petittours

[petittours]

Hello from new challenges.

After a quite long social media break we decided to share something with you. Indeed, offline we’ve been quite busy though. Looking back at a glance, there are lots of fascinating brompton moments...

…we organized enjoyable group rides, travelled Germany and Europe by Brompton, were highly involved in our first Brompton Urban Challenges in London and Berlin, Karen proudly won the second price at the BNC Bremen and was 16th amongst women at BWC, we could say „Thank you  - great bike“ to Andrew Ritchie. Still happy!

Daniel became a fast and furios Brompton folder and trustful mechanic. Petit tours pictures + stories are shown - currently you can have a look at them in Berlin based Brompton shop KULTRAD where you can meet Daniel quite often by the way, we had the opportunity to share our travel story at several German bike fairs and get to know a charming Brompton community and making new friends...

Meanwhile we kept on realizing our dreams. And our lives changed. Daniel started to study again, Karen moved to a quiet little village close to Berlin. We questioned our friendship and our project. And kept both. And would like to say: Hello from new challenges! 

We tried to show that you can almost do everything with a Brompton: travel the world, pack it in boxes, wrap it in bubble wrap, (un)fold it fast - faster and FASTER, participate in thrilling races - even on a minidrome, use it as a shopping basket, practice cycling yoga or acrobatic moves, for decoration, making new friends or even falling in love… we used the Brompton for almost everything you might (not) use it…

Now: Daniel every day crosses Berlin on one of his Bromptons. Karen grew into a ‘super serious intermodal Brompton commuter’. And we are both keen sharing those stories with you - as commuters. Maybe THE one thing, Brompton were intended to be made for? 

We say #OKcommuter. 

See you soon!  

Karen + Daniel

[petittours]

The Brompton Touring Emergency Kit: Tools, spare parts and maintenance.

When doing long distance tours on a bicycle, it's pretty clear that some parts of the bike will show wear (like tires or brake pads). As the wear is predictable, it's not a problem at all: Just take these spare parts with you, or make sure you'll be able to find them along your route. Then there are other parts that might just suddenly break (like spokes or cables). Well, basically EVERY part of the bike could break. So you have to decide on which spare parts to take with you. Same is true for the tools: As you never know what might happen, and you surely don't want to carry a complete bike workshop with you, you have to decide on what to take, and what to leave at home.

Generally, when touring on a Brompton there is good news and bad news:

The bad news is that a Brompton carries many custom parts, specially designed for the Brompton bike. You'll only find these parts in bike shops carrying ... Bromptons. So, when planning your trip, it's a good idea to look up the Brompton stores along your route in advance.

The good news is that, just in case anything important on the bike gets defective, you can just fold the bike and jump onto any vehicle that's passing by and offering help. :)

CHAPTER 1 - SPARE PARTS

When we set off for Thailand, we were carrying a rather minimal set of spare parts. After 2 weeks and the first severe tire damage (the tire was destroyed) we realized that it's almost impossible to find a spare tire fitting the Brompton in a regular bike shop. Finally, our friend Poom from TinyWheels jumped into his car for a multi-hour drive to bring us some spare tires. Lucky us, and thank you Poom! The Brompton experts at TinyWheels even equipped us with some more spare parts, and so we are happy to present you  ...

... the final Petit Tours spare parts list:

2x tires (Schwalbe Marathon)

4x tubes (Schalbe AV-4)

lots of patches

3x spokes (one spare for every different type of spoke on our bikes)

6 spare brake pads (Shimano)

1x chain (SRAM PC 870) plus one spare SRAM PowerLink

1 set of Brompton rear sprockets for our 6 gear version

1 Brompton derailleur unit

2x brake cables

small box with diverse little screws

Luckily, from all of the above, we only had to use the tires, a few tubes, a chain and the rear sprockets. Sturdy little Bromptons!

But wait, these spare parts alone won't help you if you don't carry the right tools! That brings us to ...

CHAPTER 2 - TOOLS

If you like the Brompton, you probably already know the Brompton toolkit. I think it's awesome, and I really love it. It's so well thought, and well made, it carries everything you need for basic repair and maintenance, and it fits so lovely into the main frame. It's not cheap, but I think the new, improved version is well worth the price.

However, when we left, the toolkit wasn't available in Germany, so we had to do it the old way. Basically, I simply copied the toolkit functionality, but using regular tools. So, here is ...

... the final Petit Tours tool list:

combination wrenches: 2x 8mm, 10mm, 15mm

Allen keys (hex keys): 2mm; 2,5mm; 3mm; 4mm; 5mm; 6mm

tire levers (Park Tool)

compact chain pusher (Park Tool)

Leatherman multitool

spoke wrenches (Spokey red + black)

toothbrush

cloth

chain oil

2x Brompton frame-mounted air pump :-)

And, we needed every single one of them (except for the spoke wrenches)!

Finally, to avoid wear and damage of parts as best as possible, it's a good idea to do some bike maintenance on a regular basis ...

CHAPTER 3 - MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS

Especially during transportation in airplanes or other vehicles, the bikes often get pushed around heavily. So, after transportation, and every few days, it's worth to perform the following most basic checks:

Do the tires have enough pressure?

Do the wheels rotate freely, are they centered?

Are all the spokes intact?

Do the brakes work, are the well adjusted?

Is the drivetrain clean?

Does the gearing work, is it well adjusted?

When it comes to maintenance or repairs, there one great thing about the Brompton: Its integrated workstand! Just bring the bike into parking position (sitting on the rear wheel) and then swing the main frame to the back, so that the front wheel is pointing towards the sky, until the saddle reaches the ground. This "repair position" allows you to check and clean the drivetrain, remove front- and rear wheel and do some basic gearing adjustment. It's really convenient, and we were using it many many times!

To be honest, we didn't put too much effort into bike maintenance. Basically we always had an eye on chain and drivetrain, and made sure that its clean and lubricated, to decreased wear, and to make a smoother ride. The bikes did very well without any major problems, and proved to be very reliable travel companions.

Last but not least, here are some great resources if you want to learn more about repairing a Brompton bike:

The official technical videos by Brompton will teach you many things, from basic stuff like lubricating the chain or folding the bike, to more advanced repairs like replacing the rear sprockets. Grab popcorn!

Alvin Wong and friends compelled a great PDF that teaches about basic Brompton maintenance.

Happy repairs, everyone!

[petittours]

The perfect Brompton for touring? Configuring your travel foldie.

When we meet other Brompton riders on the road (which is not that often), we often notice their eyes scanning our bikes from end to end. We experience a lot of interest regarding the configuration and modification of our Bromptons, and the accessories we are using.

So, this is a quick summary of our experiences after being on the road and travelling the world for more than 5 months. It might be interessting for you if you are thinking about buying a Brompton bicycle with touring in mind, or if you already own a Brompton and want to set it up for the best possible touring experience.

But before we get startet, some math! Basically, there is only one Brompton bike. One main frame, in one frame size. Sounds pretty easy.

