Our cycling tour through Brazil only incorporated southern and mid-west states, though a few times, we did stray from the usual cycle path to discover a couple of unique bike routes.

CYCLING IN RIO GRANDE DO SUL
Capital: Porto Alegre (3.1 million)
Crossing at Chuy from Uruguay is very easy and nothing much changes in the way of landscape. It is virtually flat the entire way to Capão da Porteira. Wind blows in every direction in this landscape of either cow or rice farmland interspersed by forest industry. While there might be nothing particularly exciting about the scenery, Brazilians get quite animated about seeing cyclists here. There are plenty of of thumbs up and hopas [hellos]. Except for the recently paved section after the half hour ferry crossing from Rio Grande to São Jose do Norte. [2 reais each and 4.50 reais in total for the bikes], road conditions are pretty poor. Still, there are no longer any dirt sections of highway in this area.

Quite special and possibly the only real attraction along this cycling stretch is the small but quite happening Ecological Reserve of Taim. You actually get to ride right through the middle of it and it is a great opportunity to photograph and see not only crocodiles and tonnes of marshlands birds, but also the unusually oversized hamsters called capybaras. They are the largest rodent on earth and they certainly live up to this colossal record. Even more surprising is the way that they and crocodile apparently live side by side, but as a local pointed out: there are so many capybaras, that the crocs rarely go hungry. I suppose he has a point.

On the subject of food, most towns along the way have some form of market or store where you can get basic supplies. Water and other drinks are also available at petrol stations. In 2010, Brazil's longest highway (4600 kilometres) from Mostardas to the turnoff to Porto Alegre is badly potholed. The highway from this point leading into Porto Alegre is nightmare cycling in busy traffic with no or little shoulder.

CYCLING IN PARANÁ
Capital: Curitiba (1.75 million)
The road work department of Paraná (SAU) has rest rooms and free coffee at all the toll booths on their highways, which make perfect little stopping points along this notoriously undulating stretch of cycling. From Foz do Iguaçu to Curitiba, it is a total of 644 kilometres and a whopping 8537 metres of altitude gain. Coupled with the high chance it will rain - Paraná is renowned for this - and the frequent winds, a freebie hot drink and spot to warm up is a welcomed respite.

Scenery wise you can expect miles and miles of rolling corn and soya beans. Since heavy truck traffic also has a little trouble getting up the hills, a slow lane often appears, which marks the end of your cycling shoulder. For obvious safety reasons, it is best to switch sides of the road and ride on the shoulder. Locals do this too and in general, cyclists can pretty well ride wherever they like in Brazil. Every now and again, to prevent drivers from overtaking and driving on shoulders, the road workers have punctuated them with speed humps every couple of wheel revolutions. it is so infuriating, that you end up cycling on the road.

The 285 kilometre trip from Curitiba to Miracatu via the Estrada Graciosa and Atlantic coast islands is detailed in our mini Tour • guide: Biking Beaches in Brazil. This is one of the great cycling adventures Brazil has on offer.

CYCLING IN SÃO PAULO
Capital : São Paulo (16 million people)
São Paulo is not a particularly pleasant state to cycle through. Heavy traffic dominates a spaghetti network of concrete highways and plenty of debris dominates the shoulders while slums line the route. Ill-maintained roads make for some pretty ugly pedalling too and there are fewer camping opportunities even at the petrol stations. The coastal riding, though incredibly steep in parts, from Bertioga to Paraty is much more rewarding.

CYCLING IN RIO DE JANEIRO
Capital: Rio de Janeiro (11 million)
Don't believe tales of horror about cycling into Rio De Janeiro, it is not a difficult city to get in to. The favela [slums] indicated on Google maps in 2010, on the outskirts of the city do not exist these days. The area has been turned into chic apartment blocks and from Parc Chico a 17 kilometre bike path leads you towards the centre. A leg crunching climb over the steep gradients of the hill in Joã lead you through the last 15 kilometres of cycling of which most are back on another ocean front cycle path. It drops you off literally on the stunning white sands of Ipanema Beach.

There are an amazing network of cycle paths running around Rio taking you through tunnels and along the middle of busy highways. They lead you to and from the promenades, where you can comfortably cycle along lanes filled with joggers, walkers; inline skaters and fellow bikers. It is a wonderful way to get around the city.

From Ipanema Beach to the Niteroi ferry terminal it is practically one continuous 16 kilometres of bike route. Just before the path ends at the airport, you need to get off the comfort zone and back onto highway. Zig zag your way through back streets to make your way to the ferry gate at Praça XV [Plaza or Square 15]. Heading out from the heart of Niteroi, there is only a fast and furious highway to navigate with no shoulder. Riding on the footpath for a small part of the journey might be the only option. Locals do this too.

