Wrestlefox

We all know that interstates are not perfectly straight. In fact, I don't know of many roads that are. I had originally planned to do my trip on the interstate, but the only reason to ride on the interstate is because the speed limit is higher and an exit every so often to resupply at. Since the speed limit does not apply to me because obviously I can't go 50+ mph on a bike, would it be wiser to get off and on other city and county roads then back on the interstate whenever needed. Theoretically, this would make the trip shorter because there would be less distance to cover. Also, if I were to ride on the interstate the whole way then would it be a good idea to sleep in the emergency lane? Who would honestly stop in the emergency lane to mess with me while I was sleeping? That's one of my biggest worries, being messed with while I was sleeping. Any ideas guys?

jpmartineau

The biggest worry I'd have is being waken up at 2am by the state police and being asked to fold the tent and leave.

Wrestlefox

Yeah, I definitely did not think of that. Where will I sleep then? Do I hike of the side of the interstate and sleep in the woods?

gpsblake

Bad things about riding on interstates..

Illegal everywhere east of Texas...
Shoulders on interstates are full of debris... nails, glass etc
Traffic is always zooming by you at 70-80mph
If they are doing construction on a bridge and the shoulder disappears, you're screwed.
If they are doing construction using jersey walls with no shoulder, you're screwed.
Exit ramps are a pain... either you risk getting yourself killed by cutting across them or have to climb up them and down them again each and everytime.

So basically, yes, it's 100 times wiser not to use the interstate.

IN a few areas like trying to do the Route 66 thing in the west, you have no choice but to use the interstate. But I would avoid them at all cost.

slowjoe66

I wouldn't even consider what you are proposing.

n4zou

Totally illegal in Alabama. Minimum speed is 45 MPH and signs on the entrance ramp bans hikers, mopeds, and bicycles. My motorcycle will do the 70 MPH speed limit but I still get passed like I'm sitting still by most everyone else doing 90+ MPH. I only take it for 5 miles where going around on side roads would add 20 miles to my once a month doctors visit and that 5 miles scares me to death.

valygrl

I'm guessing you haven't heard of Adventure Cycling.

I recommend you go to this page:
https://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/network.cfm

This shows a network of maps prepared especially for touring cyclists. The maps can be purchased on that web site. If you can't afford them, try putting up a request here or at www.crazyguyonabike.com to purchase someone's used set. (visit crazyguyonabike for tour journals, lots to learn there)

The maps include specific roads, with turn by turn directions, mileages, hill profiles, locations of services such as stores, campgrounds and bike shops. These maps are very useful for a first-time tourist, because you are going to have a lot of stuff to learn as it is, and the folks who prepared the maps did a lot of research already to find out which roads are the most appropriate for cycling - most scenic, safest, best distribution of services. This is not a good-road guarantee, but it does take a lot of the guesswork out of it. If you don't like the route after using it for a while, go ahead and plan your own, but by that time you will already know a lot more about what you do and don't like to ride.

Shortness of route is a poor way to make the decision for cycling - however you route it, you are going to be out there on those roads for many many weeks - so you want to be enjoying your time, not just getting it over with. So you want nice safe roads, interesting countryside, enough services, decent weather. It's really different than in a car, when you can just turn on the A/C or the wipers, or just go an extra couple of hours.

You should make your decision about which route to take at least partially if not entirely based on the season you wish to ride. The Southern Tier which would be the most direct for your trip, is not appropriate in mid summer, you don't want to be crossing the desert southwest when it's that hot. That route would be good fall or spring. If you are riding in summer, head north and get on the TransAmerica, then hang a left when you get to Oregon and ride down the coast to SoCal. Of course, that is a LOT more miles than the direct route.

If you don't have time to do a great route between your starting and ending spots, I would suggest revising your start/end points, not trying to shorten the route. The riding will be a lot more fun if you can relax about your timeframe, have time to explore stuff that interests you along the way, hang out if you meet someone really cool, etc. (I still have an excellent boyfriend I met on an XC tour 4 years ago, for example). I know it sounds really cool to say you rode from there to here, but it's a lot more important how you feel WHILE YOU ARE DOING IT, than what you SAY about it later.

You can rent a car one-way or get on a bus to your starting location, or just ride to wherever appeals to you until you run out of time, and do the same.

As to camping on the shoulder of an interstate... it would only take one driver pulling over with car trouble or falling asleep a the wheel, and you are roadkill. There is NO WAY I would do that.

Good luck to you in your planning and riding, and keep asking questions, there's lots of accumulated knowledge here.

Peace.

daveIT

The cars constantly zooming past will drive you mad. Find a nice country route instead and enjoy the scenery.

littleal

Sounds like a troll to me!!

lighthorse

Wrestlefox,
Interstates may at times be your only option for riding and they are fine for those ocassions. I always check the laws in a state before I ride their interstate roadways, I am not convinced that the "east of Texas it is illegal" statement is correct. I would also encourage you to look at the Adventure Cycle routes as you do your pre-trip planning. I often do not follow their exact routing, but it is a good place to start. Also some of the touring companies publish thier routing with enough information that you can get some ideas as well.
As a young man you may not need as much focus on training as your elders do. But, don't forget that the pre-trip planning will take you a lot of time unless you buy the Adventure Cycle maps and follow them.

