Classroom on Two Wheels – Cycling Edventures

Wanderland on Wheels – We are a company that has sprouted directly from seeds planted by extensive bicycle touring by our founders.  These are the programs that we feel provide a very authentic and engaging field experience.  Cruising backroads on sturdy cross-country mountain bikes we have found makes each and every inch you travel alive with sights, sounds, scents, subtle changes in temperature, and the touch of the sun on your body.  You can’t get any closer to the lands you are studying or cover as much terrain through any other active approach to travel.

Stress Management and Wellness is a big part of our mission.  Active travel and active education together give you the added boost of exercise and fresh air.  Cements the learning in an experiential fashion.

Our cycling field courses are each designed to feature an intriguing cross section, 150 to 300 miles of geographies and cultures brought to life.  Off the beaten track, your route will show you both rural and wild lands.  We will always steer you to the ‘loca-venture’.  Rural life, sustainability, local foods and products,the rich biodiversity first hand, instructing you as you roll from bewilderment to enlightenment. We especially like Chile, Argentina and the Southwestern U.S. as Cycling destinations.

Wanderland Cycling Edventures

The Arizona Mountain Bike Tour – Grand Canyon to Scottsdale

Chile Bike Tours

The Colchagua Valley – Chile’s Premier Wine Valley

The Elqui and Limarí Valleys – Bikes and Vines

The Trans-Andes Tour — Cycling from Chile to Argentina

Summit to Suds – Ride from the Andes to the Coast; Kunstmann Bierfest!

Biking the Land of Perpetual Springtime – Atacama Region Bike Touring

In the near future look for more programs in the Andean Borderlands of Chile and Argentina, and in Costa Rica, Belize, Bolivia, Mexico, Western Europe as well as California, Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. We are also planning a series of trips that will support the Rails to Trails Conservancy properties, thousands of miles of converted railroad beds with pleasant grades all over America.  Any suggestions?

Particulars of Rolling Classroom with Wanderland – Bikes, Gear, and Training

All About Bikes

Rental mountain bikes are available through us for $20 US / day.

We offer a wide variety of adult sizes and some smaller frames.  We have developed our fleet with the right gearing and appropriate tread for on and off-road riding. The rentals are always well maintained and smooth-shifting and your hosts and guides are also mechanics to keep the bikes running smoothly.  We do however encourage our clients to be somewhat self-sufficient when it comes to common issues like flat repair and comfort adjustments.  Don’t worry, you will get pampered on this trip.  Still, if you can handle the small stuff then that leaves us better able to make the whole experience just right.

Our Bikes: We offer front-suspension mountain bikes of the best makes, with 24 speeds and 26″ wheels.  Included is a helmet, a pump and flat repair kit, one spare tube, and a lock.

If you rent with us we know that you will be satisfied with the functionality and comfort of your bicycle.

Dial It In: However good the bike, the geometry is all important, we still encourage you to bring your ‘comfort fit system’: your clipless pedals and shoes and a favorite saddle that we will install on your rental ride. Some clients have brought their own adjustable stems, Thudbusters, and/or a lightweight rack to clamp onto your seatpost for their daily necessities.

The support wagon is never far away, but if you don’t want to have to wait for it to catch up with you, think out your light daily ‘kit’ and use your small hydration pack or a clamp rack to keep those things a mano. (See gear list for ideas.)

Bringing A Bike: You are welcome to bring your own mountain or mountain hybrid bike that meets our criteria.

If you plan on bringing a bike we recommend that you bring the most mechanically simple geared mountain bike.  A hardtail (front suspension only) cross-country bicycle has proven to be the best for the conditions we are riding in.  Full suspension bikes are not recommended unless you have lockouts for both shocks and the bike is new enough to not cause you any worry.   Mountain-cross bikes will also work for our trips, again simpler the better.  Ask yourself, “Is it comfortable on the occasional washboard?”  Single speed bikes are not recommended.  The Niner?  29″ wheeled bikes are just now becoming popular in South America and other out-of-the-way locations where we travel with bikes.  It is likely for foreign destinations that there won’t be replacement rims, tires, or tubes readily available for 29′ers (so have your home mechanic lace you up some great wheels and bring plenty of spare tubes!).  That said, the 29′er would still be a great ride for the conditions in Andean Chile and Argentina.

Components — Our experience has been that direct-pull friction brakes are still the best.  Disk brakes are often problematic to adjust and keep in tune, being prone to loosening with the many kilometers of vibration.  Hydraulic disk brakes especially are quite difficult to repair and impossible to replace where we will be traveling.  As well, hydraulic systems don’t travel well with the pressure changes of the long flights.  Speaking of tyres and tubes: again simple is better, no Stan’s, no tubeless.  Good old tubes and tires.

Don’t forget to bring a stout cable lock!  Our transport system is very secure, as are the places we travel, but still take these precautions when you travel with your hard-won possessions.

Riding Conditions to Prepare For

While we cannot predict the weather conditions that our treks will experience, we do choose our travel schedules to correspond with the best available conditions.  Some rain might accompany us, but more sun is the norm.  On the Chile/Argentina treks you will be biking on a combination of deep-in the-mountains dirt roads and paved tertiary highways between 1500 and 6300 feet.  On our Arizona Tour, we are on graded dirt roads, backroad pavement, and some secondary highways from 7000 to 1300 feet in elevation.  The surfaces of the dirt roads are mostly hard-packed and relatively smooth, but we can assure you of some rubble along the way.  We have the routes designed so that 40 or 50 k of enjoyable and scenic, and challenging, countryside will roll underneath you each day.  You will see 15% grades, but also 15% downgrades and lots of rolling terrain.  Expect 500 – 2000 feet per day of climbing.

Questions?

Please e-mail your questions on bike parameters and shipping suggestions that will keep your bike safe and have it arrive perfectly functional to getinfo@wanderlandtravel.org.

Your guides are also excellent mechanics and will be able to assist you with assembly and adjustment of the bike you bring along.  However, we encourage you to learn how do basic adjustments and bike repairs, especially if you bring your own.

Other Equipment (What to Bring)

We are going to be traveling with a support vehicle to carry our luggage, however space is still limited.  We ask that you bring with you on this trip only one medium-sized suitcase per person, or a large suitcase shared by two people.

Here is our recommended equipment list:

• hydration pack
• fanny pack
• rain gear (breathable fabric), tops and bottoms
• 3 non-cotton fabric pullovers, lightweight (silk or polypropylene)
• 1 non-cotton long-john  (silk or polypropylene)
• 1 Fleece Pullover
• 1 Pant, nylon (w/ zippered side pockets)
• 1 Short, knee-length, nylon or poly fabric
• 1 Pant, cotton
• 1 Short, cotton
• 2 Shirts, long-sleeve, collared, cotton
• 1 Shirt, long-sleeve, collared, non-cotton
• 2 Tee shirts
• Bike Shorts
• Bike shoes and your own pedals (unless you prefer platforms)
• Undergarments:  2 cotton and 2 wool-blend socks,  non-cotton shirts and long johns as mentioned above, your choice of underwear, 3-4 pairs
• 2 Bandannas, cotton
• Hat, Sunglasses, Clear-glass riding glasses, sunscreen.
• Riding Gloves