Explore every episode of the podcast The Pedalshift Project: Bicycle Travel Adventures

It's international exploration time with two feet as we explore England! In the first part of this two-part series, I kick things off with a whirlwind visit to London, exploring Hyde Park, Regent's Park, and Camden Market in search of great music, vintage vinyl, and some proper curry chips. Along the way, I'm testing a new approach to beating jet lag, applying lessons from ultralight bike touring to international travel, and discovering the joys of exploring a new city with less planning and more winging it.

Quick housekeeping before we get going - we had so much fun in the last one it's time we did it again… a special Thanksgiving LIVE show Friday November 20 5pm PT, 8pm ET. It'll be the episode that drops on US Thanksgiving day so we'll definitely have some themage on that. Plus special returning guests… chat room… the works. Let's get ready for the holidays together!

London: Arrival and First Impressions

• Flying from Seattle to London and tackling an eight-hour time difference
• Testing the Timeshifter app to manage jet lag
• Heathrow Express to Paddington and the advantages of staying near the train station
• An evening walk through Hyde Park
• The curry chips side quest begins!

Exploring London on Foot

• A surprisingly excellent fish-and-chips experience
• Discovering Sherlock Holmes at Baker Street
• Walking through Regent's Park and Queen Mary's Rose Garden
• Heading to Camden Market on a busy bank holiday
• A self-guided Britpop walking tour through Camden

Music, Vinyl, and Camden Market

• Searching for rare '90s records
• The Stone Roses, The Beta Band, and the soundtrack to exploring London
• Crate digging and an unexpected score: eight vintage seven-inch singles for £20
• The joys of discovering music in the places that helped shape it

Ultralight Travel Beyond the Bike

• Applying bike touring and backpacking principles to international travel
• Navigating European airline carry-on size and weight restrictions
• A smaller roller bag, a versatile travel backpack, and merino wool clothing
• Packing light while leaving room for records and souvenirs
• Why flexibility matters when traveling between cities

Onward to Bristol

• Taking the Great Western Railway from Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads
• First impressions of Bristol's industrial architecture and creative character
• Why Bristol's trip-hop scene inspired this visit
• Massive Attack, Portishead, and the city's musical legacy
• Planning a Banksy street art walk and more record shopping
• An unexpected discovery: Brompton bike rentals!
• Two full days of Bristol exploration ahead

Coming in Part 2: More adventures in Bristol, exploring the city's music, street art, neighborhoods, and whatever unexpected discoveries come along the way.

After two episodes experimenting with electric-powered adventures on the Oregon coast, it's time to look at what worked, what could use some improvement, and what these experiences might mean for future ebike adventures.

Quick housekeeping before we get going - we had so much fun in the last one it's time we did it again… a special Thanksgiving LIVE show Friday November 20 5pm PT, 8pm ET. It'll be the episode that drops on US Thanksgiving day so we'll definitely have some themage on that. Plus special returning guests… chat room… the works. Let's get ready for the holidays together!

1. The EV and e-bike combination opens up new possibilities

Using a plug-in hybrid as a mobile base camp and an e-bike for exploring creates a flexible way to travel.

Drive somewhere interesting, find a place to camp, ride a loop or out-and-back, and move on to the next destination.

It's a model that could work well beyond the Oregon coast.

Discussion points:

• The RAV4 Prime as transportation, sleeping quarters, and potential charging station.
• The e-bike as a way to explore an area without moving the car.
• The flexibility to change locations without committing to a continuous cycling route.
• How this combination could work for longer adventures.

2. Climate-controlled car camping is a game changer

The ability to run air conditioning overnight makes camping in warmer conditions much more appealing.

The RAV4's sleeping platform, battery capacity, and climate control offer a comfortable alternative to tent camping.

Interestingly, the cool weather at Beaver Falls meant none of that electric capacity was necessary this time, but having the option remains valuable.

Discussion points:

• The sleeping platform and quick conversion from driving to camping.
• Preserving battery capacity for overnight climate control.
• The advantages of sleeping with the windows closed in hot or smoky conditions.
• Previous experiences using climate control during cross-country travel.
• Potential for camping in places where summer temperatures would otherwise be prohibitive.

3. Finding overnight parking requires research and flexibility

The iOverlander app helped identify a free overnight spot at Beaver Falls Trailhead.

It worked out well, but the experience also highlighted the importance of checking parking restrictions, considering security, and having backup options.

A little more preparation before arriving after midnight would have made the setup easier.

Discussion points:

• Using iOverlander to identify potential overnight locations.
• Rest areas versus dispersed overnight parking.
• The Beaver Falls experience: quiet, comfortable, free.
• Security considerations, including evidence of previous break-ins.
• Preparing the sleeping setup before arriving at the overnight location.
• The importance of backup options.

4. E-bikes fundamentally change the Oregon coast riding experience

The climbs around Neahkahnie Mountain and the Arch Cape Tunnel became substantially easier with electric assistance.

Maintaining speed uphill and through the tunnel made familiar terrain feel different.

The northbound headwinds were also much less consequential.

Electric assistance could make challenging coastal routes more accessible and enjoyable.

Discussion points:

• Climbing hills at speeds that would be difficult on an acoustic bike.
• The Arch Cape Tunnel experience and the advantages of maintaining speed.
• How electric assistance changes the experience of coastal headwinds.
• The difference between knowing an e-bike will help and experiencing that assistance on familiar terrain.
• Implications for riding the entire Oregon coast.

5. Battery range may be less limiting than expected

The nearly 30-mile ride between Cannon Beach and Manzanita included significant climbing, yet battery capacity never became a serious concern.

That raises interesting possibilities for longer trips, potentially without carrying a second battery.

Understanding actual range under different loads, terrain, and assistance levels will be important before committing to a longer tour.

Discussion points:

• Starting with a fully charged battery.
• Monitoring voltage rather than relying exclusively on the battery indicator.
• How much assistance was needed on the major climbs.
• The implications of riding unloaded versus carrying touring gear.
• Whether one large battery could be sufficient for longer coastal riding days.
• Charging strategies for multiday touring.

6. The car-and-bike combination could change the economics of touring

Free overnight parking, sleeping in the vehicle, and using the e-bike for day rides could make for a remarkably inexpensive adventure.

There's also the possibility of using the vehicle as a charging station for the bike, reducing dependence on hotels and other charging opportunities.

It's worth exploring what the actual costs look like compared with traditional bike touring.

Discussion points:

• Eliminating hotel costs through vehicle camping.
• Finding free overnight parking rather than paying campground fees.
• The cost of driving between riding destinations.
• Using the vehicle's electrical capacity to recharge the e-bike, assuming a workable charging setup.
• Comparing the costs of this approach with traditional loaded touring.
• The tradeoffs between upfront equipment costs and ongoing travel expenses.

7. This experiment suggests a whole new touring format

The obvious next step is a multiday adventure using the car as a mobile base camp.

Instead of riding an end-to-end route, drive between locations and explore each area by e-bike.

This could make previously impractical destinations viable, particularly places without good cycling connections between the best riding areas.

There's also an interesting question about whether a single e-bike battery could support more ambitious rides than expected.

Discussion points:

• Developing a multiday itinerary built around several riding locations.
• Exploring areas that are difficult to connect by bicycle.
• Using the car to reposition between interesting routes.
• Testing the approach in hotter climates where air-conditioned camping would be especially useful.
• Determining whether the e-bike can handle longer days and more challenging terrain.
• Possibilities for combining this format with conventional bike touring.

Wrapping Up: What's Next?

The experiment was a success, and there's plenty of room to expand on it.

Could this approach work for a longer Oregon coast adventure? What about hotter destinations where climate-controlled camping makes a bigger difference? And how might an e-bike change the experience of a traditional end-to-end tour?

The combination of an electric-capable vehicle and an e-bike offers some interesting possibilities for future adventures.

This probably won't be the last electric-powered adventure on The Pedalshift Project.

Part two of the EV adventure swaps four wheels for two as I pull the e-bike out in Cannon Beach and put it to the test on a familiar stretch of the Oregon Coast, finding out just how much an e-bike can flatten some very familiar coastal hills. A pretty compelling experiment in electric-powered adventure!

