Hiking Tips

First things first, you need a good quality well fitting hiking boot, it is a must for safety and comfort. Also break in your new boots around the house, not on the trail. Wear 2 pairs of socks. Do not wear cotton socks because they absorb perspiration and will stay damp. Always carry blister protection, when you go hiking.

Always carry food and water. Bring chocolate, dried fruit, nuts, bagels or high energy foods. Eat in small amounts and eat often. Carry more food and water than you think you’ll need, especially in extremes of climate when your body is expending more calories to maintain its body temperature.

Carry more water than you think you’ll need. On a very hot day water can vanish quickly and becoming dehydrated is very dangerous. And don’t forget your sunscreen, which can protect you from skin cancer.

Always tell someone where you are going, the trails you are hiking, when you will return and your emergency plans. In an emergency even if you are headed out for just an hour, an injury, severe weather or a wrong turn could become life threatening.

Biking Tips

Always wear a helmet and any other appropriate safety equipment for the riding conditions.

Ride in control, it not only helps prevent accidents, it also keeps other bikers on the trail safe. When you ride out of control, you lose the ability to adjust to the terrain and environment as you ride through it.

Walk sections of the trail you don’t feel confident enough to ride, better safe than sorry. Just because you can see tire tracks, doesn’t mean you can ride it with your bike.

Always keep your speed at a level that will allow you to adjust to any unforeseen obstacles or changes in trail conditions. Never push the limits on a trail you are not familiar with. You need to get to know the trail you are riding at slower speeds before you can ride it like the trails you’re used to.

I have seen some great health tips and health advice at healthreviewtalk.com, a health site dedicated to discussing diets, healthy food, and many more heal talks.

Comparison of Mongoose Mountain Bike with Rating

Here a list of the most reviewed Mongoose Mtb (dual suspension, 21 speed, black-comb, full suspension, etc…) to help You get multiple source of info to buy the best that fits Your needs.

Mongoose Tyax Comp Men’s Mountain Bike (26-Inch Wheels)

Rating 4 of 5

Product Features:

• Formed 6061 heat treated alloy frame
• SR Suntour XCM-MLO 100 mm travel with mechanical lock out
• Shimano Acera rear w/ EZ Fire trigger shifters 24 speed
• Promax V-Brakes
• Jalco AX430 double wall rim w/ Formula hubs

After some research, I found this bike to be the best deal for the money. Good shifts, rim breaks are not as good but yet the stopping power is not any worse then a specialized HardRock with Disk breaks (i.e.), the fork does not have much (if any) damping.

If $300 to $500 is your budget, then go for it. (I got mine for $330)

Mongoose Otero Super Mountain Bike

Rating 4 of 5

Heated treated 6000 Series aluminum frame gives you a lightweight and solid ride. Rock Shox Tora 289 U-Turn front suspension offers 55-130mm of smooth, long travel performance for your all-mountain rides. Air sprung, rear shock soaks up the rough stuff. Shimano/SRAM drive-train and SX5 trigger shifters provide flawless gear changes and performance every time.

Kenda Komodo tires use a non-directional tread design to shed mud without compromising speed. Tektro Auriga Comp hydraulic disc brakes provide low maintenance, all-weather stopping power in all conditions. Includes Montague CLIX front quick release.

The breaks really stand-out as super. The bike looks great. The gears change nicely the suspension does a good job. The gears available are well selected. Keep attention to the breaks, because when I spin the rear wheel, the breaks are providing a friction which make the wheel slow down.

Also, the front de-railer needs to be adjusted because when in the middle gear You could hear a noise when in combination with some of the rear gears.  It is a little wide at the handle bars but it’s a solid bike and takes a good beating.

Truly a great starter bike and worth upgrading as you go along.

Mongoose Maneuver Men’s Dual-Suspension Mountain Bike (26-Inch Wheels)

Rating 3 of 5

The Maneuver is equipped with a lightweight, responsive alloy dual- suspension frame that works to give you a smoother overall ride by absorbing harsh bumps. Riders will also dig the 21-speed Shimano shifters and SRAM drive train, which seamlessly switch gears on straightaways or hills. Other details include front and rear alloy linear pull brakes and levers for powerful and reliable braking and an alloy forged three-piece crank set.

