xcountry

I am a college student right now and a few friends and I have a dream to ride our bikes across the US before we graduate, we are VERY serious about it...but lack the knowledge, however. I would love to know what kind of equipment to bring, where to stay, how to eat, are trailers a good idea? If so how much weight should u put in them, and how much weight should u put on your bike and person. I think that our main concern, however is where to stay and how to eat. We thought about hospices or churches, or even staying outdoors alot on nice nights. I'd even like to know what kinds of food to eat/bring. Any knowledge you all have is much appreciated, thank a lot.

DeafLamb

I havn't done cross country yet, but like you i'm planning it. Here is what i've larned so far. There are as many diffrent ways to do it as there are people that want to do it.

Two of the major ways of doing long distance touring are credit card touring, and self contained touring.

Credit card touring you mainly ride from a motel/hotel/hostel to a motel/hotel/hostel every day. You live off a credit card, you buy meals at restruats and stay inside at night. Its expensive but you don't have to carry a lot of equipment or food which can make your trip faster.

Self contained touring you bring everything that you need with you. You carry tents, sleeping bags, cooking equipment etc... This type of touring there is no need to stick to any itenerary, you don't need to make it certain miles everyday cause you can get off the road and camp almost anywhere (not alwyas legal, but fun!)

There are of course ways to mix and match these styles but either your going to be carrying a ****load of stuff are you aren't.

As far as gear goes going to your LBS is the best bet. Some people like pannineirs, some like trailers. Some ride trikes so it's all personal there.

Couple of things I would take into consideration (all personal opinion)

1. Most important make sure the bike fits you, your going to be spending a lot of time on it.

2. Keep as much weight off your body as possible, less weight goes to your bum that way and it makes a diffrence when your in the saddle all the time.

3. Don't carry that much food, chances are your always going to be passing places you can resuply. One days worht of food should be fine, if you know your going into a longer stretch then stock up.

4. Have fun, a bike is a great way to see everything that people miss in cars.

Ray

Kodama

As stated above there are many ways to tour. Best way to get an idea of which type appeals to you is to read through journals kept by those who have done it. Crazy Guy has the best collection of travelogs in one place that I have seen. Many of these will have equpment lists and lots of information on what did and did not work.

meanderthal

I think, for all those many details you seek, you really should check out the current books on the subject. I can offer some general advice, though, having crossed in 1993 shortly after I retired.

First of all, remember this important thing: There can be only one "first time". You'll never forget it, so make it the best adventure you can possibly manage. Ride YOUR dream, not someone else's tried-and-true route. Pore over the maps and choose a path that speaks to you. Extend yourself--don't plan all the "surprise" out of it. Don't, for example, make reservations ahead, or promise to visit people who live along the way. Live in the unknown. The object, I think, should be to immerse yourself in the unfamiliar to the point of feeling vaguely lost in space--a bit vulnerable and dependent on your own common sense and resources more than you may ever have been. If you can possibly carry camping and cooking gear, do it. It may feel scary at first, but not knowing, when you rise each morning, where you'll sleep that night is exhilarating in itself. When you want "civilized", seek out the small-town restaurants that the locals frequent; stay at the mom-and-pop, "neon" motels. Do everything you can to force those pores open and sharpen your five senses. Do that and you'll be surprised by how you'll remember the smallest detail years hence, still feel a sense of ownership of that narrow ribbon of asphalt whose last mile will have separated you forever from that rider who pedaled the first one. Make it "your" road, not someone else's fast-food, chain-hotel road. But never forget that as you clock off each mile you travel as a guest, not an owner. "Please" and "thank you" are magic to the ears of the tourist-weary shopkeeper. You'll remember many a person who made your day out there, so make theirs, too, and may all your memories be good ones.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some details I might mention:

CARGO. I like panniers. There are many who prefer trailers (Google "bike trailers"), but I keep thinking of loss of maneuverability, difficult parking, less stability on steep descents, wider footprint (in traffic)--things like that. I use both front and rear panniers plus a handlebar bag. Roomy with good weight distribution. Feels like the natural state after a few days out.

Don't take too much stuff, especially food. Grocery stores are everywhere except in the longest lonely stretches where you can stock up just before.

WATER. It's nice to have 3 bottle cages. In most areas, I don't fill the 3rd one; it's there when supply is iffy and at the last water stop of the day before searching for a campsite. Carry extra web straps for general purposes, including lashing store-bought gallons of water before entering the desert.

EATING OUT: breakfast is my favorite, because more locals show up--especially those who aren't in a hurry and can "sit a spell". Lots of conversations start with the morning coffee klatch. Even if I cook breakfast in camp, I always seem to end up having another one, just for the human contact.

FENDERS: have them. Ditto, rain gear. BIG ditto: REARVIEW MIRROR (I like the helmet-mounted ones.)

ROUTE PLANNING. It's ok to map out your route meticulously. As long as it's along roads you've never traveled, you lose no sense of adventure by writing down road names. The advantage is that when you're on the road, a pre-drawn route frees you from too-frequent map reading and allows you to look at what you're passing through instead.