• Start/finish: Cannon Beach, Oregon
• Route: Cannon Beach → Arch Cape → Arch Cape Tunnel → Neahkahnie Mountain → Manzanita → return to Cannon Beach
• Out-and-back ride on US 101
• E-bike with a full battery and essentially no touring load
• Plenty of climbing, particularly around Neahkahnie Mountain and the Arch Cape area
• Southbound ride through the Arch Cape Tunnel with maximum assist
• Turnaround in Manzanita
• Northbound return into the usual Oregon Coast headwind
• Post-ride: lunch in Cannon Beach, beach walk and tide pools near Haystack Rock
• Sidequest: Cannon Beach s'mores

• Distance: ~30 miles
• Arch Cape Tunnel speed: ~20 mph southbound
• Climbing speed: ~11–12 mph with assist
• Comfortable downhill ceiling: ~25 mph
• Highly scientific effort conversion: 30 e-bike miles ≈ 15 acoustic-bike miles
• Blackberries consumed roadside: significant
• Hoped for pesticide exposure: less significant
• Flats: 0

The big project for 2024 is building the ultimate custom ebike. On this episode we go over the three key components to the build, from picking the perfect frame, the right  mid-drive motor and a battery that gives range and power. What's better than a project that blends tech with cycling?  Originally podcast January 25, 2024.

First of  two-parts! An EV adventure on the Oregon Coast begins with four wheels before shifting to two. In Part 1, I take the RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid out for a post-concert overnight to see how well my car-camping setup works in the real world before the e-bike comes off the rack for its first Oregon Coast adventure.

After catching Suki Waterhouse in Portland, I point the RAV4 toward the coast with a simple plan: use iOverlander to find a free overnight spot, get some sleep in the back of the vehicle, and wake up positioned for the next day's ride.

Along the way, I weigh the merits of rest-area camping against pushing farther toward Beaver Falls, talk about why the plug-in hybrid makes such a useful camping platform, and revisit how valuable climate control was during last year's cross-country travels. The sleeping platform turns the back of the RAV4 into a surprisingly comfortable little camper, with battery power available for AC, charging, and whatever else the night might require.

The eventual destination is Beaver Falls Trailhead near Clatskanie, Oregon — quiet, dark, free, and tucked into the forest well away from Highway 30. The EV capabilities turn out to be more optional than essential on this particular cool night, but the setup works remarkably well. There is, naturally, a minor early-morning incident involving the vehicle alarm. Because apparently quietly exiting a car you've been sleeping inside is exactly the sort of suspicious behavior modern automobiles were designed to prevent.

By morning, the experiment is a success and the RAV4 is packed with a full electric charge, an e-bike on the back, and two possible destinations ahead: Astoria or Cannon Beach.

Next time: EV Adventures Part 2, when four wheels become two and the e-bike finally gets its first ride on the Oregon Coast.

Topics in this episode include EV car camping, the Toyota RAV4 Plugin Hybrid, sleeping platforms and car-camping setups, iOverlander and finding overnight spots, rest-area camping, climate control while camping, Beaver Falls Trailhead, Oregon Coast trip planning, and setting up an e-bike adventure from Cannon Beach.

We are live baby live for a special edition of Pedalshift Live, with a summer in review, a bit of a fall (and even early winter!) preview, the merch unveiling and preview, plus an ask me anything on all things bike adventures!

Summer in review

Sprocketshift Reunion (my tent is not viable)

MJ Backpacking (and new ultralight gear!)

eV Adventure - coming soon

London/Bristol/Dublin - coming soon

Fall… Tokyo, NYC, Maui…

Merch Preview

Special thanks to Simone, joining us in the chat… literally could not have done this without her skill, savvy and expertise!

datenightmarket.com

Deck

settle our bet

ornament story from 2015 and giveaway

Shifty the Elf ornament? MAAAAAYYYYYBEEEEE…

COMING FALL 2026

… and we have more ideas, so more to come in 2027

AMA Bike Adventure Questions

Three days on the Oregon Coast Trail started as an experiment: could backpacking fit into the world of Pedalshift, and would returning to a familiar place on foot offer something genuinely different? After plenty of beach walking, climbing, rain, headwinds, good sand, bad sand and a tiny boat ride, the answer is pretty clear.

Here are the biggest takeaways from the adventure.

1. Backpacking is officially part of the adventure toolbox

The biggest takeaway is also the simplest: this worked.

Neither Tim nor James had backpacked seriously in years, but the mileage, pack weight and camping routine all proved manageable. By the end of the trip, the question wasn't whether they could backpack—it was where they might go next.

That opens up an entirely new category of adventures for Pedalshift, including trips that combine cycling, hiking and transit.

2. Walking changes your relationship with a familiar place

Much of this stretch of the Oregon Coast was already familiar from years of bicycle touring, but experiencing it at two or three miles per hour revealed an entirely different coast.

Trails over headlands, long stretches of beach and places inaccessible by bicycle changed the experience substantially. The trip reinforced one of the ideas behind Pedalshift from the beginning: the speed and method of travel fundamentally affect what you notice.

Slowing down another step turns out to matter.

3. The mileage and pack weight were more manageable than expected

One of the biggest unknowns going into the trip was simply how the bodies would respond.

The answer was encouraging. Days approaching 9 and 11 miles were entirely achievable, even with climbing, sustained headwinds, rain and sand thrown into the equation.

The bigger physical lesson came from terrain rather than distance. Soft sand changes your gait and creates stresses that ordinary walking doesn't, something worth considering when planning future coastal hikes.

4. Good gear helps—but it doesn't create the adventure

The new ultralight-oriented setup worked extremely well, particularly the Hyperlite Southwest 40 backpack and Big Agnes Copper Spur tent.

Reducing bulk and weight made backpacking more comfortable, and modern packs are dramatically better at transferring weight to the hips than the gear Tim remembered from decades ago.

But the old Pedalshift gear philosophy survives intact: expensive ultralight equipment isn't a prerequisite. Use what you can afford, learn what actually matters to you, and upgrade where experience tells you an upgrade is worthwhile.

5. Oregon Coast weather remains undefeated

The forecast threatened rain, the winds came from the wrong direction, and Day 2 delivered both.

The rain itself wasn't a major problem because the right gear was accessible when it was needed. The sustained headwinds were arguably more draining, particularly combined with beach walking.

The takeaway for future coastal backpacking: prepare for conditions to subtract energy even when the mileage looks easy on paper.

And keep the rain gear somewhere you can actually reach it.

6. Beach walking is much better—and much worse—than expected

One of the biggest surprises of the trip was how enjoyable long stretches of beach walking could be.

Firm, damp good sand provided an excellent walking surface and made the coastline itself part of the trail.

Then there's bad sand.

Soft, dry sand slows everything down, changes your gait and consumes considerably more energy. Future Oregon Coast Trail planning should account for tides, beach conditions and the additional effort required when good sand disappears.

Good sand and bad sand are now official technical terms. No peer review will be accepted.

7. Multimodal transportation makes trips like this possible—and requires flexibility

Bus connections made a car-light Oregon Coast Trail trip possible, and the tiny boat across the Nehalem River was one of the highlights of the entire adventure.

The transportation system also immediately blew up the original Day 1 itinerary when one missed connection forced a complete rethink.

That became a useful reminder: build flexibility into transit-supported adventures. A missed bus doesn't necessarily ruin the day. Sometimes it simply creates a different one.

8. The best future trips may combine modes

Perhaps the most interesting takeaway isn't specifically about backpacking.

Pedalshift has always centered bicycles, but this trip demonstrated how much possibility exists around the edges: bike somewhere, hike somewhere inaccessible by bike, use transit to connect sections, camp along the way and build an adventure around the place rather than a single mode of transportation.

Topics TBA, but it's a summer closeout and certainly a preview of some stuff coming in the fall. ALSO we're doing a super fun giveaway exclusively for people that make it to the live show itself… there's some incentive for ya! ALSO ALSO, some special previews of all sorts of things. Am I being cagey? YES. Show up anyways! Chat room is fun, live shows are fun… but if you can't make it, it's the pod for the following week. pedalshift.net/live!

