Been a minute since I checked in, mainly because I haven't moved. A #Warmshowers host in Apple Valley very kindly allowed me to stay as long as I need while I get my Kobo Libra delivery situation sorted out. Should be on the road again by the end of the week. Next stop: Sawtooth Canyon.

#BikeSky

Haha, thanks for checking in! Yeah, I haven't been active on this on because right now I'm "stuck" in Apple Valley, CA while I wait for a package to arrive. Luckily, my #Warmshowers host here invited me to stay as long as I need!

Should be back on the road by the end of the week. 😎👍

I've done 6 (including this one) long haul #bicycle tours in my life & I've only just figured out (by being told by a potential #Warmshowers host that I can use "General Delivery" at a US Post Office to receive packages on the road.😅

#BikeSky #BicycleTravel

Photograph of the dam across the Salt River from downriver on the Tempe side showing the pedestrian bridge over still water beyond the dam, under a clear blue sky

Photograph of the Salt River from the Tempe Arizona side between the dam and the pedestrian bridge looking across the still water to the far shore under a clear blue sky

Photograph from the "cockpit view" from my bicycle looking along the pedestrian bridge across the Salt River from Tempe City to Scottsdale Arizona under a clear blue sky

Photograph looking across the Salt River towards the buildings of Tempe Arizona under a clear blue sky with a bright sun

A few shots of crossing the Salt River from the Tempe side to the Scottsdale side as I crossed the greater Phoenix area. I'd stayed with a lovely #Warmshowers host in Tempe & was on my way to visit my cousin in Surprise #Arizona.
#BikeSky #BicycleTravel

I'm a little sad I didn't actually make it to Tucumcari, but...
A.) there just isn't enough public land on the way into & out of Tucumcari for me to be able to get there, even with a #Warmshowers host in town, and
B.) the land around it is boring prairie ranch land & not fun to ride through

Photograph of the sun setting behind mountains on the horizon beyond a brush filled desert valley in Arizona

Photograph of a bicycle with green panniers parked next to a tent amidst desert scrub brush as the sun sets behind distant mountains on the horizon

An #Arizona winter sunset, a bit south of Tucson.

Tomorrow is Saguaro National Park East & then a trek across Tucson to a campground near Saguaro NP West (unless a #Warmshowers host comes through, in which case I spend a night in Tucson). 😎👍🏼
#BikeSky #BicycleTravel

Hey #WarmShowers fans: Is there an official #swag shop? Not that I need merch, but while #BikePacking, it would be nice to have a t-shirt to advertise "hey check this cool community out".

P.S. I left the Copper Spur with my #Warmshowers host in Las Cruces w/ instructions to pass it on to another traveler in need, or failing that give it to an unhoused person in need.😊👍🏼

P.P.S. I’m glad MSR went back to the dark green rainfly rather than the light grey one they had a few years ago.

And speaking of replacements, I definitely need to replace my chain. It has stretched and now skips when I’m on the larger front chain ring. Hopefully I can replace it at a bike shop in Sierra Vista when I get there or I can arrange a #WarmShowers host & send it ahead. 😎👍🏼
#BikeSky #BicycleTravel

Photograph of a hotel called the Big Chile Inn showing an empty parking lot, a two story red building and a giant red chilli pepper in front of it

Photograph of a giant red chilli pepper in front of a hotel under a clear blue sky

Photograph looking northward from a bridge over the Rio Grande in Las Cruces New Mexico showing a completely dry river bed under a clear blue sky

Zoomed photograph of the city of Las Cruces New Mexico in front of jagged mountains under a clear blue sky

After taking a rest day with my wonderful #Warmshowers host in Las Cruces #NewMexico, I continued on my way west. I passed to Big Chile, which was in fact big. I crossed the Rio Grande which was completely dry. I climbed out of the valley. 1/4
#BikeSky #BicycleTravel

