600 Mile trip to Florida with 60 lb dog
 

In two weeks I am riding 600 miles to Cape Coral Florida on my Motobecane Fantom Cross Uno, pulling a dog trailer, loaded with my dog and gear. I've never rode my bike more than 50 miles at one time. I'm 27 and in decent shape. Google Maps quotes me at 49 hours. So I am thinking 8 hours/100 miles per day should take me about a week. Does anyone have any suggestions?

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Mari...26.5628537!3e1

That is my route^ looks like I have two options

I wouldn't trust what Google says you should be riding.

Some people will be riding 10 MPH. Others will be riding 20 MPH. Wind, weather, and hills can mess with even the best plans.

I'd take your dog and trailer out for a 100 mile ride this weekend. Start early, and bring lights with you. It will give you an idea of what you are up against, and won't be a bad training ride.

100 miles a day isn't a bad goal, but I wouldn't count on doing it in 8 hours pulling a 60 to 100 pound trailer.

Are you camping?

Also, do a good tune-up on everything, and get spare tubes for all tires, as well as a basic tool kit.

Yes, I'll be camping, I have a "jungle" hammock with mosquito net + rain fly/thermal blanket survival tarp. The bike is geared low 16T/38T (at least it feels low to me) So I was worried that was too low for that distance. I run it about 17 mph with a 40lb backpack. This is my first single speed bike. I have a spare tire that I was thinking of putting on a spare rim, but I don't want to haul too much. I also have a Crank Bros pocket multi tool. I'm having my local bike shop make sure everything is solid before I go.
Thanks for the reply & suggestions.

"hi! i never rode a bike long ways before. i wanna ride a "fee-shay"
100 miles a day for a week, pulling a trailer with a 60 pound dog,
plus camping gear, plus food, plus water. i don't got no tools or spares,
maybe i'll carry a spare wheel and a swiss-army knife. google sayeth
the unladen swallow may fly south with the sun in under 49 hours."

yore welcome.

That is an ambitious pace, especially hauling a 60 pound dog in a trailer with a single speed. I think 60 miles per day is a pretty average pace for most tourists, but a few do as much as 100 and a few as little as 30. I'd suggest doing a few back to back 100 mile days with that load as a test or else allowing at least 10-12 days.

The majority of folks don't carry a spare tire, and I have never seen anyone carry a spare rim. A spare tube (or two) and a patch kit are sufficient IMO. Worst case you can hitch a ride to the next bike shop.

Why would you want to put your dog through all that?

Unless you are such a monster that one would wonder why you would ask mere mortals for advice, that ain't happening.

Riding a century is a pretty big deal for a lot of average people and they are using geared bikes, possibly quite nice since it is often a club activity for keeners, and they are not pulling 100 pounds of gear around with them. I have only done 100 miles twice on tour, same place where a long section of it is on this Hwy, that while it is hilly is unusually faithful to the slope of a calm rive it follows, and both time coming through there I caught a light tail wind. I average 80 mile days on tour. I find I hardly notice the first 40 go by, but the second takes for ever, and that is partly due to stuff like eating lunch, the heat of the day, and so forth.

When I ride 80, if I look down at the speedo, it most commonly reads 14.5 mph. When I did the century, it would read 18+ with sections of 20. Of course it will go to say 6 on hills, but 14.5 is the operating speed number I need to do 10 mph made good while running. So I hit 80 in 8 hours of riding, but while I am not a sight seer, there is always a lot of time lost to everyday chores, and you will have to do those for two.

The world record hour pace on a closed track is about 50% faster than my fastest pace of 20 mph, and when doing 20mph, though those felt like averages, I was probably actually averaging something like 12.5 made good, or thereabouts, because of hills etc...

While controlling your dog is critical, there is at least the theoretical possibility of having him walk the killer steep hills that may gut one on a long hot day.

These how fast can I go questions are always impossible to answer, but what I think I can helpfully say is that if you set a comfortable pace. Not only in terms of your engine, by every other little thing that grinds on you, from your knees to your seat, to your "are we having fun yet" feedback loop, then you will get there. How fast you can go depends on you.

Do you figure your dog will enjoy this? Is he to be locked in a box for hours each day, or will it be like a dog in a pickup, or with his face out the window of a car?

I don't train for touring, and as a result I usually do two slow first days of about 40 miles. By the time I do the third day, I can kick out an 80 mile day for the rest of the trip. If I was counting up miles I would base it on 60 mile days since I have no idea what the terrain will bring, and I would cut at least one day for the fact that my first two days are really just one. While I have never taken a rest day because all of my tours have not been longer than 20 days.

African or European?

I haven't pulled a dog on a bike, but they often enjoy trips by car. Just plan on a few extra stops to let them out and get water, and run a bit. Quite a bit.

It doesn't look like you'll have any big mountains, but lots of small hills. I suppose I never understood the Fixie/SS thing.

