We saw these two cross-country (as in the USA) cyclists today as we were headed home from Texas. They started their journey late last October and have been enjoying some of the worst weather ever in the East.

Aside from numerous bike lanes and shared routes, I was psyched to see the bicycle sharing station (called B-Cycle) at the city and county building. Basically, the program provides stations around the city and anyone can check out a bicycle for anywhere they need to go. When they’re done, they return the bicycle. It’s that simple.

Deep in the heart of Laos along the Mekong River, my husband and I huddled together, staring at the six-inch crack. We were looking at the rim of my husband’s bicycle wheel and we knew were screwed. Hours from the nearest major city without possibility of repair, we contemplated the remainder of our bicycle adventure from the back seat of a speeding express bus.

Just a little over two years ago we set off for New Zealand. We had nothing but two bikes, too much gear, a little money in savings, and each other. Twenty four months and 14 countries later we still find ourselves on the road. Our mode has changed (we drive a Subaru with bikes loaded on the top), but we’re still living the bicycle life. We feel lucky and blessed that the universe has us on this path.

Our goal was to send the seeds home to hopefully grow in our own garden. We mailed a package of seeds home from Croatia – they arrived safely and moldy. My mom put them in the freezer anyway and we made plans to sprout the seeds in the spring.

While pedaling my way throughout the world on a 14-month bicycle tour, I came to understand the importance of careful gear selection. At times, my life depended on it. It’s essential that everything you carry has the ability to multi-task. Ultimately, gear selection for global adventures is one part science and one part “gee, I think this will work …”

My experience with solar technology has been an interesting experiment, one with both successes and failures. I thought using a solar panel to charge my gadgets would have been easy – put it in the sun and plug it in, right? If only it had been that simple.

I can’t put it off any longer – I have to do laundry. The luggage has been emptied and the mail sorted – it’s been three days since my husband and I returned home from our ‘round the world bicycling adventure. I don’t know why I’ve been avoiding it. Maybe I don’t want the reflection of a special journey to start too soon; maybe it’s just the smell…

BOB. BOB is not a person, it’s an acronym. BOB stands for Beast of Burden. In BOB’s case, its burden is cargo pulled by a bicycle.

Chris and Leslie start the next adventure of Bicycle Geography.