CYCLING IN MINAS GERAIS
Capital: Belo Horizonte (3.8 million)
The highways vary greatly in this region and while some are asphalt, there are a great number made from concrete slabs. The terrain in incredibly undulating with steep gradients especially around Ouro Preto. Our cycle tour from Tres Rios to Belo Horizonte mostly on bitumen roads was 470 kilometres long with 6756 altitude metres. Probably the most significant part of our trip was spend on cycling The Estrada Real.

The Estrada Real is a Portuguese initiated gold route from the late 1600's used to transport precious metals and stones discovered in Minas Gerais to Paraty and Rio De Janiero. Around 1400 kilometres of highway and dirt path intertwine through 19th century towns and villages creating a network of trails suitable for hiking and biking. But be warned, you need to have plenty of time for travelling this region. The signposting is not particularly good and finding the exact trail is difficult, especially if you don't speak any Portuguese. The other unfortunate factor is that the official website, with mountains of information is only on Portuguese. Below are links to the four individual routes from this official site.

The Estrada Real Map shows the following routes:
Caminho dos Diamantes: Diamantina to Ouro Preto
Caminho Velho: Ouro Preto to Paraty
Caminho Novo: Ouro Preto to Porto Estrela
Caminho do Sabarabuçu: Cocais to Glaura
Also note the box prompt on each of the above pages: escolha um roteiro [choose your route] at the top right hand side. It has links to every stage of each of the four Caminho journeys complete with difficulty factors; distances; elevation charts; route details; and a google map.

The only downsides to mention are that when you have to ride along the highways, they are usually extremely busy, making the cycling effort quite stressful. Often there is no shoulder either and gradients can be extremely steep. Getting of the beaten track and onto the dirt trails would then seem like the logical solution, but remember these are also very difficult to ride with a loaded bike. Most paths ares in reasonable condition, but they undulate even more than the direct highways and after rain, you can expect plenty of slipping and sliding in thick mud. Be prepared for an adventure if you embark on this sort of cycle touring in Brazil.

Brazilian traffic and road conditions from a cyclists perspective
Cycle paths are few and far between in Brazil, though Rio De Janiero and Recife, both have an excellent network of beachfront tracks. Even so, pedalling in and around Brazilian towns s a perfectly acceptable means of transport. Pedalling outside the metropolis area however, is anything but perfect. You will find yourself sticking to the highways, of which the majority are horrendously busy, because the alternative of deviating down side tracks will mean hours pushing up and down steep gradients and boggy potholed track conditions.

A shoulder is generally available, at least on one side of the road, though the tendency near towns is it becomes full of rubbish and quite often glass. On the steeper gradients a slow lane for heavy trucks means the disappearance of your shoulder and riding on the shoulder on the wrong side of the road is the safest option. You'll see locals doing this too and it appears that bicycles can ride just about anywhere they like in Brazil.

Driving attitudes are fast and fierce and Brazilians take aggressive risks. They travel way too close to one and other while rocketing along at spaceship speed, they cut corners, they run red lights, they overtake on blind bends, double lines and via the shoulder, which has resulted in kilometres of annoying speed humps along the only area a cyclist might feel safe on. You get the distinct impression that Brazilians think they are exempt from obeying traffic rules.

Truck drivers are in general quite pleasant: you'll get the thumbs up for your cycling efforts and they do try and give you space, if there is room. If there isn't, then that's a totally different story, which is why it is better to cycle on the wrong side of the road when your shoulder becomes a slow-lane. Horn honking is also a big thing in Brazil and the general code of conduct is to toot as you overtake someone, including the loaded cycle tourer. It becomes a bit annoying, though on most occasions well meant.

So if the traffic is maniacal, weather unpredictable and accommodation out of budget reach, then why go cycling in Brazil. Well, besides the couple of extraordinary cycle routes along Atlantic coastlines, the Estrada Real and the dynamic city of Rio De Janiero, it boils down to one thing: the people. It is kind of difficult to put the generosity of Brazilians into perspective. They open up their houses, their lives, share their food and wine and knowledge, network to get you in contact with others who in turn give you the same warm hearted treatment. If you have a problem, they will offer to help you solve it, give you discounts and they then load you up with so many gifts that your panniers will overflow. But possibly the most charming trait is how down to earth they all are. Not only were they incredibly accepting of a couple of nomadic cyclists like ourselves, but so enthusiastic about what we are doing. That they were certainly never shy about telling you either.

wordiQ.com's descriptions of the main highways of Brazil
Ministério dos Transportes: Brazilian Ministry of Transport's state and federal district maps. Note: pdf files are quite large and the scales of each maps vary. Some are more detailed than other.

Transporting the bike by other means
Long distance bus transport is easy with a bike, so long as you pack it suitably. While you don't have to use an official box, cardboard covering most of the bicycle or a suitable bike bag is required. Some bus companies require you to also have proof of ownership of your bicycle. In all of South America, it is wise to keep a copy of your original receipt in with your documents.