Sure this bike probably can’t compare to the more expensive bikes you get at the local bike store…HOWEVER, if your main use for this bike is commute, or the only surfaces you bike are on paved bike paths, trails with no more than 1-foot drops, then this bike  will do the job to satisfaction. Once You’ll decide to go into the woods or mountains where

You’ll be taking 5-foot drops, I suggest You to get a $1000+ bike.

It is a bit heavy, but hardly noticeable when riding. It maneuvers very easily, and it goes through the gears very smoothly.

This bike feels very solid, and so far You wont have mechanical problems whatsoever (a friend of mine rides about 45 miles a week on the street and bumpy trails with no problems).

I guess the only problems (if you want to call them that) with this bike are the sounds it makes. The suspension makes a creaking sound, doesn’t bother me at all. Also, the breaks make a sound when I use them but I am sure I can fix that.

Use this bike to decide whether or not you really enjoy this sport, in the end you’ll be much happier!

So overall, this is a good bike, and I recommend it to anyone who is interested. I do not think you will be disappointed.

One piece of advice, just make sure the handlebars are on as tight as possible, they got  a little loose on my first ride because I didn’t tighten them down enough.

Mongoose Tech 4 26″ Men’s Full Suspension Mountain Bike

Rating 3 of 5

The Mongoose Tech 4 full-suspension men’s mountain bike brings you a high-performance, 4-Bar Link, 18-in suspension frame matched with Rock Shox Judy J1 fork for easily handling rough terrain. This bike has a front and rear V-brakes for dependable stopping power and a 24-speed SRAM 4.0 shifting system for responsive gear changes. It also comes equipped with a WTB Speed V saddle and 26-in wheels with Kenda Kharisma XC tires.

The gears did need a little tweaking but after that it’s been smooth sailing. The Shimano derailleurs are nice, the dual suspension is  terrific (my first bike with any suspension). With probably a few upgrades to components this could be a hardcore bike. For this price it definately competes with $1000 bikes.

Mongoose Pro Wing Elite Dual-Suspension Mountain Bike

Rating 3 of 5

With a stealthy, pitch black paint scheme, 100 millimeters of plush front suspension, and an advanced four bar rear suspension system, the Mongoose Pro Wing Elite is ready to hit the trails right out of the box. Designed as a formidable and versatile trail bike, the Pro Wing Elite is designed to tackle a variety of varied terrain with ease–including single track, technical climbing, and simply cruising around the neighborhood.

The bike’s 3.5-inches of supple, yet efficient rear travel and optimal overall weight will allow it to descend with ease as well as climb like a nimble mountain goat. To ensure that those thrilling descents stop when you want them to, a Tektro mechanical disc brake system comes outfitted on the bike. The advanced braking system allows for easy one or two finger braking, and the system uses standard bicycle brake cables instead of hydraulic fluid, so there’s no need to worry about complicated brake maintenance. Other great features include a durable 24-speed Shimano drivetrain, beefy double wall alloy rims, and trail hungry 26 x 1.95-inch tires.

If you want a bike that will take a beating and not cost you a fortune than this is it. Make sure you get the right size frame though. This bike will handle most anything you throw at it, the tires have great traction, the brakes handle well and don’t lock too easily, and shifting gears is as smooth as butter. I haven’t had a problem with the bike at all other than there were a few scratches in the paint when it got to me(but most people are going to put a few more anyways if you ride hard).

Have taken bike on paved roads, rough tracks, hard packed earth roads, and even through a shallow stream, and it rode smoothly all the time. Road up steep slopes and hills, and gearing was excellent to make such climbs easy. Raced it downhill and clocked speeds of 22mph and felt happy.

Bad things I experienced; Front tire was fitted in wrong rotation direction, and there’s no way to turn in round, because the brake disc must fit into the caliper on the right side.

