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NB. this page is mirrorerd at http://www.ecotopiabiketour.net/?page_id=454
=What Biketour is=
=What Biketour is=
==english==
====intro====
The ecotopia biketour is an eco-mobile action community on its way to or from ecotopia.
Some 10 to 50 bikers from different backgrounds - nationality, age, language, experience -  cycle together towards [[ecotopia]], doing actions on their way and meet up with environmentally minded people and groups. They carry all [[equipment]] for camping on their bikes and trailers. It is a totally chaotic tour, with constantly changing sleeping places, group composition and food quality, but with some common things like:
[[consensus based decision making]], all [[tasks]] divided between the [[participants]], a sleeping place every night and breakfast, lunch and dinner for a [[participation fee]] calculated in [[ecos]] and collected by sigmund, our magic hat.


====sleeping places====
==intro==
The biketour is an eco-mobile action community.
 
Some 10 to 50 bikers from different backgrounds - nationality, age, language, experience -  cycle together, doing actions on their way and meet up with environmentally minded people and groups. They carry all [[equipment]] for camping on their bikes and trailers. It is a totally chaotic tour, with constantly changing sleeping places, group composition and food quality, but with some common things like:
 
[[Consensus|consensus based decision making]], all [[tasks]] divided between the participants, a [[Camp setup|sleeping place]] every night and breakfast, lunch and dinner for a moderate participation fee.
 
==sleeping places==


The basic BT sleeping place includes some space for tents.
The basic BT sleeping place includes some space for tents.
As nothing more is really needed, we made the experience that we can organize our sleeping places during the tour, during the day. This is nice sometimes - it strengthens the group feeling when people work together to find the place and to make up for its downsides.
As nothing more is really needed, we made the experience that we can organize our sleeping places during the tour, during the day. This is nice sometimes - it strengthens the group feeling when people work together to find the place and to make up for its downsides.


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Another type of sleeping place is schools and sport halls, which have quite some facilities.
Another type of sleeping place is schools and sport halls, which have quite some facilities.


====food====
==food==


The participants rotate the [[task]] of preparing a vegetarian breakfast, lunch and dinner. In our attempt to buy as local and eco food as possible we avoid big supermarkets with its highly packed and far travelled products but buy our food on local markets, small shops or from farmers we pass by. Usually we cook on wood fire, if we do not have access to a big kitchen, but for the iberian peninsula we might need another solution.
The participants rotate the task of preparing a vegetarian [[food|breakfast]], [[food|lunch]] and [[food|dinner]]. In our attempt to buy as local and organic food as possible we avoid big supermarkets with its highly packed and far travelled products but buy our food on local markets, small shops or from farmers we pass by. Usually we cook on wood fire, if we do not have access to a big kitchen.


====the [[route]]====
==the [[route]]==


We do prefer quiet asphalt roads in a beautiful scenery, slightly downhill. ~50 km per day. We do our best find them! A day with 30 km is very nice to fluff around and enjoy the not cycling sides of life. Do less on action days and none on resting days, where we should have 2 per week.A slow pace gives more time for the nice things of biketour, the brakes and workshops and a deeper picture of the sleeping places, but still you might have to expect harder day - busy roads, 80 km, 100 maybe with the shortcuts, some haste because some hosts are waiting...
We do prefer quiet asphalt roads in a beautiful scenery, slightly downhill. ~50 km per day. We do our best find them! A day with 30 km is very nice to fluff around and enjoy the not cycling sides of life. Do less on action days and none on resting days, where we should have 2 per week. A slow pace gives more time for the other nice things of biketour: to enjoy the surroundings, contact with local people, events and workshops. But still you might have to expect harder days - busy roads, 80 km, 100 maybe with the shortcuts, some haste because some hosts are waiting...


