By Bicycle
Cycling can offer unrivalled closeness to the land and its people, though rental outlets are thin on the ground and aren't usually equipped with bikes suitable for extended rides. For proper cycle touring, you're best off bringing your own bike from home; airlines usually don't have a problem transporting them if packed in bike boxes with the pedals removed. You're unlikely to want to stay solely on the busy, surfaced, though often pot-holed roads, and a mountain bike is almost certainly better than a conventional touring bike. A range of low gear ratios (many models now have 27 gears) will make the long highland climbs more tolerable when loaded up. Bicycle repair shops ( talleres de bicicletas ) are far more widespread than bike shops, but will only have parts for rudimentary repairs - bring a comprehensive tool kit and a selection of essential spares. When planning your route , don't forget that at altitude you won't be able to cover anywhere near the distances per day that you do at home: reckon on about half. In the UK, the CTC (Cyclists' Touring Club), 69 Meadrow, Godalming, Surrey GU7 3HS (tel 01483/417217, www.ctc.org.uk ) is an excellent source of information for cycle tourists, and has fact sheets on a range of subjects including recommended itineraries for touring in Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. Adult annual membership is GBP25.
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