The Pedalshift Project: Bicycle Travel Adventures

The Pedalshift Project: Bicycle Travel Adventures

A podcast about bicycle touring, bikepacking, bike camping... any way you describe adventure travel by bike, it's covered here! From tips and tricks to ideas on how to ride your ride. Let's shrink the world by bike.

Episodes

January 1, 2026 20 mins

You know you've got a bike tour coming up this year, so you want to make sure you're ready for it. What are some things to do to make that easier in the bike touring offseason? On this episode, some insight into my plans this offseason plus tips from ACA, REI and other experts!

ALSO... Pedalshift SEATTLE Live will be Friday January 16 at 5pm PT/8pm ET. Check out the details in your email, YouTube and pedalshift.net/live.

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Shifty the Elf returns for the annual holiday spectacular! 2025 was... a year. And as Shifty and I pack up for Seattle, there's a bunch of things we're going through and boxing up as we bid adieu to the year!

Happy Holidays and see you in 2026!

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December 18, 2025 18 mins

A walk along Elliot Bay to discuss the short trip to Honolulu and more on the transition to Seattle and all the bikey adventures to come.

Honolulu and Seattle

  • A walk along Elliot Bay
  • Honolulu thoughts
  • More Seattle impressions
  • N+1 thoughts on bikes
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December 11, 2025 27 mins

Big news for the show: The Pedalshift Project is setting up camp in a new city! This episode breaks down what that means for future tours, how this opens up brand-new riding possibilities, and why the destination may be a bit of a surprise and also not a surprise at all.

 

My new home: Seattle!

Why? This move is all about geography, access, and expanding the Pedalshift touring sandbox. Seattle places world-class touring terrain rig...

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It used to be that a bike adventure meant taking paid time off or quitting your job. Now that remote work is a reality for many of us, there's a new option. But is bike travel while working remotely right for you? Originally podcast July 28, 2022.

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November 27, 2025 50 mins

A repodcast of our Thanksgiving Eve live show: following up on your comments on the state of bicycle touring, plus a bunch of great questions in an Ask Me Anything segment!

Followup: Is Bicycle Touring in Decline?

More emails on this than any topic in a while. Some selected thoughts from listeners:

Regarding ACA

  • Multiple listeners: Could ACA  be losing older members in its a...
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November 20, 2025 42 mins

Bicycle touring numbers feel like they're down—fewer loaded panniers on the road, Adventure Cycling Association facing major financial headwinds, and a lot of long-time tourers quietly aging out. But is touring actually in decline, or is it just shifting into something that looks different—like bikepacking, gravel, and shorter, more flexible trips? In this episode I dig into Adventure Cycling's recent membership and financial updat...

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    November 13, 2025 20 mins

    Way back in January - and what feels like ten years ago to me - I set out a bunch of bicycle adventure goals for me in 2025. In a challenging year, I wasn't sure how I'd measure up but as I always like to do, I gave the goals a once over to see how I did. So on this episode we give it a scorecard treatment, but also a sneak preview of the final piece of 2025 adventuring that manages to check one of the boxes!

    2025 Bike Adventur...

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    November 6, 2025 23 mins

    A chat with Sylva Florence, an experienced bicycle tourist and author of many things (including her blog The Sylva Lining) on touring as a solo woman, how people who want to be allies to solo women touring can do that without being creepy, and some of her favorite adventures. Originally podcast July 15, 2021.

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    October 30, 2025 30 mins

    What if you could tour with just what fits in a single dry bag? No panniers. Just the essentials. On this episode, we take this as a challenge - borrowing from the ultralight backpacking folks, we cut off our toothbrush handles and weigh every gram for the ultralight bikepacking challenge!

    "What if you could tour with just what fits in your handlebar bag? No panniers. No rack. Just the essentials."

    Why: curiosity, simplicity, nimbl...

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    October 24, 2025 35 mins

    We're bringing back one of the wackiest ideas in Pedalshift history — the Game of Chance! Using random number generators and the excellent Adventure Cycling Association routes, it's an unpredictable coast-to-coast bike tour from the Pacific to the Atlantic. When every turn is determined by chance the results are... surprisingly awesome?

