itai.hof

hi im planning to bike from SF to LA in the beginning of august and i have a few questions:

1. where can i find a partner to such a ride? forums etc.

2. at the moment i'm in Peru, traveling, what's the best way to find a used bike to buy before i get there...

3. is august a good time? or is it too hot and i'd better consider a car ride instead?

thanks

mev

#1. Either "on the road" or Adventure Cycling companions wanted are two choices. Reason I mention "on the road" is there are plenty of riders then so also likely you meet some at hiker/biker site.

#3. August is reasonable time. Good weather and coast says cooler than inland. There is likely less traffic in September.

itai.hof

Thanks
anyone can recommend me on a site where I can buy used bike in SF or San Jose?

sstorkel

Craig's List is a good place to find used bikes. It will be difficult to find a used touring bike, but you can probably find a road bike or mountain bike that might work.

sstorkel

To answer your other questions:

1) Do you really need a partner? I rode solo from San Francisco to Los Angeles and did not have any problems

3) August is a good time to ride, though September (after the Labor Day holiday) is even better

fietsbob

try seeking websites for the various shops, they take trade-ins, and so there is those options..

on popular routes, like that, there will be a natural Flow of other riders on the same route.
so you and someone else will already be there ,
maybe being a day apart or meeting up at popular stops .

agreeing on a common pace is the question to sort out.

Here there are Hundreds of riders on the Oregon Coast..

Just today The LBS got 6 bikes sent ahead for the riders
to have ready to ride when they get here.

itai.hof

What do you mean by tour bike? Simple road bike won't be enough?

sstorkel

In California, "road bike" usually means "racing bike". Many road bikes lack the braze-ons necessary to install luggage racks, are limited to smaller tires, or have geometry that isn't suited to carrying a heavy load (or riding for an extended period of time). If you're planning to transport your gear using a trailer, these limitations may not matter as much.

curbtender

How tall are you and what do you want to spend? I'll keep an eye out.

itai.hof

Thnx a lot for the explanation and the help.
I'm 1.88 meter and wishing to spend around 500 d.

fietsbob

Might be suggesting, look for a Hybrid .. minus racks price for 500$ unless you get used stuff by Luck.

US bikes come pretty Bare , then you Buy the Accessories, of racks and mudguards and such.

curbtender

Equals 6'2" in feet/inch? I'll post some CL ad's if I run across something interesting around here.

julcsf

To keep it cheap and easy, you can search for a trailer. That way you don't need a strong bike, racks, bags....
Just a normal bike and a trailer, that's it!
The one wheel trailer like the following one are better:
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/bik/3837111825.html