Ira in Chi

Before I'm leaving on a year-long tour of the US! My girlfriend and I have quit our jobs, are moving out of our appartment, and putting all of our things in storage. I'm just over a month away from a nomadic lifestyle. It's been a year-long planning process, but we are in the final stretch. The bikes are ready, almost all of the gear has been collected, the first few months' route has been planned. I just wanted to post a link to our weblog: tour2k6.blogspot.com and also ask for advice and blessing from anyone who has done this type of thing before.

kbabin

Sweet, and good luck. If you make to NW Arkansas, beer is on me...

kbabin

Sweet, and good luck. If you make to NW Arkansas, beer is on me...

https://www.warmshowers.org/map

I'm listed for Fayetteville, AR

Kevin

schultzbike

Ira, sounds like an incredible journey you have planned. Good luck! I'm not going to lie to you, I'm jealous. My wife and I are planning a similar trip (started off as a perimeter trip, but it's been shortened to a transam with big zigs and zags), but we can't leave until 2008. Have a great time. Look us up when you reach Portland, OR. <schultzbike@yahoo.com>
-Brian

Ira in Chi

Thanks for the offers, I'll be checking this thread as we progress along our route. We are heading West through the Northern states, our plan is a counter-clockwise perimeter, so it will be over six months before we reach the South. Kevin, we're planning to use warmshowers.org for all of the areas where we don't already know people, I'll be sure to look you up when we pass through.

Camel

Sweet! Good for you two, have a safe and most excellent tour!

Tip: Since you'll be touring in the US, you could leave parts/clothes etc with family/friends to have shipped to you as needed, as well as return stuff you might not need for a few months. Things that fit you, or are suitable for your tour which might be hard to find at an average shop.

-As of today, I've 9 shifts left at work before I head out for a 6 month to one year tour (I start in ~4 weeks). I have yet to finish some changes to my bike (and I haven't riden at all since October). I have yet to sort out any specific route, but have a general one from country to country. I just got my Russian visa (pheww!!), the others should hopefully be "easy". I never found the time to check out language CD's from the library. I still want to buy a PDA/handheld, but have never used one. I have yet to pack up my apartment, make sure all the bills are stopped/paid/forwarded...It's all coming together nicely.

Tailwinds!

Ira in Chi

I owe my gf much of the credit for us being so organized- I'm working out the logistics of the bikes, gear, ect, and she's doing most of the scheduling. So far it has been a good arrangment, we'll see how everything goes when it comes to crunch time.

Do you speak Russian? Going on a trip like that without speaking the native language sounds pretty ambitious.

Camel

I don't pick up languages very well. I only know English, and a touch of German.

I'll only actually be in Russia for ~3 weeks though, after 3 weeks in the Ukraine, so I hope the usual phrase book stuff will suffice. Hopefully I'll have picked up enough to not solely rely on the phrase book for the 4 weeks in Kazakhstan. I have a seperate Kazakh phrase sheet-but suposedly Russian is still spoken. Same for Kyrygyzstan. I've used a similar Cyrillic alphabet in Bulgaria on tour, so hopefully that will come back quickly with daily use.

China is a whole other ballgame. Should be pretty amazing!

Ira in Chi

Have you seen the film "long way round"? It's about a motorcycle trip through Russia and Mongolia, and has a lot of amazing landscapes and interesting situations that take place traveling through those countries.

SanDiegoCyclist

Ira, It sounds like you are doing a permiter ride of the U.S., although I can't tell for sure. There is a book out written by Jane Schnell. She did a permiter ride of the U.S. The name of the book is Changing Gears--Bicyling America's Perimiter. I checked on Amzaon.com and they have used copies for as little as $3.87. I have read the book, and, although not a literary classic, it is a fun book to read. Thought you might be inerested.

I am so jealous of you two. I know you will have a life-changing experience. If you get to San Diego, let us know.

Pale Rider

I only saw part of that. Actually, I think Russia and Mongolia were only one part of a world tour they did. I recall reading something somewhere that said Ewan McGregor likes to take epic motorcycle trips like that after every major movie he films, or something like that.

Rogerinchrist

Coming through Wisconsin?

Camel

I haven't seen the film, but had read about their tour. Seems pretty darned fun (as do other remote/difficult 2-4 wheel motorized trips).

I think I'd freak and question possible altituded dementia if I were sitting at some pass in the middle of knowhere and they stopped by...