Seat hurts a bit. Handle bars hurt my palm, and I can’t get the bars to come higher. Have read the manual repeatedly to achieve this to no luck.

credit: .craig

Not every bike fits for women’s anatomy, because the most kind of bikes are designed by men using the male anatomy as the yardstick to create a frame’s geometry for women.

The physical differences between men and women correspond to different bike sizes and features.

Women need a comfortable bike seat more than men: remember the pelvis of women is made to bring children! This means a careful choose of the right bike saddle.

The women’s average seat is that with wider rear sections, and shorter and well-padded noses. The reason is that they have wider and shallower pelvises that tend to tilt forward, putting weight on their pudenda.

A narrow bike seat will cause an extra pressure just where you don’t want it. If it’s too wide, you are much more likely to suffer from chafing and saddle sores.

To improve your comfort on the bike when you ride on dirt roads or trails, it is recommended the assembling of a shock-absorbing seatpost.

Chafing and sores are the most popular women’s bike problem. To avoid these and to improve the comfort it will useful wear specific women’s bike shorts.

Inside the average shorts should have a smooth soft liner that protects your delicate parts from friction. Furthermore, it should be made of synthetic materials.

On the tip is choosing the shock absorbing type, a padded bike shorts designed to absorb shock during your bike trails.

credit: velodenz

Most cyclist before start their travel should learn:

• What bicycle use
• How to choose the right clothing
• The tips for good riding

More and more people have discovered the bicycle as a mean of transport ideal for their vacations. Who has tried it (with no doubts) thinks that a vacation with a bicycle is like returning children and play for an entire day in the open-air.

How do it? Here are the essentials good to know.

credit: amcd

Surely the best bicycle to chose is the one called “Hybrid” or “All Terrain”. A bike that combine its characteristics from the simple road bike and the MTB.

The hybrid bike is the queen of cycle tourism. The handlebar can be flat as the mountain bike, but preferably with extensions that allow you to change the position of hands.

The accessories for the bike

• Useful, often indispensable: Front and rear lamps
• Cycle-computer for partial and total distance, speed and instantaneous clock
• Mudguards: those in plastic  without the need for pins or screws
• Extension handlebar to change hands position on the handlebars
• Porter with fixed grants. The best are in aluminum. For long trips, as well as the rear, before the fork mount those type “low rider”.  The frame should be prepared with loops and holes.
• Bags: two rear and one on the handlebar for personal effects. Two front and low for long journeys. The objects heavier go placed on the bottom. Better waterproof, otherwise get plastic envelopes.
• Combined shoes and pedals, which provides a pedal round that optimizes performances
• To be ready for emergency repairs. It is essential the first aid bag with: kit for drilling (patches, glue, sandpaper), an inner tube, levers to pull the little tires, pump, English keys by 8, 10 and 15, pliers, screwdriver small cross, cables gear brake.

credit: Velaia (ParisPeking)

The wardrobe of the cycle tourist
If you face long trips, it is essential to know how to dress.

• Helmet: It is better to have it always in “mind”.
• Gloves: against possible irritation and blistering caused by prolonged contact with the handlebar. In case of falls, it will also protect your hands from excoriation.
• Sunglasses: lightweight and unbreakable, protect from sun, wind and insects.
• Shorts: those in synthetic fiber protect the perineum, the most requested area, ensure the just freedom of movement.
• Anti-wind jacket:  Windtex or Windstopper are good ones. These membranes allow perspiration outside the steam produced by the body and simultaneously are impervious to wind.
• Waterproof Jacket: Good, but expensive products in Gore-Tex.

Recommendations for a  good ride
Leaving for a trip or a vacation requires good physical condition. There is no need to be trained as those who practice cycling racing, but we must have a good background,  that is the ability to exercise action but not intense and prolonged standing habit of hours in the saddle.

Being  well trained will require planning some extra biking weekends before the vacation.