However, you can choose between 2 types of frame materials, 4 types of handlebars, 4 gearing options and 3 options regarding fenders and rack. This already makes for 96 (2*4*4*3) variants.

Taking into account another 3 options for lighting and 3 seat pillar types we already have 864 (96*3*3) variants!

If colors are your thing, you can choose between 15 of them for main frame and extremities, what makes for a whopping number of more than 181.000 variants! And this is not even considering choices for tyres, saddle, suspension and other customization ...

The point is: There are a lot of bikes to choose from. So let's get startet!

PART 1 - BROMPTON CONFIGURATION

You will find a lot of information on Brompton configuration on the internet. Take a look at the official Brompton brochure, visit the guys of NYCEWheels and click through their text- or video-based Brompton configuration tool or just google your way.

For here, I will focus on building a Brompton with long distance touring in mind. We assume that you already are familiar with the Brompton bike.

Frame material: Standard or Titanium Version

The standard steel version will be perfectly fine for touring. You will probably be carrying a lot of luggage, so the 740 grams the Titanium version saves you won't make a noticeable difference. Better save the heavy surcharge and invest the money in some other useful gear.

Handlebar type: S-Type, M-Type, H-Type or P-Type

This one is probably the biggest decision. There are 4 types of handlebars that will define your riding position. It is possible to change the handlebar setup afterwards, but it will be pretty expensive as many parts will have to be replaced. So you should carefully consider your selection. As choice depends on your body, and "every body" is different, I can not give general advice on which handlebar is "the best". We highly recommend to find a dealer that stocks all of the handlebar types, and do some extended test rides on the different models. Most ideally, your dealer is experienced in bike fitting, and can give you good advice. Some remarks on the different types regarding long distance touring:

S-Type

The sporty, most "racing like" riding position. "Officially" only the small Brompton S-Bag can be used with this handlebar type. However, it is possible to use it with the larger C-Bag and T-Bag. You won't be able to load the T-Bag completely, and the cables will be rubbing against the grip of the bag. So, do it at your own risk! Advantage: The S-type handlebar can take regular sized 3rd party grips, so you'll have a greater choice of ergonomical grips for touring. Karen (1,68m) is riding an S-Type (with a C-Bag).

M-Type

The original, classic handlebar type for a more upright riding position. Will work perfectly with any Brompton front bag. Because the handlebar ends are a bit shorter, not all 3rd party grips will fit on this. You will have to shorten them, or look for special shorter grips. Daniel (1,87m) is riding an M-Type.

H-Type

This allows for an even more upright riding position. As this is the longest handlebar, you will feel some "flexing". We've only seen very tall riders using this handlebar for touring. Regarding the grips, it's the same as the M-Type.

P-Type

The P-Type handlebar is obviously made for touring, and allows for different riding positions. However, we didn't see it very often on touring Bromptons. And, you won't be able to fit ergonic grips to this handlebar. Seems that people love it or hate it. Try it!

Seatpost: Standard, extended or telescopic?

This one is easy: Get the size you need. There are 3 versions: The standard version, a longer version and an even longer telescopic seat post. If your inseam lenght would allow for eather the extended or the telescopic seatpost, there are a few advantages of the telescopic one: It can be retracted to give you a fold almost as compact as with the standard seatpost. Saddle and seatpost can be easily removed to save the saddle from thieves or from heavy rain. And, the two quick releases of the telescopic seatpost make it easy to regain the perfect saddle height after every (un)fold: Just leave the smaller, telescopic element in place.

Tipp: If the standard or extended seatpost are just a tiny bit too short for your legs, you can rotate the pentaclip (the tiny thing holding the saddle) upside down. This will give you a 1-2cm longer seatpost. Also, different saddles have different heights, so take this into consideration too.

Gearing: 1-2-3 or 6 speeds?

Get the 6 gear option! All the other versions don't really make sense for touring. Even in flat terrain, on a touring-loaded bike, you will be happier with more gears. Also, we highly recommend the smaller chainring option (-12%). In fact, I think this should be the standard gearing option, even for city use. I hardly found myself using the highest gear when riding the standard (0%) 6 gear configuration, but with the -12% option, all the gears are perfectly usable. 

Fenders and rack?

Get fenders, and get the rear rack. For multi-day touring, both are pretty much a must-have feature. The fenders don't add much weight, and won't affect the fold, so there's no reason not to get them. The rear rack adds weight, but is a must have if you want to carry more luggage than just a front bag and a small saddle bag. 

Dynamo and lights?

This depends on your preference. Karen is using battery powered LED lights, while I am using a dynamo powered setup (with the standard lights). I prefer hub dynamos: You never run out of batteries, and it's just more environmental friendly. One great thing about hub dynamos is that you can also use the generated electricity to charge your USB gadgets, great for longer tours with rare access to power outlets. Look for solutions like the "USB Werk", "The Plug" or "Zzing" (and there are many more).

PART 2 - OTHER PARTS, MODIFICATION AND ACCESSORIES

Tyres

All the tyre options (Brompton Kevlar, Schwalbe Kojak, Schwalbe Marathon, Schwalbe Marathon Plus) will roll, but the Schwalbe Kojak isn't really suitable for touring, due to it's slick profile and low puncture protection. We are using Marathon and Marathon Plus tyres, and only had 3 punctures so far (1 nail and 2 really big sharp metal pieces that destroyed the tyres). Keep in mind that 16 inch tyres will wear off much (!) more quickly than 28 inch tyres.

Saddle

Choosing the perfect saddle is it's own topic, and I won't cover it here. I like the standard Brompton saddle. Its lightweight and feels comfortable. It has a grip for carrying the folded bike (although I use to carry the folded bike on the frame). Like most of all the other touring cyclists we meet, we are using Brooks saddles. Karen went with the Cambium and really likes it. I got the B17 and find it quite ok.

Tipp: If you are a taller rider, and want to move your saddle more towards the back than the pentaclip would allow, you can rotate the pentaclip by 180 degrees. That will give you a saddle position more towards the back of the bike.

Grips

The standard Brompton grips are rather "simple" solutions. They are light and functional, but don't offer some ergonomic shape. Plus, except for the P-Type version, the Brompton only provides one handle position. For commuting, thats just fine. On longer tours however, different handle positions are a big help at reducing problems in wrists and other parts of the body.

On a Brompton this can (only) be achieved by the use of bar ends or ergonomic grips with integrated bar ends. Examples are the Ergon grips GP2 or GP3. Both grips won't affect the fold, however with the GP3 on an M-Type handlebar, the bar ends will touch the ground when folded. Also note that the standard version of these grips will only fit to the S-Type handlebar. For M- and H-Type handlebars, they will have to be shortened to fit. A sharp knive will be everything you need. There is also a gripshift version with shorter grips that should fit to M- and H-Type handlebars, but I didn't have my hands on this version yet.

Apart from special grips, you can also try to use small standard bar ends and a comfortable handlebar tape wrapped around both handlebar and bar ends (remove the standard Brompton grips before).

Eazy Wheels

The Eazy Wheels are not a must-have. We both are using them and find them quite useful, especially in places like train stations. But touring will work without them.