Email reminders coming too. Maybe some previews of my previews? Who knows? Sign up here.

Backpacking doesn't need to replace bike touring. It can expand what's possible.

The Oregon Coast Trail experiment suggests there's a lot more territory to explore there.

On this episode of The Pedalshift Project, we explore slow travel and its relevance to your bicycle adventures. We also circle back to our previous discussion on eBikes, reflecting on some listener feedback and exploring the evolving role of eBikes on the future of bicycle travel. Originally podcast December 14, 2023.

The final day of the Oregon Coast Trail adventure begins at Barview Jetty with one major decision: take the short road walk toward Garibaldi or head back onto the beach for one last stretch of hiking. The beach wins, giving James and I a fitting final chapter to our first successful backpacking trip in years—and plenty of time to start thinking about what comes next. maybe James won't cause us to miss a bus next time?

Topics TBA, but it's a summer closeout and certainly a preview of some stuff coming in the fall. ALSO we're doing a super fun giveaway exclusively for people that make it to the live show itself… there's some incentive for ya! ALSO ALSO, some special previews of all sorts of things. Am I being cagey? YES. Show up anyways! Chat room is fun, live shows are fun… but if you can't make it, it's the pod for the following week. pedalshift.net/live!

Email reminders coming too. Maybe some previews of my previews? Who knows? Sign up here.

Check out this absolutely hysterical special design awarded to Brock and I to memorialize our night 1 mishap...

See more of Simone's designs here.

Waking up at Barview Jetty after a slightly better night's sleep—and some bonus fireworks from Garibaldi Days.

• Breaking camp with damp tents, questionable battery-charging logistics and a decision to make about the day's route.
• Road walk toward Garibaldi or return to Rockaway Beach? Naturally, the beach wins.
• A few physical reminders of the previous day's nearly 11 miles, including the lingering consequences of bad sand.
• Meeting a touring cyclist at camp with an impressive résumé that includes the C&O, GAP and Empire State Trail.
• Another reminder that there were considerably more bicycle tourists on the Oregon Coast than expected.
• Tim and James make it official: they're backpackers again.
• Why backpacking may be easier to share with more people than bike touring—and why it may become a regular part of future Pedalshift adventures.
• Heading north along the beach toward Rockaway for the final hiking segment of the trip.
• Yesterday's brutal headwind finally becomes today's much gentler tailwind.
• A little filtered sunshine and substantially easier conditions make Day 3 feel like a victory lap.
• An IT band issue provides one last reminder that walking on soft sand changes your gait in some interesting ways.
• Looking back on three days that provided a surprisingly complete shakedown: climbing, beach walking, rain, wind, good sand, bad sand, camping and multimodal transit.
• Arriving in Rockaway Beach and wrapping up the hiking portion of the adventure.
• Food, another encounter with the cyclist from camp and the beginning of the journey home.
• Back into multimodal mode: bus to Tillamook, bus to Portland, retrieve the car and eventually drive back to Seattle.
• Plenty of waiting around reminds everyone that transit-based adventures occasionally involve the advanced outdoor skill of sitting somewhere for a while.
• Final verdict from James: "Great trip."
• Three days later, the experiment feels like a pretty staggering success.
• Backpacking appears destined to become part of the Pedalshift adventure mix—including the possibility of combining hiking and cycling on future trips.
• Next up: the takeaways episode, including gear lessons, what worked, what didn't and why this backpacking thing might stick.

• Route choices 2
• Sand types still 2
• Wind normal!
• Bicycle tourists encountered MORE!
• Transportation segments after Rockaway 3
• Buses James is permitted to cause me to miss 0

Day two on the Oregon Coast Trail takes us south from Nehalem Bay for a day dominated by beach walking, a tiny boat crossing, unexpected rain, relentless headwinds and the discovery that not all sand is created equal. What initially looks like an easier day turns into nearly 11 challenging miles, and  convincing proof that MJ and I might actually be backpackers after all.

My Tent is Not Viable!

Because this pod has become all Oregon Coast all the time (and no, spoiler… more to come) I have to share yet another special creation. Newly minted Pedalshift listener and merch designer Simone was so moved by the Brock and Tim Sprocketshift disaster of night 1 that she created a special design just for the two of us… yes, my tent is not viable has now been memorialized on an ornament. But you have to see it in the shownotes at pedalshift.net. It features the classic line and… because of course… a flooded tent. Plus the new Pedalshift logo, which you might get to see soon on other things! COMING SOON. Super excited to show you what we've been working on! Go check out the special edition my tent is not viable design and more Simone's designs at her Etsy shop… link in the shownotes!

Live Show!

Friday September 11th, 5pm PT - 8pm ET

Topics TBA, but it's a summer closeout and certainly a preview of some stuff coming in the fall. ALSO we're doing a super fun giveaway exclusively for people that make it to the live show itself… there's some incentive for ya! ALSO ALSO, some special previews of all sorts of things. Am I being cagey? YES. Show up anyways! Chat room is fun, live shows are fun… but if you can't make it, it's the pod for the following week. pedalshift.net/live!

Email reminders coming too. Maybe some previews of my previews? Who knows? Sign up at the site.

Oregon Coast Trail – Part 2

• Breaking camp at Nehalem Bay State Park after a less-than-restful first night.
• The day's route comes with an unusual Oregon Coast Trail feature: a small boat crossing of the Nehalem River.
• Hiking out the Nehalem Bay spit rather than road walking Highway 101 or relying on another bus.
• A $10, on-demand boat ride that you essentially hail like a water taxi. Naturally, Tim is delighted.
• Early beach walking into a surprisingly strong south wind—and the realization that hiking into a headwind can be plenty annoying too.
• Overcast, cool Oregon Coast weather turns out to be pretty much perfect hiking weather for Tim and James.
• Then the rain finally arrives.
• Rain gear gets its first legitimate test as wind, rain and cold hands briefly turn the morning into some genuine Type 2 fun.
• Reaching the mouth of the Nehalem River, where ocean waves, river current and fishing boats all converge.
• Calling for the boat and crossing the Nehalem River to continue south.
• Boat-crossing soundscapes, fishing stories and a little local wildlife discussion along the way.
• An unexpected rail walk after the crossing, followed by some improvised navigation back toward the beach.
• The terminology of the trip is established: good sand is firm and easy to walk on; bad sand is soft, energy-sucking nonsense.
• Continuing south toward Rockaway Beach with sea stacks appearing down the coast.
• Sustained headwinds approaching 20 mph turn what should have been a helpful prevailing wind into an all-day adversary.
• Rockaway Beach provides a badly needed break from the wind—and Indian food for the day's big meal.
• Back into full rain gear for the final push toward Barview Jetty.
• Headwinds + rain + bad sand = a surprisingly demanding backpacking day.
• Despite the conditions, Tim and James finish just shy of 11 miles.
• Another successful test for the new backpacking gear, including Tim's Hyperlite Southwest 40.
• Arriving at Barview Jetty Campground thoroughly cooked and very ready for dry clothes and tents.
• The campsite itself gets mixed reviews, particularly when Tim discovers that "level tent site" is apparently more of an aspirational concept.
• Day two verdict: challenging, fun and another successful proof of concept.
• Bigger conclusion: Tim and James may officially be backpackers again—and longer trips suddenly seem entirely plausible.

Statistics

• Miles hiked 11 
• Nehalem Rivers crossed by boat 1
• Prevailing tailwinds received: 0
• Headwinds: Yes
• Sand varieties identified 2
• Indian food recs in Rockaway Beach 1
• Campground rating: 7
• Flats: N/A

The Oregon Coast Trail backpacking adventure officially begins! Mysterious James and I head for the Oregon Coast expecting a roughly 10-mile first day over Neahkahnie Mountain. Naturally, the adventure starts with us watching our connecting bus leave without us. Is the entire trip scuttled before we even begin?

Check out this absolutely hysterical special design awarded to Brock and I to memorialize our night 1 mishap...