Another dowry fundamental for cycle tourist is adapt to climatic and environmental conditions. Do not scare before a climb, not attacking so bold (typical error of beginners), but rise gently without claiming to shorten the effort by increasing the pace.

Other enemy, perhaps worst of the climb, is the wind. Against him the muscles are not needed, it should be serenity: put the right gear, which allows a nimble pedal to pedal without haste.

credit: nnnnic

How to not stay Hungry
Cycling is mainly aerobic involving a great consume of energy extended overtime.

In particular during the pedal You must respect a fundamental principle:

When you’re riding you never have to wait thirst and hunger for eating and drinking, when the symptoms arrive it is already too late.

So, to avoid that legs lose strength, we must take liquids regularly, once every 15-20 minutes and solid foods easy to digest in small quantities but continuously, once every 40 or 50 minutes.

The salts should be taken especially after the effort, instead sugars should be easily assimilated.

In concrete terms?

In pockets and close at hand should never miss some fruit (an apple, a banana, energy bars made with dried fruit and cereals).

In borax instead goes much tea enriched with honey.

Like this post? And You, what’s your favorite tip about cycling?

Thanks to Trungson

Here a list of the best articles on the net to find your bicycle trail.

I’ve tried to search deeply but the most part are referred on America.

I’ve also added some hot spots in Italy and Europe.

Have a look and live your next biking vacation!

World’s trips

Top 10 Bike Rides Of The World

1. Alpe d’Huez, France
2. Langkawi, Malaysia
3. Dubois, Wyoming, To Grand Teton National Park, US
4. Port Phillip Bay, Melbourne, Australia
5. Jotunheimen National Park, Norway
6. Uyuni Salt Flat, Bolivia
7. Highway 12 From Lolo Pass To Lowell, Idaho, US
8. Gorges De La Jonte, Cevennes, France
9. Whitehaven To Sunderland, UK
10. London To Hever Castle, UK

Top 10 Biking Trips

1. Route 100, Vermont, U.S.A.
2. Vaucluse, France.
3. Maui, Hawaii, U.S.A.
4. Isle Of Wight, England.
5. Peak-To-Peak Highway, Colorado, U.S.A.
6. Nova Scotia, Canada.
7. Barolo, Italy.
8. Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina And Virginia, U.S.A.
9. South Island, New Zealand.
10. San Juan Islands, Washington, U.S.A.

Top Ten Biking Trips

1. Kerala And Tropical India
2. Cycling Through Rajasthan
3. Cycling Cuba
4. Tanzania Cycle Safari
5. Cycling Vietnam
6. Petra And Wadi Rum By Bike
7. Western Cuba By Bike
8. Cycling In Sicily
9. Cycling The Cape & Winelands
10. Moorish Trails Of Andalucia

European Trips

Europe’s Top Ten Bike Trips

1. Loire Valley, France
2. Hardanger Mountains, Norway
3. Tuscany, Italy
4. A Biking Renaissance In France’s Loire Valley
5. Drink In Tuscany By Bike
6. County Kerry, Ireland
7. Minho, Portugal
8. Provence, France
9. The Netherlands
10. Pyrenees, Spain/France

In Europe: Ten Great, Rated, Multi-Day Road Bike Tours

1. Provence, France
2. The Way Of Saint James Of Compostella, France
3. Austrian Danube From Passau, Germany To Vienna
4. Dordogne Valley, France
5. North Sea Route—Coastal France To Northern Holland
6. Alentejo, Portugal
7. Wine Route: Colmar To Strasbourg, France
8. Southern Tuscany And Umbria, Italy
9. Loire Valley, France
10. Ijsselmeer Lake Circuit, Netherlands

