The essence of any long bike trip is a constant state of motion. Most of the people you talk to are folks you’ve never met before and will never see again. 

Bike camping five to nine is not about practicality — it’s about possibility. It's an acknowledgment that every routine is still full of choices. And it’s a great way to get on your bike and enjoy a sandwich and a sunset.

I always have to ask myself — is he handing me cookies because he wants to give me some sugar? Or is he handing me cookies because he wants to get some sugar?

Heather Russell is the founder of Sacred Cycle, a Colorado-based nonprofit that provides affordable therapy to survivors of sexual assault.

This full circle of cycling and foraging: the fruit I eat becomes my body, my body pushes the bike pedals, the pedals spin the wheels, and we all go forward.

My strategy is simplicity: throw some things in a bag, pedal away, and see where I end up. For me, it's easier — and therefore more enjoyable — to eat cold foods or cook over campfires.

Everything was covered in ice, and there was no sign of life in any direction. I felt like I’d been set loose alone on another planet. This kind of solitude scared me but also made me feel more whole.

For many people on solitary journeys, dealing with ourselves is one of the biggest parts of the adventure. But for many women, this is compounded by a social narrative that questions our position as solo adventurers in the first place.

I biked out of the airport, feeling giddy. The air was cool, and the road stretched forward in a long, silent curve. The Icelandic sun hung on the edge of the horizon. I had the road to myself, but where would it lead me? 

We all have times in our lives when we become stuck, when motion stagnates and habits betray us. We are busy but unhappy. This seeming lack of motion holds its own energy, like a spring that coils deeper and deeper into itself, just waiting to propel us forward. All we have to do is set ourselves loose.