    In This Episode:

     

    • Revisiting the ...

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    Stealth camping is a great skill to develop and a fantastic option to have for emergencies or maybe even your main overnight plan on a bike tour. But what if your tent is so bright it can be seen from miles away? On this episode, we talk about what worked for my last tent and what I'm trying on my newer one. Originally podcast September 8, 2022.

    Making a Tent Stealthier

    The old tent – ALPS Mountaineering Zephyr 2

    ...

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    October 9, 2025 25 mins

    The Mysterious Oregon Coast adventure is in the rearview mirror, but we always like to peek back before moving on. On this edition we marvel at the fun we had on a fairly cursed tour of some of our favorite parts of the Pacific coast!

     

    • Bike prep is key — but stuff still breaks. Even a tiny crank arm pin can end a day. Know shops and backup transport.
    • Have Plans A–F ready. Flexibility and quick pivots kept the ride alive when ...
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    October 2, 2025 28 mins

    A leisurely morning at South Beach State Park sets the stage for what should be the triumphant finale, but James's bike has one last surprise in store. Sometimes a cursed bike adventure is the best kind. But with tire splits threatening the final miles and Eugene's punishing heat waiting ahead, will we actually make it to the finish line or become stranded out on the coast?

     

    Key Highlights

    • South Beach State Park downgrade - C...
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    September 25, 2025 21 mins

    A well-rested morning in Lincoln City spawns what seems like a reasonable plan to salvage the cursed tour, but James's borrowed bike has other ideas entirely.  But with tubleless tire disasters forcing yet another major pivot, will this newly condensed coastal adventure finally find its groove or continue spiraling into beautiful chaos?

     

    The New Plan (Before It All Changed Again)

    • To...
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    September 18, 2025 12 mins

    The morning starts strong at Cape Lookout with perfect James and Tim weather, but what begins as a confident push toward Beverly Beach slowly unravels into mechanical mayhem and decision-making paralysis. But with the original plan officially in shambles and multiple escape routes beckoning, will we unleash a suffer fest or pivot to something unexpected?

    Key Highlights

    • Perfect weather conditions - cloudy and cool, exactly what...
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    September 11, 2025 14 mins

    Mysterious James and I emerge from our three-night Cannon Beach odyssey to accidentally unlock our cycling superpowers, turning a modest Tillamook target into a shocking 52-mile triumph. It's the usual stuff: ice cream as performance enhancer, and the stunning revelation that hydration might actually matter. But with tomorrow's weather turning and our schedule still behind, will this newfound confidence carry us forward or set us u...

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    September 4, 2025 26 mins

    Day two and three of the Oregon Coast tour evolve into an epic quest for an elusive bicycle part. Is this a mere repair mission or a saga worthy of Greek mythology with adaptive problem-solving, multiple contingency plans, long-distance bus adventures, heat stroke avoidance, and kind bike shop professionals who go above and beyond?

     

    Day Two Morning - Plan Multiplication 

    • Late wake-u...
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    August 28, 2025 17 mins

    Day one of an Oregon coast adventure - what could possibly go wrong? As Mysterious James and I began our journey from Astoria after navigating July 4th rental car details, we encounter (because of course) the first of many issues we'll encounter on the most mysterious of Oregon Coast adventures ever.

    Mysterious Oregon Coast 2025 Part 1

    Morning, Turned Afternoon Departure

    • 1:00 PM start time after bike assembly and hote...
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    August 21, 2025 28 mins

    We are so back.... on the Oregon Coast with the Mysterious James for another round of two-wheeled mayhem. Ten days, 360 miles, zero expectations, and maximum potential for randomness. The Safari's ready, MJ is in, and we're about to find out if bike touring is really dying or just hiding. Spoiler alert: it's gonna be a wild ride.

    Mysterious Oregon Coast 2025 Preview

    Route Preview

    Start: Astoria, OR (mile marker 0 or 360, ...

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