====consensus====
==consensus==


We work with consensus based decision making - not the majority decides, but everyone is included in the decision We do that since years, and we think that all decisions should be based on consensus. But we do also know, that none of us learned this in school and that there are certain human qualities which take care, that we will always have decision makers and people sitting quiet in the circle. Cultural and language barriers, human group behavior, gender specific behavior, highly motivated or very lazy people and the constantly changing group structure are standing against our try, but we think, it is important to train our communication and decision making skills and be patient during long morning circles, try new structures and experiment with the whole thing to live an alternative to what governments present as democracy.
We work with [[consensus]] based decision making - not the majority decides, but everyone is included in the decision We do that since years, and we think that all decisions should be based on consensus. But we do also know, that none of us learned this in school and that there are certain human qualities which take care, that we will always have decision makers and people sitting quiet in the circle. Cultural and language barriers, human group behaviour, gender specific behaviour, highly motivated or very lazy people and the constantly changing group structure are standing against our try, but we think, it is important to train our communication and decision making skills and be patient during long morning circles, try new structures and experiment with the whole thing to live an alternative to what governments present as democracy.


====eco-mobile ...====
==eco-mobile ...==


With this tour we do set an example how to travel in an ecological sound way. We do not use any motorized vehicles, transport all our stuff on our bike or with our trailors. We will reduce our garbage as much as possible, reuse most of it and try to recycle the rest. We shop locally and organically produced stuff, cook with wook and eat vegeterian meals. Every participant comes with a different background to the tour, different ideas how to behave ecological. During the tour we will learn from each other, how to do that, and find out the do's and don'ts. We consider it everyones personal decision to follow them, but we expect you to be open to listen to the reasons behind them and to stricktly follow them, if you do something for the whole group.
With this tour we do set an example how to travel in an ecological sound way. We do not use any motorized vehicles, transport all our stuff on our bike or with our trailers. We will reduce our garbage as much as possible, reuse most of it and try to recycle the rest. We shop locally and organically produced stuff, cook with wook and eat vegetarian meals. Every participant comes with a different background to the tour, different ideas how to behave ecological. During the tour we will learn from each other, how to do that, and find out the do's and dont's. We consider it everyone's personal decision to follow them, but we expect you to be open to listen to the reasons behind them and to strictly follow them, if you do something for the whole group.


====...action community====
==...action community==


Biketour connects with local groups and projects, by whom we are being hosted. They show us their project, their campaigns or their nightlife. and we might find a way to help them with our massive workforce, our positive motivated radiation, our ability to raise attention for a certain topic as an international biketour doing an action. On the one hand we see biketourists experiencing the host project, collecting ideas and get impressions of political realities, on the other hand the local group is visited by a cheerful crowd of open-minded foreign people, who bring some fresh wind and new ideas and tell of similar things happening at home.     
Biketour connects with local groups and projects, by whom we are being hosted. They show us their project, their campaigns or their nightlife. and we might find a way to help them with our massive workforce, our positive motivated radiation, our ability to raise attention for a certain topic as an international biketour doing an action. On the one hand we see biketourists experiencing the host project, collecting ideas and get impressions of political realities, on the other hand the local group is visited by a cheerful crowd of open-minded foreign people, who bring some fresh wind and new ideas and tell of similar things happening at home.     


====organizing network====
==organizing network==
 
The tour is organised by an open network of old and new participants, there is no NGO or party behind us. We do have a strong connection to EYFA [[http://www.eyfa.org/]] and WCN [[http://www.worldcarfree.net/]] though. This is also a call to you to join organising effords and to prepare stuff for the tour at home. There are people putting a shitload of work into this project, doing the international und national coordination, caring for  hosts, sleepingplaces, actions, participants, infrastructure, info-material and funding. Visit [[help out]] to see how to support them. Find out about the [[next meeting]], online or in real, where decisions are being taken and work distributed.
And although it is not easy to get rid of them we try to reduce hierachies by abolishing the difference between organisers and participants during the tour : everyone is an organiser !!
 
====money====
 
Biketour is a cheap way to travel. Right now we prpose a daily fee of 8 eco per day. The Eco is EYFA's alternative currency, calculated every year for every participating country. 8 eco are roughly 8 euros for someone from the rich west and around 3-4 ecos people from poorer countries. But this money is collected anonymously by Sigmund, the magic hat. So if you are rich enough to support some less wealthy person, you have the chance to give more, or less if you happen not to own much money.
Sometimes we are very lucky with funding, but generally we are the poor type. Asking for free entry or reduction everywhere as we are a big international group with poor eastern europeans and should get everything for free. We can also ask farmers and shop owners for (food) donations, so that in general the costs stay low. On the other hand there are really nice project on our way and we want them to profit from our stay. Not only through the higher media interest, but if possible by leaving some money. But even more valuable are friendship and inspiration exchanged between participants and locals.
 
