Crazyguyonabike

[djb]

for those interested in reading about why the owner of crazyguy has his views on Google:

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/forum/b ... ted=0&v=2X

[Jdsk]

Thanks for posting.

Jonathan

[nsew]

“I canceled my Amazon Prime membership today, in protest of them canceling Parler”

Picture shows geo-located Parler uploads on day of US Capitol attack.

[zenitb]

Maybe its living in the UK but I've always found this forum more helpful than the "crazy guy on a bike" stuff. I am not a world tourer/super expert though. What do people find useful/refer to on his site? I am genuinely keen to hear....

[hondated]

Maybe its living in the UK but I've always found this forum more helpful than the "crazy guy on a bike" stuff. I am not a world tourer/super expert though. What do people find useful/refer to on his site? I am genuinely keen to hear....

I am surprised to read this in some ways but not in others. If you have any interest at all in cycle touring then there is really only one Forum to go to and its CGOAB. And if you have I would recommend both going on it and considering giving a donation as Neil needs it to help him survive.
I spend hours on there reading journals and just wishing I too had done some of them when I was younger and fitter.
But that said this Forum is hard to beat when it comes down to seeking advice from others with anything cycle related. I do think there is a clique on here , but there is in most clubs or groups of people , and I have fallen foul of it several times but in the main everyone seems to jog alongside each other nicely. Via PMs I have also made more serious friendships as well.
Along with Cyclechat these are my three go to Forums when I need to get away from Youtube cycling videos. Oh I wish they all existed when I was younger.

[zenitb]

Maybe its living in the UK but I've always found this forum more helpful than the "crazy guy on a bike" stuff. I am not a world tourer/super expert though. What do people find useful/refer to on his site? I am genuinely keen to hear....

I am surprised to read this in some ways but not in others. If you have any interest at all in cycle touring then there is really only one Forum to go to and its CGOAB. And if you have I would recommend both going on it and considering giving a donation as Neil needs it to help him survive.
I spend hours on there reading journals and just wishing I too had done some of them when I was younger and fitter.
But that said this Forum is hard to beat when it comes down to seeking advice from others with anything cycle related. I do think there is a clique on here , but there is in most clubs or groups of people , and I have fallen foul of it several times but in the main everyone seems to jog alongside each other nicely. Via PMs I have also made more serious friendships as well.
Along with Cyclechat these are my three go to Forums when I need to get away from Youtube cycling videos. Oh I wish they all existed when I was younger.

So looking at your response hondated and trying to find an answer to my quesion of "What do people find useful/refer to on his site?" I see you are saying "I spend hours on there reading journals". so... from that it looks like peoples inspiring travel narratives/ideas are the main draw ?

[nsew]

He’s already pulled in over half a million dollars in donations and his political views are abhorrent. So I’ll pass. Has anyone found an interesting journey review on that site? “I woke up in this field with a picnic table (photo inserted), in an unremarkable town (photo inserted), had breakfast (photo inserted) packed my six panniers full of stuff (photo inserted) and spent the day riding through unremarkable scenery (photo inserted) to another field with a picnic table (photo inserted).” Repeat 7X or 14X

[rotavator]

Maybe its living in the UK but I've always found this forum more helpful than the "crazy guy on a bike" stuff. I am not a world tourer/super expert though. What do people find useful/refer to on his site? I am genuinely keen to hear....

I think it is a cheap and easy way of finding out about what it would be like touring in out of the way places, like the Amazon rain forest, the Pamirs, Bolivia. Some of the journals are boring, e.g. with photos of plates of food with the price in US$ but I just stop reading them and try to find something more interesting, often using the "Serendipity" photos. On the other hand some of the writers are amusing or provide interesting photos and not just the views you get in holiday brochures and travel guides. If you were planning a tour somewhere off the beaten track, you can get information on the practicalities, like crossing borders, accommodation, food, annoyances like getting stoned or chased by dogs etc. not all of which you would find in a travel guide book. You can also wonder why people go on such gruelling trips.

