I was supposed to do a tour from New York to San Francisco next summer, but it is becoming painfully clear that this is not going to happen. I have really horrible pains in my knees (ever since I was in middle school), and only recently have I gone to a doctor to try to get anything done. The end result is 3 months of physical therapy, an xray, an mri, a stumped sports doctor, 3 months off my bike, and the same old knee pain. I have pretty much decided to cancel the trip considering this.

In any case, I spent a lot of my time making a cool little website for the trip that my friend and I were going to update along the way. Since I am not going to be able to make any use out of it, I offer it to you. It is somewhat unfinished, but you can see what I have so far here:

http://www.fewbutripe.com/summer05_tour.html

You will need access to a hosting service that supports php and have at least one mysql database. You will also need a copy of Flash MX (not necessarily 2004) and some working knowledge of PHP in order to edit some of the files. It is all pretty straight forward for the most part. You can download everything here (http://www.fewbutripe.com/Web/Bicycling/Touring/Summer2005/Website.zip). It also comes with a half way finished cms for adding journal entries. If I decide to add anything more I will post again with the newest sources.

I'm willing to provide a little support for the files through email (which you can find on http://www.fewbutripe.com) so that you can get it up and running.

Let me know if anyone can make use of this.

Michael Williams

Michael this might sound crazy but since you can't pedal the distance why not get a small motorscooter or a moped and do the trip? I read a few months ago about a guy in a similar situation and he rode 3900 miles on a moped to San Diego and had a great adventure, I was trying to find his story on the web again but was unsuccessful.
If and when I get to the point in my life where I can't turn the cranks it's going to be a Vespa for me Bubba! Touring shouldn't be about the bike.

http://www.vespausa.com/

... why not get a small motorscooter or a moped and do the trip? ...
If and when I get to the point in my life where I can't turn the cranks it's going to be a Vespa for me Bubba! Touring shouldn't be about the bike.

http://www.vespausa.com/

I second velo's response, Michael. I have been considering doing a Vespa crossing myself and was recently at the Saratoga NY Vespa dealer kicking around the idea. And lest anyone jump to the conclusion that substituting that machine would be no challenge compared with bike camping, have a look at the meager cargo space. There's an optional rear pod, but you'll never load up what your bike's front+rear+handlebar bags+bottle cages held. (And that's for the ET2 model, not the bottom-of-the-line one.) When you roll into camp, you'll still have that minimalist look once you unload whatever camping gear that's not still at home in your bike panniers.

Does anyone know how common moped crossings are? The dealer didn't know anyone who'd done it (I was surprised by that) but seemed quite positive about my idea (but of course they were trying to sell me a machine).

Darn--I had let the idea drift into the background but now am fired up anew. I may be kissing those $$ goodbye after all!



Lew

Long tours on moped's may not have been done recently but it has been done This dude rode a 50cc moped from Toronto to Alaska. http://www.wmuma.com/moped78/ I wouldn't be too proud to ride a moped on tour. I would ride the ACA route to San Francisco turn north to Anacortes Wa and then follow the northern Tier route back east. That would be about 9000 miles?

edited: My 50th birthday is in two years and I'll be ripe for something strange to do to celebrate it. coast to coast and back on a 50cc moped sounds like a helluva lot of fun. Uhh boy! my wife isn't gonna want to hear this.

Long tours on moped's may not have been done recently but it has been done This dude rode a 50cc moped from Toronto to Alaska. http://www.wmuma.com/moped78/ ...
... My 50th birthday is in two years and I'll be ripe for something strange to do to celebrate it. coast to coast and back on a 50cc moped sounds like a helluva lot of fun. Uhh boy! my wife isn't gonna want to hear this.

Ahh, but one of the more innocuous ways to get in trouble with one's spouse. Nice website--I'll read the whole thing in the not-so-wee hours. Impressive trip!

My 50th birthday will be in 16 years--on a backward calendar, that is--so I guess I'm a candidate right now. Think I'm getting rehooked fast. Beware threads whose titles promise a gift! :eek:

Really nice site, great job. Unfortunately, I won't be touring anytime soon, and if I were to do it, I'd go the opposite direction...

I have a cycling friend who cyles over 10,000 miles annually and he also goes on scooter rides with a cycling organization. He had a great time. Here's the link:
http://www.wanderingwheels.org/

That is actually a good idea. I will give it some serious thought. Thank you

I have had problems with my knee's ever since I was a kid. I find cleat placement and the type of shoes could be the big problem. Also mashing to high of a gear. I used to be a gear masher and my knee's would kill me now I try the spinning aproach and it seams to work better. I've also see people with knee problems use the frog pedals and they say it seems to help, you get alittle more float in the pedal which takes some of the stress of the knee. Remember doctors treat the symptom they dont treat the problem

I have really horrible pains in my knees (ever since I was in middle school), and only recently have I gone to a doctor to try to get anything done. The end result is 3 months of physical therapy, an xray, an mri, a stumped sports doctor, 3 months off my bike, and the same old knee pain. I have pretty much decided to cancel the trip considering this.

Michael Williams



Hi Michael,

Have you had an expert look at you and your bike? Not everyone who sets up bikes is up to the task, especially if a rider has a history of physical problems. You may need to find someone who knows anatomy and physiology.

I have lived with knee problems for over twenty years. I have spent months going for physiotherapy. I have had patella supports, X-rays, ultrasound treatments, electrical muscle stimulation, surgery, the whole nine yards. The problems are sporadic. I have managed to pull off three big trips, but I have also canceled three others before they began. The human knee is a delicate mechanism. After hurting my knees, I have learned to expect to spend six months to a year stretching and strengthening.

Last summer, about a month before a major trip, I developed pedaling-related pains in one knee. Rather than cancel my trip, I spent hours over several days working my network in search of “the very best person for fitting a bicycle.” I called and emailed bike stores, professional coaches, professional racers, recreational riders, sports medicine specialists, and frame builders. I spoke to 20 or 30 people before zeroing in on a kinesiologist, who also happens to be a triathlete. People who knew her spoke highly of her work.

During the appointment, she observed me ride my bike on a trainer. She made a few minor adjustments: She lowered the seat a bit, adjusted the handlebar height, and moved a cleat a fraction of an inch. The major adjustment she made was to my pedaling technique. By hooking me and my bike to a computer, she showed me how and why pedaling was causing problems. (One of my knees moves in slight figure-8.) She explained the rationale for a different pedaling technique, and worked with me to begin learning a new ways to pedal. She also checked my stretching regime, which was basically OK. By the end of my appointment, I understood pedaling biomechanics in a whole new way, and had a good sense of how to minimize wear-and-tear on my knees. To my surprise, almost everything that I had come to believe over the years about pedaling was wrong!

The knee pain began to ease. A month later, I crossed the Alps with no major knee problems. (Alas, I had other physical problems, but that’s another story!)

The kinesiologist’s adjustments were important, but not the only answer. I must still take care of my knees. During long rides, I must stretch regularly, and not overdo it. I am still working at improving my pedaling technique. My knees occasionally flare-up. (A sports-medicine doc once told me that knee problems last a lifetime.)

There are knee problems that do not respond to human-bicycle system adjustments, but in my case, I am fortunate to have found an expert fitter.