Biketravellers.com

Congratulations to Mark Beaumont for finishing yet another interesting trip. He climbed Denali (mt McKinley), then cycled most of the way to Argentina, climbed Mt Aconcagua (another one of the “7summits”), and continued to Ushuaia, the most Southern point in the Americas. This had not been done before and he even raised money for charity on this well-publicized trip. Good for him.

I just read some news pages and noted several people’s critiques, already during and now also after his trip. About how his trip was sponsored, what kind of person he is, about publicity. I left a comment on one of the Bike news sites and will copy that here and expand a bit as I think it might be interesting for other BikeTravellers:

We met Mark in Guatemala and had a nice dinner together (photo here). By that time we were already more than a year on our way and now he is finished, we are still in Venezuela

Yes, there are more people cycling the Americas (actually many are in contact regularly for tips, help etc), but every trip is different. Different route, different motivations, different people, different journey. All the critics should maybe try it before they complain about anyone? I promise it will change your outlook on life and view of others. See http://OnTheRoad.biketravellers.com for a regular updated collection of cycling stories or open your own blog here on http://Biketravellers.com.

It is so easy to complain and judge without even meeting a person or doing anything yourself. And yes, there will also be critique from others who have actually done something themself, because they feel the need to show that their way is the only right way. I know from experience that this is true for any physical or mental endeavour, whether it is a cycling trip or climbing the 7 summits.
Just let it go, enjoy your own short life while you can and get out there, whether on a bike, walking or whatever. If you do it for yourself? Great. If you can help somebody else at the same time? Great. If you do or write anything interesting, I’ll find you on Twitter and get inspired by you and will defend you from the naysayers. And if you rase one penny for charity? Good for you. If you don’t? No worries.

Cycling in Alaska

The only thing I agree with is that James Bowthorpe did not get enough attention, but you cannot blame Mark for that, that’s a bit silly. How many complainers did Tweet/notify/ their favourite newspaper/website about James? Would take less time than bitching on a news site about somebody else.

Anyway, congratulations to Mark for doing what he did. I had the same plan 10 years ago. I did climb both mountains (twice), but did not cycle between them until now. His journey was different than mine would have been and that’s great.

Mark is a nice guy in person. You should try to meet up with him (or anybody you attack as a person) for Pizza and a beer. At least you would know a person for a bit and can judge him/her afterwards if you feel the need, but what’s the point? Leading by example is not the best way to influence people, it is the only way. (correction: Einstein’s quote was actually: Setting an example is not the main means of influencing another, it is the only means“)

Happy riding, cheers from Chavez country
Harry

http://WorldOnaBike.com
http://Biketravellers.com

Embeds

Starting with WordPress 2.9, it’s super easy to embed videos, images, and other content into your WordPress site.

In A Nutshell

You could always easily embed videos from extrenal sites using the plugin Vipers Video’s quicktags.

We just upgraded to the newset version of wordpress and now all you need to do to embed something into a post or page is to post the URL to it into your content area. Make sure that the URL is on its own line and not hyperlinked (clickable when viewing the post).

For example:

Check out this cool video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTDNLUzjkpg

That was a cool video.

WordPress will automatically turn that into a YouTube embed when the post is viewed. (Check the “Auto-embeds” check box in Administration > Settings > Media SubPanel.)

You can also opt to wrap the URL in the shortcode. It will accomplish the same effect, but does not require the URL to be on its own line and the “Auto-embeds” setting.

oEmbed

The easy embedding feature is mostly powered by oEmbed, a protocol for site A (such as your blog) to ask site B (such as YouTube) for the HTML needed to embed content (such as a video) from site B.

oEmbed was designed to avoid having to copy and paste HTML from the site hosting the media you wish to embed. It supports videos, images, text, and more.

Can I Use Any URL With This?

Not by default, no. WordPress will only embed URLs matching an internal whitelist. This is for security purposes.

Okay, So What Sites Can I Embed From?

You can use all of these:

• YouTube
• Vimeo
• DailyMotion
• blip.tv
• Flickr (both videos and images)
• Viddler
• Hulu
• Qik
• Revision3
• Scribd
• Photobucket
• PollDaddy
• Google Video
• WordPress.tv (only VideoPress-type videos for the time being)

How Can I Add Support For More Websites?