It is possible, but it will be a long trip. 18 hr days?

To each his own. You training to be a Navy Seal?

Frankly I think this is nuts for a number of reasons. First hauling a 60 lb dog through one of the most populous corridors in the country, the east coast. Yes I suppose you can pick a route with less traffic and the south isn't nearly as bad as the NE but still. How much do you love your dog? are your prepared to lose him in the event of an accident or he runs away?

Then there is your pace. You say you never road more than 50 miles in a day. Riding 100 is a HUGE difference, with gear it is even a greater difference. With 100 lbs worth of gear it is even a bigger difference. Your speed is out of whack too, 12.5 MPH everyday day after day? And that assumes you will not stop at all, nor have equipment or traffic issue.

Sorry but I don't think you have a concept for reality or as mentioned you are some kind of SEAL or special forces type.

I would make the dog walk up hills... JMO ;)

Or leave the bike at home, hook the trailer to the 60lb dog and have him haul me to Florida! ;)

Six centuries in a row, towing a load, even in the flat roads of Florida, is going to be tough. Being a young fit guy means you could probably do it, but you're probably going to hurt. I'd allocate an additional 2-3 days for more enjoyment.

I wouldn't be too harsh on the OP. Most of us have done a few 100 or 150 mile rides without being super-athletes. It just means putting in a lot of saddle time. Some of us have done back to back centuries, or "tours", organized, or self-supporting. Some of those longer trips become some of the memorable highlights of our lives. I've towed a trailer over 100 miles. Not real heavy at the time.

The OP is young. Perhaps nothing is insurmountable for the youth.

Personally I haven't understood the fascination with single speed/fixies. 16T/38T is close to the lowest gear on one of my road bikes. I couldn't imagine doing a 600 mile trip in first gear, although I don't spin that effectively. The nice thing about geared bikes is one can always choose the appropriate gear for the moment considering terrain, fatigue, cargo, and perhaps just changing pace.

I'm 49 and try to ride a 60+ mile ride once or twice a month, and would never consider 6 centuries in a row. But you're young and probably recover a lot faster than I do.
However, 6 days in a trailer may be way too much for your dog. Think about leaving him with someone.

I'm sure the dog will be allowed as much exercise as he wants ;) Most of the day dogs are sleeping or laying around anyway. I rode with someone who carried her small dog in a front basket. It seemed very happy and did just fine.

crazy youth.....sure, stuff can be done. my big tour was nz/oz, 18 months with a
bike front+rear bags, plus a bob full of camping gear. when fully loaded, which
included 5 gallons of water (that's 40 pounds), total bike+gear was 175 pounds.

the longest day when fully loaded was 225 km (140 miles) crossing the nullabor
(with an awesome tailwind) with 24 gears. that was with many thousands of
miles of touring prior touring experience, and was one year into a long tour.

my little trip sounds sane compared to a week of back-to-back centuries
pulling a massive load on a single speed with no touring experience or
preparation.

i predict massive failure.

One thing I'd think everyone should note is the entire trip is only 1,365 ft of climbing and the highest point reached is 157 ft! Assuming the wind isn't bad this should be a huge mitigating factor.

might be a good idea to get in a couple of centuries, with all your gear, before setting out. just as a shakedown.

OP does not mention time of year. I will take climbing in the cool NW over the heat of the SE any day.

Flat or not, that is a lot of weight over a lot of miles for someone that has not done it before. And 100 miles in 8 hours with all of that weight and a dog that is going to have to drink, empty his bladder etc??

Make sure you have shade for the dog.

Open your schedule up some. So, if you hit 150 miles in a day... cool. If you only do 60, that is fine too.

Is the dog going to do a few pulls at the front?

1- the dog needs shade. That trailer needs a roof and constant ventilation. No shade and/or ventilation would be awful. And by the sound of your plan so far, I wouldn't be surprised to hear this hadn't been planned for.

2- that is an absurdly high number of miles to ride every day without days off, on a single speed pulling 80ish pounds plus the trailer weight.

3- that's an ambitious pace. 100mi in 8 hours? You will need to take a few breaks of 15minutes at least during that time for the dog to do his biz aandfor both to eat. At a minimum you will be traveling for 9 hours per day, and even that is ambitious.

Why a single speed?
Why so many miles per day?

On one of my tours carrying about 55 lbs and my 190 lb for 10 hrs, including small breaks for
14 days over hill and dale, about half with a stiff headwind and 2 days with a great tailwind
and my average was 85 miles a day. Doing the Alaskan hwy which had big mountains compared
to the other tour, my average with about the same weight, was 75 mi a day.
I think trying for 100 mi a day even in relatively flat terrain while carrying 100 lbs, especially when
considering all the extra attention the dog will need, is very ambitious to say the least. Having to
battle headwinds will cut your distance in half.