The bike beckons - want to get in the picture?

Big Frank is cold. Big Frank is telling himself that he needs to get out into the cold in order to not feel so cold. Big Frank needs to stop referring to himself in the third person, but, hey, it goes with the blog so that ain’t gonna happen. The new snowshoes are beckoning, but Big Frank needs some appropriate boots to insert into those shoes. Then he will strike out into the wilderness in search of . . . (I, guess Big Frank had better figure that one out or he won’t know when he’s reached his destination). In the meantime, while this is being worked out there is time to think about warmer vacations – either in the warm parts of the world, or planning for the summer. The bike is resting, but come summer it will need to move, so now’s the time to be thinking of a possible bike trip. And for those of you readers who might also be thinking of that here are a few resources to look at:

Robert Ashworth has a site full of great links, maps, photos, and general information on biking. Robert lives in Bellingham, WA and is obviously enthusiastic and well-informed on biking.

VBT has been ranked as the top bicycling tour site by National Geographic Adventure magazine. They offer number of bike tours, and bike and barge tours! These are not only in Europe, but throughout the world. Check out the Croatia bike tour – 10 day including airfare for under $3,000.00 all inclusive.

Van Gogh Tours in Italy offer 7-day tours starting at under $1,300 per person all inclusive –except airfare.

The absolute definitive site for bike tours: bicycling world. It has everything, with great search capabilities. If you can’t find it here – it’s probably not out there.

The above link shows the kind of search results that you get from bicycling world for Ireland: 50 tours ranging from under $500 to near $5,000.00 (luxury, of course).

You didn’t think that Big Frank would exclude North Dakota from these links, did you? You’ll need a mountain bike for this trail, but scenery is great – just watch out for the bison!

Big Frank is thinking New Zealand right now! No need to wait for summer – it’s summer down under now! This site has a great selection – both guided and independent. Take your pick.

If you'd like to read the reports of others who have made cycling tours, then Trento Bike Pages is the place for you. There's lots of info there: 991 Tours, 89 Trails, 48 Sites. Check it out by list of countries. It's up to date, and it has over a thousand tips on everything from changing a tire to accounts of cycling around the world!

So which one is it going to be? Big Frank is having trouble deciding - so why not help him out by letting him know which one you like best?