Monkii Cage and Monkii Clip

On the Brompton, the usual places for carrying drinking water (accessible during riding) are the backpockets of the Brompton Bags. No official bottle cage is available, and standard bottle cages can't be fittet to the Brompton (no braze-ons for bottle cage mounts). A great way to carry more (accessible) water is the Monkii Cage. Using the Monkii Clip, the Monkii Cage can be attached to the Brompton handlebar and voila, another bottle of water right between your hands. Note that the fold is not affected. We got our Monkii Cages from our friends at TinyWheels, and found them really useful. Warning: Keep an eye on the gearing/brake cables. Mine got damaged because they were rubbing against the Monkii Clip. I will have to do some modification after the trip ...

Brompfication

If you want to pimp your Brompton, you can do so! There are many 3rd party components available for modifying the Brompton, examples are seatposts, hinge clamps, chain tensioners or easy wheels. The claimed advantages of these components are eather being lighter, or being better, or just looking better. "Brompfication" is the name of the (probably) biggest manufacturer, and we saw Brompfication parts very often in Asia: In the stores and on the bikes.

As we didn't use any of these parts I can't say anything about them other than: They exist, you can get them and try them if you want.

Modified gearing

When climbing the very steep mountains in Japan in 1st gear, I often wished for even lower gears. That's possible!

The first way would be to mount a second, smaller front chainring. A friend of ours in Los Angeles did this, and used a small metal hook to manually shift to the smaller chainring before long hills.

The second way might be the Schlumpf mountain drive. It's an internal gearing, built into the bottom bracket. We didn't see it in action, but people did it, and you will find information on the internet.

Bottom Line: Happy pedaling!

Every tour is different, and everybody is different. Don't take all these option too seriosely. Every Brompton will roll, and it's about enjoying the time. We met a guy doing >150km every day in hilly terrain on a fixed gear bike. He seemed to have fun. Grab a bike, and start pedaling.

[petittours]

One Pot Dishes* Preparing dinner for 2 with BioLite.

In this article I want to add a few words about cooking and preparing food with BioLite because it is a bit different from other campstoves.

Where to start? The little wood stove and me became a glorious team. We spend almost every evening in Japan and US together creating One Pot Dishes for Two.

4 Hands better. When you start learning to cook with the wood stove it helps to have 4 hands. 2 for keeping the fire, 2 for cooking. As for this Daniel was an essential part of the glorious team too -  in the beginning. After a while you gain skills - as always - and it is easy to cook with 2 hands only.

Hottie Hot. Please mind: Once the fire burns, BioLite produces a lot of heat and the temperature can't be regulated easily. You have to learn to use the heat appropriate that one the one hand side your food is not burning and on the other hand side, your fire is not burning down. This leads - without doubt - to MishMashDishes or, more melody "One Pot Dishes" for 2. Btw. I tried to make sunnysideups or pancakes - epic fail...

Timing. First of all, you have to collect dry wood, break it into sticks of 10 cm and start a little fire with BioLite. In the beginning, little helpers are tremendously (special lighter for wood) useful. Otherwise you can get quite annoyed. Then you have to keep the fire burning constantly by throwing wood sticks into the oven. Now it is time for a cooking session that usually takes 30-60 Minutes depending on weather, wind, food...

Preparing. Before starting the cooking session it is helpful to be prepared with enough fresh water (2l) and chopped veggies, fruit, meat,... and everything is at hand around you. So while one collects wood and makes fire, the other can chop like crazy.

Cooking. It's easy and logical. Cook the basis (rice, quinoa, couscous) first. When this basis is almost done add veggies and "deli" stuff and stir like crazy until they are done. Meat, fish, chicken are steamed separately (whenever you want) and added at last. They come along with all kind of spices, salt, pepper or sauce. Stir again. Serve!

Cooking is my Yoga. A few words about our labour division: Compared to Daniel I am really concerned about what I eat every day - even or especially on travels. Additional I really appreciate preparing and cooking. After a long biketour cooking is my yoga. Chopping. Stirring. Fire Making. Preparing a nice place to eat and finally eat. So it was no question who is in charge of that part, although I have to admit that Daniel always aimed to make fire. 

* No artificial preservatives, opinions or flavors. Made with love.

[petittours]

A daily wood stove social: Biketravel + Cooking with BioLite.

Almost by accident Daniel found the BioLite Wood Stove on the internet long before we were planning our trip. A couple of months later, convinced by it's history of invention, easy handling and green sustainable philosophy of the startup behind the stove we became proud owners of the futuristic R2D2 shaped BioLite that even charges our phones while cooking. Another couple of months later the BioLite became our every day steamy hero when bike packing in Japan and the U.S.

What is the BioLite Wood Stove? BioLite is a stove for cooking outdoors (!) with wood that comes along with a nice gadget: charging your mobile phone. Instead of gas or alcohol you simply need a brunch of dry wood twigs (that one might find a lot outdoors) and matches to start cooking.

How is it working? Light some tiny twigs and put them into BioLite's oven (helpers are helpful - tricky task). Add bigger twigs when tiny twigs burn. When they catch fire and fresh air is required to keep them burning, start the integrated fan for blowing fresh air into the oven. The air will keep the fire burning, let it grow or cool down the oven after cooking. The energy that BioLite requires for the 2 level fan - and you for charging your mobile via USB - is generated while burning. For more technical data please visit the website: www.biolitestove.com

Pros It's the all-in-one design that makes the BioLite an intelligent space wonder. It is easy and fast to (un)pack and it comes with a kettle and cup. It requires at least a cook, a zippo (or matches), a bunch of dry wood twigs, a knife and a metal spoon to satisfy murmuring bellies. It daily does a good job without interruptions, looks damn cute, catches attention among other bike packers, charges mobile phones and uses self generated energy to keep a fan running for cooking and cooling. It is real fun cooking! Appreciated side effect: You do not have to handle with dangerous stuff like gas or alcohol and it makes no waste (no empty gas cartridges) - except ashes that one can use for washing the dishes. And there are no problems taking BioLite on a plane. Cherry on the top: BioLite gently supports you eating healthy and keeping your travel budget small.

Contras The BioLite is neither a mobile microwave nor a water cooker. Heating it needs time. When you practice instant kitchen and all you need is a quick pot of boiling water, it will not make you as happy. Then BioLite creates smoke when opening a fire. Mind that if you plan to stay in hostels or guesthouses. BioLite definitely can't be used indoors or in a tent. Keep also in mind that you have to collect dry (!) wood twigs (Is there wood? How humid is it?). Your hands might get dirty when breaking twigs into right size and you might smell a bit smokey after cooking. Heavy storms could make fire making a tricky time taking task. At last your kitchen equipment will be blackened of soot.

Siegfried Spots BioLite - as strong as he might be - has vulnerable spots too. The corresponding lid made of plastic broke on our first flight. It is not necessary for cooking but it is sad seeing it broken. Our thoughts: It would be nice to have a lid that you can use as a pot, bowl or pan too. Then charging your phone while cooking is a nice gadget but during a 30 minutes cooking session the battery of your phone will charge about 20%. So - emergencies only.