Wrestlefox

Thanks for the advice guys, *cough, cough* and ladies. lol. I appreciate it. I will definitely look into adventure cycling. I had planned on doing this during the summer because this way I could be doing it between my college semesters. I had slightly relied on the idea of the interstate, but now it's almost kinda sorta completely out of the question. What would I do about sleeping arrangements? Ask random houses to sleep in their yards? Hotels are too costly.

wahoonc

Check into stealth camping...

Aaron

staehpj1

I would consider either a more northern route or a cooler time of year.

As far as camping...
I don't get the emphasis on stealth camping that seems to be prevalent on the forums. I am not against stealth camping when I need to, but on our cross country trip last summer we never felt the need. We stayed in city parks, churches, people yards, in peoples homes, and sometimes paid for a campsite. We always were able to get permission.

We met lots of nice folks that we wouldn't have met if we were stealth camping and for us the people were the best part of trip. We met other cyclists in camp. We made friends with local hosts. We met lots of other nice people in the parks.

The Adventure cycling maps for our route (the TransAmerica) listed most of the places we stayed. Others were the result of chance encounters where someone offered us a place to stay. Still others were the result of the advice of another bike tourist going the other way telling us about places to stay. When none of that worked we asked local folks for advice or permission. A church, church camp, city park, and fire house were all found this way. Asking the local police or sheriffs office is a good place to start (the numbers are on the AC maps). Clerks and wait staff are another source of info. Asking directly at a city park, camp, or church was another.

Stealth camping is a good tool to have in your repertoire, but I would recommend that it not be the standard mode of operation. On a trip across the US it will seldom be necessary and in my opinion the trip should be as much about the people you meet as anything else. Hiding in the woods minimizes human contact, if I want that I go backpacking or wilderness canoing or kayaking.

nancy sv

I totally agree. Meeting the people was BY FAR the best part of our journey around the US and Mexico. Yes, we did our share of 'stealth camping', but we also stayed all the places staepjp mentioned.

Speaking of camping on the interstate - we did that once too!! We were on our way to Zion National Park from Vega and the only road in the interstate, so we had no choice but to take it for 80 miles. As we were riding, a huge thunder storm was approaching and we didn't have time to make it to the next exit. We ended up finding a little hill right on the side of hte freeway and we went back and pitched our tent there. You can see pics of it here

Roughstuff

I rode for many miles on I-94 in Montana. In my case, I had the widest lane on the whole road. Those cars and trucks at 75 mph are probably ten/fifteen feet away! I found very little debris on the shoulders, as it tends to get swept away by the breezes generated by passing traffic or washed away when it rains.

I handled exit ramps by getting off, crossing the road, and getting back on again.

The comments about construction make sense, but the same thing (or WORSE) applies to any road.

I was able to camp at the roadway rest areas, which had bathrooms, running water, shelters, picnic tables, and exquisitely mowed lawns. The right of way on interstates is so broad that I often could wild camp in bush/forest clumps without being seen, if I wasn't able to get to a rest stop.

This was the only time I rode on an interstate. Obviously rural roads are a better choice. I-94 has parallel roads down by the Missouri river that are smaller. But most of these roads were in poor condition, the land was privately owned so camping was more challenging, the floodplains were boggy and buggy. So I was tootin along on I-94 for quite a while and having a grand time of it.

roughstuff

BikEthan

I haven't personally used either of these services but I do plan to in the future. I've heard mostly good things from BF members. Main thing to remember is to be considerate of your hosts.

https://www.warmshowers.org/

https://www.couchsurfing.org/

gpsblake

There is a more recent list out there somewhere that tells about interstate bicycling laws but I can't seem to find it. This one sums it up though but it's a bit dated.

https://www.parrett.net/~rralston/bistate.html

There are a few exceptions east of Texas.. like a small stretch along I-66 in VA.
Usually in western states, bikes are banned on urban area interstates.

cyccommute 

Stealth camping would be a little difficult from the middle of Kansas to Pueblo, CO, too. Ain't no woods to hide in

In most respects stealth camping is trespassing too. Many people don't take kindly to trespassers. Think of how you would feel if someone pitched a tent in your back yard. And, Wrestlefox, if you think getting told to move on from a highway patrolman at 2 in the morning, think of how bad it'd be if the local sheriff knocked on your tent at 2 a.m. He's likely to haul you off to stand before a judge and, if it happens to be Friday, you may be left to stew in a cell until Monday...or Tuesday. And do you really think he'll pick up your stuff and carry it back to the jail? And how do you get your stuff back...if it's still there...after 4 days in jail? You trespassed and I doubt the landowner is going to like you trespassing again to get back your property.

Better to knock on doors and ask first. The Adventure Cycle maps are set up for cycling and have lots of places for camping at regular intervals.