Italy’s Trips

1. From The Dolomites To The Lake Garda – An Easy 7 Days Self Guided Mountain Biking Tour Of 260 KM
2. From The Dolomites To Venice – An Easy 8 Days Self Guided Biking Tour Of 280 KM
3. From The Dolomites To Trieste – An Easy 8 Days Self Guided Tour Of 310 KM
4. South Tyrol…Just So – A Self Guided Bike Tour Of 8 Days For 270 KM
5. Florence, Siena, Pisa – A 8 Days Biking Tours In Tuscany Available From April To October
6. Florence, Siena, Florence In Mtb – A 8 Days/ 7 Nights Mountain Bike Holiday In Tuscany From April To October
7. 8 Days Self-Guided Biking Tour – The Secrets Of Sicily – A Moderated Tour Of 30 To 60 Km Per Day Available For March-June And September-December
8. 7 Days Free Guided Bike Tour – The Etna Tour – A Medium Difficulty Tour Available All The Year
9. 8 Days Free Guided Bike Tour – Naples, Capri And The Amalfi Coast – A 135 Km Medium Difficulty Tour Available From March To October
10. Apulia – The Heart Of Mediterranean – An Easy 8 Days Self Guided Bicycle Tour Of Approx. 300 Km

U.K’s Trips

Top 10 UK Cycle Trails

1. Crab And Winkle Way, Kent
2. The C2C (‘Sea To Sea’) Cycle Route
3. The Camel Trail, Cornwall
4. Reivers Cycle Route
5. Hadrians Cycleway
6. Loch Katrine, Trossachs, Scotland
7. Tissington Trail, Peak District
8. The Taff Trail, Wales
9. The Phoenix Trail, Oxfordshire
10. Land’s End To John O’Groats

French Trips

Top 5 France Bicycle Tours

1. 8-Day France Biking Deluxe Tour Of Three Rivers
2. Discovery Of Dordogne Cycling Tour
3. Heart Of Paris Cycling Tour
4. Discovery Of Burgundy Cycling Tour
5. Monet’s Garden Cycling Tour

German Trips

The Best Bike Trips

1. Munich By Bike
2. Lake Constance
3. The Neckar Valley Cycle Path
4. Lüneburg Heath

Scottish Trips

The Best Bike Trips

1. The Galloway Region
2. The Isle Of Arran
3. The Trossachs
4. Glencoe
5. The Isle Of Skye

American Trips

Walker’s Top 10 Trails (At This Moment)

1. Molass To Durango – Colorado
2. Surveyor’s Ridge And Dog River Trail – Hood River, Oregon
3. Jones Creek/Dutch Creek Loop – Durango, Colorado
4. Porcupine Rim Trail – Moab, Utah
5. Moore Fun – Fruita, Colorado
6. Turkey Creek – Tulsa, Oklahoma
7. Jones Downhill To Captain Jacks – Colorado Springs, Colorado
8. Bear Creek To Rainbow Trail – Salida, Colorado
9. Alien Trail – Aztec, New Mexico
10. Horse Gulch – Durango, Colorado

Top 10 City Bike Rides

1. Albuquerque, Nm Paseo Del Bosque Trail
2. Boulder, Co Boulder Ceek Path
3. Denver, Co Cherry Creek Trail
4. Los Angeles, Ca South Bay Bicycle Trail
5. Portland, Or Willamette River Loop
6. Salt Lake City, Ut Jordan River Parkway Trail
7. San Francisco, Ca Bike The Golden Gate
8. San Jose Area, Ca Los Gatos Creek Trail
9. Seattle, Wa Burke-Gilman Trail
10. Tempe, Az Rio Salado Paths

Top 10 Bike Tours In The US

1. Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa
2. Tour Of The California Alps
3. GRABAAWR – Wisconsin
4. North Rim Of The Grand Canyon
5. Kluane Chilkat International Bike Relay – Alaska
6. Trek Across Maine
7. Bicycle Tour Of Colorado
8. California Winery Tours
9. U.S.A Cycling
10. BRAG – The Bike Ride Across Georgia

Best Road Biking Destinations In North America

1. American River Bike Trail Ramble
2. Palisades Interstate Park And The Long Path, NJ
3. Busse Woods
4. Downtown Denver Express
5. Belmont To Walden Pond Cruise
6. Seattle Trail Ramble
7. Jones Beach Bike Path
8. Delaware Water Gap
9. Bethpage State Park – Massapequa Preserve Bike Path
10. Westport Ramble

Appalachia’s Ten Best Bike Trails

Easy Riding

• The Virginia Creeper
• The Greenbrier Trail (Caldwell To Cass, WV)
• Railroad Grade Road, Fleetwood To Todd, N.C.

