Wild-eyed Californian
 

Hi, I am a lazy POS, a fact all my friends and family will verify. I use to ride my bicycle every day and go everywhere on it growing up until I was about 16 and then I got a car and that was the end of that.

My main passion is traveling. Earlier this year I flew to Istanbul (after a 3 night stop over in London) and spent 6 months backpacking Turkey, Georgia, Armenia and most of Eastern Europe. I have also done a good trip to Israel, Egypt and Jordan (Petra only)--both solo trips. Prior to the Eastern Europe trip I had the idea of making it a bicycle trip but it didn't seem feasible by myself and I had absolutely no idea where to begin and never really looked into it.

During my trip I met people doing amazing bike trips including riding from Norway to China and England to China along with many people doing European circuits (whole Danube sounds cool). One of the guys on the Norway to China trip told me I have the right mentality for travel and I need to get on a bike several times. I knew he was right as a bicycle seems like the best way to see the world, plus it will get my lazy ass into shape and get me back into the healthy lifestyle. It is win/win

I have done many hours of research on what bike to get and other variables relating to touring. I am going to buy a bike in the near future and start riding everyday and throw in some local 3-6 day rides probably starting with the California coast North of LA over the next 6 months

Then this summer between semesters I will hopefully give the Trans American trail a shot starting in Oregon. I will have about 75 days which I am not sure if that is enough? but I would rather not finish and see the NW, Yellowstone etc. then do something like the Southern Tier which doesn't really appeal to me. Then start touring the world :)

I know, big dreams for somebody who doesn't own a bike but that's my story and I'm sticking to it

MAX

Welcome Max to BF.
You would like the southern tour.

TY

I probably would but the part a part of the country I have always wanted to go to and haven't been is the NW (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming), those are places I have always wanted to road trip through...

Not that it wouldn't be a great experience but I have been Texas West in the South. Also dead of summer doesn't seem ideal. Do you say that because the Trans American is more challenging for a noob? From what I have read it is very doable and I have about 6 months to prepare

Oh, and I'm not in as bad of shape as OP may make it sound and I don't smoke or do anything that would hinder my cardio--though I do only have 75ish days available this summer

Welcome to Bike Forums! Check out the Touring forum for advice on planning your trip, and stop by the Southern California regional forum. We have a lot of long distance riders in SoCal.