Adding support for an additional website depends on whether the site supports oEmbed or not.

Adding Support For An oEmbed-Enabled Site

If a site supports oEmbed, you’ll want to call wp_oembed_add_provider() to add the site and URL format to the internal whitelist.

Adding Support For A Non-oEmbed Site

You’ll need to register a handler using wp_embed_register_handler() and provide a callback function that generates the HTML.

What About oEmbed Discovery?

The oEmbed implementation in WordPress has discovery disabled. By default, you can only embed from websites that are listed on the internal whitelist. This is to prevent accidental embedding from malicious websites.

However if you feel you are knowledgeable enough to avoid this, you can give unfiltered_html users (Administrators and Editors) the ability to embed from websites that have oEmbed discovery tags in their <head>. You merely need to install Enable oEmbed Discovery plugin.

External Resources

• Summary of this feature by the author of this code
• Webmonkey guide to oEmbed
• Official oEmbed website (technical details of the spec)

You might have noticed a few changes already

After some testing, we have added the community features to BikeTravellers.com. What does this mean for you and your blog?

Your blog is still the same (yourname.biketravellers.com), so nothing changes there. You might only notice a new adminstration bar on top, with links to your new profile, your blogs and more. Check it out!

• On the new homepage a lot has changed: you can now see the latest posts of all bikebloggers, the latest comments and much more.
• There are now links to lists of blogs, users, forums and more, check out the menu above.
• You can become ‘friends’ with other biketravellers, and can send private instant messages, write on their ‘wire’ (like the Facebook ‘wall’) and much more
• We have added forums and groups, so you can discuss with other users about specific subjects. You can add as many groups and forums as you want!
• You can even add a groupblog to your group, where all members can post.
• You can add Avatars/logos to your profile, groups, forums etc, all with just a few clicks.

More features will be added and I have not even described the current ones here, so check out the new Biketravellers.com, your profile and all possibilities Let your friends know about the new site, if there are more members it will be beneficial for all.

ps: a lot of questions are answered on the new FAQ which I just posted. It will explain some of the new possibilities in more detail.

Cheers,

Harry

Last week, I received the following question by email:

I’m starting a solo trip in May from Alaska to Argentina.  I’m using this trip not only for my own desires, but to raise awareness and funds for an organization that aims at putting an end to factory farming and animal abuse in said farms.

I’m only at the beginning stages of preparation at this point.  I noticed you have obtained sponsors for your trip.  This is something I’m very interested in, as I have very limited resources and can use all the help I can get.  I’m here to ask you for advice on how to obtain sponsorship.  If you could give me some help as to how you went about getting sponsors, it would be greatly appreciated.

I replied the following, which might be helpful for others:

Thanks for your email. Great you are going to do it. I am not sure if you already have a blog, but you can open one for free at http://BikeTravellers.com. About the Sponsoring: do not get your hopes up too high. Basically I got sponsored, because I am already a well-known (published) writer, climber and photographer. Still many, many more said no and financial support is non-existent.

Please read this FAQ  on my other website, 7summits.com. It is about climbing, but the same applies to cycling expeditions. Here are some parts from that FAQ:

Q: I want to climb, but where can I get the money? Will people sponsor me?

A: There is no golden rule for getting sponsoring or money to climb.

Most of the trips (besides Everest and Vinson) are reasonably priced, so some hard work and savings should get you a long way there. It will be nice to get some sponsors, but think from their position: why would strangers give you money to climb a mountain?

Do not lower yourself to promote yourself as the ‘first lefthanded Scandinavian-American’, ‘the couple with the biggest age difference’, ‘the Youngest from Nowhereville’ etc. Both sponsors as other climbers are quite tired of these claims and most of them are not true anyway as they can hardly be checked. You need to have some real value in order to get sponsors.

All the famous and sponsored climbers got sponsoring after they climbed a lot, not before. Even then, you will have to prove to them that you are worthy of their money and that you can deliver at least the same value back to them. Never climb anything if you are dependent on sponsoring only, you should always be able to fund it yourself, whether this means living in a tent in the forest for a long time (as Göran Kropp did), getting a huge loan from family or earning a lot of money by having a regular job.

Also, being free of sponsoring, means not having to pose for pictures on the summit, not having to think about the things you need to do for them and -most importantly- not having to behave like a beggar for years in order to get some funding. On average, the same time spent hunting for sponsors on an simply working an extra job will generate much more money with less strings attached.