See more of Simone's designs here.

• Portland to Tillamook goes exactly according to plan. This will not last.
• A confusing route-number change leads to Tim and James missing their northbound connection while essentially standing next to it.
• With Uber, Lyft and other escape routes unavailable, it's time for Plan B.
• A few bonus hours in Tillamook include an unexpectedly excellent visit to the Tillamook County Public Library.
• The revised plan: take the later bus to Manzanita, establish a base there and turn the day's planned hike into an out-and-back toward Neahkahnie Mountain.
• First impressions of experiencing familiar Oregon Coast territory on foot instead of from a bicycle.
• The backpacking finally begins with a walk along the beach at Manzanita.
• Important navigational discovery: if the Pacific Ocean is on your left, you're probably walking north.
• Firm beach sand: surprisingly excellent walking. Soft beach sand: considerably less excellent.
• Heading inland and uphill on the Headwaters Trail toward Neahkahnie Mountain.
• About 3.5 miles of continuous climbing provides the first real test of the new packs and gear.
• Early verdict: the pack weights feel completely manageable for the planned 7–10 mile days.
• Tim and James discover that humid-weather backpacking may not be part of their future long-distance hiking careers.
• The shortened route still delivers nearly everything they wanted from the original day: climbing, forest trails, beach walking and plenty of mileage.
• Back in Manzanita for the most important part of any successful hiking itinerary: pizza and beer.
• A surprising amount of actual bike content, with multiple loaded touring cyclists spotted along the coast.
• The final walk to Nehalem Bay State Park is longer than expected, pushing the day's total close to nine miles.
• First impressions of the Nehalem Bay hiker-biker campsite, including lockers, charging and bike repair facilities.
• The new tent gets its first setup and the backpacking gear earns high marks.
• Day one verdict: despite immediately borking the original plan, the Oregon Coast Trail experiment is a success.
• Next up: more beach walking, changing weather and Day 2 on the Oregon Coast Trail.

• Miles hiked 9
• Missed buses: 1
• Loaded bicycle tourists spotted: 7
• Plans successfully improvised: 1
• Days of rain on the Oregon coast we did not expect 1
• Flats  N/A

On this episode of The Pedalshift Project, we welcome eBike expert Biking Brian to chat about his eBike touring and adventures. We discuss his background in bicycling and touring, his experiences with building eBikes and battery packs, and the future potential of eBike travel. Originally podcast November 30, 2023.

Welcome to a different kind of Pedalshift adventure. For the first time, we're leaving the bikes behind and heading out on foot for a three-day section hike of the Oregon Coast Trail. Along with returning friend of the show and legendary 5-timer Mysterious James, I'm testing new ultralight gear, revisiting familiar terrain at walking speed, and exploring whether slowing down even more changes the way we experience a place we've ridden through so many times. It's a little experimental, a little ambitious, and very much in the spirit of adventure.

• A first for Pedalshift: backpacking instead of bikepacking.
• Joined by returning guest James for a three-day Oregon Coast Trail adventure.
• Transit-powered trip: Portland → Tillamook → north coast by bus before hiking south.
• Revisiting familiar Pacific Coast territory from an entirely different perspective.
• Can walking reveal things even bike travel misses?
• Route highlights include:
  • Neahkahnie Mountain
  • Manzanita
  • Nehalem Bay State Park
  • Beach hiking along the Oregon Coast Trail
• Planning roughly 10-mile hiking days with hiker-biker and county campground overnights.
• Weather forecast calls for classic Oregon Coast uncertainty, with rain possible after a dry first day.
• New ultralight gear gets its first real test:
  • Hyperlite 40L backpack
  • Big Agnes Copper Spur Bikepacking tent
  • Carbon fiber trekking poles
• Thoughts on balancing premium gear with the long-held Pedalshift philosophy that the best gear is the gear that gets you outside.
• Pack weight comes in around 18 pounds, with room for future refinement.
• Trail food strategy includes hot coffee, plenty of snack bars… and James carrying enough bananas for what appears to be a small primate sanctuary.
• Why this trip fits the evolving vision of Pedalshift: adventures adjacent to bicycling that still embrace human-powered exploration.

Every once in a while I finish a trip and, after I get home and everything dries out, I realize there were a handful of lessons that weren't obvious while I was riding. So this week, rather than another recap of the Oregon Coast, here are a few takeaways from the trip."

Takeaway #1: Constraints can make for a better tour

• Weather forced changes.
• My tent forced bigger changes.
• Transit schedules forced even more changes.
• We stopped trying to preserve the original plan and started asking what the best trip looked like now.
• The revised trip ended up being more memorable than the one we planned.

Bottom line: Sometimes constraints don't ruin a tour—they become the reason it's interesting.

Takeaway #2: I think my touring philosophy is changing

• I've spent years optimizing for mileage.
• That usually means riding through interesting places instead of experiencing them.
• Tillamook was the perfect example. I've passed through multiple times and barely stopped.
• This time I spent the day exploring instead of chasing miles.

Bottom line: I'm increasingly interested in using the bike to get me to experiences, not simply accumulate distance.

Takeaway #3: "Ride your own ride" can happen on the same trip

• Brock and I started from exactly the same place.
• We made completely different decisions.
• He chose the big riding day.
• I chose the slower exploration day.
• Both approaches ended with great stories.

Bottom line: There isn't one correct version of a successful bike tour.

Takeaway #4: Transit isn't cheating

• We used buses multiple times.
• They made the route possible.
• They allowed us to adapt instead of abandoning the trip.
• They cost almost nothing.

Bottom line: Bikes and transit complement each other remarkably well.

Takeaway #5: Gear failures change everything

• "My tent is not viable."
• That one sentence completely changed the weekend.
• Once your shelter becomes unreliable, every decision becomes different.
• Confidence is part of your gear list.

Bottom line: Reliability beats optimization.

Takeaway #6: Where did all the bike tourists go?

• Peak season.
• Iconic route.
• Excellent infrastructure.
• Very few loaded touring bikes.

Possible explanations:

• More gravel riders?
• More bikepacking?
• Different travel habits?
• Something else?

Bottom line: I'm seeing enough of a pattern that I don't think it's a coincidence anymore.

Takeaway #7: I'm excited about touring again

• Fitness is coming back.
• Losing weight has made a noticeable difference.
• I'm thinking differently about how I want trips to look.
• I was planning the next ride before this one ended.

Bottom line: That's usually a sign you're headed in the right direction.

What happens when two people on the same bike tour decide to have two completely different adventures? On this edition of The Pedalshift Project, day two of the Sprocketshift Oregon Coast adventure with Brock Dittus starts with a split decision in Tillamook. Brock points his bike north for a long, wet ride toward Cannon Beach. I slow things way down for cheese, side quests, a little local riding, and maybe a bit of a rethink about what I actually want out of bicycle travel these days. Two riders. Two very different days. One extremely cheap bus ride. Will the bike and bus gods allow us to reunite for fish, chips, oysters, and beer in Astoria?

A reminder about our cool spinner giveaway! If you signed up for the Pedalshift email list like I told you last week, or you already were… check your inbox! Reply back to me with that email at pedalshift@pedalshift.net by Sunday July 19 at 11:59pm PT and voila! You're entered! What do you win? Only the second of its kind functioning spinner designed by Simone, the creative mind behind the 5 timers award and future Pedalshift merch. Check out the GIF of my favorite fidgety thing in the shownotes. And good luck everyone who enters!

Oregon Coast Bike Tour with Brock Dittus – Part 2

Day two of our northbound Oregon Coast bike tour begins in Tillamook with a major change of plans.

With uncertain weather, challenging terrain, and Oregon Coast bus schedules that aren't lining up particularly well, Brock Dittus and I decide to split up for the day. Brock heads north by bicycle toward Cannon Beach. I stay behind for a much lower-mileage day exploring Tillamook by bike before using public transit to fast-forward north.

The result is something a little different for The Pedalshift Project: two simultaneous tour journals from two riders having completely different bicycle touring adventures.