Moderate To Challenging

• Haw Ridge Park (Oak Ridge, Tenn.)
• Douthat State Park
• Carvins Cove (Roanoke, Va.)
• Pinnacle Creek Trail System (Pineville, WV)

Crazy Hard

• Dragon’s Back (Catawba, Va.)
• Black Mountain (Pisgah National Forest, Brevard, N.C.)
• Lone Mountain Trail (Oliver Springs, Tenn.)

Top 10 Mountain Biking Trails

1. Bootleg Canyon Trails Boulder City, Nevada
2. South Mountain Park Trails Phoenix, Arizona
3. Bull Mountain Trail Network Dahlonega, Georgia
4. The Womble Trail, Ouachita National Forest Hot Springs, Arkansas
5. Levis/Trow Mound Trail Network Neillsville, Wisconsin
6. Ridge To Rivers Trail System Boise, Idaho
7. Ringwood State Park Trails Ringwood, New Jersey
8. North Umpqua Trail—Tioga Segment Roseburg, Oregon
9. Alafia River Trails, Alafia River State Park Brandon, Florida
10. The Southern Traverse, Shenandoah Mountain Trail Harrisonburg, Virginia

America’s 10 Best Trails

1. Mckenzie River Trail: Eugene, Oregon
2. Downieville Downhill: Downieville, California
3. National Trail: Phoenix, Arizona
4. Porcupine Rim: Moab, Utah
5. The Edge Loop: Fruita, Colorado
6. Upper Oil Can: North Vancouver, BC
7. Tsali Left Loop: Nantahala National Forest, North Carolina
8. Fisher Creek: Ketchum, Idaho
9. Plantation Trail: Davis, West Virginia
10. Finger Lakes Trail: Letchworth State Park, New York

Oregon’s 10 Best Bike Rides — For Everyone

1. Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade
2. Banks/Vernonia State Trail
3. Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail
4. Row River Trail
5. Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway
6. Nestucca River Road
7. Aufderheide National Scenic Byway
8. Rim Drive At Crater Lake
9. Mckenzie River Trail
10. The Oregon Alps

Charity, Volunteer and Global warming

What link them together? Sure…travels!

If you need a new way to travel and help the environment, then read this list of unusual ideas to join your work with charity activities.

With this form of travel you can link together the concepts of ecotourism and volunteer travel with adventure activities.

No matter if you travel as a volunteer or tourist, the main goal is to transform your vacation in a source to help the environment and other people.

I took the idea from our 1° Charity Challenge organized last year on the Etna mountain. It was a complete 3 days tour of the volcano by trekking.

The term “Charity Challenge” is used to represent a challenge organized to:

• Set responsible tourism standards
• Minimise the impact on the environment
• Collect resources to use for the local communities visited

They offer a list of great activities in different destinations:

Mountains

• Aconcagua Summit Trek – Argentina
• Avenue of the Volcanoes – Ecuador
• Everest Base Camp – Nepal
• Kilimanjaro Summit Climb – Tanzania
• Simien Mountain Trek – Ethiopia
• Stok Kangri Summit Trek – India
• High Atlas Summit Trek – Morocco

Trekking

• Brazilian Trek and Kayak Challenge – Brazil
• Escambray Encounter – Cuba
• Etna Volcanic Adventure – Italy
• Family Escambray Encounter – Cuba
• Family Great Wall Discovery – China
• Family Thailand Jungle Expedition – Thailand
• Footsteps of the Maasai – Tanzania
• Golden Triangle Hill Tribe Trek – Thailand
• Grand Canyon Explorer – USA
• Great Wall Discovery – China
• High Atlas Summit Trek – Morocco
• Icelandic Lava Trek – Iceland
• Mountain Kingdom Adventure – Lesotho
• Sahara Desert Trek – Morocco
• Sapa Hill Tribe Trek – Vietnam
• Thailand Jungle Expedition – Thailand
• Trek to Machu Picchu – Peru
• Trek to The Home of the Dalai Lama – India
• Trek Transylvania – Romania
• Thailand Jungle Expedition – Thailand