SweetLou

Stealth camping is not trespassing. Trespassing is trespassing. I don't know of any state that doesn't allow you to camp on unimproved private property unless there is a sign stating so or if the owner or agent tells you that you are not allowed. Many state and federal parks allow you to camp, some have restrictions of where in the park you are allowed and for how long, but you can camp. Stealth camping just means you try to be hidden, not trespassing.

wheel

Interstates they have a fence along the side of it normally.
Next I find pull outs along the highway (google maps). I also use rest stops to sleep at. You don't always need a tent or a sleeping bag.

camp sites are great but way to expensive and I end up paying for someone else's RV parking and electric. Very few camp sites have prmitive camping with primitive prices.

BigBlueToe

"Stealth camping" - Found this in the dictionary, did you? I think the term may mean different things to different people. To me the word stealth implies that you are doing something for which stealth is advisable, such as trespassing. I guess to some people it also means keeping a low profile so you won't be hassled by the type of person who might hassle an innocent camper for no reason.

In any event, I don't like trespassing. I don't think it's the right thing to do, and then there are all those possibilities that cyccommute listed. I did it a few times when I was younger and poor, and avoiding paying camping fees was a big deal. I felt guilty doing it. I got rousted out of bed a couple of times and it wasn't fun.

I do like camping in random places that aren't campgrounds - like just about anywhere in national forests - as long as I feel like I'm not trespassing. It's free, and there are no noisy neighbors. It's more of a "wilderness experience." On the down side, there's usually no reliable water source, so I either have to have a filter and a river, stream, or lake, or bring lots of water with me and use it carefully; there's no table, and no bathrooms (certainly no shower.)

staehpj1

I guess it depends on where you camp, but I definitely have not found this to be the case in much of the US. On the Trans America we found lots of camp sites that were $8-$12 and shared the cost between three of us. Some charged per person (often $4), some charged per tent (three of us shared a tent), and some charged per site.

In the west, state and national parks and forests were very reasonable. In the middle of the country there always seemed to be a place to stay for free. The east was probably the worst for camp site prices, but we often stayed with friends of friends or relatives. When that failed if there was no free place listed on the AC maps we managed to find free places to stay by asking at churches, city parks, and church camps.

We stayed for free more than half of the time, either because someone invited us to stay with them or because we stayed in a city park or at a church. When we did pay many places had a bicycle discount.

There were only a very few (I could count them on one hand) times when we paid for an expensive site ($20 or a bit more). The few times we paid for an expensive site it was usually because it was HOT and they had a pool and again we split the cost three ways.

Speaking of pools... many of the free city parks let us use the pool for free too.

We did have one guy who tried to charge us $10 per person and call it a bicyclist's discount. This despite the fact that if we showed up in a car the three of us could have stayed for $20. We went up the road a few miles and they let us stay for $5 per person and said normally they would upgrade us to a cabin for no extra charge except they were all booked that night.

It is a bit worse if alone since you aren't splitting the cost, but you can often meet folks on the road to share a site with. Also places with hiker biker site are usually reasonable and charge per person.

Wrestlefox

Speaking of showers, what would I do about taking a bath? A few weeks without a bath is a LONG time. Should I just jump in a river and take a bath, ask people if they would let me take a shower in their house lol, or just go to campground showers and truck-stop showers?


Scenario: It's getting late and I see a nice house. Just like the night before, I calmly walk up to the house. When I get to the door I knock a couple of times. A few moments later, an adult gently, but suspiciously opens the door to discover I am the visitor. I politely ask if they would mind if I slept by the big oak tree in their front yard. The adult looks at me and says, "Why don't you just come inside? We(I) have an extra room that you can sleep in, and supper is almost ready if you would like to join us(me).

A) I know that it depends on the gender and age of the person who answers but, should I take the offer?
B) I know that an adult male wouldn't invite me, a young male, into the house to sleep and eat with his family.
C) I could almost see an elderly couple inviting me in but I think that they'd be to scared that it's a trick.
D) I can understand that this situation would rarely arise, but if it did. Should I just politely decline and move on to the next house for fear of something happening whilst I'm sleeping in their yard, politely decline and sleep in the yard, or accept the offer?

staehpj1

We never went for more than a few days without a good cleaning up using running water and I don't think we ever went a week without a proper shower. Usually you can at least wash up at a water spigot or in the sink at a public restroom. Many places let us use the shower at the community pool. A few times we washed up using biodegradable soap next to a stream or river. In a pinch cleaning up with some baby wipes is better than nothing. Using the AC maps helps with finding places to stay that have facilities. Talking to cyclists going the other way and sharing info helps too.

I never actually just knocked on a random door, but was invited to stay in folks homes a number of times. It was never awkward and I always accepted if it was in a place I wanted to stay. Lots of times we turned folks down because we wanted to get more miles in that day.

Often we got invites to camp on someone's property (in the yard or whatever) and when we actually got to their house we were usually invited to stay inside. We always accepted.

making

I did not know you could ride a bike on the interstate anywhere.