Two Riders, Two Very Different Oregon Coast Adventures

Brock leaves Tillamook with an ambitious goal: ride north toward Astoria and see how far he can get.

His day includes:

• Intermittent rain that becomes considerably less intermittent
• A thoroughly soaked ride through Rockaway Beach
• The climbs and terrain of the northern Oregon Coast
• Neahkahnie Mountain
• Roughly 40 miles of challenging bicycle touring
• The strategy of simply not stopping because stopping means getting cold
• A reminder that wet jeans and long-distance cycling are not necessarily natural allies

Meanwhile, I embrace something closer to a bicycle-assisted vacation day in Tillamook:

• A visit to the Tillamook Creamery
• The realization that I actually had been there before… roughly three decades ago
• A stop at Blue Heron
• A visit to the Tillamook farmers market
• Some local exploration by bike
• A side quest involving the elusive Oregon delicacy known as meadowfoam honey
• An extremely inexpensive bus connection north

Same bike tour. Very different days.

Rethinking How I Bicycle Tour

My slower day in Tillamook raises a bigger question about how I want to approach bicycle travel going forward.

For years, my touring style has often focused on moving from Point A to Point B. The places along the route are part of the experience, but mileage and reaching the destination can easily become the priority.

That means I've ridden through places like Tillamook many times without actually spending much time experiencing them.

This day was different.

Instead of riding through Tillamook yet again, I stayed. I visited places I'd skipped on previous Oregon Coast bike tours. I explored. I followed a side quest. I rode when I wanted to ride and stopped when I wanted to stop.

And it may represent a bit of a shift in how I think about bicycle touring.

The length of a bicycle trip doesn't always have to be measured by the number of miles ridden. Sometimes the bike is the thing that gets us to the experience.

Brock's 40 Miles of Type Two Fun

While I'm contemplating a new philosophy of slower bicycle travel over cheese samples, Brock is having a very different day.

Rain. Hills. Wet clothes. More rain.

Despite the conditions, he makes excellent time north from Tillamook, riding through Rockaway Beach and over the challenging terrain toward Cannon Beach.

He ultimately reaches Cannon Beach after roughly 40 miles of riding and decides that he doesn't need to ride all the way to Astoria to prove anything.

The original goal may have been a much longer day, but sometimes knowing when you've already had the adventure is part of the adventure.

Also: prolonged rain, soaked clothing, and friction are apparently a combination worth avoiding.

This is useful bicycle touring information.

Reunited in Cannon Beach

Thanks to a combination of bicycles, buses, location sharing, and an Oregon Coast transit schedule that somehow works out, our two routes converge in Cannon Beach.

From there, we take the final bus together to Astoria.

The total cost of taking public transportation from Tillamook to Astoria?

Two dollars.

For bicycle tourists interested in combining cycling with transit on the Oregon Coast, the regional bus network can create some remarkably inexpensive options for shortening or modifying a route.

Astoria: Fish, Chips, Oysters, and Bicycle Touring

We end the day in Astoria with beer, seafood, oyster shooters, and a comparison of our radically different adventures.

That leads us back to a question that has come up repeatedly on The Pedalshift Project:

Where are all the bicycle tourists?

Even during prime touring season on the Oregon Coast—one of the best-known bicycle touring routes in the United States—we encounter remarkably few loaded touring cyclists.

Is traditional road-based bicycle touring declining?

Are more cyclists choosing gravel and off-road bikepacking routes?

Are hikers increasingly becoming the primary users of Oregon's hiker-biker campsites?

And if bicycle touring numbers continue to decline, what could that mean for the future of the infrastructure that makes routes like the Oregon Coast possible?

Our data set is hardly scientific, but after several years of seeing the same pattern, it's becoming harder to dismiss.

Sometimes the Constraints Make the Bike Tour

This weekend also offers another reminder about bicycle travel: sometimes the trip you wouldn't have chosen is the trip that produces the best stories.

If we'd had several weekends available, we probably would have avoided this one because of the weather.

Instead, this was the weekend we had.

Rain. Bus schedules. Route changes. A split adventure. Unexpected stops.

Brock compares it to Brian Eno's Oblique Strategies: introducing limitations and constraints that force you to approach something differently.

In our case, the constraints became the bike tour.

Also in This Episode

• The Tillamook Creamery: the Disneyland of cheese
• Why ice cream at 10:30 in the morning is a defensible life choice
• The search for Oregon meadowfoam honey
• Bicycle touring through Tillamook, Rockaway Beach, Cannon Beach, and Astoria
• Combining bikes and public transit on the Oregon Coast
• Cannon Beach's continuing role as a mildly cursed bicycle-touring destination
• Businesses without Wi-Fi
• The mysterious economics of an artisanal s'mores establishment
• Oyster shooters and the deeply questionable possibility of oyster Jell-O
• Brock's return to podcasting
• Why talking to your bus driver can save your connection
• A final full-circle return to Salem

Statistics

• Riders beginning the day together: 2
• Riders immediately splitting up: 2
• Cheese establishments visited: 2
• Approximate miles ridden by Brock: 40
• Approximate miles ridden by Tim: 6–8
• Bus fare from Tillamook to Astoria: $2
• Prawns consumed: 8
• Pieces of cod consumed by Brock: 3
• Pints consumed: 1 each
• Smokes broken: 1
• Questionable oyster Jell-O concepts developed: 1
• Flats: zero

It's magical episode 444 of The Pedalshift Project, and we're marking the occasion with a proper Oregon Coast adventure! In part one of two, longtime friend of the show Brock Dittus joins on a hobgoblin of a ride. On this episode: northbound coastal riding, alternate routes off 101, questionable mileage math, damp gear, coffee stops, headwinds, the Five-Timers Club, and the operating phrase of the whole trip: "My tent is not viable."

Hey there is a GIVEAWAY that is part of this episode… stay tuned to  hear how to win a special, nearly one of a kind piece designed by the talent behind the five timers club award Brock gets in this very episode!

Highlights

• Episode 444, with a very satisfying accidental 44-mile moment.
• Tim and Brock reunite for a Sprocket Shift-style Oregon Coast ride.
• The trip shifts from the original plan into a northbound Lincoln City-to-Astoria adventure.
• The 60X bus from Salem to Lincoln City proves to be a useful transit link for coastal bike touring.
• Devil's Lake hiker-biker gets revisited and loosely rated.
• Summer on the Oregon Coast delivers rain, chill, clouds, and deeply confused expectations.
• Tim's tent fails overnight and is declared "not viable."
• The planned camping trip becomes a hotel-supported ride after wet gear and a damp down bag change the calculus.
• Old Highway 101 / Forest Road 11 north of Lincoln City gets a major reassessment as the better touring route.
• Neskowin and Pacific City provide key food, coffee, and morale stops.
• The final stretch into Tillamook brings classic coastal headwinds.
• Brock officially receives his Five-Timers Club award.

Route Notes

Start: Salem, Oregon

Transit: 60X bus to Lincoln City / Chinook Winds Casino

Camp: Devil's Lake State Recreation Area hiker-biker site

Ride direction: Northbound / NOBO

Day ride: Lincoln City to Tillamook

Key stops: Neskowin, Pacific City, Tillamook

End of episode: Tillamook, Oregon

Next destination: Astoria, Oregon

Hey it's a giveaway!

The Pedalshift spinner giveaway! How to enter… make sure you're subscribed to the Pedalshift email list over at pedalshift.net. I'll send an email out to the list on Thursday July 16th for the release of part 2. Reply or forward it back at me at pedalshift@pedalshift.net by 11:59pm PT Sunday July 19th and BAM! You're in the running. The email will have the directions too. Overly complex? Maybe. But you get the coolest designed piece ever by our clever and talented designer friend.

Statistics

• Episode number: 444
• Hiker-biker cost at Devil's Lake: $8
• Miles biked: 57 
• Known other touring cyclists spotted: 2
• Known hikers at camp: 1
• Bundles of firewood: 2
• Tent viability: zero
• Campground USB-C ports: zero
• Campground USB-A ports: yes
• Five-Timers Club ornaments awarded: 1
• Flats: zero

After a restful night at Huckleberry Hill, it was time to ride back to DC. But a beautiful Sunday on the C&O usually means a crowded trail… would that slow down my ability to get home?

