In 2016, Jon and Pam Robichaud, 39, rented out their home in Boulder, Colorado, and hit the road in a tricked-out Mercedes Sprinter. For 14 months, the ‘Roaming Robos’ drove and rode their way around North America. Here are their tips on how to have the ultimate road trip no matter where you are in the world.
What was the original inspiration for the trip?
PAM: I have to tell you about 2013 – it was a crazy year for us. We were at the finish line of the Boston Marathon [when the bombs went off]. We were fine, but it shook us up. Then in July, Jon was hit by a car while he was riding his bike. He recovered, but that experience left the lasting impression that life is short and fragile. On top of that, we were in the throes of fertility treatment, but ultimately were not successful. We came out of that saying, “OK, we’re not going to be parents. What do we do with our lives?” Van life was born from an appreciation for the crap that can go down in life, and being psyched to get through it all.
How did you decide your schedule?
JON: It was a mixture of ‘figure it out as you go’ and ‘plan every stop’. Alaska would be the 50thstate I’d visited. So, we started by planning how to get there, and the best time of year.
P: Then we just drew a clockwise circle around North America.
How much did cycling inspire the itinerary?
P: We set this trip up to be cycling-centric, understanding that we’d use two wheels to explore wherever we went. We’re big believers that you haven’t seen a place until you’ve ridden around it.
What bikes did you bring?
J: Two Specialized Diverge adventure bikes [they are Specialized ambassadors]. The Diverges allowed us to go almost anywhere we wanted – paved road to gravel and singletrack – so we could just bring one bike each.
Bu hikaye Bicycling South Africa dergisinin March 2018 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Bicycling South Africa dergisinin March 2018 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
GEAR FOR THE AGES
Some bicycle components, tools and accessories - by design, luck or a bit of both - become icons of performance, reliability and permanence in cycling.
A RACE LIKE NO OTHER
IN KENYA'S MAASAI MARA, KNOWN MORE FOR SAFARIS THAN CYCLING, THE MIGRATION GRAVEL RACE CHALLENGES RIDERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD THE WORLD WHILE FORGING A FUTURE FOR BIKE RACING IN AFRICA.
WAR ON WHEELS
IF YOU GO FOR A RIDE IN CAPE TOWN AT THE WRONG TIME, YOU COULD FIND YOURSELF IN THE MIDDLE OF A CYCLING GANG WAR, WHERE THE WEAPONS OF CHOICE ARE STRAVA RECORDS AND SALTY COMMENTS ON INSTAGRAM. THIS IS THE TALE OF THREE RIVAL ROADIE CREWS AND A REMINDER THAT CYCLING IS A SPORT BEST TAKEN WITH A SENSE OF HUMOUR.
GET TOUR DE FRANCE FAST IN FOUR WEEKS
HAVE YOU GOT TOUR FEVER? If you have a good fitness base, let the pros inspire you to take your riding to the next level.
THE SECRET TO MAKING A COMEBACK? JUST START
\"THIS IS WHAT DECONDITIONING LOOKS LIKE,\" I said out loud to no one, as I looked at the heart-rate reading on my phone and gasped for breath. \"This shouldn't be so hard.\"
DEAR MARK CAVENDISH
WHEN I FIRST STARTED FOLLOWING professional road cycling around 2014, you were at the top of your game.
HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR POWER-TOWEIGHT RATIO
POWER-TO-WEIGHT RATIO IS one of the most telling metrics in cycling - and thanks to indoor trainers, many more cyclists are now familiar with it. Right now it's never been easier to calculate your power-to-weight ratio and use it to improve your performance.
EASY RIDER
A FEW YEARS AGO, my wife and I along with her parents, brother and his wife-cycled down the Danube River in Europe.
LEADING THE WAY - RYAN GIBBONS, 29, SA PRO RIDER, MULTIPLE SA & AFRICAN ROAD CHAMP
AFTER JOINING LIDLTREK from UAE Team Emirates, South African national champ Ryan Gibbons aims to be the best lead-out man he can be - while also helping his new team in their quest to climb the World Tour rankings.
6 WAYS TO BEAT THE HEAT THIS SUMMER
TOP TIPS TO KEEP YOU COOLER AND RIDING STRONGER... NO MATTER WHAT THE TEMPERATURE.
