Bike tour
 

im planning on riding from Connecticut or NYC to Florida. anyone complete this? any suggestions? i want to do a totally diy tour. have a tent (9x10 tarp) and a sleeping bag. bunch of carbohydrate gels and electrolyte concentrate for water. what else should i bring with. being lightweight as possible. i have tools and get creative, ill be cutting the handle short on the toothbrush. so nothing is too outrages. thanks

Ive always been amazed at this. A toothbrush weighs what...an ounce at most? Cutting it in half will save something like 10 or 15 grams?

Does this really matter?

You need to drill holes in the remaining handle and remove every other bristle.

No the 15 grams doesn’t matter but 15x10 or 15x20 can matter 300 grams is close to 1lb over the course of 1400 miles that can and will make a difference. Plus the ride is just more fun with a lighter bike. Never understood why blasting up hills is so underrated

That will take too long. And might degrade the performance of the toothbrush. Thanks for the suggestion!

Have ridden from ME to PA and VT to PA, passing through CT both times.

How many gels do you plan to bring. They are dense and can add serious weight. Even one is far heavier than a toothbrush handle.

And a 9x8 tarp? How large is your tent that you would need as brick like that?

Got a mattress? How/what/where do you plan to eat?

^This^. I'm new at this bike touring thing, but have done some backpacking. I just last week completed a 6 day bike tour of the NC Outer Banks & coastal regions.
What I DO know is from the OP, I'd say you haven't thought this through. A half a toothbrush handle is the least of your concerns. You have some gels? Like @indyfabz says, those are heavy with just one weighing more than a couple of toothbrushes. Sure, weight is a concern. You can't live on gels and IMO they won't be what you need to fuel your ride anyway. In fact, I had a voracious appetite the whole trip and ate a lot. I wanted real food calories, not gels. I took plenty of gels and ended up bringing all but two home with me, and rarely consumed the electrolyte I took. Just didn't want nor need it. I carried snacks, almonds, apples, dates, etc. for fueling between meals. I planned on two days in motels, and 4 in the tent. Ended up just the opposite. You've got to allow some flexibility.
I understand wanting to be lightweight but there are some "necessities". A tarp? A sil/nylon tarp can be pretty lightweight but on the east coast during warm weather you will be eaten alive by bugs at night with an open air tarp. There are lightweight backpacking tents that won't weigh much more than a tarp. If it's like one of those blue nylon tarps you buy at Home Depot, forget it. Sleeping bag, how heavy? Air mattress or some type mat to keep you off the ground? How and where DO you plan to eat? Will you stealth camp or use campgrounds? What type of other personal hygiene items, other than a toothbrush, do you plan to carry? Extra clothing? Shoes? Leg & arm warmers? Sunscreen? What about rain gear and some clothes to change into when you get soaked anyway. How do you keep your spares dry? What are you carrying that in?

So when you come on here an say, "I have half a toothbrush, a sleeping bag, lots of gels, and electrolytes, what else should I bring?" , one has to wonder if you're serious. If so, you need to do some more research and planning.

+1. Or, even smarter, one could buy one of those travel toothbrushes that packs inside its handle, then one doesn't have to deal with the weight of a plastic baggy...

That said, I do want to do it with my titanium spork. Not for weight savings, but to make it fit in the bowl from the same manufacturer, who literally made it a fraction of an inch too long to pack inside :mad:

I have a couple. Handy for bike touring and for the office.

you got a tent, so assume you'll be mostly camping.
what do you plan to eat? diy vittles or restaurant food?
if cooking for yourself, how will you prepare meals?

so much guesswork, maybe post a packing list so others
know where to start with advice.

you got phone? gps? tablet? batteries? chargers?
off-bike clotheses? tools, spares, first aid?

and most importantly, how will you keep yourself
amused in camp all alone? you plan to carry some
portable musical instrument to pass the time?