We are SO back. On this edition, the preview episode for the first Oregon Coast trip that doesn't require me to fly thousands of miles. Added bonus: Brock frieking Dittus is going to be returning to the podcasting airwaves for this one as we ride a portion of the Oregon coast. As usual… there are question marks for any ride I ride, so we'll cover them here.

Another micro Seattle adventure before summer really kicks off (more on that next episode)... this week, we go on another ferry-fueled adventure to nearby Vashon Island to explore the cycling, the town and... pinball? Yes. Pinball.

A little more space to explore Seattle before we kick off the first true summer cycling adventure - this week I head out the front door of my place on the Safari (finally!) to put it through the paces around Lake Union and the UW campus!

After a nice night at the cabin, the second day looked to be a wet one… with forecasts of dangerous winds whipping the trail. Calling an audible seems to be the plan, but would there be another more mechanical issue that might be an impediment to making the final camp of the trip? Originally podcast May 25, 2023.

Seattle is starting to feel less like a move and more like home base. With the long stretch of travel beginning to slow down, this week's episode looks ahead to what summer adventure might look like from the Pacific Northwest. That includes rediscovering hiking and backpacking, exploring Seattle neighborhoods, and starting to sketch out bike camping possibilities in Oregon and Washington.

• Settling into Seattle as a long-term basecamp

• Shifting from constant travel into local exploration

• Planning summer adventures in the Pacific Northwest

• Returning to hiking and backpacking

• Relearning where all the backpacking gear ended up

• Exploring Seattle neighborhoods by bike and on foot

• Early thoughts on Oregon and Washington bike camping routes

• A future trip with friends of the show

• What changes when bicycle touring starts from a new corner of the country

Let me know what you think about Pedalshift merch! 

pedalshift.net/merch

On this edition, we go to the Windy City, and it was windy , and we ride around a little bit and walk around a little bit and do a little bit of discovery. A cool neighborhood, Wicker Park, and just discovery of things that are cool in the midst of my May adventures.

On this edition, we hop off the bike for a bit to chat about some non-cycling adventures I'm in the middle of this month! As you all know I'm a huge music fan, and as my big move and other transitions have pretty much crossed the finish line, I circled this month as a way to celebrate with some music and travel. Will a bike make an appearance? Maybe, but the journey is the fun part so let's show our IDs at the door and get our hands stamped for a very different adventure!

Sugar NYC

(Seattle work conference)

Snail Mail Seattle :(

Ivy WPB

WDW work/play

Ivy Chicago

(Seattle work conference)

Ivy NYC

Chapterhouse Seattle

DLR play (new Star Wars overlay)

Ivy LA

Home to Seattle and a summer of… I don't know yet. Open plans. Biking. Hiking. Camping. Exploring. More music.

Having said adieu to the C&O, let's revisit the spring 2023 ride of the C&O towpath for the next few months? Back then we had stellar conditions for riding. But with the Paw Paw tunnel closed, the trail posed a hefty challenge for someone with a fully loaded bike to push. But the Park Service said there's a shuttle, right? Originally podcast May 18, 2023.

The C&O has been a recurring spine of the show for years, from early episodes with zeroes in front of the numbers through bigger runs like DC to Cincinnati, and C&O But Slow. The show is now pointing toward Seattle, rightsizing bikes, and the new basecamp but I have one more ride on the C&O and one more ride on a special bike that I've pedaled all over the country.

Continuing more discovery of the Seattle area by bike and transit… this time it's a completely new to me place in Bainbridge Island! The real feature of course is the ferry, since we all know I love me a ferry. Some aquatic guest stars followed by Brompton riding in the town by the ferry terminal was a nice introduction, all shared here on the pod!

The weather is getting better, and I have bikes on hand... it's time to explore more of Seattle by bike! On this edition we start kind of big - crossing Lake Washington via the floating bridge by bike. Plus bonus Lunar New Year festivals!

• Mercer Island to Pioneer Square
• Floating bridge and testing light rail
• Bonus lunar new year soundscapes!

The bike is in Seattle safe and sound, but the adventure getting it here? We have things to talk about! On this episode the takeaways from Minimal California!

Takeaways

• I really really like going with less
• Panniers have their place
• Riding in the rain can be fun, but not if it weren't planning for it
• Try the random cantina every time
• Bike bags are great but they have an expiration date

Hey we have some production delays on the latest episode, so look for that within the next few days... but to ensure your earballs get a regular Thursday listen, here's a special best of that goes ALL the way back to the leading 0 era! 

Look, we all know there's some inherent risk in bikepacking, bike touring and even bike commuting. Between bad infrastructure and inattentive drivers, we assume some degree of risk every time we're in the saddle. But as with anything, there are things we can do to make our bicycle adventures safer than by doing nothing. On this episode, some thoughts on all the things you can do to have a safer ride! Originally podcast October 19, 2023.

A fun night adjacent to the Happiest Place on Earth, but work to do on the final day of the adventure. A scouted ride to Orange County airport seemed easy, then challenging, then maybe easy again. But there's been a peculiar lack of drama on this podcast that tends to have unnecessary drama in the trips. I wonder… could we find some?

Statistics

Miles biked 27

Zippers broken 2

Yards of tape used by SNA TSA to seal the bike bag 3

Futile attempts to repair the zipper in Seattle 1

Flats 0

A flight to San Diego and operation get my bike to Seattle begins! Sunny Southern California lures me in with perfect… wait, what's that? Rain all day? In San Diego? That tracks. Day 1 of the experiment that is Minimal California has a soggy start and a magical finish, because all winter bike trips lead to Disney parks right?

Statistics

Miles biked 25+2=27

Busses 1

Trains 1

Water bottles needed to wash sand off bike brakes from beach side quest 4

Flats 0

Welcome back from Winter Break! I was busy while we revisited some classic adventures, and went off and had a brand new one. On this edition, we preview Minimal California, a pared down adventure with a purpose, a destination, and... would you believe things that went awry?

I should have shownotes but I'm still on winter break mode... it's a good episode and you should listen to it!

Enough of my tour journals, let's shake it up and bring in special guest star and longtime friend of the show, Pedalshift Society member Brock Dittus in on a tour of not the Oregon coast! Brock travels solo through some of the steepest riding in the state, fueled by fried spicy goodness. Would that be enough to handle the climbs and our old nemesis, wildfire smoke? Originally podcast July 13, 2023.

With my proper trail bike in the shop but a real need to get out for an overnight, I turned to a C&O newbie… my trusty 12″ wheeled, very orange Brompton as my chariot to an urban(ish) stealth camping overnight. Would the trail chew up the Brompton? Would my orange gear prove too, well, orange for stealth camping? If you can't get your adventure by the liter these days, may as well do it in sips… Originally podcast July 16, 2020.

In the second of a two-parter, it's Pedalshift Tour Journals: Vol. 9: Olympic Peninsula! Join me and my trusty Brompton for 4 days of transit-aided bicycle touring from Washington, DC to Seattle to the Olympic Peninsula and wrapping things up in Astoria, Oregon. This week features a more-challenging-than-expected short mileage day, a visit to Kurt Cobain's riverfront hangout, and a long bridge serving as a finish line. Originally podcast March 29, 2018.

In the first of a two-parter during winter break, it's Pedalshift Tour Journals: Vol. 9: Olympic Peninsula! Join me and my trusty Brompton for 4 days of transit-aided bicycle touring from Washington, DC to Seattle to the Olympic Peninsula and wrapping things up in Astoria, Oregon. This week features the machinations of getting from DC to a tent in the shadows of the Olympic Mountains (if there were, y'know… sun) and the first very soggy day of riding. Originally podcast March 22, 2018.

Every once in a while it's nice to look back on where it all came from – on this edition, we explore the evolution of bike touring gear from the beginning of the modern era in the 1970s through today's high tech enhancements to bikepacking and more. Plus, a nod to what the future might hold with new materials and tech to make bicycle adventuring more fun and accessible! Originally podcast June 22, 2023.

