You can take it with you

This spring, my girlfriend and I bought a tandem for rides around the lake. One of the first things we had to negotiate was that I almost never stop pedaling and she likes to take pedaling breaks. It got me thinking about habits & favorites we pick up from our time out bikepacking. Here are a couple of mine. I’d love to hear about some of yours in the comments.

Tecate beer: I was fortunate to be able to join the one & only Grand Depart for the Baja Divide and quickly learned of the restorative and refreshing power of a cold Tecate. I noticed one day early in the trip that one of the guys I was riding with would always buy a Tecate after lunch, put it in his frame bag, and then drink it at the top of the first big climb after lunch. I picked up the habit; those were some of the best beers I’ve ever consumed. I’m still drinking Tecate 9 years later.

Lomo Saltado: I got addicted to this delicious Cantonese/Peruvian dish while traversing the Andes in Peru and still get a hankering for it and a Pisco Sour pretty regularly. Luckily, Chicago has several Peruvian restaurants to choose from.

Hard Work: I’ve always loved a challenge. We solved that tandem pedaling mismatch with my girlfriend taking her feet off the pedals & leaving the work to me whenever she needs a break. I love that!

What have you carried with you from your days on the bike?