On Your Bike

Hello,
I'm looking for someone who has biked the Carretera Austral in Chile. I'm a 52 year old woman who is thinking of doing it solo next year. Do you meet people every day (Nov-Jan)? Is it safe to camp in the wild? Have you met other woman doing it alone? How long did you take? If you camp and make your own food what is a typical daily rate of spending? Is the road in terrible condition? Should I bring a bike or buy one there? Any what ever other thoughts come to mind!

Thank you,
Denise

http://www.walmart.com/ip/700c-Schwinn-Admiral-Women-s-Hybrid-Bike-Blue/42248069

A new bike, but a second hand bargain, bought to tour Canada, used for this purpose only one month, available in the middle of September in Quebec City.
Anyone interested in buying it, please let me know.
Thank you

Hi All,

I'm hoping to cycle from Cairo to Kartoum at some point in the next few months. Has anyone done this recently, going in either direction? If so, were there any security issues, or were there areas you were told you shouldn't go?

Advice much appreciated! :)

Many thanks,
Bradley

Mba’éichapa?
Hi everyone and thank you in advance for all the answers!

I'm Antonio, a Spanish boy that's making a solo trip by mountain bike through South America... and I will soon face my hardest challenge, arriving to Asunción from Bolivia through the Transchaco Road.

It's quite hard to find up to date info about the lodging options in that road, specially from the Bolivian border to Mariscal Estigarribia. And honestly, I'm not really confident about camping in the Chaco.

I will pass…

Vélib'ing around Paris – in a Day (almost for free)

http://wp.me/p5Lw9a-a0
Vélib' is not new and it is an extensive, self-service bike rental network all over the city of Paris! Vélib' is not 100% free, you need a small subscription fee to register with a credit card, and then you could travel with a bike and then return it @ thousands of stations.

Some friends told me they have a problem with registration with their credit card @ the station. But for me, it worked like a charm. The first 30…

I am posting this for my 23 yr old son (I'm a librarian...its what I do!):

He's joining friends in Barcelona, Spain who are bicycling from there to Nantes, France. He will go only partway as he needs to return home to work earlier. He's hoping to rent a bike in Barcelona, leave a little luggage (from previous traveling w/o bike) and return with bike on trains from wherever he ends up at the end of the time he has.

Is this reasonable? Certainly renting or buying a touring bike doesn't seem to…

Am looking at cycling from Kolkata to Thailand via Bangladesh and Burma.
As I'm just at the beginning am trying to get my head around it.

I know I'll need a double entry for India which I can easily get in Oz, but where can I get the other visas.
The Bangladeshi Consulate in Australia state I need to get one in Oz but it doesn't state Validity. Its good for 30 days but their fee is $150. It may sound expensive but if I'd have to hang around Calcutta for 10 days may as well just get it at home…

Hi, can anybody recommend a company who organises cycling trips within Guatemala? I'm going there in December and am keen to do a cycling tour, I don't really want to do it on my own. I've done a fair bit of cycling but just not in this part of the world. Cheers.

I usually use store bought lube for my commuting bike. But I read that travelers in Asia just use some motor oil. I just tried that on my commuter-as an experiment-I guess it works OK but seems to pick up a lot of dirt.
What do you use? I am planning to bike tour in Nepal/India(?) this winter.
Also--"Tom" in his article about building an expedition bike says he carries two chains and switches off every two weeks. Do any of you do this or only carry one chain? My bike is 3X9 speed, and I dont know…

For my latest several cycle trips I have travelled with Qatar Air. They have a 30 kg baggage allowance and used to allow another 10 kg for 'sporting equipment', that includes a bicycle.

Yesterday when I went to buy another ticket with them they tell me that they no longer give any 10 kg allowance for 'sporting equipment'. Too bad!

I have been advocating for Qatar Air among all cyclists I have met and in my journals. I feel I have to tell you that I will no longer do that.

PS Turkish Air gives…