Bike trip anyone?

You can do it. Here's the guide.

So you want to have an adventure in 2026? Go on a bike trip? I’ve got some thoughts.

If you like rolling hills and green landscapes, Wales offers a gorgeous route through its highest peaks and passes.

If you’ve followed my Substack, you know that I was only slightly prepared for my 2,610-mile, 99-day trip. I was not in shape, I was not familiar with European cycle paths, and I didn’t have more than the initial route planned. And yet I had the time of my life and successfully cycled through six countries in three months.

So if your first thought feels something like doubt, cast it aside. Consider the possibilities. You can go it alone, you can go with a friend, or you can join a group tour. You can go for several days or several months, on an e-bike or an analog bike, in whatever countries strike your fancy. You can sleep rough or posh, eat gourmet or budget, and visit whatever you want. It’s your trip.

The bottom line is: YOU CAN DO IT.

Beautiful Goes, Netherlands. The tidy villages of this amazingly flat country are full of canals, flowers, pastries, cheese, and coffee.

If you’re unemployed, I know, you’re stuck in this Catch-22 where now you have time but no money. You used to have money and no time. If that’s the case, see if you can come up with a way to go anyway. Budget out a trip you can afford (or your savings account can spare) and just go. It will be worth it.

Imagine riding along a coastal cycle path, coming around the corner, and seeing this. You could stop for a swim, or stock up on pastries and people-watch.

I am a muller, so I like to have the idea planted in my head while I research the web, ask friends, and think about what I’m most interested in and able to do. So let’s throw some ideas out there and see what resonates. Major considerations are time, money, location, accommodations, and bicycle. I’ll discuss those further in my next post.

For now, though, let’s focus on the you-can-do-it part.

Quite a few people said to me before, during, and after my ride something like, “That’s so cool. I’d love to do that.” So this is for you guys. If you really want to do it, let’s make it happen.

Or maybe watching the sunset from a cafe on Châtelaillon-Plage is more your speed, just a short walk from your comfy Airbnb

Time and money are always going to be inadequate. How many Americans in our middle-class, middle-age, family-oriented, stuff-centered lives think we can just get up and leave for weeks on a cycling adventure? It’s just not done very often. However, here in the Netherlands, I’ve met quite a few people who make long-distance cycling a regular thing. Google around or join a few Facebook groups. While it’s a relatively small segment of society, it’s an active one, and you’ll be welcomed.

Start by thinking that it’s possible, and one by one, remove the perceived obstacles. Not everyone will find their way to enough money and time, but many of you will. And those who decide it’s just not feasible, put a “yet” at the end of that sentence. It’s not feasible YET, but you’ll have it on your radar for another time.

I really enjoyed the camaraderie of cycling in the Netherlands, where we chatted at farm stops and dedicated ferry boats carried us across rivers.

When you make time and give yourself a budget range, you’re ready to start planning. Consider your air miles for flights and converting to lodging costs. Ask family for birthday gifts that build your budget. If you’re working and have limited time off, you can fit in a lot in a week or two. I suggest two weeks, if possible, but even three or four days can feel adventurous.

Unemployed and job searching? You need a break and a month off will clear your head and give you a fresh start. Trust me on that one.

Envision it, and it will happen.

The lovely woods of eastern Netherlands.

More to come in the next few weeks . . . .

I’m planning to ride from Andermatt, Switzerland along Eurovelo 15, the Rhine River Route to Amsterdam in June. If you’d like to join me, DM me.