Of course, not only the climbing itself is mental, but also the preparation. Money spent on climbing cannot be spent on something else, you will need to ake some choices. Not dining out, stopping with smoking and getting rid of a car will probably save most people enough to climb 2-3 of the 7summits per year. And even if they do not climb, the above will make them healthier anyway, saving loads of money on medical bills!

You can save a lot also by comparing the different operators. The same trip might cost double because the company has to pay for expensive brochures, hot-shot guides or simply because they have more profit. Then again, do not use false economics: many people tried to climb Kilimanjaro in 5 or 6 days as every extra day cost a few hundred dollars extra. Many of them had to come back later to finish the job: extra time off, new flights and other expenses that could have been prevented. Same for the lowest-priced Everest trips: you can save on food, tents, Sherpa’s and other services, but if this means lowering your summit chances or even risking your lives, you might want to reconsider.”

Actually, that was the entire FAQ, but if you substitute “Cyclist” for “Climber”, you will see that the above is true for biketravellers as well.

Good luck, hope to follow you on your blog!

Cheers,

Harry & Ivana

http://WorldOnaBike.com

A while ago, I got an email though the contact form:

I’m writing from Global Ride Productions (www.globalride.net). We make virtual cycling training DVDs for indoor cycling. As a cycling blogger, we thought you may be interested in writing a review of our product.

Our virtual cycling DVDs are different from any others you may have tried. We travel to exotic locations, have multiple coaching tracks on every DVD, licensed music, and bonus yoga, pilates or strength training sessions designed for cyclists. They’re a great product and we just want to spread the word.

Though normally I would decline such an offer, I realized that not everybody has the chance to go out and ride through the real landscapes and frankly, I was curious to see them. I replied: “Sure, anything that will help people get on a bike is cool with me ”

It took a while before the DVD’s reached me as I am BikeTravelling myself, but I finally got too watch them, so here it goes:

I saw all 3 Hawaii Rides DVD’s and generally liked them. It is very hard to imagine sitting on a home trainer or a spinning bike in front of a TV or computer, while sitting on a beach in Mexico, but likely I would enjoy doing an indoor training much more while watching this. All DVD’s are about 50 minutes, and divided in several sections, warming up, hard stuff and cooling down, while the camera moves over nice and smooth Hawaiian roads. Sometimes you see a cyclist, most of the time it is viewed ‘through the eyes’ of the cyclist. You an choose whether to listen to the music, the coach/instructors’ voice, neither or both, which is nice. You can even choose your favourite English accent, I liked the Ozzie style

The video quality was decent, but not top-notch. I personally did not like the ‘creative’ rainy bit on one of the DVD’s though according to their website, others did. Most of all, all the images made me want to visit Hawaii!

Though the spinning/cycling coach is really pushing at times and if you follow him/her you will definitely improve your strength and stamina, I think this is less important for BikeTravellers as they cycle much differently and generally get fit on the road. I do actually think that the bonus materials on this set (30 minutes of Yoga, Pilates and strength training) is maybe the most important part for Bike Travellers. I have had much trouble with back, joints and knees on the current cycle trip and some of the exercises on the DVD were also recommended by a (much more expensive!) chiropractor and physiotherapist. I was about to send them back, but am keeping them with me so I can do the exercises.

All in all a nice product, with average images of an above average scenery, with a bonus material that could have been a separate DVD. And as mentioned: anything that gets people on a bike and fit instead of fat, whether indoor or outdoor, is a good product anyway, so maybe a nice gift for your friends with that overprices unused bike of theirs? Or a nice training for your next century ride.

You an order them and get more info here: http://globalride.net/hawaiibox.htm

(Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Globalride, and receive nothing (other than the DVD’s themselves) to write this.)

James Bowthorpe will try to beat the record on his round-the-world bicycle trip.

The record time for cycling around the world is 194 days 17 hours set by Mark Beaumont early last year. Now British cyclist James Bowthorpe is aiming for 150 days, with a goal of raising funds and awareness for a Parkinson’s disease charity.

The 31-year-old will leave London on 29 March, with a goal of riding 120 miles a day and travelling 18,000 miles through 21 countries. He hopes to raise £1.8 million (US$25m) – £100 (US$140) per mile cycled – for the Psychiatry Research Trust’s What’s Driving Parkinson’s? campaign.