Yum yum + cooking is the new feast!

[petittours]

Bike Cuddy: Our bike packing kitchen.

This article is about our little bike kitchen for two and the stuff we carry on our petit tour around the globe. The list below coveres all gear and is absolutely more than enough for two bike travellers who want to cook full meals daily.

Let me begin by saying that we of course recommend quality before quantity. Try to keep your bike kitchen small and - as far as possible - lightweight when you start cycling. For us there were frequent possibilities to enlarge our bike kitchen while travelling: spoons, forks, knifes, plates and chopsticks we collected easily and for free in supermarkets or fast food chains (yes - we visited them). Sure: If you go to cycle the desert or pure lonely spots of planet earth - we might not be the right help …

Bike Packing Kitchen Kit 1 x Biolite Camp Stove - including kettle, corresponding lid and plastic bowl 1 x Super little gas cooker - for making a quick coffee in the morning 1 x Gas cartrige 1 x 1,5 l Pot - including corresponding lid that may be used as a pan 2 x 500 ml Tupperware Bowl - including corresponding lids that can be used as cutting boards 2 x 250 ml Cup - for coffee 1 x Pocketknife - including at least canopener, sharp knife, screw 1 x Leatherman 1 x Göffel - titan 2 x Spork - plastic (broke twice. you are free to waste your money and buy waste. maybe the titan version is better?) 1 x Zippo - refillable lighter 1 x Matches 1 x bunch of dry 10 cm wood sticks - for keeping the fire burning 1 x superwood - extremely dry and resinous wood for starting fire

Cleaning and Storage 1 x Sponge 1 x Dishtowel 1 x Bag - sealable, for storage of all little kitchen stuff 1 x Bag - sealable, for storage of smelly food, spices, ...

By choice (not essential) 2 x Chopsticks 1 x Cutting board - if the bowl you carry do not come with flat lids that might be double used as cutting boards x Additional closable bowls for storage of leftovers. x Bags for collecting non-bio waste. These bags you might collect for free when buying fresh fruit at the supermarket - but, please mind environment... keep in mind that you might carry waste for a long time. x Sealable plastic bags for space saving storage of bulky food (coffee, tea, granola, rice, …). These bags you might collect for free at the airport.

Nom. Nom. Nom. Ride on on on!

[petittours]

(No) Cycling in Malaysia. The Story of "Plan B" in 2 Chapters.

Chapter 1, or: Karen dizzy.  Full of enthusiasm and packed with good recommendations from a lovely bunch of experienced touring cyclists from Singapore we crossed the Singaporean / Malay border on a tiny bamboo boat in the east of Singapore. Best border crossing ever: Only a few guys, our brommies and us on a bamboo boat in the ocean, followed by a warm welcome at the Malay border post with European 90s techno on the inside and strolling monkeys on the outside. Wow!

Plan A: Room with a view. Our plan A - touring Malaysia - suddenly grew into an adventurous hospital hopping from Desaru to Johor Bahru. I got sick. High fever, wrong medication, bad side effects: While I was lost in dizzyness, Daniel was constantly checking out vending machines instead of bikeshops, searching for good hospitals instead of cycling culture and looking for hotelrooms with a window (because normal malay budget hotelrooms usually do not offer rooms with a view) luckily he found one including a window and breakfast. We stayed there for weeks…

Plan B: Experience the backpackers’ life. Weeks passed and I recovered bit by bit. But no cycling was possible… so we switched to Plan B: We dropped from Johor Bahru into Melaka by bus, slept in our tent on the rooftop of the super beautiful bike friendly hostel “Ringos Foyer” and get to know the backpackers life: made friends with travellers all around the world, enjoyed short but fun evening group bike rides lead by Howard - the passionate bikelover and caring owner of Ringos Foyer. We were just soaked up by the special vibe of the hostel.

Plan B: Thoughts. We made aquaintance with a couple from the Netherlands in their 50s - on their way from Europe to Australia - by bike with their own special Plan B: They experienced being unemployed professionals in their 50s (a few years before retirement both lost their good jobs) and struggled finding (an adequate) job again. Instead of suffering a financially ‘poor’ live they sold stuff, lend their house, reduced monthly costs to the core and started cycling. There is always an unfulfilled dream that can become real life. Sure, this “plan B” may not fulfill previous expectations of yourself/your life (nice retirement, savings aside, holidays, friends and a house where grandchildren…) or the expectations of others (nice retirement, savings aside, holidays, friends and a house where grandchildren …) at first. But…

Kuala Lumpur. Moreover our last 2 days in KL turned out to be wonderful too. We met a lovely couple from the KL Brompton group who showed us breathtaking spots of the Malaysian capital by bike. We said hello to Akmal from “The Basikal” - an innovative bikeshop with it’s brave mission: encouraging people to start using bikes in daily life. A not easy one if one knows that Malaysia is built for using cars only. And we’ve been hosted by Peter - the most passionate man we ever met concerning bike touring - preparing since years for bikepacking round the world. We cross our fingers and hope to see him starting soon!

Chapter 2, or: The Malay Cycling Culture. We did not collect a lot of experiences concerning cycling in Malaysia. But there are a few patterns and facts we want to share - just found out while walking, using public transportation or through in interesting talks with Akmal from THE BASIKAL and members of the KL Brompton Group.

Cities and villages are built for cars. Even as a pedestrian you struggle when crossing a street or walk from A to B in a city or village. (Almost) no sidewalks, lanes, street lights or space for non motorized vehicles. Exceptions we found in rather touristic areas in Melaka and KL - mostly covered by pedestrians, weird hello kitty rikshas and … cars.

Narrow streets. Streets are narrow and motorized vehicles are not used to bikes (yet). Could be and is quite dangerous in cities and on countryside as well!

Bikefriendly Activists. A group of bikefriendly, very encouraged activists in KL try to embrace cyclists to do bike commuting (a bike is more than a work-out tool) and embrace non-cyclists to start using the bike instead of the car in daily life. Years after they started as idealists their ideas now become reality!!! Just in these days the first bikemap of KL is ready and gets printed (available online too). What a huge success for the communitiy of “Cycling Kuala Lumpur” - ! And it is for free!!! Get a look at http://studio25.my/map/140514_KLCTRMAP_S25.html or check the group out on facebook - search for VILLAGE BICYCLES. They blog PRO-Bike-to-Work fotos and guides here http://tmblr.co/ZWxMkw1HVjzu9 and here https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bxwdgm6qNO1PTGY4cnRKeEtvY2M/edit !

(c) Machu Pichu - Cycling Malaysia - The Bicycle Map Project

Car Free Sunday. KL started a car-free sunday in the city center when bikes can rule the streets (ok - once a month for a few hours in the morning - but at least one more pro biking statement).

Support. Universities encourage commuting among students by offering financial support when buying a bike. The bikeshop THE BASIKAL in KL for instance opened its new and bigger shop close to the campus for this reason. THE BASIKAL supports students with some extra discount. Their believe: One has to experience the opportunities and positive side effects of commuting by oneself - and money shall not be a barrier. Additional one who is convinced by using a bike as a student still will keep useing it as a graduate. Themore students are seen using the bike for getting daily things done the more (other students or people) will try it. We like! 

