Cycling Long Distances - Considering Comfort

When Lance Armstrong was asked for advice on riding across the nation on a bicycle, he said; "Get a comfortable seat!" Yes, there is a lot of wisdom there and so we do recommend a "Gel Seat" and if you are thinking that they weigh a lot, you are correct, but after two days riding, you won't care. In fact, it is probably better to skimp on the bike than the seat. In my opinion, I believe it is best to go as light as possible within reason, so a full-carbon or partial carbon composite and alloy bike might be the best bet.

The shifting components are important and it is a dream to have everything working perfect, however on a 1,000 mile or more journey, you will find things become mal-aligned and miss-adjusted and thus, it might be wise to seek a local bike shop out about every 500-miles or better yet learn how to true your wheels and tune up the derailer and shifting components yourself and always make sure your tire pressure is at optimum.

When your bike shifts and rides like it is riding through warm butter and your buttocks feels like you are in your favorite lounge chair, it's much easier to endure the long miles and hard work out that you put your body through. Don't get me wrong, riding 100 miles at a shot with less than a couple of stops is not going to be a walk in the park, but there is no sense in making it any tougher than it really is. So, consider comfort and the wisdom of Lance on this issue, I think you will be glad you did.

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Reuters - Citigroup chairman Win Bischoff has warned that house prices in Britain and the United States are likely to keep falling for another two years.

Why You Should Go on Holiday - Travel is Good For You

All of us need something to look forward too, and going on holiday is defiantly something that falls into that category. Going on holiday or traveling doesn't need to be about heading off to some far flung place for 2 or 3 weeks, it can be as simple as jumping on the train by yourself or with your family and going some place different for the day.

For me it doesn't matter if it's a 3 week holiday in the Caribbean, a week in a caravan, a weekend camping, or even a day trip somewhere, I look forward to it with the same sense of adventure and excitement. I get a real buzz out of getting away from my normal day-to-day existence, and going somewhere different, as the saying goes, "travel broadens your horizons".

Some of my best holidays have being unplanned camping trips to superb campsites, in beautiful locations, such as on the banks of Loch Lomond or in the wilds of the Scottish Highlands. I have had as much enjoyment out of such trips, as I have when I visited the Sphinx and the Great Pyramids, the Grand Canyon, or when staying in 5 star hotels.

In my opinion it is almost like a criminal act, for families not to holiday and travel together, to experience new things as a family unit, to share precious family time together. It is an important part of any child's development and growing up, to go and experience new places with the family. Family holidays are something that will be remembered for the rest of your life.

Going on holiday or traveling doesn't need to be about money, it's a willingness to seek out new horizons, to see new places, to be part of a new adventure. Life for me, would be so dull without the joy of traveling and knowing that I have many adventures ahead of me, seeing new places, meeting new people, getting away from the cocoon of normal living and much, much more.

Travel is so much more than just good for you, it makes life worth living and not to do so, is a waste of your life!

http://www.travelersstories.com

AP - A U.S. decision to bend policy and sit down with Iran at nuclear talks fizzled Saturday, with Iran stonewalling Washington and five other world powers on their call to freeze uranium enrichment.