posted
I'm in the beginning stages of my bicycle trip across the US, and I'm already running into trouble. I've set aside roughly three months for this trip, give or take or take or take a couple days, so I'm already on a fairly slim timetable. Let's say 92 days. Now, the distances are ridiculous...
Los Angeles, CA to Portland, OR 963.6 miles
Portland, OR to Madison, WI 2037.4 miles
Madison, WI to New York, NY 940.3 miles
And these are skewed because they don't take in full account of every place I want to visit (a la Canada), and they choose the most direct route (a la the freeway, rather than the coast). I'm guesstimating roughly 3000 miles all told, one-way.
That'd leave me with the pretty easy schedule of 32 miles per day -- relatively easy in comparison to my planned century-per-day, which I may not be able to live up to. But it screws me for the return trip, if there'll be one at all.
But before I start planning anything concrete, I really gotta know all the stops I'll be making. For some goddamned reason the search function can't find my old thread on the topic (thus the new one). Are there any stops along the way I can schedule in? I'm planning a day in Portland with Toni & Co., a quick stop with dkw, three weeks in CT's massage chair, etcetera, but I need to total up the number of days I'll be spending at large so I can plan accordingly. So if you're willing to lock up your daughters and wives for a day, tell me which cities you're in so I can make a quick stop there?
There is one variable, though. I'm planning to make an excursion up to Canada to see Bob and Twinky and the like, but I don't know where they are. Toronto? And be warned, I'm ridiculously likely to put the Canada trip as a sidebar, since a century a day for three months may force me to wuss out on an additional trip up to our northern superiors.
Also, dudes, I'd like some opinions on the possibleness of the trip. I haven't ridden a bike since I was in second grade, so I'm rather screwed when it comes to experience -- and doing 100 miles a day may be beyond my capabilities. Should I plan on doing 100 miles a day and doing a return trip? Or should I dip my back tire in the Pacific and the front in the Atlantic and be done? When I want something done, I generally just grit my teeth and go through with it, and if forced I'll do the same with this, but I don't want my heart to explode mid-journey. Anyone know if this kind of schedule's possible?
Posts: 3293 | Registered: Jul 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Um, Eddie, it's about 3000 miles in a straight line from L.A. to NY.
963.6 miles 2037.4 miles + 940.3 miles -------------- 3941.3 miles
+ all the detours -- probably close to 5000 miles. Assume that of the 92 days, you are not riding 15 days (some full days will be skipped, some partials). You're talking more like 60-70 miles per day, on average.
posted
You can tell I was raised by an Amerikan ejukashun when I can't tell the difference between 1 and 2...
And damn. Thanks, dude. 60-70's actually pretty doable if I can at all live up to my own expectations, though it puts the return trip out of all realm of possibility.
Well, I was planning a move to NYC anyway... Huh. Incentive.
Posts: 3293 | Registered: Jul 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
And damn, Mac. Before I looked at a map I was ready to chuckle and shake my head at the idea of visiting the frozen wasteland of New Hampshire, but it may actually be a pretty easy detour from the Canada trip. If I'm not man enough to add on the Canada trip, though, how easy is it for you to make it down to NYC?
Posts: 3293 | Registered: Jul 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
60-70 miles per day? I assume you'll work up to that, not trying to accomplish 60 miles on your first day, so I think day #2 would have to be the Moose household visit, right? Oh, the 963 miles -- is that a freeway (frontage) route, a coastal route, a scenic route, a bike route? I haven't been in on your planning process, so I don't know exactly where you're planning to go, or what options are available to you. We're off the 101, but not ridiculously (in the country-wide scheme of things) far from the 1, if that's your plan.
Anyway, we'll see. Keep us in the loop, in both figurative senses.
posted
I'm planning to start training within the month, actually, so that by the time I start the bike trip I'll be able to do about 100 miles a day -- a century. I don't know if that's realistic or not, but if I do live up to my expectations (unlikely if judging by history), you'll actually be my first day. You're almost exactly 60 miles from me.