====conclusion====
 
There is quite some magic happening around biketour, chaos everywhere, things not working out, being different than expected and a lot of improvisation. But in these rooms, this not organized part, which people have to cope with together, will be filled with the nicest minutes and be the time, when friendships grow. Leave place for creativity, BT itself cost a lot of time and energy per day, trust in the biketour ability to work things out herself:]
 
==espanol==
 
El Biketour del Ecotopia es una comunidad activa eco-móvil de camino a o desde Ecotopia.
Unos 10 a 50 ciclistas de diversas características - nacionalidad, edad, lengua, experiencia - completan un ciclo juntos hacia Ecotopia, haciendo acciones en el camino y reúnen a gente y a grupos interesados por el medio ambiente. Todos llevan acoplado en sus bicis equipo para acampar. Es un viaje totalmente caótico, con los lugares donde dormir, la composición del grupo y el valor nutritivo en constante cambio, pero con algunas cosas comunes como:
toma de decisión basada en el consenso, todas las tareas divididas entre los participantes, un lugar donde dormir cada noche y desayuno, almuerzo y cena mediante una cuota participativa calculada en ecos y recogida por "Sigmund", nuestro sombrero mágico.
 
1:) de los lugares donde dormir
 
El lugar básico el dormir de BT incluye un cierto espacio para las tiendas.
Pues nada más es realmente necesario, hicimos la experiencia que podemos organizar nuestros lugares el dormir durante el viaje, durante el día. Esto es agradable a veces - consolida la sensación del grupo cuando la gente trabaja junta para encontrar el lugar y para compensar sus desventajas.
 
Las características básicas que no deben faltar con ningún lugar organizado el dormir son fuente del agua potable, un lugar del fuego a cocinar y madera en alcance.
 
también son apreciadas por los participantes las duchas calientes/sauna, un lago/lugar para nadar, los tocadores, una azotea, un cuarto del desayuno, una cocina equipada para los grupos grandes, algunos entran en contacto con e intercambio con los locals, una acción, instalaciones del Internet, información sobre los alrededores - tiendas de la bici, los mercados (del eco), donde conseguir productos de los granjeros locales, las trampas del turista…
 
Otro tipo de lugar el dormir es escuelas y los pasillos de deporte, que tienen absolutamente algunas instalaciones.
¡Se cercioran de, son lugar para un fuego que cocina!
 
Intentamos no pagar los lugares el dormir, o si conseguir las reducciones grandes, como nosotros somos un ecotopoor con la gente pobre de ensamblar de Europa Oriental. 2 euros/personas/noches se parecen un precio aceptable. a menos que decidamos apoyar ese proyecto cerca nos están recibiendo - entonces tenemos gusto de pagar más ~ si podemos permitirnos lo.
 
''' 2:) ''' del alimento
 
Compramos nuestro alimento en mercados locales o de granjeros pasamos cerca, como eco como posible y cocinero en el fuego de madera, si no tenemos acceso a una cocina grande. Nada organizar para eso, salvo que un grupo local pudieron pedir de antemano donaciones del alimento…
 
''' 3:) ''' del registro
 
Poblar venido e ir en biketour. Solamente algunos de ellos registro, y solamente alguna gente registrada vienen. Los planes lo cambian… son duros conseguir un número próximo para contar encendido - 10 a 50 es absolutamente exactos.
 