Setting off on his Dutch Santos Travelmaster bike with Rohloff hub and the Santos belt drive system, Bowthorpe will pass through Western and Eastern Europe, Iran, Pakistan, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada, Portugal and Spain.

Read the following press coverage for more info:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/all-geared-up-for–the-ride-of-his-life-1656047.html

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/british-cyclist-aims-to-break-round-the-world-record-20690

The concept of the world record is well established in the UK and something of a British obsession. The present record holder is a guy called Mark Beaumont who completed the ride last year on a Koga. He received a lot of press coverage and the BBC also produced a 4-part TV documentary which was shown widely.

More details about Mark’s ride here:

http://www.pedallingaround.com/start/?page_id=4

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/interview-mark-beaumont-18628

http://reclamewereld.blog.nl/campagne/2008/08/13/mark-beaumont-en-orange

James is presently trying to beat this record by 3 weeks which would be an amazing performance if he acheives it. He’s riding a Santos 700cc/28″ Rohloff Alu Travelmaster with the new belt drive system. Santos wanted something MAJOR to prove the credibility of the new belt drive and this really is probably the ultimate challenge. James has his own website below and he’s also providing regular updates on via his twitter

http://globecycle.org/

http://twitter.com/GlobeCycle

GPS linked site charting his progress: http://whereintheworldisjames.com/

Pictures of his departure from London: http://greghughes.tv/globecycle/

On his departure pictures you’ll see the name of another One of his sponsors, namely the www.bikebagshop.com This is a US wesbite operated by this company: www.wandertec.com who also operate www.biketrailershop.com

Ok, you have made the selection and chose your 2-3 shirts for the road. But why those ones? Because they make you look cool/young/sexy or all of the above? Because they are (not) cotton and lightweight?

As a BikeTraveller you need to combine functionality as much as possible, so you can minimize the stuff you are carrying. So what better way to be dressed and get attention from potential hosts than get a specialized BikeTravellers t-shirt!

They are not just pretty (you can still customize them and choose the colour, size, fabric, quality), but will also help you, as the message is clear:

- “Will Stop/Talks for Pasta” will tell others that the beter have a big portion ready if they want you to talk about your adventures!

- “Make Miles not War”, “1500 MPG (and that’s just for my stove)” & Reall? (gas prices went up again?) will tell everybody, how you think & feel about SUV’s and other gas guzzlers!. Spread the word and help yourself start some good conversations and likely get invited to stay for dinner

In this little flash panel below, you can see a sample of our new BikeTravellers T-shirts. They are not just beautiful (you can still choose the size, colour and type of T-shirt etc), but they will also help you on the road! Check them out:

Get or customize your Biketravellers T-shirts here!.

Show your love for The Bike!The designs above can be printed on T-shirts in many colours, sizes and models, as well as on mugs, stickers, baby-gear, bags and much more!

Choose your design and get the gear to show the world that you care about her! By buying here you will also support the BikeTravellers website, so you do two good things at once

You Might Be A Cyclist If….
By Joe ‘Metal Cowboy’ Kurmaskie 2008
(Soon to be a one a day calendar – Winter 2009)

This just came in from the metal cowboy. I met him recently and did a mini interview, which will be posted here soon. For now, check out the list below and do not forget to check out the BikeTravellers.com bookstore, which has his books listed.