Fazit. Bikes are still Plan B in Malaysia - and in many many countries too. What exactly has to happen to make people switch from motorized vehicle to velo? More security? More comfort? More infrastructure? More bikes? Better bikes? Better weather? Or: Is it just the colorful bunch of self-experience that makes all the change?

Ride on and commute by bike!

[petittours]

How far..? A daily distance (dictionary) explanation.

About one month ago, I was sitting in a deep deep Redwood forest in Northern California and taking a day off from cycling at lovely Standish Hickey Hiker/Biker Campground, discussing one of the most asked questions during bikepacking: "How far do you usually cycle per day?"

And I assume that every touring cyclist get asked this question when meeting others and it's not because we are travelling on tiny wheels remembering people of pedaling hamsters.

So far: Distance x external factors. Touring with Bromptons limit our daily riding distance. It is a fast bike -  with 16-inch wheeles and a quite sensitive handlebar that intensely connects hands and legs to the road. Then: Sun. Surprises. Hills. And Headwinds. They all fasten us  as much as they make us slow down. So the answer: 30 to 130 kilometers a day are our peaks.

So far: Distance x internal factors. Serious physical training is not necessary before travel by bike (when you are at least a commuter and know your average cycling capacity). Ok. Good conditions/health are required next to a bike that fits to you (!), but: Mood and motivation are the names of ones travel buddies too. It is usually not my body that holds me back from making miles - it is my mind. For me, I pedal faster, further and happier when we define our "daily distance" in the morning. Open for redefinitions - internal factors = body might send signals or external factors might arise - I start with a certain mindset, prepared for a redefinition during the day.

So far: Redifinition of measurement. I practise my own secret distance dictionary. This internal subjective somatic guide book translates kilometers and elevations into memories and vice versa. It is not that I once defined any translations. Every memory pops up without intention but an intense emotion and makes me go with a certain flow. 85 km ..... A lovely ride to Märkisch Buchholz with dear friends in spring last year. Cake and burger afterwards - for granted.

30 km ..... Shortest day when pedaling trans Slovenia. Balkan pizza with wurstel, egg, beer and palacinka. Dober dan + Lahko noc. 25 km ..... My first own and alone bicycle micro adventure in my early teenage years. Glorious endless summer days. Exploring my homeland. Howling at the sun. 22 km ..... Pushing my packed bike from Roses to Cadaques last July. Crossed Mountains. Got lost. Found paradise. 10 km ..... My average way to work or school in the last 15 years - I can always pedal that (twice a day). 2 km ..... Me in my child's seat on my mom's bike. A stop at the bakery. I like the noise my fancy hat makes when it gets opened and closed. And touching the whool jacket with little whool dots in front of me. A smell of fresh pressed pumpkin seed oil in the air.

Sure - this arcticle helps nobody planning an upcoming biketrip or journey. But it was a pleasure sharing my thoughts about distance with you. Maybe one shares this kind of distance dictionaries with me? I am curious about translations. Ride on and do distances!

[petittours]

You are now leaving comfort zone, or: Two ordinary guys do biketravel.

Pillows and Pedals. Traveling means leaving our daily routines behind us. These routines make our lives rushing. They keep our memories small and let us wonder - half a year - how fast it passed. We make ourselves comfortable in routines. Embedded in this lands of fluffy cushions, cosy blankets and soft light compositions you once forget how great those cushions are - how good they feel on your skin - nothing spectacular - nothing to remember - just puffy pillows. Starting a travel - especially on/with a bike - is leaving that cushion zone. It is time to create memories, with every Kilometer pedaled, with every new food explored, new face met, new weather felt. It is time to cut oneself out of habits and routines to become aware of what one really feels. Then, shaping your honest needs from what you are used to. How to order a bear in English. I am not talking about being highly adventurous, facing dangers and overwinding inner borders (constantly). Me against the rest of the world. Brave. Tough. Into the wild. With the wild. No. Everyone has his/her own routine level that might be passed at a certain point. One needs to fight against bears to leave comfort zone. One needs to order a meal in english to face the same fears.

Sadcars. Petit Tours for instance are just 2 very ordinary guys on funny small wheeled bikes. We just left comfort zone for a while. But we were not the wildest adventurers. An example: When pedaling Iceland in September we faced for the very first time a pure, rough and wild beauty of nature. Weather and tides are moody and more powerful than anything else we experienced so far. Heavy wind gusts, rain  hitting our faces so that we barely could keep our eyes open, arising darkness, low temperatures...no town in sight. We were not prepared for that. Our bikes are not suitable for that. I was stressed, Daniel freezing. (Usually it is the other way round). 

So we took a step back after that tour. We decided to once come back to Island properly prepared. And for this time making advantage of the folding ability of our bikes once again: We rented a motorized vehicle, escaped the wild and traveled the golden circle with the smallest and cheapest car available in Reykjavik. (Btw.: All our luggage including bikes fit into the car and we still had enough space for another person or two). Name of the car rental was king: sadcars. Fazit. We lost routines. We created new ones. We felt cosy. Again. And this is the time to return home: When new routines take over control. 

Ride on and make memories!

[petittours]

About touring on a (Brompton?) folding bicycle

"Why did you choose folding bikes for touring?" … "Are they suitable for long distance riding?"

These are the most common questions we face when meeting people on the road. Although many other cyclists have used folding bikes for excessive touring before, “touring foldies” are still a rarity on the streets, and arouse a lot of interest.

So, why did we decide for the small wheeled foldies?

Folding bikes are perfect for the kind of bike travel we like: For us, it’s not about average speed per day or kilometers per country. It’s about enjoying the ride, and getting to the places that we want to see. With folding bikes, it’s easy to combine different means of transportation. So far, we took them on airplanes, trains, busses, tuk-tuks, pick-up trucks, large ferries, small boats, taxis and minicars.

It’s a great way of travelling. Like on a regular bicycle you experience the freedom of biketravel: You can go where you like, whenever you like. You are independent of expensive airport shuttles, obtrusive cab drivers or bus timetables. But then, on a folding bike, you are much more flexible. You don’t have to stick to the bike (unless you want to): You arrive at a big city in the evening, you’re tired and don’t know the way? Fold the bike and jump into the taxi. You discover some beautiful place, you stay longer than planned but have to make it to the airport in time to get your plane? Fold the bike and take the train.

Folding bikes allow for doing things that would hardly be possible on regular big wheel touring bikes. Here are some Petit Tours real life examples:

All of our travel gear - including the bikes - fits into the apsis of our tent. Of course that’s not a must-have, but in some places we feel safer that way, plus all our stuff remains dry in rainy nights.

After leaving a hospital - unable to ride the bikes - and unsuccessfully waiting for the ordered cab, a hospital employee drove us (+ 2 bikes + travel gear) to some cheap hotel in his private tiny tiny microcar.