''' 4:) el ''' de la ruta
 
Preferimos carreteras de asfalto reservadas en un paisaje hermoso, levemente cuesta abajo. ~50 kilómetro por día. Y tomar esto serio. Un día con 30 kilómetros es muy agradable a la pelusa alrededor y goza de los lados que no completan un ciclo de la vida. Hacer menos en días y ningunos de la acción el los días de descanso, donde debemos tener 2 por semana. no que allí BT no puede hacer más, él es bueno conseguir a gente pasar sus fronteras a veces, pero un paso lento da más hora para las cosas agradables del biketour, los frenos y los talleres y un cuadro más profundo de los lugares el dormir. Si u no puede encontrar un lugar el dormir para cubrir ese agujero de los 90km entre esos 2 muy agradables, licencia justa él abierto al grupo para encontrar uno. Si la gente desea completar un ciclo más, ella es siempre agradable hacer eso en su propia cuenta.
 
''' 5:) ''' del consenso
 
Experimentamos con la toma de decisión basada consenso. Hacemos eso desde años, y pensamos que todas las decisiones se deben basar en consenso. Pero también sabemos, ese ningunos de nosotros aprendieron que esto en escuela y ése hay ciertas calidades humanas que toman cuidado, que tendremos siempre responsables y gente que se sientan silenciosamente en el círculo. las barreras linguísticas culturales y, la gente altamente motivada o muy perezosa del comportamiento humano del grupo, del comportamiento específico del género, y la estructura del grupo constantemente que cambia están estando paradas contra nuestro intento, pero pensamos, él somos importantes entrenar a nuestras habilidades de la comunicación y de la toma de decisión y ser pacientes durante círculos largos de la mañana, estructuras del intento las nuevos y experimento con la cosa entera a vivir un alternativa a qué gobiernos presentan como democracia.
 
''' 6:) ''' local de la implicación
 
Deseamos traer un intercambio entre los biketourers y los locals. Los buenos lugares el dormir son organizados por los grupos locales, que necesitan ayuda con una cierta acción o desean presentar su proyecto. una posibilidad al presente ourselves se aprecia siempre, y algún partido/concierto/bailar hacen a alguna gente feliz. Pero observar que BT es totalmente caótico y famoso para que su capacidad sea atrasado. Grande si la gente local nos ensambla por algunos días, o por lo menos para el campfire o la publicación. Conseguirlo a una integración más local del viaje es también importante hacer que un buen nacional exceda para los participantes, de modo que haya absolutamente alguna gente que habla la lengua local en el viaje.
 
''' 7:) ''' de organización de la comunidad
 
Tenemos generalmente un coordinador internacional en el centro y él debe tener la descripción. Este año nadie estaba dispuesto a tomar el trabajo, así que lo dimos a [[RUEDA]] en lugar de otro. Esto es un cuerpo que resuelve cada segunda semana vía [[skype]], un foro para intercambiar entre todos los partidos activos, y para que todos los vagos perezosos den sus dos centavos.
 
Entonces hay los equipos nacionales con sus coordinadores nacionales, a veces varios en un país grande. Ésos trabajan en su ruta y materia nacionales, pero también junto en la materia internacional común. Y hay algunos veteranos, que ayudan hacia fuera a organizar o pueden por lo menos ser pedidos consejo.
 
Está tan fresco; hay una comunidad internacional fuerte del biketour. Es justo no así que visible vía Internet, trabaja más con conocimiento personal. Alguna gente tiene gusto de completar un ciclo más que mecanografiando. Pero tenemos 15 años de historia y las porciones de gente han sido entusiásticas sobre BT durante este tiempo. Es un preludio a una amistad agradable, y usted puede viajar los BT-sofás que practican surf de Europa.
 
''' 8:) ''' del dinero
 
Somos a veces muy afortunados con el financiamiento, pero somos generalmente el tipo pobre. Pidiendo entrada o la reducción libre por todas partes, pues somos un grupo internacional grande con europeos del este pobres y debemos conseguir todo para libre. Por otra parte hay proyecto realmente agradable sobre nuestra manera y quisiéramos que se beneficiaran de nuestra estancia. No sólo con el interés más alto de los medios, pero si es posible dejando un poco de dinero. Pero aún más valiosa son la amistad y la inspiración intercambiadas entre los participantes y los locals.
 
