Sea- and Stream-Faring Vessels
Unless you have tens of thousands to drop on a luxury speedboat, your next best bet will be a touring kayak from either Dagger or Perception. These two manufacturers craft lithe, maneuverable vessels that are the very much in keeping with the on-the-water-luxury motif. Perception's Avatar 16.0 Composite ($3,000; www.kayaker.com) is a curvaceous beauty that will be equally at home amongst the inlets of the Puget Sound or the inland wilderness of Minnesota's Boundary Waters. For a
more classic, flatwater option, check out Dagger's Reflection 17.0 (www.dagger.com), a beamy canoe that meshes a nostalgic, classic look with tough, modern materials. In terms of getting your boat to the put-in, both Thule (www.thuleracks.com) and Yakima (www.yakima.com) sell well-designed, sturdy carrying racks to fit vehicles of all shapes and sizes.
A Multi-Geared Steed
If an Englishman's home is his castle, then a shiny new bike is an American's newfangled stallion. And the options here are limitless: Giant, Trek, Specialized, Cannondale—they all make great rides among a multitude of different styles, from road-ready to hybrid to hardtail to full-suspension. For a silky-smooth asphalt experience, check out Cannondale's R1000 Triple ($1,900; www.cannondale.com), which uses proprietary Optimo aluminum in the frame to wed strength with the heft of a bantamweight.
Giant VT1, $3,050 (courtesy, Giant Bicycles)
In terms of an off-road beast, look no further than Giant's VT One ($3,050; www.giant-bicycle.com), a 31-pound monster-performer brimming with top of the line Shimano and Manitou components and spring-loaded shocks that will handle most, if not all, hardscrabble pounding.
Low Riders
Recumbent bikes offer perhaps the ultimate in laid-back riding. Sure, these elongated two-wheelers are far from chic, but they do offer better ergonomics than their upright forebears. Recumbent riders swear by them, proclaiming the days of saddle sores and upright wedgies a thing of the past. Aficionados also claim greater top speeds, although upright riders counter that recumbents will struggle on uphills and are less visible to drivers on account of their close-to-the-road profile. Quibbles aside, a recumbent is a serious investment for someone looking for an upgrade: running from approximately $800 to upwards of $3,000, check out RANS Bikes (www.ransbikes.com) and Longbikes (www.tandembike.com) if you're ready to pledge allegiance to the low-rider revolution.
Nomads Have More Fun
Get out, get wild, with these 53 awe-inspiring, soul-soaring journeys.
The Man Who Knocked the Bastard Off
Edmund Hillary, a self-described "average bloke," made one of the 20th-century's landmark feats seem properly human and straightforward.
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