I'll be heading up the coasts for scenery. I'm thinking of heading down to Santa Monica my first day, and going straight along the coast through Malibu, then swinging up to your place when I cross its closest proximity to the coast.
I'm trying to figure out whether I should be more intimidated by planning a day bike trip to Malibu or by the fact that it's actually about half of what I'm planning to do every day. Yikes.
Posts: 3293 | Registered: Jul 2002
| IP: Logged |
I'm in East/Central TX and you better not come anywhere near here in the summer on a bicycle or we'll be scraping you off the pavement after you and the bike melted.
Sorry to miss you, though.
Be careful!!! The only other person I know who attempted such a feat lost his best friend over a cliff.
And make sure you have the route well planned and approved. Some states are very particular about what roads they allow bicyclists to use.
I hate to be a nay-sayer but isn't there some midlevel goal you might achieve first before going from training to "across the country" in one fell swoop?
I'll shut up now. It's the just the nervous nelly in me.
posted
Eddie, I think that's really -- REALLY -- ambitious, particularly since you haven't biked any kind of distance recently.
Frankly, I would plan on getting a one-way air or bus ticket back. I hate to play the downer, here, but I just don't think you can make it all in time.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
I was thinking after I posted that (rather than before, which I try to use by default), and figured you'd be better off shooting for full-length days right from the beginning. You start slacking immediately and it's that much harder not to do the same the next day. Yeah -- coming up PCH, then exiting Las Posas and up to Lewis wouldn't be bad at all. We're just off the 34 on the north side of 101.
I still end the same, though -- keep us in the loop.
posted
Thinking again, which won't happen quite as often in the future, probably. If you'd like to use us for a longer practice run -- maybe to our house one day and back home the next -- you'd be more than welcome.
Posts: 6213 | Registered: May 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
There's a program out of Bloomington- decycles- that does three week bike trips to various places in the country. Last year they flew to Florida and rode back up here, the year before that they rode to Maine. People from all over the country do decycles, that might be amore reasonable alternative?
Posts: 4655 | Registered: Jan 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Oh, and please don't bite my head off for it, it's about the only thing I know about biking, most of my friends and my brother do it.
Posts: 4655 | Registered: Jan 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
I live in Corvallis, Oregon. It may or may not be anywhere near your route up to Portland. I suppose since you'll can't take the freeway on a bike you may very well ride through my town. Highway 99 runs through Corvallis. I'm away at school now, but I'll be home this summer. I'm not sure how my parents will feel about guests, but you could probably have a meal with us at least. No promises, though.
Posts: 3546 | Registered: Jul 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Well if you're pretty fit you should be able to manage - although it's a bit of a push.
I recently started riding to work after a decade of not owning a bike. It's only 15 minutes to work, but the first day I got it I inadvertently rode 30 kilometres, which took about 3 hours. I'm severly unfit these days tho, so that's not a decent indicator.
Anyway, it sounds like a HUGE amount of riding to do per day - depending on the hilliness of the country you'd almost certainly be on the bike around 6 hours a day.
I couldnt do it - but hey, if you're fit, determined and love the outdoors then go to it!
BTW - I'm loving my riding to work... I've driven my car only twice this year and already saved about $100 in petrol...
Posts: 2245 | Registered: Nov 1998
| IP: Logged |
I actually live about equidistant between Cal Highway 99 and Interstate 50. West of the star in the link. If you actually did want to meet me, email me and I could give you somewhere to meet along with a phone number possibly okay Lalo? Posts: 4229 | Registered: Dec 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
hey, i have been to elk grove! my mom was doing photography at an elementary school there, it's a strange place. super, uhm, planned out and whatnot! maybe if you stop in san francisco or some such we can plan a little picnic to welcome you into the area and see you off to the next leg of your journey.
that actually sounds quite quaint and lovely Posts: 3936 | Registered: Jul 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
Muahahah! Me and my over-planned and over-populated suburbian paradise! jk yeah right. To many people here. 80,000! You know, there is more people that in Tracy now?
