About

Joe Cruz

Adventure cyclist, writer, and philosopher (no, really). Former factory xc team racer for Soul Cycles. Based in New York City and Williamstown, Massachusetts.

Email: jcruz at williams dot edu
Instagram: joecruz1
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1

Glenn Charles on 13 November 2011 at 12:41 pm
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Love the blog! Can you tell me what you are using for water bottle holders on your rear seat stays? Thanks and happy travels!

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- 2
  
  joecruz on 13 November 2011 at 1:34 pm
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  Hey Glenn, thanks for visiting and for the kind words. I was excited when I was hit with the brainwave of attaching the rear cages, since I definitely had a capacity problem. They are just two standard cages with the upper bolt holes affixed to the Pugsley rear rack mount braze ons. The bottle holders are then perfectly positioned to use a hose clamp against the chainstay. The clearest picture, I think, is here:
  
  The cages themselves are just generic alu ones I bought here in Peru.
  
  Cheers,
  Joe
  
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3

ron & petra on 18 November 2011 at 2:02 pm
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Hello Joe,

We just discovered your blog from your “Cycling to Machu Pichu” link posted on bicycletravelbloggers.org. We hope to one day make it down there and backpack up to MP, but cycling it would be even better! Are you traveling around the world? Also, we like your USA made Cycling Gear tab and have thought about doing the same thing on ours. Our bikes are USA made (co-motion) and our cloths come from Ibex.

ron & petra

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  joecruz on 21 November 2011 at 8:38 am
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  Hey Ron, Petra,
  
  Thanks for dropping by. I’m not on a world trip, just some months down in South America before I return in the spring to my university job. I am, of course, having a splendid time here and you no doubt will, too.
  
  I love the Co-motion bikes, they are lovely. I had a chance to visit their facility when I was in town to hang out at Bike Friday. And Ibex is half my travel wardrobe!
  
  All best,
  Joe
  
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5

Aaron M on 20 November 2011 at 11:15 am
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Mr. Cruz,

Whilst searching fat-tire info I stumbled across your blog. You’ve got a good thing going & thanks for sharing it. I enjoy your writings very much & it inspires me to strike out on my own, albeit less extensive, adventures. My life is a bit of transition & requires something of a rooted behaviour but I’ll continue to live semi-vicariously through your posts until I can fly free again. Thanks again.

Aaron M

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6

adam Fujita on 11 December 2011 at 9:38 am
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Senor Cruz!!!!
Greetings from Brooklyn New York. I came across your blog while doing a google image search and your Surly came up. I am planning a California tour with my wife next May and we are in the process of buying our first Co Motion tandem. I have toured solo several times in the US and Europe and Africa. Seeing your blog gives me great inspiration and of course is very entertaining. Are you still in Peru? Where are you off to next???

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  joecruz on 12 December 2011 at 9:31 am
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  Hey Adam, thanks for visiting and for your kind words. I’ll look forward to seeing your Co-Motion. Great guys; I got to visit with them a bit when I was in town hanging with close friends at Bike Friday.
  
  Right now in Bolivia, headed south.
  
  Brooklyn? Maybe we’ll get to ride together some time, I’m down there quite often.
  
  All best,
  Joe
  
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8

befaster on 18 June 2012 at 5:12 pm
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Hey, great blog! And you had me when you said philosopher, I actually had to click it and was amazed to have my doubts proven wrong! And here I thought every blogger was a “philosopher”… I look forward to reading more, especially the postcards!

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9

pogi on 4 December 2012 at 9:37 am
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hey joe, how did you go about those worn fat tires in South Am? did you ship one ahead of time? or the set of tires you have were good enough until the end of the tour?

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  joecruz on 13 December 2012 at 10:29 am
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  Hey Pogi,
  
  I didn’t ship a tire ahead and instead just made do with the pair that I started with. At the end they were both pretty cracked and threadbare, but they got me to the end of the trip! If necessary, my plan was to mount the biggest downhill tire I could find (there were plenty in, say, La Paz).
  
  Joe
  
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11

Cody on 5 March 2013 at 8:51 am
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Hey Joe!! My name is Cody and I am an avid adventure seeking out adventure here in Mississippi whenever I get a break from Nursing school. I currently have a disc trucker that I love with all of my heart! I am looking at buying a Surly Pugsley in the next few months. I just wanted to get your opinion of how it navigates on regular trails, since we get snow, if lucky, every 3 to 5 years. Also I would like to know about the stability of the saddle bag that is equipped in the photo that shows your bike equipped for South Africa. Does it stay still when turning, going over bumps, etc? Thanks so much, Cody

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  joecruz on 12 March 2013 at 9:27 pm
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  Hey Cody,
  
  Thanks for visiting and for writing. My views on the Surly Pugsley have been on an upward trajectory for several years now. I’ve always appreciated how well it rides and how capable it is in loose, soft terrain, but after touring on it in Alaska then for a long span in South America, it’s flat out my favorite bike. It goes anywhere and has been a durable, fun-inducing machine for me. People also love to talk about it, so it’s a fun way to break the ice. I ride it on snow plenty, but that’s far from its main use for me these days. It’s just a capable all around bike.
  
  Now, I think more or less the same thing about your disc trucker. That’s about as versatile a bike as I can imagine, especially with big tires on it. (Is yours a 26″ wheeled version? I’ve easily put 2.1″ mountain bike tires on mine.) Are you sure you wouldn’t be just as happy using the Trucker as a trail bike, too? How about if you put a riser bar on it, like this:
  
  Unless you’re trying to keep up with a faster crowd on full suspension bikes, the Trucker can be a pleasure in the dirt.
  
  Finally, as far as the Revelate saddle bag: it’s VERY stable. Even packed full there is little side to side sway, and virtually no bobbing up and down. I wouldn’t dream of touring without it.
  
  Hope that helps a little,
  Joe
  
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13

Stephen on 24 May 2013 at 11:04 pm
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Hi Joe,

Lots of great stuff here, and too many links for me to look at(!). I do have one question though: Where was the main photo at the top of the page taken? My guess is near the top of a pass (whose name escapes me) in Himachal Pradesh, but I’d really like to know.

Thanks, and keep up the good work,
Stephen

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  joecruz on 28 May 2013 at 1:26 pm
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  Hi Stephen—Thanks for visiting! The banner photo is actually from the other side of the world from Himachal Pradesh: it’s in Bolivia, east of La Paz in the Andes. That was a painful, wonderful day.
  
  All the best,
  Joe
  
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15

teacritter on 25 September 2013 at 12:40 pm
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Nice areas of specialization, Just added ‘The Chimerical Appeal of Epistemic Externalism’ to my weeks reading list. 🙂 Really enjoyed the Tibet album, Thanks.

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16

Vibhash kumar on 13 November 2013 at 4:41 pm
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Hello joe, i want to know that is any international type of racing is going to organise in asia(near india).

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