''' 9:) ''' de la conclusión
 
Hay una absolutamente cierta magia que sucede alrededor de biketour, de caos por todas partes, de cosas que no se resuelven, siendo diferente que esperado y los muchos de improvisación. Pero en estos cuartos, esta parte no organizada, que la gente tiene que hacer frente a junto, será llenada de los minutos más agradables y ser el tiempo, cuando las amistades crecen. Dejar el lugar para la creatividad, BT sí mismo costado mucho tiempo y la energía por el día, confianza en la capacidad del biketour a las cosas del trabajo hacia fuera ella misma:]
 
==portugues==
 
O biketour do ecotopia é uma eco-comunidade móvel activista a caminho do ou desde o [[Ecotopia]].
Cerca de 10 a 50 ciclistas de origens diferentes - nacionalidade, idade, idioma, experiência - pedalam juntos para o [[Ecotopia]], fazendo acções durante o caminho e encontrando-se com pessoas e associações que se preocupam com as questões ambientais. Carregam todo o seu [[equipment#portugues|equipamento]] para acampar e cozinhar nas suas bicicletas e atrelados. É uma excursão muito espontânea e diversificada, constantemente mudando de lugares para dormir, composição do grupo e qualidade da comida, mas com algumas coisas comuns como:
[[Consensus_based_decision_making#portugues|tomadas de decisão baseadas no consenso]], todas as [[tasks#portugues|tarefas]] divididas entre os [[participants#portugues|participantes]], um lugar diferente onde dormir em cada noite e pequeno almoço, almoço e jantar por uma [[participation_fee#portugues|taxa da participação]] calculado em [[ecos]] e colectado no sigmund, o nosso chapéu mágico.
 
''' 1:) ''' lugares de dormida
 
O lugar básico de dormida de BT inclui algum espaço para tendas.
Porque nada mais é na realidade necessário, a experiência ensinou-nos que podemos organizar os nossos lugares de dormida ao longo da excursão, durante o próprio dia. Isto pode ser agradável - reforçando o sentimento de grupo quando as pessoas trabalham juntas para encontrar um sítio onde dormir.
 
As características básicas que não devem faltar em qualquer lugar organizado de dormida são água potável, um lugar para cozinhar com fogo e madeira acessível (ponto a reavaliar).
 
São apreciados também pelos participantes os chuveiros quentes/sauna, um lago/lugar para nadar, casas-de-banho, um tecto, um quarto para pequeno-almoço, uma cozinha equipada para grupos grandes, alguns contactos e partilha com a população local, uma acção, acesso Internet, informação sobre os arredores - lojas de bicicleta, mercados (tradicionais), onde encontrar produtos dos agricultores locais, algumas armadilhas para turistas ;)…
 
Um outro tipo de lugar para dormir são escolas e salões desportivos, que têm algumas das condições necessárias para receber o BT. Certifiquem-se contudo que existe sítio para cozinhar!
 
Nós tentamos não pagar pelos lugares para dormir ou então que se obtenham grandes reduções, dado que somos muitas vezes um "ecotopoor" com participantes da Europa Oriental. 2 euro/pessoa/noite parece um preço razoável. Excepto quando decidimos apoiar o projecto onde estamos hospedados - nesse caso gostamos de pagar mais ~ se tivermos recursos para tal.
 
''' 2:) ''' alimentação
 
Os alimentos são sempre que possível comprados em mercados locais ou em agricultores perto de onde passamos, o mais "eco" e biológico possível, e cozinhamos numa fogueira, se não tivermos acesso a uma cozinha grande. Nada é necessário organizar para a alimentação, a não ser quando um grupo local pedir de antemão doações para a refeição (preparadas por eles)…
 
''' 3:) ''' registo
 
As pessoas chegam e partem do biketour. Somente alguns deles se registam, e somente alguns registados de facto vêm. Os planos mudam… é difícil prever um número aproximado confiável - 10 a 50 pessoas em simultâneo é uma boa aproximação.
 
