{"id":5020,"date":"2020-01-02T10:47:00","date_gmt":"2020-01-02T15:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/?p=5020"},"modified":"2020-01-04T11:27:37","modified_gmt":"2020-01-04T16:27:37","slug":"why-go-bicycle-touring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/2020\/01\/why-go-bicycle-touring\/","title":{"rendered":"Default Mode: don’t let it stand in the way of a big bike tour"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Why not give the bicycle touring lifestyle a try?<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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I\u2019m guessing many of you would like to set off on a long-distance cycle tour. Someday. \u00a0You\u2019re just not quite sure when.<\/p>

At the moment, your focus is elsewhere.\u00a0 Perhaps your career is taking off.\u00a0 Maybe you\u2019ve just begun a promising new relationship.\u00a0 You might even be toying with the idea of taking on a mortgage and snatching up your dream house.<\/p>

The world, as we all know, is full of choices and opportunities.<\/p>

The thing is, I regularly hear from people all around the world who grumble about the direction their life is taking.\u00a0 Recent graduates write to say they feel pressure to settle down and get a \u2018real job\u2019 but something inside of them aches for adventure.\u00a0 Career climbers email us admitting they feel trapped in a job they\u2019re less than passionate about.\u00a0 People nearing retirement get in touch to lament spending decades acquiring all the outward trappings of a successful life, only to be left feeling empty and dissatisfied.<\/p>

These people all have something in common: they say cycle touring makes them feel alive in a way \u2018regular life\u2019 just doesn\u2019t.\u00a0 Often, they share plans for an ambitious cross continental tour.<\/p>

Some of the individuals I hear from eventually take the plunge.\u00a0\u00a0 They set off on the big bike tour they\u2019ve always dreamed of.\u00a0\u00a0 Good for them!<\/p>

By all accounts, most of these folks are thrilled with their new two-wheeled lifestyle.\u00a0 They post photos of themselves proudly posing at the top of a big climb, or of last night\u2019s stunning campsite next to a raging river.<\/p>

They blog about the amazing hospitality they encounter, the massive quantities of food they\u2019re ingesting, and of course the beautiful landscapes they roll past.<\/p>

What\u2019s stopping you?<\/h3>

In fact, I’ve yet to hear from a single individual who\u2019s regretted the decision to go cycle touring (although I\u2019m sure there\u2019s one or two out there).<\/p>

The thing is, of all the people who want to cycle around the world, relatively few actually do it.<\/p>

So what\u2019s holding everybody back?<\/p>

In a few cases, an almost insurmountable obstacle stands in the way.<\/p>

Let\u2019s face it– if your partner is dead set against a cycle tour, it\u2019s going to be an uphill battle.<\/p>

Children also make the situation a little trickier.\u00a0 It\u2019s possible to educate kids on the road, but this may not be the best learning environment for your<\/i> kids.<\/p>

And then there\u2019s money.\u00a0 \u00a0If you\u2019re buried beneath a mountain of debt, you can probably drop the idea of a long distance bicycle tour (at least for the moment).<\/p>

The rest of us<\/h3>

Then there\u2019s the rest of us.<\/p>

People who are single or partnered with someone who appreciates the idea of a cycle tour.<\/p>

People who are childless or have kids who thrive on adventure and adapt easily to new environments.<\/p>

People who can come up with the cash (and it certainly doesn\u2019t have t o be much; many cyclists\u2014ourselves included– do it on around $10\/day).<\/p>

So here\u2019s what really baffles me:<\/p>

Why do so many people who\u2026<\/p>

  • dream of a big bike tour<\/li>
  • have absolutely no commitments holding them back<\/li>
  • have the financial means to make a bike tour happen<\/li><\/ul>

    choose NOT to set off on their \u2018dream tour\u2019<\/b>.<\/p>

    It just doesn\u2019t make sense<\/h3>

    Not fulfilling your dreams when you have the chance to do so seems absurd.<\/p>

    Don\u2019t we all want the best for ourselves?\u00a0 Isn\u2019t finding happiness and fulfillment our ultimate goal in life?<\/p>

    Recent research proves that humankind is a lot less rational than we\u2019d all like to believe.<\/p>

    Much of what we do is not by active choice; rather it\u2019s a question of living in default mode<\/i>.<\/p>

    A dangerous existence<\/h3>

    I see a lot of default mode<\/i> in my own life. I studied Business Adminstration at college.\u00a0 This choice wasn’t based on a keen desire to one day manage a big company. If I’m honest, I studied business because my father and elder sister both studied business.\u00a0 I chose default mode.<\/p>

    In lieu of finding out what subject suited me best, I simply followed in the footsteps of family members.<\/p>

    The danger in this type of living is that it tends to repeat itself.\u00a0 We continue to live just like everybody else because it\u2019s easier that way.\u00a0 We passively allow \u2019society\u2019 to dictate the course of our lives.<\/p>

    We graduate from college, begin building a career, settle down with a partner, buy a house, raise a family, and retire at 65.\u00a0\u00a0 That\u2019s standard living procedure.<\/p>

    A big bicycle adventure is not, sadly, part of life\u2019s Default Mode<\/i>.\u00a0 Maybe it should be.<\/p>

    Is it worth it?<\/h3>

    Choosing a big bicycle tour means digging your way out of Default Mode<\/i>.\u00a0 It means giving up safety and security for the unknown.\u00a0 It requires going against the flow and shaking up the status quo.<\/p>

    Is it worth it?\u00a0 Anecdotal evidence seems to say YES<\/b>!<\/p>

    Every year more and more people (just like YOU) are departing from Default\u00a0 Mode<\/i> and experiencing the adventure of life on a bike.\u00a0 Most are delighted with their decision.<\/p>

    I sincerely hope 2020 will be the year you<\/b> join the growing ranks of cycle nomads spinning their wheels around the world!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Why not give the bicycle touring lifestyle a try? I\u2019m guessing many of you would like to set off on a long-distance cycle tour. Someday.  You\u2019re just not quite sure when. At the moment, your focus is elsewhere.  Perhaps your<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10193,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[311,26],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nwhy go bicycle touring<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/2020\/01\/why-go-bicycle-touring\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"why go bicycle touring\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Why not give the bicycle touring lifestyle a try? 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