Thanks for the responses perhaps I shouldn’t have brought up the toothbrush. That was just an example as to how lightweight id like to travel. I might not cut the toothbrush but my bike alone weighs 13.5 lbs so I already got the hard part lightweight (could lose 5 lbs myself) but that will likely happen on this trip. I plan on eating from places on my route. Fast food, restaurants, grocery stores to buy some real fruits and veggies etc. I also plan on using warmshowers however I know I can’t rely on people, so the discrete (camping) sleeping for a couple hours then back on the bike sounds okay to me. So far I have
Electronics-
Phone, wahoo bolt, earbuds, usb battery chArger, charging cables
Toiletries-
Soap, face wash, face moisturizer, toothbrush, toothpaste, small towel
Sleeping-
Tarp, rope, stakes, sleeping bag, inflatable pillow. I see can make an enclosed tent with the use of one tree.
Clothes-
Assos skinsuit, 2 pairs of socks/boxers , 1 merino long sleeve shirt and one 1 pair of pants.

What I really want to know is what kind of landmarks should I stop for or cities should I hit. I have
cash and credit card on me so it’s not a major deal to get an Airbnb or motel if I absolutely have to but I’m trying to keep that to the minimum. Anyone who knows about bike trails or routes for a road bike from nyc to Florida please chime in thanks!

Adventure Cycling Association.

Specifically:
https://www.adventurecycling.org/rou...tlantic-coast/


And for overall planning:
https://www.adventurecycling.org/res...to-department/

As I presume a 13.5# bike doesn't include racks or the ability to mount one, how do you plan on carrying your gear?

Won't whatever your baggage choice is basically neglect any benefits from a skinsuit?

But if you are carrying 10,00 tooth brushes, you save 150,000 grams! :eek:

The vast majority of people can afford to lose a pound or more off of themselves. I would rather lose a few pounds off of myself. I can then carry my long handled toothbrush. And mot people aren't "blasting" up hills. At least not ones in places like Vermont

I never understood why bringing a few comforts along on your tour is so underrated by some.

.

Only need one toothbrush. Only will bring what I need.

15 liter saddle bag fits everything that I’ve listed with room for two-three bananas and a couple apples

And you are correct, the 13.5lb doesn’t include the 15 liter saddle bag or water bottles. It is however ready to ride with wahoo elemnt bolt and water bottle cages pedals etc. is there anyway I can take a route from the official sites to upload to my elemnt bolt? Would that even help? Thanks

You deserve the award for actual helpful suggestion and information transfer. Kudos to you

True. Googling "Adventure Cycling Association" and looking at its interactive route map is a tough one.

East coast tour seems like one of the worst. It's just so urban and congested and likely the unfriendliest. Going across the midwest you've got open spaces, flat lands and bored people. Even the west coast is less developed. Going up down is about a third of the length of going across ways so to each their own. As for where to stop it's more about what interests you or where you've got people to visit. I stopped at a layover in Charleston and everyone was saying how great it is. Going into major cities like Philadelphia, DC, etc limits your stealth camping opportunities, forces you to ride on more congested roads, raises costs of food and lodging and may take you out of your way. No rush but 1000 mile ride with 50 miles here 100 miles there significantly increases your route. You got the jersey shore, myrtle beach, virginia beach if you can find a road along the shore these might make sense.

You too, thank you. Helpful people. I see I should take route 1 down. ‘Officially’ covers most of my travels. I wonder what the route consist of ... on the side of the highway, or more senic roads mhmmm

I don't think I could fit that all in a 15L backpack, let alone an odd shaped saddlebag, especially so with even a small sleeping bag. This is also assuming you have no issue tossing a muddy and wet tarp and rope and stakes in the same place as your sleeping gear or clothes. I've got a 10L, it is a chore to get two light raincoats, some snacks, and an off-bike hat in it.

Just my thoughts though, do with them as you wish!

Let us know how that works out for you.


Happy trails!

And another thing that I don't understand. People with no sense of humor. :eek: