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winter touring recomendation

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winter touring recomendation

Old 11-16-09, 09:06 PM
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winter touring recomendation

I live in the North where it's frozen from now till Spring, but I'd very much like to do a solo bike trip. I'm closing in on 60 and while I'm an experienced long distance tourer I'm not in the shape I was 20 years ago. I'd prefer back roads to major highways but I've also ridden my share of highway miles including long stretches of the West Coast Pacific Coast Highway.
As a Northerner (Alaska), hot desert would be a challenge but at this time of year it may be the only real option. Any recommendations regarding a two-three week tour roughly 40-60mile per day? Maybe about 750 mi total? I can easily (assuming resupplies) camp the entire time and can also afford to pull into the occasional hotel or restaurant. I'm looking for no snow and as little rain as possible. The Southwest is much more interesting to me in terms of climate and geography but I've never done any cycling there at all. Any recommendations, thoughts or comments ?
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Old 11-16-09, 10:27 PM
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Can you go really far south? Australia and New Zealand are just coming into season. Tasmania comes to mind immediately for a shorter trip, although if you like hills I'd recommend NZ South Island.

Other than that, the San Diego / Tuscon corridor could be OK, but the short days are a drag, even if the weather is good.
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Old 11-17-09, 12:00 AM
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Originally Posted by valygrl
Can you go really far south? Australia and New Zealand are just coming into season. Tasmania comes to mind immediately for a shorter trip, although if you like hills I'd recommend NZ South Island.
+1

It's warm and sunny down here in Australia right now!! And since Australia is a huge country, you could choose to tour in any one (or more) of a wide variety of terrains and vegetations from desert to forest to tropical.

You could easily camp here, or if you wanted you could get a bed in a hostel easily enough. They're everywhere, and most of them are pretty good.
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Old 11-17-09, 12:17 AM
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at the risk of sounding like a smart ass, i say go somewhare warm, either literaly or comparitively.
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Old 11-17-09, 03:28 PM
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Check out a group on Yahoo which are going fl to san diego feb-apr, I am 59 and probaly going one guy is 61 I think, avg 50 miles a day camping totally informal go and come as you please
https://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group...r2010/messages
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Old 11-17-09, 06:09 PM
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Northern Thailand (fly to Chiang Mai) is wonderful in the winter. Temperatures in the north are more comfortable from December to February, and it's the dry season. Airfares from the US are usually somewhat lower than to NZ or Australia, and once you get there, you can live like a king for less than it would cost you to camp Down Under. Inexpensive accommodations are excellent, and the food is both cheap and delicious. For something closer, how about Hawaii? I really enjoyed cycling on Kauai, Maui, and the Big Island. Camping is the only way to do it affordably.
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Old 11-17-09, 07:42 PM
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Except for the mountainous section between Las Cruces and Phoenix, any section of the Southern Tier is fine for winter touring. Temps do occasionally dip to below freezing, and rain can be expected Fld thru East Texas, but most days will be 60-70 degrees, nights in the 40s-50's. MSN Weather is good for checking avg temp/ppt ranges in any given area.

The problem with the SW in winter is staying out of the higher elevations. You can check elevations with Google Earth and/or www.Bikely.com.

Check out central Texas/Hill Country(lots of climbing.) Moderate temps, little rain, great roads and scenery. You could do a run along the Texas Gulf Coast all the way to Brownsville and back(flat) with expectations of nice temps, but more rain chances. Or South of Phoenix and Tucson, including Tombstone, (mostly moderate climbing.) Almost no chance of rain. Map Link here.

Last edited by Cyclebum; 11-17-09 at 07:47 PM.
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