Biking

• Andes to Amazon Bike Ride – Peru
• Cuban Revolution Cycle – Cuba
• Cycle Kathmandu Valley – Nepal
• Great Wall Cycle Challenge – China
• London to Paris Bike Ride – UK, France
• Mexico Volcano & Jungle Challenge – Mexico
• Pilgrimage on Wheels – Egypt, Israel
• Rajasthan Tiger Challenge – India
• Saigon to Angkor Wat Bike Ride – Vietnam, Cambodia
• Vietnam Experience – Vietnam

Volunteer travels

Another great example of travel for charity purposes is Volunteering. You can travel very low cost and then use your work to contribute to a project.

Thanks to Parksy

Some examples are:

• Footpath repair holidays- Help to improve the landscape and to conserve local flora and fauna on a footpath repair holiday.

[i.e. For the American Hiking Society , volunteers get the opportunity to repair trails and footpaths around the country.]

• Spend some time volunteering in local community projects.

[i.e. Teaching to students in a rural African; help research scientists save endangered sea turtles from extinction; assist nurses at a children's clinic in Romania; help build a home for a homeless family and so on...]

• Habitat conservation holidays
• Help reduce global warming
• Restore Coral Reefs
• Save the Rainforest
• Save Vanishing Wetlands
• Save Bottlenose Dolphins
• Protect Endangered Animals
• Help Park Services Preserve National Treasures
• Organic Farming: Help Promote Sustainable Agriculture

List of charity organizations in environment

For those of you not interested in travel for charity, here a list of the best eco-friendly charity organizations and their websites to see how to donate them.

www.climatecare.org – Climate Care offsets your CO2 by funding projects around the world. These involve: Renewable energy – this replaces non-renewable fuel such as coal; Energy efficiency – this reduces the amount of fuel needed; Forest restoration – this absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere as the trees grow. So as well as taking steps to reduce your ‘carbon footprint’ you can offset what remains, helping to promote low-carbon technologies where they have the greatest impact.

www.conservation.org – We have never been more focused on protecting the environment than we are today. For 20 years, we’ve stuck to a vision that the natural world must be saved in order for future generations to thrive spiritually, culturally, and economically.

www.coopamerica.org – Co-op America is a not-for-profit membership organization founded in 1982. Our mission is to harness economic power—the strength of consumers, investors, businesses, and the marketplace—to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society.

www.environmentaldefense.org – “Our top priority is to pass national legislation that caps global warming pollution and creates a flexible emissions trading market. That will open the door to a green technology revolution.” — Steve Cochran, director of our national climate campaign

www.arborday.org – We inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees.

www.environet.org – NET’s public education campaigns use modern communication techniques and the latest scientific studies to translate complex environmental issues for citizens. Furthermore, NET works in states across the country to localize the impacts of national problems, as well as to highlight opportunities for Americans to engage in the policymaking process.

www.nrdc.org – We use law, science and the support of 1.2 million members and online activists to protect the planet’s wildlife and wild places and to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all living things.

www.nature.org – We’ve protected more than 117 million acres of land and 5,000 miles of rivers worldwide — and we operate more than 100 marine conservation projects globally. We address threats to conservation involving climate change, fire, fresh water, forests, invasive species, and marine ecosystems.

www.ran.org – RAN is campaigning to break America’s oil addiction, reduce our reliance on coal, protect endangered forests and Indigenous rights, and stop destructive investments around the world.

www.rainforest-alliance.org – The Rainforest Alliance works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior.