You might be a cyclist if…

• You own more tights than a children’s theater performing Peter Pan.
• Your wallet is clear, made of plastic and sports the designer label Ziplok.
• You’ve road tested a perfectly good relationship by bringing home a tandem. (Ah, baby you’re always saying we need to spice things up.)
• You know that pain is just fear leaving your body, before it returns through your hamstrings.
• When styling professionals ask what product gets your hair to do that, you answer, “Helmet.”
• You’ve served cocktails in waterbottles. (Drink up, friends. This cheap vodka I’m pouring eats through charity ride plastic pretty fast.)
• Your spouse doesn’t complain about the snoring since being kicked awake by the sleep pedaling.
• You yell into crowds exiting ballgames, shopping centers and concerts to “hold their line.” They yell back that they’ve got something for you to hold.
• You’ve pedaled home balancing a case of bottled beer, two bags of tortilla chips, three avocados and a hostess snack pie on your handlebars.
• You own a killer set of “Arnold” quads and a pair of angel hair pasta thin arms. That ten year old boy called again. He wants his biceps back.
• You don’t care that your biker’s tan is so jarring that parents grab up their children when you enter the public pool.
• When your baby’s first word was “bike,” a light dimmed a little in your non-riding spouse’s eyes.
• You ring that bell for legitimate safety reasons, but the joy it brings seeing morning dog walkers seize up and scatter like quail is a nice fringe benefit.
• You wanted to name your children Serrotta and Shimano, but compromised on the more traditional Trek and Breezer.
• You’ve heard the words “Just a friendly ride, no one gets dropped” while rapidly falling back in the pack.
• You’ve said the words “Just a friendly ride, no one gets dropped” while watching someone else rapidly fall back in the pack.
• You know every traffic light sequence in the tri-county area for stop free pedaling.
• Either it’s a Brooks saddle or I will stand and pedal the whole way, thank you.

• You have eaten pasta directly out of your front bag, while pedaling.
• You believe there’s a holy grail code of gear ratios to achieve effort free pedaling.
• You swear Da Vinci’s lost notebook contains said holy grail combination code with detailed drawings… but the automotive wing of the Vatican has been keeping it from the world these many years.
• You’ve considered what can still be accomplished in life while a broken collarbone heals.
• You’ve misplaced an hour of your life cursing, sweating and twisting a wrench, unaware that one of the pedals threads the opposite way. This is why bike shops were invented.
• Your loved ones have assigned a separate hamper for your dirty bike clothes, and placed a hazmat label on it.
• You’ve lost the company of your loved ones because you did not invest in a separate hamper for your dirty bike clothes with a hazmat label on it.
• You turn the air vents of your car to blow directly in your face, and imagine you’re on a bike ride      You’ve been involved in dealmaking with a higher power to get through a climb you know will last longer than a political campaign.
• Due to the plethora of bells, computers, gadgets and lights, there’s no room left on your handlebars… for your hands.
• You can ID five brands and sixteen flavors of protein bars in a blind taste test, but on most long rides you would eat wet shoe leather, properly salted and containing a balance of electrolydes, of course.
• You’ve entertained quitting your job and moving back in with your folks to free up more time for riding. Pride and self esteem got nothing on shaved seconds and endorphins.
• When approaching a rider from behind, you’ve thought, “I will attack until your lungs cease to function properly, you collapse in the gutter and call out for your grandma’s quilted afghan.” Then offered a respectful nod as you blurred by.
• You’ve laughed, coasted by and cackled over your shoulder, “You Call That A Dog?”
• You’ve pedaled like hell, cried out in vain for a merciful god, and thought, “Now That’s What I Call A Dog!” (or a rogue bear within the city limits)
• You’ve fallen asleep by counting sheep standing beside mile markers.
• It’s a close call as to who owns more wool, you or the sheep.
• You throw your arms up and fist pump, Tour de France finishline style, every time you beat the dark yellowish light.
• You lift your butt off the car seat as you go over potholes, railroad tracks and speed bumps.
• You’ve contemplated grabbing seat posts, nudging longtime friends into ditches and macing their eyes with energy drinks to top the hill first.
• You can’t pull a ninja anymore because the click of your shoes always gives you away.
• You’ve used your water bottle as drink holder, portable shower, squirt gun, doggy deterent and digging implement… on the same ride.
• You spend most of the winter dressed like a Cirque Du Soleil performer and you don’t even speak French.
• You’ve washed off that chain ring grease “tattoo” on your calf so often that you went ahead and got a real one there.
• You keep on the look out for a custom made bike designed by the top-secret test tube off spring of Eddy Merck and Sasha White’s DNA.
• You believe the rumor of a bike that was forged in a bell tower outside Rome using titanium blessed by the Pope and baptized with Lance’s sweat.
• Like war vets carrying shrapnel under their skin, your souveniurs are pebbles and gravel housed around your elbows and knees.
• Only you know your afternoon commute is actually a second by second reenactment of Le Mond’s come from behind victory of 1985.
• You think you may have contracted a rare blood disorder… no, it’s just that you’ve turned into a late afternoon headwind.
• You live in fear that someone will sponsor a twelve step program for cycling addicts and you’ll be the first one wrestled to the ground.
• You learned a long time ago that it doesn’t matter how light or fast, just get on that bike.

www.metalcowboy.com – blow out book sale through 2008. Email Joe for details.