''' 4:) ''' rota
 
Preferimos estradas de asfalto tranquilas com um cenário bonito, ligeiramente a descer, fazendo 50 quilómetros por dia em média. E tomem isto a sério! Um dia com 30 quilómetros é muito agradável para "engonhar" e apreciar os lados de não pedalanço da vida. O ideal é fazer menos em dias de acções e nada nos dias de descanso, os quais devem existir 2 vezes por semana. Não é que o BT não possa fazer mais, pois estimular as pessoas a ultrapassar os seus limites às vezes é bom, mas um ritmo lento dá mais tempo para as coisas agradáveis do biketour, as pausas e os seminários e um retrato mais profundo dos lugares por onde se passa. Se não puder encontrar um lugar para dormir cobrindo esse furo de 90km entre aqueles 2 locais muito interessantes, o melhor é deixar em aberto para que o grupo encontre um. Se os participantes quiserem pedalar mais, são sempre bem-vindos fazendo-o por sua própria conta.
 
''' 5:) ''' consenso
 
Parte importante do BT é aprender e experimentar o processo de tomadas de decisão baseadas no consenso. Desde há anos que o fazemos, e pensamos que todas as decisões deveriam ser baseadas no consenso. Mas também se sabe que nenhum de nós aprendeu isto na escola e que existem determinadas qualidades humanas que se evidenciam mais nuns que noutros, em que teremos sempre alguns responsáveis pelas decisões e outros que se sentarão nos círculos sem participar. As barreiras culturais e de idioma, comportamento de grupo, comportamentos específicos consoante o sexo, pessoas altamente motivadas ou muito preguiçosas, e a estrutura constantemente em mudança do grupo serão resistências às nossas tentativas, mas pensamos que é importante treinar as nossas habilidades de comunicação e de tomada de decisão, sendo pacientes durante círculos longos pelas manhãs, testando novas estruturas e a experimentando tudo o que possa ser viver uma alternativa ao que os governos apresentam como democracia.
 
''' 6:) ''' participação local
 
Uma interacção entre os participantes do BT e a população local é sempre desejada. Bons locais de passagem são organizados pelos grupos locais que necessitam de ajuda com alguma campanha ou acção, ou querem promover os seus projectos. A possibilidade de nos apresentarmos é sempre apreciada, e  festas/concertos/dança fazem sempre as pessoas felizes. Mas é preciso ter em conta que o BT tem uma dinâmica muito espontânea e imprevisível, sendo famoso pela sua habilidade em chegar atrasado. As pessoas locais serão muito bem vindas, em especial se se juntarem a nós por alguns dias, ou pelo menos ao nosso círculo ou a um café/bar. Para ter uma integração mais local durante a excursão é também importante ter uma divulgação nacional, para que haja participantes que falem a língua local durante a excursão.
 
''' 7:) ''' comunidade de organizadores


Nos anos recentes tem havido um coordenador internacional que deve ter uma visão geral do projecto. Este ano ninguém esteve disposto a fazer essa tarefa (por motivos vários), e assim ficou a cargo da [[WHEEL#portugues|RODA]]. Este é um corpo que se encontra de duas em duas semanas através do [[skype]], um forum para trocar experiência e questões entre todas as partes activas.
The tour is organised by an [[Wheel|open network of old and new participants]], there is no NGO or party behind us. We do have a strong connection to [http://www.eyfa.org/ EYFA] and [http://www.worldcarfree.net WCN] though. This is also a call to you to join organising efforts and to prepare stuff for the tour at home. There are people putting a shitload of work into this project, doing the [[International Coordinator|international]] and [[National Coordinator|national coordination]], caring for  hosts, sleepingplaces, actions, participants, infrastructure, info-material and funding. Visit help out to see how to support them. Find out about the [[nextmeeting|next meeting]], on-line or in real, where decisions are being taken and work distributed.
And although it is not easy to get rid of them we try to reduce hierarchies by abolishing the difference between organisers and participants during the tour : everyone is an organiser !!