What school did your mom do the photography at? I wouldn't be shocked if it was the school I went to as a kid. Posts: 4229 | Registered: Dec 2002
| IP: Logged |
mack can certainly make it to my house (West Point NY, 50 miles or so west of NYC), and I can have you both over. Warning, though: I have a kid and two dogs, and That Man I Married. *grin* Actually, the Man would probably hide in the bedroom with his television. He's ...shy. We have a two-bedroom apt with only one pull-out couch, and I DON'T think mack will share with you.
However, we do have a second couch, while not a pull-out, it is longish and mostly comfy.
It's a thought.
Because West Point is all historical an' stuff.
Posts: 1545 | Registered: May 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Dayton Ohio. You know you have a place to stay here. I am actually close to the intersection of I-70 and I-75, but I don't know if you will be taking those types of roads.
posted
Eddie – I am indeed in Toronto but I’m the only Hatracker who’ll be here for sure. Twinky may end up in the area, depends on where he decides to work and Jaids might be in London. If Ophelia’s in Detroit for the summer she might be able to get here as well, but I shouldn’t plan for so many people other than myself. As for meeting you in NYC, that really depends on when you’re there and how much time I’d need to take off work in order to get there. I have no problem biking down / convincing someone with a car to drive me. Although, I don’t know how long it’d take me, there’s that crossing the boarder wildcard thing But, frankly, your odds of doing this aren’t that great so long as you keep promising yourself to start training, eating and sleeping right while not doing any of them. Really though, none of us know you so it’s hard to say how you’ll manage on the road. See how you feel after a month or two on a bike.
Posts: 3243 | Registered: Apr 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
btw Eddie, my bros just did an interesting bike trip over MLK weekend. These boys are both atheletes and already in incredible physical shape, but they made it from Hearst Castle to Santa Barbara which is about 150 miles, in I think two and a half days. That averages to about 60 miles per day. That may give you a more realistic expectation of how far to cover per day. I don't know how much gear they were carrying though or if someone was hauling their luggage in a vehicle to the campsites.
What that basically means is for every hour in the car on a highway you have a day on a bike. Another thing to look at as you go up the CA coast is where the old spanish missions are placed. They were designed to be placed a day's walk from each other. Now I know people were more in shape back then, but say they walked 3mph and you ride 10mph on your bike. You can use it as a tool also give good estimates. 8-10mph is a reasonable estimate for average riding speed.
Tour de france riders are doing 18-25 mph and as you ride yourself into shape you might get up to 12-14mph, but probably not much higher. You aren't being attended to by a car and domestiques that bring gatorade to you every 20 minutes of the ride so you can maintain blindingly fast speeds. And you don't have the rotating wind resistance of the Peloton.
posted
All right, I consulted my friend who is a biking expert, (judging from number of biking accidents alone) and he says that once you get into riding shape you could possibly average up to 18mph alone. HOWEVER he has severe doubts given that you haven't been on a bike since a very tender age.
How good at bike repair are you? You are going to need to lug a patch kit and a couple of spares bare minimum. And if you attempt to ride a cheap bike across country you might as well forget it.
posted
Bloomington Indiana, whtever you do, DO NOY COME HERE! Ithas one ofthe largest hick collections in the state, and that means one ofthe largest in the country.
posted
Oh yes, with that many hours in the saddle, you are going to need several pairs of cushioned biking shorts. Saddle rash can be painful. I was extremely dumb the first time I wore mine. (which reminds me I need another pair even though it is 20 below with windchill outside and I'd freeze to death if I went riding)
Anyway do get several high quality pairs of biking shorts and DON't wear tidy whities underneath the biking shorts. They are meant to be worn like undewear. On guys I don't know if they wear a jock strap too or not. I'm thinking not, though I can ask my brothers or Brett, if you don't wish to ask at your local bike shop and look dumb. Hobbes might know. The nice thing about biking shorts is that they wash easily by hand because they are lycra and spandex and dry really quick too.
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
). Elk Grove actually. ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Mad]](mad.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
![[Taunt]](graemlins/taunt.gif)
![[Evil Laugh]](graemlins/evillaugh.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
