{"id":4575,"date":"2013-05-22T00:18:54","date_gmt":"2013-05-21T22:18:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/?p=4575"},"modified":"2020-01-02T02:24:28","modified_gmt":"2020-01-02T07:24:28","slug":"zen-and-the-art-of-bicycle-touring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/2013\/05\/zen-and-the-art-of-bicycle-touring\/","title":{"rendered":"Zen and the Art of Bicycle Touring"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u2018Oh, merde!\u2019<\/p>\n

I knew what that meant.\u00a0 Another flat tire.\u00a0 And to think we hadn\u2019t even hit the road yet.<\/p>\n

Gently stirring the concoction of instant oats, milk powder, raisins and sugar that would be our breakfast, I pushed our mechanical troubles to the back of my mind.<\/p>\n

With the constant drone of traffic on the nearby A1, we\u2019d slept fitfully.\u00a0 I yearned for the backroads.\u00a0 \u00a0Another gulp of thick black coffee and I\u2019d be better ready to face the day\u2019s minor calamities.<\/p>\n

My customarily dependable Koga was letting me down.\u00a0 Big time.<\/p>\n

Broken spokes, a chain that skipped and slipped every time I attempted a gear change, a back tire that stubbornly rubbed against the brake pads,\u00a0 squeaks and rattles that attested to seven years of use and abuse.\u00a0 My trusty stead was getting tired.<\/p>\n

And flats.\u00a0 Not just a measly one or two a day.\u00a0 Three, four even five punctures per day were bringing us to a grinding halt.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Just a few of Eric's many 'essential' tools! It's no wonder our panniers are packed to the brim.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bundled together, these minor inconveniences left us frustrated and confused.\u00a0 Ill-tempered, too.<\/p>\n

The clatter and clamour of the A 1 added to the aggravation.\u00a0 Massive trucks roared past from dawn to dusk, paying little head to two lowly cyclists.\u00a0 Podcasts helped. We are both unrepentant audio junkies.\u00a0 Our i-tunes subscriptions are nearing 100 and we\u2019re still on the lookout for more.\u00a0 Current events, stories about strangers, international news, interviews, science, history, live storytelling.\u00a0 We just can\u2019t get enough.<\/p>\n

But I digress. (That happens when you\u2019re as passionate as I am about podcasts.)\u00a0 Without a steady stream of stories in our ears,\u00a0\u00a0 the ride up the A1 would have been pointless.\u00a0 An overdose of bitumen and boredom.<\/p>\n

So, here\u2019s the takeaway from four futile days on the A1:<\/p>\n