Screenshot from the Notepad app with text that reads: Bicycle Tire & Brake Replacement First set Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tour completely replaced: 3298km First back tire wore through ~1800km, switched to front, then replaced in Missoula w/ Marathon Plus First set of brake pads (front and rear) replaced at 4674km. Replaced rear Marathon Schwalbe Plus Tour with new one and moved old one to front: 5073km Full tire replacement, 2 new Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tour (plus one spare to replace rear when it wears out): 8026.53km

Tires update. I was able to order ahead a new set of Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tour tires and have them delivered to my awesome #Warmshowers host in Las Cruces. Here’s the history so far of my tire (& brake pad) replacements on this trip. Probably getting close to need new brakes again.😅
#BikeSky

Photograph of me on my bicycle backlit by the sun next to a sign reading “Apache Summit Elev 7591”, which is in feet

My next goal was to get to Las Cruces. I managed to arrange a #Warmshowers host far enough ahead to order some much needed gear replacements & have them sent there: new tires, new solar panel, new tent*.

Then I had a real uphill into a headwind day getting to Alamogordo.😅 2/5
#BikeSky

Selfie of me on my bicycle in front of a Welcome to Roswell sign

Having given up on Tucumcari, I instead made my way to Roswell #NewMexico, which was as far east as I’d go. Goatheads were giving me so many punctures, so I got some more spare tubes at a bike shop there. Stayed w/ a lovely #Warmshowers host before heading back west. 1/5
#BikeSky #BicycleTravel

I finally really started looking at the BLM maps towards Tucumcari & realized there is just not enough public land to & from there to make it, even if the only #Warmshowers host there accepted me. So I gave up on my plan of making Linda Ronstadt proud.😢
#BikeSky #BicycleTravel

I was taking it slow & taking a lot of rest days, basically stocking up on a couple days worth of food & camping and extra day here & there. The holidays were approaching & I didn’t want to bother potential #Warmshowers hosts or put them in a position of having to say “no”.
#BikeSky #BicycleTravel

Next bike shop is in Sierra Vista, AZ (near Tombstone) & I’ll be there in a few days. Hopefully they’ll have an 11-speed chain for me, or I’ll hopefully get a #Warmshowers host arranged so I can order a new chain & have it shipped (or worst case use the Amazon locker service thing). 😎👍🏼

#Warmshowers is like #CouchSurfing but specifically for bicycle travelers. My dream is to find a Warmshowers host who is also into #Splatoon so we could play together. But otherwise, just knowing when & where LANs are going to be so I can time my travel to get to one would also be awesome.

Any crossover between the #Splatoon community & the #Warmshowers (bicycle travel mutual aid) community? Especially in AZ for the near future, but really anywhere overall? Relatedly @sunsetsurge.ink , any AZ LANs coming up? Would love to hit a Splatoon LAN while doing my IRL Crusty Sean Wandercrust😉

Dear #NewZealand Friends of #WarmShowers or #cycling in general: Would anyone have a place for sleeps for tomorrow nearby #Tekapo or #Pukaki? Boost mucho appreciated.

#CouchSurfing #BikePacking #BikeTouring #LookingForHost

Photograph of a paved bike path through the desert near Henderson Nevada with white clouds stretching across blue sky above

Zoomed photograph from a bike path through the desert near Henderson showing the whole of Las Vegas in the distance with white clouds stretching across the sky

Zoomed photo of Las Vegas in the distance beyond Henderson all under low-ish hanging white clouds

Needing a break from the road, I headed west into Henderson to meet & stay with a #Warmshowers host & see about upping some SPECIAL stats. (I actually ended up staying 1 1/2 weeks as they asked me to housesit for them). 18/25

#Fallout #FalloutNewVegas #FONV #BikeSky #BicycleTravel

Fyra år sen kom en man på besök med sparkcykel, han hade sparkcyklat från Luxemburg och skulle till Stockholm.