Depois existem as equipas nacionais com o respectivo coordenador nacional, às vezes mais do que um em países grandes. Estes trabalham nas suas rotas e questões nacionais, mas também envolvendo-se nas questões internacionais comuns. E depois há alguns veteranos, que ajudam a organizar ou a quem se pode pelo menos pedir conselhos.
==money==


É muito interessante; há uma comunidade "biketour" internacional forte. É certo que não é assim tão visível através da Internet, pois trabalha mais com conhecimento pessoal. Algumas pessoas gostam mais de pedalar do que dactilografar. Mas nós temos 15 anos do história e muitas pessoas têm sido entusiásticas sobre o BT durante todo este tempo. É o começo a uma amizade agradável, e poderão viajar pelos BT-couches da Europa e mundo.
Biketour is a cheap way to travel. Right now we propose a daily fee of 8 eco per day. The [[Ecos|Eco]] is EYFA's alternative currency, calculated every year for every participating country. 8 eco are roughly 8 euros for someone from the rich west and around 3-4 ecos people from poorer countries. But this money is collected anonymously by Sigmund, the magic hat. So if you are rich enough to support some less wealthy person, you have the chance to give more, or less if you happen not to own much money.


''' 8:) ''' dinheiro
Sometimes we are very lucky with funding, but generally we are the poor type. Asking for free entry or reduction everywhere as we are a big international group with poor eastern Europeans and should get everything for free. We can also ask farmers and shop owners for (food) donations, so that in general the costs stay low. On the other hand there are really nice project on our way and we want them to profit from our stay. Not only through the higher media interest, but if possible by leaving some money. But even more valuable are friendship and inspiration exchanged between participants and locals.


Por vezes temos sorte com os financiamentos, mas geralmente andamos a contar os tostões. Pedimos entrada livre ou redução de preço em muitos sítios, porque somos um grupo internacional grande, muitas vezes com europeus de leste com fracos recursos e tentamos ter apenas o essencial e de forma barata ou grátis. Por outro lado existem projectos realmente agradáveis nos nossos trajectos e queremos que ganhem com a nossa estadia. Não apenas com o interesse mais elevado dos meios de comunicação, mas se possível deixando algum dinheiro. Mas ainda mais valiosos são a amizade e a inspiração trocados entre participantes e habitantes locais.
==conclusion==


''' 9:) ''' conclusão
There is quite some magic happening around biketour, chaos everywhere, things not working out, being different than expected and a lot of improvisation. But in these rooms, this not organized part, which people have to cope with together, will be filled with the nicest minutes and be the time, when friendships grow. Leave place for creativity, BT itself cost a lot of time and energy per day, trust in the biketour ability to work things out herself :]


Há algo completamente mágico que acontece em volta do biketour, muita espontaneidade e algum caos, coisas que não funcionam, situações diferentes do esperado e muita improvisação. Mas estas ocasiões, esta parte não organizada em que as pessoas têm que lidar em grupo, será preenchida com minutos agradáveis e será o momento em que amizades crescem. Dê lugar à criatividade, o próprio BT implica muito tempo e energia dispendidos por dia, confie na habilidade do biketour de resolver as coisas por ele próprio:]
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Latest revision as of 18:40, 22 December 2015

NB. this page is mirrorerd at http://www.ecotopiabiketour.net/?page_id=454

What Biketour is

intro

The biketour is an eco-mobile action community.

Some 10 to 50 bikers from different backgrounds - nationality, age, language, experience - cycle together, doing actions on their way and meet up with environmentally minded people and groups. They carry all equipment for camping on their bikes and trailers. It is a totally chaotic tour, with constantly changing sleeping places, group composition and food quality, but with some common things like:

consensus based decision making, all tasks divided between the participants, a sleeping place every night and breakfast, lunch and dinner for a moderate participation fee.

sleeping places

The basic BT sleeping place includes some space for tents.

As nothing more is really needed, we made the experience that we can organize our sleeping places during the tour, during the day. This is nice sometimes - it strengthens the group feeling when people work together to find the place and to make up for its downsides.

Basic features which should not miss with any organized sleeping place are drinking water supply, a fire place to cook and wood in reach.

also appreciated by participants are hot showers/sauna, a lake/ place to swim, toilets, a roof, a breakfast room, a kitchen equipped for big groups, some contact and exchange with locals, an action, internet facilities, information about the surroundings - bike shops, (eco)markets, where to get products from local farmers, tourist traps ...

