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Bicycle tours and touring bike tips

Pass on gas this summer and hop on your bike instead of into your car. Summer is the perfect time to head out on the open road and with the high price of gas; cycling is a great travel alternative and a great gas saving tip. Obviously, biking from place to place is not for everyone. From cycling enthusiasts with padded shorts to amateur cyclists with an interest, there are plenty of ways to hit the open road without paying a gasload. Why not turn your bike into your vacation vehicle and save money on gas? Touring bike tips

Never traveled by bike? No need to worry, there are multiple organizations that offer courses aimed at educating cyclists on how to travel by bike and other touring bike tips. Escape Adventures offers over 20 mountain bike tour adventures in 10 states and Canada and 13 road cycling tours in 11 states.

Also, Adventure Cycling offers introductory courses taught by trained and passionate instructors for both road bike and mountain bike travel. If you'd like to take a bicycle vacation in the company of more experienced riders, you can take a supported tour where the food is catered and your gear is carried. All you have to do is ride your bike along beautiful roads and paths - and past those gas stations.

Want to head out on the open road alone? Take advantage of the Cyclist's Yellow Pages (CYP), the top international guide to bicycle trips, gear and tour companies. It is prepared and updated annually by Adventure Cycling for the most current cycling information. There also are tons of cycling sites and forums out there. Here are just a few: The National Bicycle Tour Directors Association, which lists bike tours of three days or longer; Bike Forums, to participate in bicycling discussions and cycling blogs at Cycle-licious.

Would you like more information on bicycle vacations - try contacting your local bicycle group. A great place to find the group nearest you is www.thunderheadalliance.org/links.

Also, you can get tips on no-gas bike riding from the League of American Bicyclists. Last, who would know more about nearby riding opportunities than your local independent bicycle dealer? To track down dealers near you, go to the National Bicycle Dealers Association.

Worried about transporting a bike during your road trip?

Consider getting Bike In A Bag's new touring bike.

Just to point out the obvious, biking your way from place to place won't necessarily be cheaper or the best gas saving tip if you don't currently own a bike and the gear to go with it. On the up side, buying a bike and using it (even if you drive from town to town and use bikes to get around once you're there) will eliminate the need for post-vacation diet and crazed workout sessions. You might even come back looking and feeling better than you did when you left and plus you'll be saving the environment and saving gas money