The photos are here: https://picasaweb.google.com/naberda/MoroccoSoloBicycleTourJanuary24ToMarch142011#
Use the slideshow button to view the photos. They look better that way!
Use the slideshow button to view the photos. They look better that way!
I flew to Casablanca from Anchorage, Alaska after driving from Fairbanks.
49 day trip. 37 days on the bike for a total of 1615 miles (2600 km), average of 43 miles/day. I averaged about US$20/day. Cheap hotels were from $5 to $20(Casablanca). I could buy a meal (bread, cheese, boiled egg, a vegetable/piece of fruit) in the shops/market for about two dollars. I would say you could go cheaper by sleeping in a tent every nite. The camera I used was a Panasonic, DMC FZ8. Nothing fancy. I finally started using the manual settings. That helped and was much easier than I thought it would be. I always used manual on my film camera but got lazy when I went digital. Also had a rotating polarizing lens. That helped alot with the harsh light of the day.
The bike: a Bruce Gordon BLT (Basic Loaded Touring). My first tour on a leather saddle from Brooks. Awesome! I didn't have time to break it in before the trip but had no trouble with it. I really liked the springs in the back. A bit heavier but worth it for the comfort and easier on the back. The tires were new by Continental, Travel Contact. I didn't have any flats except for one I sort of caused on my own. The tires did not wear very well. Granted the road surfaces were rough (chip seal, not smooth asphalt). The rear tire was getting pretty thin at the end of the tour. The tires were quite a bit cheaper than Schwalbe tires but I guess i got what I paid for. They road very well and got me thru a day of nasty piste riding altho I had very little weight on the bike.
My tent was a Squall 2 by Tarp Tent. I am not impressed by these single wall tents. It does not do well in moderate to high winds. The condensation inside is very heavy in humid/rainy conditions and sand/dust/dirt sticks to the sil nylon fabric like velcro. You CANNOT brush it off. These tents are best in fair weather conditions or as survival tents. Next time around i would sacrifice a few grams/ounces and get a very light double wall tent. My shoes: Keens! Newport H2s They were awesome. Cool, didn't get stinky and had enough sole support. My feet did not get sore and there were no rub/friction spots. I was impressed. I only wanted to take one pair of shoes. These worked great. On cold mornings/days I wore thin socks. Only on a couple of morning, when it was near freezing, were my feet very cold.
A perfect time to be in Morocco for a bike tour. The temps were not too cold or too warm unless you were in the mountains. The mountains would be best in middle to late March and later but most of my trip was not in the mountains. There were minimal tourists. Temps on the coast, 50-70 F. In the desert, 35-80 F and very dry. The coast was humid and occasionally rainy. It is a windy country. There did not seem to be a prevailing direction but many times the strongest winds were coming from the south or the west but south of the mountains you could get strong north winds. It is quite variable.
Well, if you have any questions send me a comment!
Use the slideshow button to view the photos. They look better that way!
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