One more episode before we take a little winter break (with some great best of's!) we do our annual setting of goals. This year we mix in one non-cycling goal on top of the others. Hey if I hit all of these it's going to be a great year!

Continued fitness upgrades

Oh Canada!

New bike(s)

Ultralight gear and ultralight tours

A Brompton adventure

Seattle S24Os

Big toe dip: backpacking… Hoh Rainforest?

A transit-assisted adventure

A food and beverage-centric adventure

A ferry-centric adventure

Our very first live show of 2026 is also the inaugural live show from Seattle! On this episode we chat more in depth about Seattle biking adventures to come, both locally and launched from here, give a quick Brompton update, an even briefer ACA update, and then a bunch of questions in the live show AMA!

Thoughts on Seattle as a bike launching point

Local trails

Gateway to multiple adventures

Vancouver crossing loop

Pacific coast

Washington Parks

STP

SEA direct flights

Year round cycling

Brompton update

ACA Building Sale

Seems like the sale of the building is serving as a proxy on "do you like how things are going"

Conflates a lot of stuff, which makes sorting through a lot of the arguments to be tricky

Make sure you vote, and I think we all are hoping whatever ACA does in 2026 and beyond that it stays as a major voice in bike travel adventures!

We've often talked about how slow travel by bicycle helps you see your adventure with far more detail than by car. But can we slow it down even more and reinforce that lesson? On this episode, exploring the parallels of exploring a city by foot and how that proves the point!

All Who Wander...

• Exploring Seattle without a car
• Using walking as a way to scope neighborhoods
• Slow travel lessons from bike touring, applied to everyday life
• What you notice on foot that you miss by bike or car
• Sound, sight lines, and the feel of a place
• Low-friction wandering and following curiosity
• Inefficiency as a feature, not a bug
• Walking as a gateway to reflection and perspective
• Seeing contrasts in how people live
• Choosing small adventures in ordinary days
• Seattle waterfront moments and future adventure reminders
• Brompton update: travel, repairs, and getting back on two wheels

Live Show January 16 5pm PT

Details at pedalshift.net/live!

So you've decided to relocate - congratulations! Now you have to figure out what to do with all of your bikes. Do you just move them all or is it time to rightsize your fleet? On this edition, we take a long hard look at my situation with a cross-country move. Do I move them all or is there a better solution?

• Moving long-distance as a forcing function for downsizing

• Applying "does this still serve me?" to bikes

• When sentimental value isn't the same as utility

• Overlapping bikes and letting go of duplicates

• Keeping the most flexible, all-conditions bike

• Rethinking an e-bike that isn't quite right

• Pulling parts, donating frames, avoiding bad resale math

• The Brompton as the ultimate utility / travel bike

• Donating vs selling bikes and why effort matters

• Downsizing now to make future bike choices easier

• Escaping n+1 without abandoning future upgrades

• Letting go to make room for more intentional riding

You know you've got a bike tour coming up this year, so you want to make sure you're ready for it. What are some things to do to make that easier in the bike touring offseason? On this episode, some insight into my plans this offseason plus tips from ACA, REI and other experts!

ALSO... Pedalshift SEATTLE Live will be Friday January 16 at 5pm PT/8pm ET. Check out the details in your email, YouTube and pedalshift.net/live.

Shifty the Elf returns for the annual holiday spectacular! 2025 was... a year. And as Shifty and I pack up for Seattle, there's a bunch of things we're going through and boxing up as we bid adieu to the year!

Happy Holidays and see you in 2026!

A walk along Elliot Bay to discuss the short trip to Honolulu and more on the transition to Seattle and all the bikey adventures to come.

Honolulu and Seattle

• A walk along Elliot Bay
• Honolulu thoughts
• More Seattle impressions
• N+1 thoughts on bikes

Big news for the show: The Pedalshift Project is setting up camp in a new city! This episode breaks down what that means for future tours, how this opens up brand-new riding possibilities, and why the destination may be a bit of a surprise and also not a surprise at all.

My new home: Seattle!

Why? This move is all about geography, access, and expanding the Pedalshift touring sandbox. Seattle places world-class touring terrain right outside the door and increases the show's ability to cover more routes, more often.

And yes—this is a return to the broader PNW. Think of it as a new basecamp, and not a commentary on my beloved Portland. It remains the land of sunshine and bunnies, and it's just down I-5.

There's obviously other details to all of this but they are far more weedsy than worth getting into for you all. Let's focus on the parts that impact the pod!

What Seattle Unlocks for Bike Adventures

Puget Sound & the Islands

• Bainbridge, Vashon, Whidbey, and the San Juans
• Ferry-based overnighters and S24Os

Olympic Peninsula

• ACA Pacific Coast connections
• Port Townsend → Sequim → Forks routes
• Big coastal scenery for trip diaries

Cascade Range

• Palouse to Cascades Trail (hello, cross-state gravel epic)
• Snoqualmie Pass corridor
• North Cascades Highway rides when the snow gods allow

British Columbia

• Vancouver + Victoria loops
• Easier cross-border touring content

Western US Access

Simpler jumps to NorCal, SoCal, Alaska, and Rocky Mountain tour starts

How the Show Evolves

More Micro-Tours

Seattle puts quality riding minutes—not hours—away, which means more short trips, more experiments, more rapid-fire episodes.

Some Non-Bicycle Adventures

Exploring by foot - hiking, urban adventures and more. Not a replacement for bikes, but a compliment.

New Possible Arcs

• The Islands Project
• The Puget Sound Loops
• Palouse to Cascades: Piece by Piece
• Return to the Coast (Seattle → Portland → Coast → beyond)

Year-Round Riding

Milder PNW winters = more shoulder-season content and gear discussions. Also proximity to southern CA for winter riding?

What Stays the Same

• The philosophy of intentional, practical, joyful bike travel
• Long-form tours and multi-state adventures
• Portland is the land of sunshine and bunnies, and Seattle will need a tagline

Early Seattle Recon

• Riding West Seattle, Alki, and Elliott Bay
• Ferry recon missions
• Scouting trails, routes, and spots for easy S24Os
• Checking out the local bike shop ecosystem

Production Notes

• Scheduling in winter and spring TBD with some back and forth travel
• Regular episode cadence with best-of's 

Listener Input Wanted

• Got Seattle, Puget Sound, or PNW route suggestions? Hidden gems? Ferries worth timing for golden hour? Winter riding hacks?
• Hit me up—I'll feature the best ones in future episodes.

It used to be that a bike adventure meant taking paid time off or quitting your job. Now that remote work is a reality for many of us, there's a new option. But is bike travel while working remotely right for you? Originally podcast July 28, 2022.

A repodcast of our Thanksgiving Eve live show: following up on your comments on the state of bicycle touring, plus a bunch of great questions in an Ask Me Anything segment!

More emails on this than any topic in a while. Some selected thoughts from listeners:

Regarding ACA

• Multiple listeners: Could ACA  be losing older members in its attempts to expand into younger audiences, but worse… might not be succeeding on either front? It's hard to do both, and that's the challenge… you need to find what drives your constituencies and sometimes you swing and miss.
• @BounceBackWesterner"I subscribed to the ACA magazine for one year.  I was happy with one edition, but then, it seemed like there was a trend to rides that were extremely challenging and demanding whether that be road or offroad. These folks predominantly seemed younger and maybe that's where most of their subscriptions come from. "
• Another point: ACA was built on a need which may not exist anymore. Before they were the best and maybe only resource for routes and maps that had been vetted. Now there are way more resources.
• Listener Harry Hellerman was a great example of someone who's let his ACA membership lapse after 20 years. The reason? Kind of what ACA was saying… he says he's aging out and the roads are now occupied by larger and larger vehicles, so there's a safety concern.