Han hade inte räknat med grusvägar så sista 2 milen till oss hade han fått gå och bära sparkcykeln, men hjulen var helt slut ändå så vi hjälpte honom […]

[Original post on mastodon.nu]

Photograph of boulders among dried grasses on rolling mountain foothills under a bright sun and clear blue sky

Photograph of boulders among dry grass on mountain foothills with a mountain rising out of the haze in the distance

Photograph of the lights of Tehachapi under mountains silhouetted against the orange glow of the early morning sky

Not many pics from the grueling climb up CA58 to Tehachapi, because I was too busy pushing my bike up ~1100m of elevation gain that turned out to be over 1500m total ascent. It was a long day, but I made it to a wonderful #Warmshowers host. 1/2
#BikeSky #BicycleTravel #California

Photograph of very worn bicycle V-brake pads from my rear brakes resting in my hand showing the wear of 4674 kilometers of hard travel.

Photograph of very worn bicycle V-brake pads from my front brakes resting in my hand showing the wear of 4674 kilometers of hard travel.

After Yosemite, I passed a pleasant night at a #Warmshowers in Mariposa. The next day was rainy & nasty & my brakes weren’t stopping me very well. I camped in some National Forest land, & spent the following day there resting, drying out, & replacing my brake pads. Finally. After 4674km. 😅🚵🏼‍♂️
#BikeSky

Don’t really have much to say about crossing the Central Valley. Didn’t have any luck with #WarmShowers hosts in Sacramento which is why I pulled south. I did have a wonderful WarmShowers host in Clements for a nice respite before finishing crossing the valley towards Yosemite. 4/5
#BikeSky

I want to meet some more bicycle folks in my area, and am in a position to host with #warmshowers or similar. I kind of want to only host touring cyclists for now just to see how it goes. Does anyone have experience doing this or recommend any similar platforms? Cheers 🚲 😊 🚲

(8) und Ende der Übung. Heute Sonntag fahre ich mit dem Zug zurück nach Hause, von Rotterdam Noord, wo auf der Rotte gerudert wird, via Gauda (Käse) und Utrecht nach Frankfurt am Main. Ein paar Fotos von heute und gestern zum Abschluss. Danke #Warmshowers und Basta! 🫶🏼🚿🚲

(7) das Wunder des Tages war ein Appenzeller Sennenhund, den ich auf dem Weg von Beek en Donk nach Rotterdam auf dem Spaziergang antraf. Nun befinde ich mich schon auf der Schlussetappe meines #Warmshowers Test Ride. 🚿🚲🌬️🪉🫶🏼🌈

Photograph of the sun setting over the vegetation covered dune on the far side of the Mad River from Lhiwetgut Park in McKinleyville California

Photograph of the sun setting over the vegetation covered dune on the far side of the Mad River from Lhiwetgut Park in McKinleyville California

Photograph of the sun setting over the vegetation covered dune on the far side of the Mad River from Lhiwetgut Park in McKinleyville California

Photograph of the sun setting over the vegetation covered dune on the far side of the Mad River from Lhiwetgut Park in McKinleyville California

Sunset from Lhiwetgut Park in McKinleyville #California. I’m here revisiting some #Warmshowers hosts I stayed with on my last big #BicycleJourney in 2021. So good to see them again. Warmshowers is such a wonderful form of #MutualAid. 🥰

Next goal: Avenue of the Giants
#BikeSky #BicycleTravel

Screenshot of the mapping app Mapy showing it adding a completely unnecessary turn off and return to the main road in its bicycle routing

I’ve been using #Mapy as my main bicycle routing app since it was first recommended to me by a #Warmshowers host in Prague in 2018. I especially love how its offline mode is truly offline. But lately, its bicycle routing has been doing nonsense like this & it’s annoying. 1/4
#BikeSky #BicycleTravel

Photograph of me with my fully loaded bicycle all geared up and ready to travel. I’m wearing a lime green bicycle helmet, a forest green buff, a black tank-top, and light brown hiking pants. My bicycle is loaded with green front and rear panniers, a sleeping bag and black bag with my water on the rear rack, and my tent, sleeping pad, and camera bag on the front rack between the handle bars. I’m giving a thumbs up.

Hey look, it’s me. The rare non-selfie photo of me, taken by my #Warmshowers host in Walla Walla, #Washington, showing what I look like with my #bicycle fully loaded up and me all geared up to ride. 😎🚵🏼‍♂️👍🏼
#BikeSky #BicycleTravel