When staying at hosts, hostels or guesthouses, there is often limited space available for safe bike parking. It's mostly no problem to just take the folded bikes into the room. On occasion we also used hotel showers for some bike cleaning sessions.

In Thailand, we visited a small island with ridiculous steep hills. The whole island was only accessible by motorbike or off-road taxi. Both wouldn’t take regular bicycles. However we could convince them to take the folded Bromptons. We were thus able to visit the island without leaving the bikes somewhere else, and could also explore the area around the place we were staying by bike.

When we arrived in Phnom Penh late in the evening, tired and without a city map, we had no idea how to find the flat of a local friend we wanted to visit. So we just jumped on a tiny tuk-tuk (with all our stuff), showed the address to the driver and enjoyed some relaxed ride through chaotic Phnom Penh.

In other cases, folding bikes just make things more convenient - or cheaper. Again some real-life examples:

When taking the airplane, we check in our bikes as regular luggage. No additional costs, no special bike carton/bag needed.

Busses and trains often charge additional fees for bike transportation. We put the folded bikes into bags to get the transport for free. (The bag is indeed important as the bike can not be recognised as a bike. Otherwise you might have a hard time arguing with the bus driver...)

We can carry our complete equipment - including the bikes - by ourselfes, and at once. Yes, it’s no fun, it hurts, and we don’t like it. But it’s possible. This is extremely convenient when changing trains, crossing borders (customs + immigration) or checking in to hostels.

We usually don’t take taxis, but in emergencies every taxi will do, even a small one. Two bikes in the trunk, the rest in the front.

And, why Bromptons?

The Brompton is not made for long distance touring. It’s a bike made for commuting, and that’s where it excels. There are folding bikes that are probably better suited for touring, Bike Friday or Riese & Müller are just two examples. Handling, luggage system, suspension, gearing, better options for fitting the bike to your body and easy access to spare parts due to the use of standard components is where they migh trump.

Apparently we went with the Bromptons nevertheless, for three main reasons: First of all, we already had them. We use them for daily commuting in Berlin. We really like them. And we prefer to just use what we already have instead of switching to the “Ok, now I am going to do a long travel so I have to buy a ton of new expensive equipment and spend one month researching for the perfect bike” mode.

Then, although not made for touring, the Bromptons are really good at it! Many other touring cyclists have used Bromptons for journeys way longer than Petit Tours. And we did some test runs too before starting our round-the-world trip (Karen in Southern Europe, Daniel in Norway). It’s a high quality bike, pretty robust, with a good ergonomy and a great riding experience considering the small wheels. Maintainance on the field is easy due to an “integrated workstand”.

But most importantly: No other “serious” folding bike folds as quick, easy and compact as the Brompton! And that’s what it’s all about. When folded, it has a box-like shape and handles like a suitcase. Plus you can equip it with 4 rollerblade-like wheels so that it can be easily rolled when folded. The folding itself is actually fun, and that is why you often do it. Unless many other folding bikes, that are often used like regular bikes as nobody dares to start the “folding procedure”. On a Brompton, all the above mentioned advantages of travelling on a folding bike really come into play.

However, as the Brompton is not designed as a touring bike, a number of things have to be considered when planning long distance tours: 

Luggage carrying: The Brompton comes with a great front luggage system. A good selection of high quality front bags is available. All front bags are attached to the frame, not the fork, so the luggage doesn’t affect steering, and the weight is always centered. However, when doing longer tours you will need more than just a front bag. As the bike is designed for commuting, there is no off-the-shelf solution available for the rack that would be suitable for touring. But, there is a work-around. Due to the small wheels and the low height of the rack, it is possible to attach a regular backpack to the bike. For us, this turned out to be an advantage, as the complete gear can be carried at once: Backpack on the back, front bag in one hand, the folded bike in the other hand. 

Gearing: Although the 6-gear version is well suitable for most terrains, the range (between the lowest and the highest gear) is somewhat limited. Also, the intervals between the gears are bigger than on a dedicated touring bike. Solution: Choose the right gearing setup and plan your route to avoid the craziest of all mountains. Maps with elevation profile will be a big help. We didn't have them for Japan, and this turned out to be some real disadvantage. (And if you want to go extreme, there are custom solutions like the Schlumpf Mountain drive available.)

Spare parts supply: The Brompton uses some custom parts that will be very hard to find in certain countries. Examples are the derailleur unit, the rear sprockets, spokes and rims. But also the tubes and tires are rare, and you will probably have to find a Brompton dealer to get them (and in many countries there is not a single Brompton dealer). Solution: Take the right spare parts with you. And if something goes wrong nevertheless, fold the bike and take the bus to the next bike shop!

Wheel size and tire selection: This one is obvious. The bike has small wheels. They won’t roll as smoothly over rough ground as big wheels would do. Even cobbles will feel annoying. Also, the steering is pretty direct. You won’t have that “I’m rolling on rails” feeling that a dedicated touring bike would give you. Moreover, the tire selection is very limited (basicly only 4 tyres available, only 2 of them suitable for heavy touring). Solution: You will want to stick to paved roads as often as possible, and you will want to watch out for potholes.

Geometry and bike fitting: Brompton offers 4 different handlebar types, each resulting in a distinct riding position. That’s great. You can do some test rides and decide for the version that suits you best. However, if you have decided for one handlebar type, there is very little possibility for further fine-tuning and fitting the bike to your body. Of course you can adjust saddle height and position, and on some handlebar types you can do slight changes to the handlebar position. Solution: Do some extensive test-riding before deciding for one handlebar type. Find a Brompton dealer that has all the different models available, and compare. Some dealers might allow you to borrow a Brompton for a few days, so you can do longer test rides. This will be a great help for making the decision.

That said, for us the advantages of the Brompton do outweight these “downsides” by far. On our tour, we never whished for a different bike. Not even when crossing the Japanese Alps. Well, at least not for more than a few seconds ...

Of course, independent of the bicycle, there are these situations: It’s early in the morning. Sun just said “hello”. We have packed our stuff and are about to start cycling. We are tired, and we feel the long ride of the day before in our bones. In these moments we sometimes think “Oh no, not that bike again”. But after the first pedal turns, the wind in our faces and the clickeryclackery sound of the Sturmey-Archer hub in our ears, we can not help but smile, and ride on …

[petittours]

You are not a touring biker.

Three months of travelling. Germany won FIFA World Championship last night and I push "play again". Time for a short refreshment concerning bike touring.

Travelling (by bike) is a whole body experience. Travelblogger write about leaving ones comfort zone. Bikepacker batteling about gears and fears on the internet. A homecoming touring cyclist announches in the media, that he is not a typical bike tourer. Counting kilometers? Neither his passion, nor intention. Mr Steppenwolf pushes his lonely pedal fight. An old bikecomputer jumps silently on the next decade while she decided to name her bike after her secret childhood star. And another one folds its foldie.

