A Cyclotourist's Holiday Wish List

'Tis the season to make wish lists, so I’m going to put my requests out there. As the resident female in the Adventure Cycling Tours Department, I require my cycling gear to be functional and stylish. Call me silly, but if I’m going to spend most of my day pedaling my bike, I want to do it with a little bit of flair. So without further ado, here are my top picks. And remember, I’ve been very, very good this year…

5. Everyone has to have a favorite pro-cyclist; mine is Eddy Merckx. Widely known as "The Cannibal" he destroyed every cyclist in his path and won every race worth winning. He's most widely pictured in a sweet orange Molteni jersey, with world champion stripes. A wool replica is available from VeloGear; I'm almost certain that wearing it would make me speedier. The winningest cyclist in the world couldn’t be wrong!
4. If there is one thing that equals my love of cycling, it's my love of coffee. Bicycle Philosophy combines my passions with their Nothing Compares to a Bike Ride mug. I could drink my coffee while pondering JFK's famous quote--"Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a good bike ride." How true!

3. Ok, this is totally unrelated to cycling, but it wouldn’t be an authentic wish-list without it. And really, what cyclist doesn't adore ice-cream? A case of Klondike Bars would make me just about the happiest girl alive. Better order that Molteni Jersey a size up…

2. Arm Warmers are an essential part of every cyclo-tourists wardrobe, but why do they always gotta be so boring? Luckily, Sugoi makes a set that allow me to show my softer side; who says functionality cant be cute? This way, I can literally ride with my heart on my sleeve.
1. Drum-roll, please! Actually, my top pick isn't that exciting. Like pretty much everyone I know, a new bike is my number one wish for the holiday season. The thing is, most girl's bikes are just boy's bikes built smaller, or painted pink. Sweetpea Bicycles is a Portland company that makes bicycles by hand, with women-specific proportions in mind. The wait time is almost four years, and the cost for a full bike is around four thousand dollars, but this is a wish list, right?


top photo by VeloGear
middle photo by Sugoi
bottom photo by Sweetpea Bicycles


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ON THE ROAD is posted each Tuesday by Sarah Raz, Adventure Cycling's Tours Specialist and Intrepid Traveler, and shines a spotlight on the daily delights that take place on Adventure Cycling Tours.