. More densely populated than Hatteras, the northern portion of the Outer Banks boasts many small shops and local art galleries that are sure to allow a folded Montague or SwissBike inside. For a nice afternoon trip, ride your bike a few miles up to Duck and visit Elizabeth’s Cafe and Winery for on-the-deck wine sampling and delicious gourmet food.
Prime candidates for a Montague or SwissBike:
North Carolina’s Outer Banks is a cycling haven regardless of how you get there. While Scott C. travels by plane and CX, the island system is easily accessed by car and boat as well. Several of the inns around the island have private docking…and parking lots too. However, once you are on the islands, ditch the car, boat, or plane as there are tons of activities within riding distance from where you are. From wine tasting to fishing and dune surfing to fine dining, the Outer Banks has it all. Visit North Carolina’s Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce website to further explore how you can maximize you vacation by using your Montague or SwissBike.
Ride Safe,
SwissBike.
December 20th, 2007
Over the last week we received several stories from people who have been doing some traveling with their SwissBikes. The one below seems to epitomize the versatility and portability of the SwissBikes.
Jon from Boston, MA writes:
“My brother was recently in New York on business. He lives clear across the country so I decided to take the short trip from Boston to the big apple to visit him for the weekend. On Friday I commuted to work on my TX. At the end of the day I was able to ride my bike down to the T. I have one of your carrying cases so I folded it up into the case and carried my bike on to the T. I took the T to South Station where I was able to catch a bus to the Port Authority in New York City. I stored the bike with the other luggage in the baggage hold of the Bus.
Once I arrive in New York, I unfolded my bike and road to the Upper Westside to meet my brother for dinner at Bello Sguardo (pretty good Mediterranean food if you are in the area). Given the traffic it was much quicker and cheaper than a cab ride. Since I had my bike in the case, the restaurant was very cool and allowed me to store it in the coat check area (try doing that with a normal full size bike). After dinner we took a taxi back to the hotel. Again, the bike in its carrying case went easily in the trunk of the cab. At the hotel I went right through the lobby and into the elevator with the bike in its bag on my shoulder.
As my brother did not bring his bike, the next day was spent touring the city by foot. Though I missed it, it was at least good to know that it was safe in the hotel rather than locked outside. Sunday, I checked out the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway, a 32-mile bike path that virtually circles the entire island. I highly recommend it. After my ride I cut back across to the Port Authority. I made the 2:00 bus back to Boston with no problems. Tired but satisfied, I was able to make one last ride home from South Station. I call my trip: Trains, Buses and Automobiles and I couldnR