[simonhill]

I didn't know anything about the curator of crazyguy, but that's best probably after reading some of the above stuff. Nonetheless, it is one of my go to places for info if I'm heading somewhere 'less described'. Much like a guidebook as said above. I normally 'dream up' my routes and then do a search on crazyguy to see if there is any info. Often not, which reflects the US & Western contributors (very thin on East Asia, Oz, etc).

I certainly don't read it like a book, but have got some very useful info from it. Some contributors crop up regularly for where I go and I have met some of them.

I have never downloaded a gpx file or religiously followed a constructed route (apart from The Camino) but do find it useful to have an idea of what to expect, road, food and accommodation wise. Some contributors eg Bill Weir write very detailed route descriptions, which can be useful in planning. For my last trip (Feb/March 2020) down the coast of Vietnam, I had 3 old crazyguy blog's open on my phone. I would just read them the night before to help planning my route and note any highlights. Very much a take it or leave it thing - there if I wanted it.

My real loss at the moment is Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree forum, which closed down as Covid grew. This was a fantastic resource of people with knowledge of countries that made life on the road easier.

This forum is excellent for UK touring and pretty good for Europe, but very thin for worldwide. I have started using Tripadvisor, but it doesn't have that backpacker/low level of info that you need on tour.

I'm happy to carry on recommending crazyguy as a source of info for worldwide touring, much as I recommended this forum for technical, UK, etc.

[hondated]

Maybe its living in the UK but I've always found this forum more helpful than the "crazy guy on a bike" stuff. I am not a world tourer/super expert though. What do people find useful/refer to on his site? I am genuinely keen to hear....

I am surprised to read this in some ways but not in others. If you have any interest at all in cycle touring then there is really only one Forum to go to and its CGOAB. And if you have I would recommend both going on it and considering giving a donation as Neil needs it to help him survive.
I spend hours on there reading journals and just wishing I too had done some of them when I was younger and fitter.
But that said this Forum is hard to beat when it comes down to seeking advice from others with anything cycle related. I do think there is a clique on here , but there is in most clubs or groups of people , and I have fallen foul of it several times but in the main everyone seems to jog alongside each other nicely. Via PMs I have also made more serious friendships as well.
Along with Cyclechat these are my three go to Forums when I need to get away from Youtube cycling videos. Oh I wish they all existed when I was younger.

So looking at your response hondated and trying to find an answer to my quesion of "What do people find useful/refer to on his site?" I see you are saying "I spend hours on there reading journals". so... from that it looks like peoples inspiring travel narratives/ideas are the main draw ?

I think that's a fair assessment on why I enjoy it , but clearly others have different opinions which they are entitled to have. However I think if your disputing the wealth of Neil then you should back it up with proof. I have mine in that he has a running appeal. Political opinions let's not go there as I have mine and many may agree or disagree with them but they're not something I will express on this Forum now.
Finally it's hard enough to begin or answer a thread on here let alone post a journal so people shouldn't imo be knocking those that have the courage to write a journal.

[nsew]

Year Total
2007 $11,234
2008 $25,256
2009 $21,478
2010 $24,115
2011 $24,370
2012 $30,690
2013 $30,010
2014 $39,241
2015 $43,115
2016 $46,932
2017 $53,875
2018 $49,625
2019 $43,913
2020 $40,031
2021 $4,384

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/website ... te/totals/

[zenitb]

I am surprised to read this in some ways but not in others. If you have any interest at all in cycle touring then there is really only one Forum to go to and its CGOAB. And if you have I would recommend both going on it and considering giving a donation as Neil needs it to help him survive.
I spend hours on there reading journals and just wishing I too had done some of them when I was younger and fitter.
But that said this Forum is hard to beat when it comes down to seeking advice from others with anything cycle related. I do think there is a clique on here , but there is in most clubs or groups of people , and I have fallen foul of it several times but in the main everyone seems to jog alongside each other nicely. Via PMs I have also made more serious friendships as well.
Along with Cyclechat these are my three go to Forums when I need to get away from Youtube cycling videos. Oh I wish they all existed when I was younger.