Comparing backpackers, travellers and tourists with touring cyclists just means exchanging the backbag with a bike. Done. The bike as a symbol gathers a group which is that homogen as heterogen. And the squeezy pedaling group is fantasically growing! Because traveling by bike means to be in good companionship: Your bike! To enjoy advantages of feeling (almost) independent on your journey. To experience the energy that comes directly from your breakfast. To accept physical boundaries and the need of regular breaks for reconstruction. To get drunk in your thoughts and become clear again. Or just for making your legs faster when time is short and your to-discover-list neverending. The positive list is endless. Negative statements are not issue of this post.

So. Get on your bikes folks! Especially women. It makes you feel comfortable with yourself. Take into account that a bike makes the world smaller and for tiny budget people affordable. (Ever thought 6 weeks in Japan will ruin your financial situation? Jep. It will. If not choosing bike and tent.) Give it a first shy try when going to work tomorrow or making a trip next weekend. Every bikeride is a journey or to put it differently - your petit tour. Ride on!

[petittours]

The taste of Vietnam / Ho Chi Minh.

One absolute highlight concerning food was Ho Chi Minh. On the one hand side we started with helpful advices. On the other hand side we had good luck all the time. Not so funny: Vietnamese just like to price double or even four times more than original local price when you look like a tourist. We paid lots of extra money. It still was cheap but that is not a nice habit at all. Maybe our fault as well because we hate bargaining. . Vietnamese coffee.

. Crepes served with a big plate of green leaves and spicy sauce, build your own "rolls" by hand, add sauce as you prefer.

. Cold noodles with pork or spring rolls.

. Different kinds of rice and soybeans, mixes with coconut and a sugar topping: Perfect breakfast or dessert for cyclists. You will not be hungry for hours!

[petittours]

The taste of Cambodia.

Cambodian food is an amazing experience. Big kettles steam over wooden stoves, a smell of smoke in the air. The influences of the Indian cuisine is rather visible concerning taste and shape. Western food is served in touristic areas and reaches top prices compared to local food. And the French forgot their lovely Baguette in Cambodia - mmmh!

The size of the served meals in Cambodia reach S compared to Thailand and is a bit more expensive compared to other daily expenses. Additional food is much more spooky to me. You often do not want to know what is inside the pot. If you find something that appreciates you, try it. You will not be able to find out what it is. Just. Enjoy! Meat mostly still keeps bones - take care!

. Beverages: Finding water is not difficult - but while touring you have to buy 0.5 l bottles of water all the time - what a waste. But we were not able to carry a pricy 10l bottle with us... No vending machines available. Try a fresh coconut and sugercane syrup with lime! . Basic food: Rice with something (chicken, pork, ...) or rice with some kind of creamy, spicy toppings. Try a Durian!

. Fish Amok: A traditional Cambodian spicy soup with coconut served in Banana leaves. Also available with chicken... . Baguettes: Long French white baguette is stuffed with porridge, fish, chilly, ... Very tasteful for 1st, 2nd, 3rd breakfast...

[petittours]

The taste of Thailand.

You find Thai kitchen everywhere and it is affordable and delicious. Steaming pots along streets and markets mainly pop up in the early morning and in the evening again. At noon you find less opportunities to eat.

Cyclists take a breakfast, maybe a second one. If you find something to eat at noon, go for it if you are hungry. Don't wait for the next chance. Food is not spooky at all. Just delicious. Often spicy. Fruits everywhere! . Something special: If you have the great opportunity to join a group dinner - go for it! In Thailand you order lots of different yummie stuff, putting it in the middle of the table and sharing. Lovely! On the picture we are having a little delicious break on our evening bike tour with Bangkok Brompton Group. : D

. Beverages: In restaurants water and tea with ice comes along with the food, often for free. Beer is preferred by white (or crab red) tourists. Vending machines supply water for a few cents - just carry coins and bottles with you. . Basics: Soup with noodles with or without meat, seafood and chicken rice. Seven Eleven sells frozen pots of delicious food. Just buy it, staff puts it in a microwave and you leave with a hot tasteful something. . Steamed or grilled banana leaves with rice and banana or sweet potato inside. Eat it fresh or keep it 24 hours in your bags. (Lembas bread for cyclists!)

. Suki Yaki: A pot of cooking water (stove integrated in table) and raw ingredients are served together. Put stuff inside the pot. Wait. Enjoy.

[petittours]

Pot cuisine! Or: More than yum yum soup.

Our first “big” Petit Tour just ended. And how could I just imagine leaving without saying anything about the marvelous lovely delicious surprising steamy pot cuisine that ran half our daily endorphins supply? Important point for touring cyclists: You will never be starving in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, (Singapore) and Malaysia - even if you have a very little budget.

1 Preparation in advance. It could be quite helpful to take something agains Cholera. But: When travelling South East Asia plan one or two days for staying in your room just moving between bed and bathroom. Don’t be sad. That’s part of your trip!

2 Equipment. You can leave your camping stove at home when crossing South East Asia. Every time you turn around you will find steamy pots and fresh fruit, or it will find you by falling from a tree. Take a spoon and a knife with you. Mangos, Durian, Melon, Ananas, Coconuts and the best Bananas in your live are waiting! Ok. While we suffered from illness in Malaysia we sometimes would have been happy having a gas stove for cooking in our room instead of our wood stove.

3 Trust the locals. Just pick food places where locals gather. You won’t be disappointed! Avoid places without guests.

4 Hot Dogs, Frogs and Spooky food. Hm. In Cambodia it might help not looking in the steamy pot. Spiders and insects are available. But. No comment.

4 Super Size. Served meals have a good size everywhere. Just on countryside in Cambodia the dishes were smaller compared to other places.

5 Beverages and ice. Expect carrying lots of water with you all the time. It is hot. Pick drinks with ice cubes that have a nice shape. These guys are usually made of clean water. Avoid drinks with crushed ice. We also had milk shakes with fruit and suffered no disease. You never know… Stands with drinks - everywhere!

6 Budget. South East Asian countries are “Schlaraffenland” for travelers with small budget. You can keep your daily expenses for food very low although you live the life of the little caterpillar “Neverfull”. Just like rice.

7 Local markets. Leave (western) shops behind you and follow local markets for a several reasons such as sustainability and your green footsteps, less waste and better taste, get in touch with people… PS: We tried to stick to this most of the time - but - we dropped into McDonalds too. Sometimes we just wanted to know before what we will have on our plate.

8 On the road. Don’t carry too much food. You will always find a nice place on your tour. Promise!

9 Watch your food grow. Become aware of what you eat. While traveling and at home. Why do Ananas taste different in Thailand compared to Germany and ask why?

So what we’ve been hunting and gathering is collected in upcoming articles - country by country…

Follow the steamy pot!

[petittours]

Cycling Singapore Ltd.

