By: Nery Ricalde Sarabia
It is said that cities are books that are read with the feet, surely you have heard or read them before and it is true, however, touring a region or a city by bike also provides pleasant and surprising experiences to those who decide to take a ride on two wheels.
Cycle tourism is undoubtedly a high-value sustainable tourism modality for tourist destinations. In this context, in recent years the use of bicycles as a means of transport and for sports and leisure activities has been gaining followers, becoming a sustainable and environmentally friendly tourism modality.1
By definition, cycle tourism is a type of tourism in which the bicycle is used as a means of transport.2
Based on the previous concept, it is important to point out that as a form of tourism, it is somewhat complicated for theory to explain everything that the practice of it entails, since it is a plural, personal and at the same time original activity, it is synonymous with freedom and independence.
In an economical way and at a slower pace, this activity allows you to get in genuine contact with landscapes, people and customs. In fact, self-sufficiency is one of the greatest pleasures that the use of the bicycle provides, that makes cycling tourism more than a sport, and it becomes a style or philosophy of life.
Authentic cycle tourism begins before getting on the bike and starting to pedal, it starts earlier with the itinerary preparations, accumulating information, reviewing maps, analyzing the places and their available ways to sleep and eat, even getting in physical condition for the future route.
The authors Han, H., Meng, B. and Kim, W. (2017) in their publication “Bike-traveling as a growing phenomenon: Role of attributes, value, satisfaction, desire, and gender in developing loyalty” highlight six aspects that characterize cycling tourism:
- It involves a distant displacement from the place of residence.
- The duration can range from one to several days.
- It is a non-competitive practice.
- The trip is the main motivation.
- It takes place within an active and sporting context.
- It represents a form of leisure and entertainment.
So if you want to pedal through Mexico by bicycle, as a first step I recommend you immerse yourself in the world of cyclo travel through the stories and advice of others who have already lived this experience and thanks to the power of the internet, their stories are available. for everyone in blogs and books, such as the blog of the legendary Felipe Besné, the first Mexican over 60 years to pedal from Mexico to Argentina.
Finally, I just want to tell you that if traveling is your passion, getting started as a cyclist can be an excellent alternative that will give you the opportunity to discover why traveling on two wheels is an adventure that we should all give ourselves at least once in our lives.
Original article: https://www.entornoturistico.com/cicloturismo/