So looking at your response hondated and trying to find an answer to my quesion of "What do people find useful/refer to on his site?" I see you are saying "I spend hours on there reading journals". so... from that it looks like peoples inspiring travel narratives/ideas are the main draw ?

I think that's a fair assessment on why I enjoy it , but clearly others have different opinions which they are entitled to have. However I think if your disputing the wealth of Neil then you should back it up with proof. I have mine in that he has a running appeal. Political opinions let's not go there as I have mine and many may agree or disagree with them but they're not something I will express on this Forum now.
Finally it's hard enough to begin or answer a thread on here let alone post a journal so people shouldn't imo be knocking those that have the courage to write a journal.

Hondated, when you say "However I think if your disputing the wealth of Neil then you should back it up with proof" I am not sure you have understood my post. I merely expressed a preference for the cycling UK forum - I am not sure I "should have to back it up with proof" after all this isnt a court of law. If it helps though the consideration of older equipment, focus on UK and European touring, and frankly the huge amount of technical help I have received means this forum is very much suited to my needs. Cycling touring across the US to Niagra Falls less so. Hopefully that makes sense

[hondated]

So looking at your response hondated and trying to find an answer to my quesion of "What do people find useful/refer to on his site?" I see you are saying "I spend hours on there reading journals". so... from that it looks like peoples inspiring travel narratives/ideas are the main draw ?

I think that's a fair assessment on why I enjoy it , but clearly others have different opinions which they are entitled to have. However I think if your disputing the wealth of Neil then you should back it up with proof. I have mine in that he has a running appeal. Political opinions let's not go there as I have mine and many may agree or disagree with them but they're not something I will express on this Forum now.
Finally it's hard enough to begin or answer a thread on here let alone post a journal so people shouldn't imo be knocking those that have the courage to write a journal.

Hondated, when you say "However I think if your disputing the wealth of Neil then you should back it up with proof" I am not sure you have understood my post. I merely expressed a preference for the cycling UK forum - I am not sure I "should have to back it up with proof" after all this isnt a court of law. If it helps though the consideration of older equipment, focus on UK and European touring, and frankly the huge amount of technical help I have received means this forum is very much suited to my needs. Cycling touring across the US to Niagra Falls less so. Hopefully that makes sense

Apologies as my reply was to nsew

[hondated]

Year Total
2007 $11,234
2008 $25,256
2009 $21,478
2010 $24,115
2011 $24,370
2012 $30,690
2013 $30,010
2014 $39,241
2015 $43,115
2016 $46,932
2017 $53,875
2018 $49,625
2019 $43,913
2020 $40,031
2021 $4,384

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/website ... te/totals/

Mmm probably less than a skilled worker could earn in that time period.

[zenitb]

I think that's a fair assessment on why I enjoy it , but clearly others have different opinions which they are entitled to have. However I think if your disputing the wealth of Neil then you should back it up with proof. I have mine in that he has a running appeal. Political opinions let's not go there as I have mine and many may agree or disagree with them but they're not something I will express on this Forum now.
Finally it's hard enough to begin or answer a thread on here let alone post a journal so people shouldn't imo be knocking those that have the courage to write a journal.

Hondated, when you say "However I think if your disputing the wealth of Neil then you should back it up with proof" I am not sure you have understood my post. I merely expressed a preference for the cycling UK forum - I am not sure I "should have to back it up with proof" after all this isnt a court of law. If it helps though the consideration of older equipment, focus on UK and European touring, and frankly the huge amount of technical help I have received means this forum is very much suited to my needs. Cycling touring across the US to Niagra Falls less so. Hopefully that makes sense

Apologies as my reply was to nsew

ah yes sorry I had missed the nsew sub-thread !!! it all makes sense now