There were about a dozen in attendance, most were Wheelers I recognized.

Piaw has self-published a really excellent (IMO) book, Independent Cycle Touring, and I bought a copy.

It is (IMO) expensive, about $40, but I find it well worth the price. I’ve spent several hours after arriving home reading sections of the book, and I find it a treasure trove of information.

He covers all kinds of relevant topics including selecting an airline, shipping your bike, electronics (GPS, cameras, internet access, etc), getting and using detailed maps for the relevant countries, fully supported camping or staying at hotels, equipment, bike handling with a loaded bike and on dirt roads, riding in rain, etc, etc, etc.

He’s ridden in (and has short sections in the book about) about a half dozen US states and British Columbia, 6 countries in Europe, South Africa, New Zealand and Japan.

The book has tons of color photos and color maps (Piaw said the reason for the high price was that he needed color for the maps, which substantially increased the publication price).

He writes from extensive experience and gives many useful tips I wouldn't have thought about.

If you have any interest in touring, I highly recommend the book!

(Disclaimer, while I’ve met Piaw on several rides, I don't know him very well, and prior to tonight I'd had no idea he'd written a book. I didn't mention that I was writing this email and will get nothing in return...I'm simply impressed with the book!)

cheers,
Paul Wendt