Well, there's not much more to it. To create the label, you go to bikeflights.com, fill in the from and to shipping town, dimensions and weight of the box, and you get a quote for various shipping options. Select one, then you give them addresses for both ends, pay online, then they send you an email with the label.

The front end of the website is nicely done. For the quote you don't need all the info. On the backend, you can save some money by dropping off and/or picking up from a Fedex site. Note that most of them used to be Kinko's/Fedex, so most of them are conveniently located in shopping centers. When I go in and show them I have a box with a shipping label on it, I can just drop it off unless you want a receipt, which takes all of 1 minute for them to provide.

Just n-thing what everyone above said: excited for you and hope you're able to update us occasionally from the road. Have a great time!

+1 on the ship it to your hotel in SD (if you know where you're staying). As a hotelier, I always accept delivery of packages sent ahead of guests. Call ahead to verify they'll do that too. We like to do nice things for our guests that that don't cost us anything

And can't argue with bikeflights; as a former airline employee I do NOT recommend checking your bike as baggage. Expensive and risky. The $90 upgrade to 1st Class (with free bike shipping as a perk) in that linked article is a great deal, but nothing I've ever seen in real life. Maybe it's something you see when your frequent flyer plan is linked to a corporate entity that does a ton of flying. But I was in the biz long enough to know that airlines change their perks and promos and discounts like most people change their underwear, so who knows what deals are available and when?

I like the Miyata for this one, too. What a great trip

I have used Bikeflights once, and had no problems with the price or the handling of the package. I did have to wait a few days to get the shipper from them - perhaps its because I live in a rural area, and they had to schedule the package with other air freight.

Good luck on the trip!

easy. Ship it via bikeflights to your hotel or a LBS at your destination a few days before you leave.

As for the bike, I assume you'd want to ride your touring bike unless you're not doing a self supported ride.

Hey, this guy Phil isn't in Ohio, is he? I met a Phil from Ohio this month, and he invited me to join him on his next trans-continental ride. He's done 16 of them already.

No, it's Phil from Camden, Maine. Neither of us has ever done a long tour before.

One of the fun things for me is going to be using my father's sun-bleached old Cannondale panniers on this trip. I plan to travel light so hope to get by with the front panniers only.

Anyway, he was bike tourist. With no prior experience other than local rides in Massachusetts, he rode from Oregon back to Boston in 1985, aged 57. For the next ten years or so he went on a big tour every year, including rides up and down both coasts, a Mexico-to-Canada tour across the plains (accompanied by my mom), a tour from the West of Ireland to the Russian Border, a tour from the Mediterranean coast in France to northern Finland, a tour from Warsaw (Poland) to Istanbul, and quite a few others--all by himself (if not accompanied by my mother, who rode parts of some of the longer tours), with minimal gear and camping most of the way.

What a guy! How I wish he were still alive. I would love to be sending him some postcards.

Thanks to everyone for the good wishes. I not a bloggish kind of person and don't expect to have any meaningful internet access during the trip, but I will try to post from a public library computer or two along the way.

If any forum members within a few miles of the route would not mind hosting Phil and me with a meal, sleeping-bag space, and a shower, my email is jon@redclovercomponents.com. Tell me where you live and send me your phone number (which I promise to keep secret) and maybe you'll hear from us when we're in the area.

Take the bike that you can most likely find and use modern, easily available replacement components and tools in rural and urban bike shops. If you have to shop on ebay, hope the right item is available at the right time, need special tools, and wait a week to receive parts that will fit then maybe not the best bike to take on tour. If you can confidently walk into any shop and likely find the parts you need then you're good.

Man, great story.

Front lowriders and handlbar bag, that's the way I'd go. Once you put rear panniers on the back, pretty soon the bike balloons up to 60-70 lbs. Don't add weight to the back and you'll find that you can stand and pedal up hills without much loss of control.

It might not be a bad idea to post your location here whenever you can by public library.

I agree with your approach to luggage. Good suggestion about posting location updates--I'll try to follow up on it.


By the way, I am doing the right thing by the Miyata--it is a touring bike, after all, and has probably been champing at the bit for decades, although I've only had it for a few years. Also going with Bikeflights--at least it will deny the ham-fisted employees of the TSA their opportunity to do any damage.

That's the right attitude. Most people bring too much stuff. I've never crossed the country but I have not had a problem with one pair of panniers and being out 3-4 weeks. I would suggest you use the rear rack to bungee on a dry bag with your tent, sleeping bag and pad; and a pair of lightweight sandals or running shoes.

My plan exactly!

I really appreciate the shipping/bike as luggage advice in this thread!
While the Raleigh GS was definitely a contender in the touring category in its time, the Miyata 1000 is pretty much the epitome of a touring bike, up to the present. (Modern day touring bikes may have their pros, but they can't have the ruggedness, maintainability and repairability of a 3x6, downtube shifter drivetrain of the 80s.)

Well?

I don't know. Big commitment, and it's not clear I would even survive, even if I could clear all the time out. But it's worth thinking about. I should do a few shorter tours first. It's been too long for me, though I love doing it.

Rest day in Marfa, Texas, about 1,100 miles from our start (on Feb. 20) in San Diego.

I just finished a long post that the public library computer somehow swallowed, and I'm too demoralized to repeat it all. Suffice it to say that the tour has been awesome so far, the Miyata 1000 is working out well, and that my friend Phil is a great traveling companion, even if he does ride a long-wheelbase recumbent.

Sorry about the lack of photos, but I'm among the electronically unhip. If all goes according to plan, I'll post some when I get back home in the second half of April.

JV

Living the dream! Great job! Having a great traveling companion on tours really helps with the morale.

I don't like recumbents, no sir, not at all. Too low to draft off of.

;-)

Congrats on reaching the about halfway point! Looking forward to the pics.

I sure hope that's a vintage Easy Racer your traveling companion is riding.

Jon, sending all my hearty Northern New England best wishes your way! A Vermont Yankee in West Texas! Now that equals culture shock! Safe journey!

P.S. You are missing a wicked March Nor'easter this week. Lucky dog!

Great to hear from you Jon. Safe travels!

Wow! I hear only good things about the art and kookiness in Marfa. Enjoy, looking forward to pictures!

Ha! I just read the last line you wrote, and Pink Floyd's song Wish You Were Here started on the radio. 🎶 That was weird.

Love it Jon. My daughter is starting her masters program in Salt Lake City this summer, and I'm thinking of driving down with her and all her junk and and then riding my bike back to the Seattle area; maybe 1000 miles? Not a long tour, but 10 or 11 days, at least. Anyone want to join me?

I'm thinking 1/2 camping out and 1/2 "credit card" tour; about as badass as I can stand.

Ooo, tempted. But maybe 3-4 days longer than I can take off from work...