One million riders to rally across the nation and give away one million new and used bicycles.

(Portland, OR) The cycling equivalent of Woodstock is coming…  but instead of joining rock fans on a muddy farm, one million cyclists and supporters  of clean, oil independent transportation will gather for celebrations and purpose filled action in 50 states for upwards of 300 rallies. More remarkable, all of these unified, localized events will roll out on the same day.

Dubbed One Million Bicycles,  it’s the brainchild of  Joe “Metal Cowboy” Kurmaskie, a nationally recognized magazine columnist (Men’s Journal, Outside, Bicycling), author of several best-selling bike books, cycling advocate and performer at hundreds of bike clubs, festival and corporate events across the country.

Inspired by U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer’s call for a “national bike movement” during a speech at Bike Gallery in January, Kurmaskie decided to think big while keeping a small carbon footprint.

“Ideas come to me all the time,” Kurmaskie noted. “But inspired, audacious ones that actually have the potential to impact legislation and healthcare, oil dependency and global warming, all while creating one million new and returning riders, not to mention giving anyone on a bike safer passage and a voice regarding upcoming transportation funding. Those ideas come along once, maybe twice in a lifetime.”

It couldn’t be more timely. With a protracted war in the middle East, gas prices soaring and diabetes at record levels, Kurmaskie sees the bicycle as part of the solution. 2009 will feature a heated congressional battle over how federal transportation funding is spent during the next decade. One Million Bicycles will ask for a doubling of the transportation funding by each state and at the national level. By putting one million cyclists at rallies in every major city, Kurmaskie doesn’t simply want to make lively media but wake people to the idea that bikes reduce congestion, waistlines, carbon output and healthcare costs.

“And because when you ride a bike you just feel good. It’s a quality of life issue. As a country we know in our heads and hearts that we can do better than this,” Kurmaskie noted. “We can make community a priority. By asking the nation’s cyclists to come together on one day, in their own towns, and bring a bike to create one million new riders; that’s proactive, it resonates beyond the moment. It means something.”

Since February, Kurmaskie has been laying the framework for a “national day of action”: August 9, 2009 (which happens to be Bridge Pedal in Portland).

Taping industry movers and a list of over 10,000 bike-related contacts culled over years of traveling by bicycle, performing and speaking, Kurmaskie is in a unique position to pull something like this off.

“We still need a lot of help from the bike community, every group that cares about issues of health and the environment and those who would like to start cycling or cycle more on safer streets,” noted Kurmaskie.

He already has confirmations from hundreds of bike shops and other organizations eager to participate. Even before the official national launch May 1, advocacy groups in scores of cities are stepping up to help organize rallies.

People will register for $5 at onemillionbicycles.org or at their participating local bike shop, bike club, school, church etc. They’ll receive an online registration packet with a number, ride and rally location/details, a bike giveaway card and a pledge sheet.

Why a $5 fee? Here’s the breakdown For every dollar raised, 75 cents goes to the repair and tune-up of used bikes and the purchase of new bikes for the giveaway; 15 cents goes to promotional and ride/rally support; 10 cents goes to administration.

On August 9, 2009, each participating city will hold these rallies (there are also coast-to-coast and long distance group rides being planned to converge at the rally in Washington D.C.). Each rally will include food, booths, a press conference, speakers, music, activities, presentation of support for the National Bike Bill, and the bike giveaway.

“Anyone who doesn’t already have a bike is eligible. We only ask them to commit to using that bike for some level of commuting, errands and riding over the course of one year, and share their experiences and images on our blog,” Kurmaskie said.

For more info:
www.onemillionbicycles.org
www.metalcowboy.com

The theme is what determines how your site looks, the layout, colours etc. We just added and/or upgraded 100 themes, so now you can choose over 120 themes when signing up for a Biketravellers.com blog.

Most themes are even further customizable, for example you can change the colours, header image. Of course you can also add, move or delete the many available widgets, the small blocks of infrmation on the sidebar. You can try out every theme you like and if you don’t want it anymore? Then you can change (back) with just one click, all your posts are saved, they will just look differently