Originally Posted by
StephenH
It seems to me that a big part of the success here would depend on the rider. If you've never toured or camped anywhere, this sounds like a terrible way to start. If you've never been here before, you may have a considerably different idea of what it's like. The freeways may be less rideable than you imagine, for example, or the terrain a lot more boring in places, or the mountains longer and steeper. My suggestion is do a lot of overnight and multiday touring close to home and you'll be better prepared for here.
I would have to disagree with some of that.
I do agree on the camping experience though. If you have not done some kind of self supported camping (canoe, kayak, backpack, etc.) it will be a steep learning curve. In that case at a minimum be sure that you know what to pack and how to use all of your gear. On the other hand if camping is old hat, then bike touring is no huge deal to adapt to.
Short trips are a good idea to get gear and procedures sorted out, but definitely not a requirement. They are so very different than long tours that you may find that you like one and not the other. I know that I am not crazy about trips shorter than a week or so and would prefer to do day rides rather than an overnight tour. S24O's as proposed by Rivendell are like camping in the back yard and I outgrew that when I was a kid. If you enjoy it fine, but it has little in common with a multi month tour.
Originally Posted by
StephenH
The problem with campgrounds, national forests, etc., is that they are not where you need them. Some parts of the country are filled with them, but you can get some long long stretches without much of a decent place to stay. Staying on church grounds or city parks would certainly get you some odd looks in places. A lot of city parks are "closed" after dark or after midnight, and in either case, you don't necessarily have access to a restroom. There are commercial campgrounds scattered around, but then you pay money, too.
Obviously you have never ridden the TransAmerica or used AC maps. You know from the maps what city parks are open to cyclists and what churches welcome cyclists before you get there if you are on an AC route. If not on an AC route, in the middle of the country it is usually easy to get permission to camp if on a long tour, you just need to ask the park manager or the local law enforcement. We did this numerous times and never were unable to get permission to camp somewhere in any town.
It was rare that we stayed where there wasn't at least an outhouse and a water faucet, but we did often not have a real bathroom or a shower. I didn't consider that a real hardship though.