Singapore opened its courtain and welcomed us a few hundred meters after the airport with a paved, smooth tire and ankle charming and silent bikelane along a dreamy beach. While the bright blue sea was softly murmuring, a perfect half shadow half sun cycle lane lead us gently through a clean calm connected park system directly to the city. On our trip from the airport to the center we were crossing camping spaces, swimming areas and BBQ zones on repeat, each well equipped with the required infrastructure for the particular pleasure. No people, a few school kids, park workers who were gently stroking the green lawn, removing dry leaves and sticks. I found a lonely turtle, taking a walk on the cycle lane. But: The area was just waiting for hundreds of sports(wo)men to frame their daily after work recreational or weekend work-out. Impressed by the huge amount of runners, walkers, cyclists, gi gong-ists who moving themselves along the coast we can say: Singapore is a paradise for sport lovers and sportive cyclists. But not at all for commuters.

Sign-apore. Singaporeans like signs. And they put them everywhere, to make aware of every kind of dangerous or unclear situation. Numerous signs informed us about being respectful "drivers" - to slow down, watch out for pedestrians or other sports(wo)men and stay on our lane. Other signs on the beachside indicated that we shall call the police if we see any suspicious along the beach. And another type of sign pointed out, that if we use the underpass to cross the street we please wheel our bikes - otherwise we have to pay a fine of $2000. Sometimes we felt a bit distracted from traffic (and reality) because one automatically looks at neon signs when it pops up. Quite dangerous so far.

Narrow Streets. Big fishes. Streets in Singapore are narrow and built for using cars - only. There is no space for cyclists without being a barrier. When cycling we immediately felt out of place. Cars, busses and taxis do not treat cyclists as traffic members. Motorists are not used to bikes and make roads a rather unpleasant place for cyclists. Other reasons that might show that commuting doesn't play / shall not play a significant role: . Under- and overpasses for pedestrians and cyclists are often the only possibility to cross a street - cycling prohibited - you must get off and push your bike. . Almost no places where you are allowed to lock your bike. . Narrow multi-lane one-ways (no cycling lane integrated). . No bikes allowed in public transportation (except folded foldies - THE reason why all kinds of folding bikes, especially Bromptons, celebrate a high status in Singapore).

So: Exploring Singapore by bike is tiring although traffic is slow, streets are adorable paved, distances are small, temperature is fine. We think, it is no surprise that potential cyclists remain voluntarily pedestrians and public transportation users here. Additional cars are almost unaffordable on the island. On the other hand side the connected park system around the coast is amazing and the city still invests in developing it. Honestly: We really felt ourselves in a battle with a traffic system that cuts the freedom of riding bikes. Where has the joy of riding a bike gone when one has to slow down or get off every 100 meters? Where has the fun gone when one cannot make flexible maneuvers through a traffic jam? And why is here so much advertising encouraging Singaporeans to do sports and live a healthy life and on the other side you see so less people on a bike - except sports(wo)men rushing.

Stop starring. Start asking. We tried to find out and asked cyclists for their opinion. So we luckily gather some information from the Singaporean Warmshowers Group that invited us to join their lovely weekly dinner, talks with helpful bikeshop owners and passionate bikeshop assistants... Thank you all for your time and your kind help - we enjoyed a lot ! 1. Cycling is sport. The average Singaporean cyclist might be characerized as a "lycra-ist". You will identify this type from other cyclists because one is covered in lycra (or other high tech fabrics), sportive look, orange glasses and fast bikes. 2. Cycling means community. Singaporeans like to gather in groups to cycle. You can see this on bikelanes in the park and on the internet as well. Cycling groups make cycling more sociable. Bike lovers connect with others, exploring the island, eat, drink, drive, chat and wearing a "Group-Lycra"... Core members of helpers in the group make biketours safe and enjoyable. 3. Cycling is a growing market. Cycling just develops in Singapore and there are also a few brave who are using a bike to go to work or for daily business. Commuting is not well established jet but we met nice and interesting cyclists for dinner who really try to change this. Sk Lah for instance - owner of Tree In Lodge Hostel - is probably the rider of the first and only Cargobike in Singapore. The group looks forward to a positive development, expect cycling and commuting as a growing market, wishing for more respect between motorists, cyclists, pedestrians, and officers. 4. Foldies and small wheeled bikes. Foldies and small wheeled bikes are well established due to the possibility of carrying them on public transportation. Additional there is no availability of places to lock your bike. People store their bikes in the flat but the average living space is limited - so foldies are a good solution too. We saw small wheeled Fixed Gears, Racing Bikes and Citybikes of several brands. Mostly of them made in Taiwan but we found Bike Friday too and visited the Brompton Junction. Nice! 5. Bike rentals. There exist a few bike rentals focused on sparetime cyclists, families and tourists needs to for example enjoying the coast. Then it seemed to be quite common for Singaporeans to rent good MTBs for cycling the off-road and hilly tracks in the rainforest parks. For more information... Commuting // http://smallwheelsbigsmile.blogspot.com/2013/04/calvin-boos-guide-on-cyclo-commuting-in.html Ride on!

[petittours]

Positive Mass? Vietnam at a glance.

Ok. Honestly we planned it different. We wanted to divide our first month traveling equally to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Due to a handful reasons it resulted in spending only 4 days in Ho Chi Minh. So, this is an aspect of bikepacking: You can always be open to skip the straight road, taking the bendy one that leads you to your destination too. But different. Interesting people, curious cities, culture clash, a grouching belly, a sick foldie, the need for a break and much more can cause changing your plan. But ehm ja, back to the content: Cycling culture in Ho Chi Minh / Saigon (Vietnam) - due to our short visit we focus only on the city.

Drawing a cycling map of Ho Chi Minh. Traffic: Keep right! (If possible. If not. Go left. Or turn around. Nobody cares as long as you do not lose the plot.) Bike lanes and traffic signs: Streets have common traffic lights and lanes for cars (middle) and motorcycles (on the right). Cyclists just do best by integrating themselves into the noisy, smokey, hodgepodge of motorcycles and keep on the most right place of the road. But take care - Contra flow on the most right side of the street again! Expect motorcycles from everywhere and watch out for policemen who guide groups of pedestrians to cross the road. Significant others: Same participants as seen in Thailand but much more velotaxis and a tremendously intense flood of rattling motorcycles. Watch out!

Cycling culture. Once in a while we recognized a cyclist on the street. But not only poor locals or kiddies. Surprisingly we felt a little western influence. Saw young Vietnamese with highly decorative vintage velos and neon framed fixed gears. Found out by lucky coincidence that there exists a nice Vietnamese cycling magazine (Vietnamese/English) that focuses on establishing commuting and creating bikes into a lifestyle object as well as listing new bike cafés (!), shops, rentals, events and guided tours for locals and tourists. On top in Vietnam just started it's version of critical mass. The "Positive Mass" (advertisement on the picture below). No comments. In additional, bikeshops again gather in mainly one big road (similar to Phnom Penh - but more westernized version.) Bike maintainance happens on the street...

Summa summarum. Saigon / Ho Chi Minh somehow feels quite familiar to us. The city that might be famous for it's exorbitant delicious cuisine offeres a interesting architecture that makes riding through the city an adventure rich in variety. Alleys of trees supply a cool shadow for having a break. Saigon riverside offers a great view. Colors, little streets, markets and shops fit into each other.

Finally and somehow we have the hope that cycling culture and commuting finds nutrious grounds here. We have to come back for exploring!