Are touring cyclists masochist ?

As the late Ken Kifer once said:

Long-distance bicycle touring is by nature a Quixotic activity. In these days of light-speed communications, multimedia entertainment, fast, powerful, and prestigious automobiles, luxurious homes, exotic restaurants, and instant gratification, why would someone choose to pedal at slow speeds up high hills carrying a heavy load to boil rice in a small pot in the dark, insect-filled woods alone at night? Are bicycle tourers and bikepackers driven by a masochistic self-hatred that causes them to perform painful and anachronistic pilgrimages.

A quote lifted from "triker.com.au".

I'm not really a tourer yet, unless you consider various half- day rides. But, anyway, Im taking the bait offered by the lure of hours of solitude, disconnected from the social and electronic grid, traveling, reading, camping, drinking coffee ... slowly.

Comments

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