www.sustainableharvest.org – Founded in 1997 by Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Florence Reed, Sustainable Harvest International addresses the tropical deforestation crisis in Central America by providing farmers with sustainable alternatives to slash-and-burn agriculture.

www.ucsusa.org – The Union of Concerned Scientists is the leading science-based nonprofit working for a healthy environment and a safer world. UCS combines independent scientific research and citizen action to develop innovative, practical solutions and to secure responsible changes in government policy, corporate practices, and consumer choices.

www.wri.org – The World Resources Institute (WRI) is an environmental think tank that goes beyond research to find practical ways to protect the earth and improve people’s lives. Our mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

www.worldwildlife.org – But WWF members travel with us for another reason: By participating in our tours, they are contributing WWF’s conservation efforts worldwide. When you travel with WWF, you don’t just hear about those efforts-you see the results firsthand.

www.charityguide.org – The Charity Guide volunteer directory makes it possible for busy people like you to make a difference at anytime, from anywhere. Even if you have an unpredictable schedule, you can volunteer for your favorite cause, including: animal welfare, children’s issues, community development, environmental protection, healthcare, and overcoming poverty. The volunteer projects featured at CharityGuide.org can be successfully completed: in 15 minutes, in a few hours (once, or each week), or during volunteer vacations.

stopglobalwarming.org- The Stop Global Warming Virtual March is a non-partisan effort to bring citizens together to declare that global warming is here now and that it is time to demand solutions.

google.org – Google.org aspires to use the power of information to help people better their lives. We are an experiment in active philanthropy. In addition to financial resources, we are fortunate to be able to engage Google’s entire family of people and partners, information technologies and other resources to address three major growing global problems: climate change, global public health, and economic development and poverty.

www.foei.org – Friends of the Earth International is the world’s largest grassroots environmental network, uniting 70 diverse national member groups and some 5,000 local activist groups on every continent. With over 2 million members and supporters around the world, we campaign on today’s most urgent environmental and social issues. We challenge the current model of economic and corporate globalization , and promote solutions that will help to create environmentally sustainable and socially just societies.

www.thec-changetrust.com – The c-change trust gives business and individuals the opportunity to acknowledge and offset their carbon emissions through charitable donation. In return we will invest 75% of all donations into funding projects that will reduce carbon emissions, educate the young on climate change and create new woodlands right here in the U.K.

Link to multiple charity lists

• List of stop global warming charities provided by Just Give. Dedicated to creating tools and services to make charitable giving part of our everyday lives, JustGive is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase charitable giving by connecting people with the charities and causes they care most about.
• Search for eco-friendly charities
• Other charity organizations in environment
• Use a website to evaluate environmental charities. It’s one of the most comprehensive databases of U.S. charities belongs to Charity Navigator. This site uses a four-star rating program to assess organizations.

What if travel with a chainless bicycle?

Will it improve our trip experience or the bike is not so important?

Last day I was reading this article about nature and sustainability, and the author mentioned the hydraulic bicycle.

It took my mind…how could it be cycling the Tuscany hills with this kind of bike?

This type of bicycle is chainless and uses an hydraulic drive (similar to that are used for braking systems) that transfers power to the pedals by means of an hydraulic pump.

This could improve our touring experience by:

• Less time to maintenance [No problems to search for it during the trip planning]
• No more:
  • Chain cleaning and lubrication
  • Checking a chain for wear
  • Mending a broken chain
• Silence while cycling
• Fewer moving parts
• Better efficiency during bad weather or dirt conditions
• More energy recuperation. [Storage and power assist could be added easily]

The most important facts are the improvements in efficiency. The hydraulic bike offers a much easier way to recover braking power.

One of the possible problems could be the weight added by the liquid drive. [Think transfers by trains etc...]

The future of bicycle travels will be the “Self guided vehicles“

• Liquid drive to reduce the energy while riding the bike
• Gps system to track the roads
• An maybe the “self-steering” technologies

Bicycles with a stabilization system that can automatically adjust steering.

What do you want more?…a coffee machine integrated?