Most towns with a tourist industry have at least one place that rents bicycles (usually costing $10 to $15 per day) for visiting sights on half- and full-day trips. These excursions can be great fun, but remember to bring spare inner tubes and a pump, especially if you're cycling off sealed roads, and check to see that the brakes and seat height are properly adjusted. Argentina is also a popular destination for more serious cyclists, and expeditions along routes such as the arduous, unsurfaced RN40 attract mountain-biking devotees who often value physical endurance above the need to see sights (most sights off the RN40 lie a good way to the west along branch roads, which deters most people from visiting more than one or two). You will need to plan these expeditions thoroughly, and you should buy an extremely robust mountain bike and the very best panniers and equipment you can afford. Bring plenty of high-quality spares with you, which can be hard to come by out of the major centres; punctures and broken spokes are extremely common on unsealed roads. Be prepared to get extremely dusty, and plan your stages with great care, paying particular attention to how much water you're going to need. Wind is the biggest problem in places like Patagonia, and if you get the season wrong, your progress will be cut to a handful of kilometres a day. High altitude can have a similar effect. Keep yourself covered as best you can to protect from wind- and sunburn (especially your face), and do not expect much consideration from other vehicles on the road.

For more information , see Latin America by Bike: A Complete Touring Guide , by Walter Sienko (Mountaineers Books, US; 1993; $14).