Tyler Postema is a Michigan native who recently did his first bicycle tour. The PedalCell team sat down with Tyler to hear about his experiences and lessons learned on his trip.

Tyler came from a bicycling background primarily of 40-60 mile day trip loops. In 2022, he decided to set off on his first multi-day bicycle tour from Grand Rapids, Michigan, to Mackinaw City, Michigan. The trip totaled ~250 miles. 

Unlike most tourers, Tyler opted for a lighter touring setup, "I put my work lunchbox on my rear rack with some food held in a zipped compartment. I had a backpack with my hammock, blanket, spare clothes, and bug net." He further mentioned that getting bicycle bags and panniers is a must for future tours to keep the weight off his back.

Tyler found his PedalCell to be essential on his tour. He used PedalCell to keep his phone and bicycle light powered without stopping at charging points like restaurants and gas stations, "I didn't have a problem keeping my devices at 100%, even with heavy screen and GPS usage. Having a charged phone was very important, especially on a first tour where I wanted to keep my network in the loop in case of an emergency."

Tyler found the most significant difference between his day trips and bicycle tours was the fatigue, "I'd wake up in the morning feeling sore and legs like jelly... but it was important to keep moving forward." He plans to do another cross-state tour soon and keeps an ongoing log of his trips on his Instagram: @westmichiganbiking.

Check out the above interview for the full video. Stay tuned for more PedalCell bicycle adventure stories coming soon!