Another type of sleeping place is schools and sport halls, which have quite some facilities.

food

The participants rotate the task of preparing a vegetarian breakfast, lunch and dinner. In our attempt to buy as local and organic food as possible we avoid big supermarkets with its highly packed and far travelled products but buy our food on local markets, small shops or from farmers we pass by. Usually we cook on wood fire, if we do not have access to a big kitchen.

the route

We do prefer quiet asphalt roads in a beautiful scenery, slightly downhill. ~50 km per day. We do our best find them! A day with 30 km is very nice to fluff around and enjoy the not cycling sides of life. Do less on action days and none on resting days, where we should have 2 per week. A slow pace gives more time for the other nice things of biketour: to enjoy the surroundings, contact with local people, events and workshops. But still you might have to expect harder days - busy roads, 80 km, 100 maybe with the shortcuts, some haste because some hosts are waiting...

consensus

We work with consensus based decision making - not the majority decides, but everyone is included in the decision We do that since years, and we think that all decisions should be based on consensus. But we do also know, that none of us learned this in school and that there are certain human qualities which take care, that we will always have decision makers and people sitting quiet in the circle. Cultural and language barriers, human group behaviour, gender specific behaviour, highly motivated or very lazy people and the constantly changing group structure are standing against our try, but we think, it is important to train our communication and decision making skills and be patient during long morning circles, try new structures and experiment with the whole thing to live an alternative to what governments present as democracy.

eco-mobile ...

With this tour we do set an example how to travel in an ecological sound way. We do not use any motorized vehicles, transport all our stuff on our bike or with our trailers. We will reduce our garbage as much as possible, reuse most of it and try to recycle the rest. We shop locally and organically produced stuff, cook with wook and eat vegetarian meals. Every participant comes with a different background to the tour, different ideas how to behave ecological. During the tour we will learn from each other, how to do that, and find out the do's and dont's. We consider it everyone's personal decision to follow them, but we expect you to be open to listen to the reasons behind them and to strictly follow them, if you do something for the whole group.

...action community

Biketour connects with local groups and projects, by whom we are being hosted. They show us their project, their campaigns or their nightlife. and we might find a way to help them with our massive workforce, our positive motivated radiation, our ability to raise attention for a certain topic as an international biketour doing an action. On the one hand we see biketourists experiencing the host project, collecting ideas and get impressions of political realities, on the other hand the local group is visited by a cheerful crowd of open-minded foreign people, who bring some fresh wind and new ideas and tell of similar things happening at home.

organizing network

The tour is organised by an open network of old and new participants, there is no NGO or party behind us. We do have a strong connection to EYFA and WCN though. This is also a call to you to join organising efforts and to prepare stuff for the tour at home. There are people putting a shitload of work into this project, doing the international and national coordination, caring for hosts, sleepingplaces, actions, participants, infrastructure, info-material and funding. Visit help out to see how to support them. Find out about the next meeting, on-line or in real, where decisions are being taken and work distributed. And although it is not easy to get rid of them we try to reduce hierarchies by abolishing the difference between organisers and participants during the tour : everyone is an organiser !!

money

Biketour is a cheap way to travel. Right now we propose a daily fee of 8 eco per day. The Eco is EYFA's alternative currency, calculated every year for every participating country. 8 eco are roughly 8 euros for someone from the rich west and around 3-4 ecos people from poorer countries. But this money is collected anonymously by Sigmund, the magic hat. So if you are rich enough to support some less wealthy person, you have the chance to give more, or less if you happen not to own much money.

Sometimes we are very lucky with funding, but generally we are the poor type. Asking for free entry or reduction everywhere as we are a big international group with poor eastern Europeans and should get everything for free. We can also ask farmers and shop owners for (food) donations, so that in general the costs stay low. On the other hand there are really nice project on our way and we want them to profit from our stay. Not only through the higher media interest, but if possible by leaving some money. But even more valuable are friendship and inspiration exchanged between participants and locals.

conclusion

There is quite some magic happening around biketour, chaos everywhere, things not working out, being different than expected and a lot of improvisation. But in these rooms, this not organized part, which people have to cope with together, will be filled with the nicest minutes and be the time, when friendships grow. Leave place for creativity, BT itself cost a lot of time and energy per day, trust in the biketour ability to work things out herself :]