Regarding Touring being down

• Multiple listeners: Travel is down across the board, but travel to the US in particular has taken a huge hit. Lots of factors there, but you can't ignore the current politics as a possible reason here.
• Listener Andrew Piper: "Data point: For a 2-year comparison, the overall demand for search terms around "bike touring" is infact down 25%-35% YoY. However, using the same comparison, the demand for terms around "bikepacking" is up about 40%. Which does lend itself to the change in nomenclature more than an actual decline in interest."
• "I think I am maybe a couple years younger than yourself at best. Of the people I have seen doing this, I always feel I am on the younger side of the sport. Logistically it makes sense. Who has time to do this....older people." 
• Bicycling for older generations was a big part of freedom - it might not be that for younger generations?
• Listener Dr. G4 wrote a really thoughtful email from the perspective of a younger rider.
  • Shorter touring is much more of a thing
  • Some of the places where the routes go don't feel welcoming (political, demographics)
  • Real shift to urbanism amongst younger generation
  • Poor infrastructure/safety
  • perception: ACA represents an older version of bicycle travel (longer trips)
  • "I think what the next generation wants is not road maps, but trail maps and advocacy for more trails and trail amenities (and, I might note, probably videos, how-tos, explainers, and meetups, not print versions of easily-googleable information)."
  • "it's clear from the overabundance of urbanist youth getting around by transit, bicycles, or even scooters that travel by bicycle isn't going anywhere anytime soon. But turning them into bicycle tourers involves developing routes and programs that are closer to cities and farther from cars, marketing dedicated bicycle trails as one piece of an integrated solution for transit- and bicycle-accessible nature, specifically focussing on routes with many transit junctions to allow long routes to be chewed in smaller chunks, helping the rapidly-growing contingent of bicycle commuters to learn how to use their bicycles beyond weekdays to short or long weekends (with week-long or more tours being an eventual end goal, not the primary purpose), and politically advocating for car-displacing trains, trails, and cycle tracks that make all this possible."

•Rails to Trails Conservancy may have the better model?

Bicycle touring numbers feel like they're down—fewer loaded panniers on the road, Adventure Cycling Association facing major financial headwinds, and a lot of long-time tourers quietly aging out. But is touring actually in decline, or is it just shifting into something that looks different—like bikepacking, gravel, and shorter, more flexible trips? In this episode I dig into Adventure Cycling's recent membership and financial update, talk through generational and economic trends, and explore whether we're seeing the end of an era… or just the end of one version of it.

What the ACA Letter Tells Us

• Recent email to ACA membership on a vote regarding selling their building in Missoula
  • Membership down from almost 40,000 in 2023 to about 18,000 today.
  • Donations down.
  • Demand for guided tours has softened.
  • Sales of maps/routes have dropped with free digital tools and GPS routes everywhere.
• Their diagnosis
  • Members aging out of cycling.
  • Some people don't feel enough value in a paid membership.
  • Travel patterns are changing; inflation and costs are up; maybe fewer people committing to long guided tours.
• The building sale piece:
  • ACA can sell their big, underutilized Missoula headquarters for ~$2.55M, then lease back just the space they need.
  • The goal is to buy a "runway" of a few years to rebuild membership and modernize programs (digital experience, routes, tours, events).
• This is serious—membership halving in a couple of years is not a blip.
• But this is one institution. It's a single data point, not the whole story.

Is ACA's Crisis Proof That Touring Is Dying?

• Possible "touring is in trouble" interpretation:
  • If the biggest U.S. touring org is shrinking, maybe demand really is falling.
  • Fewer people willing to pay for routes, maps, and guided tours could indicate less interest in traditional loaded touring.
• Alternative explanations:
  • Value perception problem:
  • If you can download GPX routes for free, people might not feel like they need a membership.
  • Younger riders may not connect with a membership model or a print magazine in the same way.
• Business model problem vs. touring problem:
  • Guided tours and paper maps are specific products. Those can decline even if DIY touring thrives.
  • If a streaming-era kid doesn't buy DVDs, it doesn't mean movies are dead—just that the business model changed. Same question here: is ACA Blockbuster, or are movies in trouble?

The Aging Out Effect

• The ACA explicitly mentions aging out of cycling.
• Talk through generational dynamics:
  • A lot of classic touring energy came from the boomers and older Gen X.
  • Long, multi-week tours require time, health, and often retirement or very flexible work.
• People aging out doesn't necessarily mean the activity is dying, but:
  • If younger generations aren't replacing those numbers, you get a visible decline.
• Touring can look intimidating: expensive gear, big time commitments, safety fears.
• Possible barriers for younger riders:
  • Student debt, unstable housing, fewer long chunks of vacation, higher baseline anxiety around traffic and climate disasters (heat, smoke, extreme weather).

The Rise of Bikepacking and Off-Road Travel

• Ttouring may just be changing costume:
  • More folks are drawn to bikepacking and gravel: lighter gear, off-road routes, "adventure" branding.
  • Social media and brands push a certain aesthetic: frame bags, dirt roads, epic photography.
• Contrast vibes:
  • Classic touring: fenders, racks, panniers, highways, small towns, campgrounds.
  • Bikepacking: singletrack/doubletrack, BLM land, forest roads, more "expedition-y", often shorter but punchier trips.
• If someone is out for five days with bags on their bike, sleeping outside and moving every day… and we're calling that bikepacking instead of touring… did touring really decline, or did it just get relabeled?
• Is bikepacking now the umbrella term for bike adventuring?

Is It Just a (pardon the pun) Cycle?

• Historical perspective:
  • There was a big touring boom in the 1970s and again mini-waves around the early 2000s .
  • We thought the 2020 COVID bike boom would impact things, but did it?
  • Outdoor sports often rise and fall with the economy, culture, and media stories.
• Economic cycle:
  • High inflation, higher travel costs, and general uncertainty can make long trips harder.
  • At the same time, travel has become more fragmented: people take 3-day trips instead of 3-week odysseys.
• Cultural cycle:
  • Right now, gravel and ultra-events (Unbound, etc.) get the headlines. Touring is slow and unsexy by comparison.
  • Slow unsexy things tend to look "dead" for a while… until the next backlash against all the hype and burnout.
• We might be in the hangover phase after the COVID bike boom and a big cultural swing toward short, 'epic' experiences.

Other Factors That Make Touring Feel Smaller

• Safety and traffic fears: distracted driving, speed, road rage, social media amplifying every horror story.
• Climate and weather extremes: heat domes, wildfire smoke, storms—touring has always danced with weather, but now the dice feel loaded.
• Information overload: paradoxically, infinite online info can make people freeze and not choose any tour.
• Shift to micro-touring: overnighters, weekend campouts, credit-card touring instead of epic cross-country runs. That looks less visible on the ACA radar but might be the real growth area.

What ACA's Plan Signals About the Future

• Positive outlook: Selling an underused building to buy time to modernize could be a good sign. It's a choice to adapt instead of slowly bleed out.
• They're explicitly planning to invest in:
  • More routes and route updates
  • Digital and website improvements
  • Stronger advocacy tools
  • Expanded tours and member events
• The big question:
  • Can an organization built around old touring models reinvent itself for a world of bikepacking, GPS, and dispersed, remote communities?
  • Will they pivot toward being the hub for all forms of bike travel, not just pannier touring?

Final Take: Is Touring Actually in Decline?

Yes, in the classic sense.

• Fewer people paying for memberships, maps, and guided pannier tours.
• The touring demographic that built ACA is shrinking and aging.

No, if you widen the definition.

• Bikepacking, mixed-surface, overnighters, and "ride-to-your-Airbnb" trips are essentially touring by another name.
• People are still traveling by bicycle; they're just doing it with different gear and routes.

Mostly, it's in a messy transition.

• Legacy institutions and business models are under intense pressure.
• New formats (digital communities, route-sharing platforms, YouTube, social media) are where a lot of the energy lives now.
• The story isn't "touring is dying"—it's "touring is migrating."

• Go on any kind of bike trip—overnight, credit-card, dirt, paved, doesn't matter.
• Support whichever orgs, creators, or communities actually help them get out the door (ACA, local groups, creators, etc.).
• If you're an ACA member, vote on the building sale by November 24. Whatever side you land on it seems like this will likely define things for ACA for the next several years.

•Bike touring has always been a niche. The question isn't whether the niche survives—it's what form it takes for the next generation. And we all get to shape that.