PRIVACY. Traveling with others, try to have a lot of "alone" time on the road--where you can't see your companions. Try to mimic solo riding on some days, agreeing to meet at the day's destination or at some rendezvous point along the way.

NOTE TAKING. I like hanging a lightweight mini-tape recorder around my neck so I can make notes while I ride.

PHOTOS. I took a lot of scenic shots, but I regret not taking pics of people met casually--shopkeepers, etc. As I mentioned earlier, you will remember more than you might expect, so it would be nice to have photos to bring back the faces.

Use web straps, not bungee cords, to tie down stuff on the back rack. Bungees have too much give; you'll waste energy in overcoming bounce and side-to-side thrashing.

TRIAL RUN. Before you leave, consider a trial run. A short, one-night shakedown trip, followed later by a 3-night, 150-mile mini tour, camping in a different place each night, will allow you to discover and correct most of the bugs you'd have encountered on the real trip.

RAIN. Loaded with gear, ride for a day in the rain beforehand. The sooner the better to find what needs waterproofing.

EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE. Learn to dismantle, clean and reassemble your camp stove. BIG DITTO: learn to fix your own flats. If you've never done it, use an ice pick on your tire if you must, but go through the process once to make sure you're able. ALSO....get a chain tool and learn to use it by opening a link and then reclosing it. Then carry a spare link on the road. A guy in a pickup can maybe fix a flat for you, but if your chain breaks, you're helpless without a tool. Oh, and be sure you can string the chain back through the derailleurs properly. Carrying a picture helps. FINALLY...the same goes for cables. Learn to replace both brake and shifter cables. Carry spares.

TENTS. I think one-person tents are preferable to larger ones. The privacy is good, everyone sleeps better, and if your partner drops out mid-trip, you're not left lugging a house.

DRY TENT. Buy a good tent, capable of remaining dry in a prolonged downpour. You'll be toasty warm in the always-DRY SLEEPING BAG that you unpack and repack inside the dry tent. A dry tent allows you to choose a down bag if you want (pounds saved.) OVERHANG or VESTIBULE is important so rain doesn't fall through the front door. If it's raining when you want to leave, pack everything while inside tent. Get into rain clothes. Then strike the tent & stuff into its bag quickly. Try to keep fly deployed. Stuff the mostly-dry tent under the fly, then shake & stuff the wet fly.

CAMPSITES: State campgrounds are generally great, and you'll often avoid much of the leviathan-RV crowd. National forest campsites are good, too, though often quite primitive. The latter are often unmanned, so be sure to have lots of ones and fives to make exact change when you stuff your fee into the box at the gate. (Nat'l forest sites do take personal checks.) And yes, church and school yards and even town parks are fair game if you ask first. Try to return the favor, though, by patronizing a local restaurant or making a small donation. It's also fun to bivouac. I avoid private property but have pitched many times in non-posted, wooded areas of public property--thickly-treed road medians and the like. It's part of the adventure, and when you really don't know where you'll end up at the end of the day, bivouacking is a common necessity.

Carry your own TIRE PUMP and PATCH KIT. I prefer a full-size pump to the compact models, as it's easier to use. Since you'll be topping off each morning, the extra weight is worth it.

TOOLS. Make sure you have a tool for every adjustment you may need to make. I draw the line at the heavier tools, though--crescent wrench, crank extractor, freewheel remover--and plan instead to just sit by the roadside and cry, waiting for the inevitable pickup to come along.

FOOD. Carry a bit of emergency ration, but don't carry too much food. Shop daily. It's fun to patronize a lonely little mom-and-pop grocery, and they can use the business. They are often as hungry for a chance to chat as you are for the food, and you may easily be their day's high point, what with your incredible story of a cross-country ride. They're one-of-a-kind, and that's what you're after, isn't it? Me? I dine down-and-dirty when I camp. Food preparation is low on my list of fun things, so I often just get a can of good stew or chili and boil it unopened for 10 minutes, immersed in a 1 qt aluminum pot of water. I turn the stove off and let the whole thing rest 15 minutes before opening, and then eat right out of the can so there's only a spoon to wash. A can of fruit and a slice of bread--that's my dinner. I get my nutritional balance back at breakfast or lunch, when I'm not tired from the day's ride. Don't overworry about food. Do what Mark Twain advised: "Eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside."

CLOTHING. I carry an extra jersey and cycling shorts. One polypropylene long-john pants and one lycra tights. One polypro turtleneck. One rain jacket, pants and lightweight overshoe. One balaclava. Two sock and two glove liners, all polypro. Two pair wool socks, one cotton. One lightweight sleeping shorts and t-shirt. Two cycling gloves plus one warm, fingered pair cycling gloves. I live in the cycling clothes.

LAUNDRY. At a coin laundry, just get into your rain suit and wash everything else. Go easy on the dryer temperature; check often. In camp with running water, I just hand-wash things in the sink or shower using bar soap, and dry them the next day in a lightweight net on my back rack.

WILD ANIMALS. I tend not to camp alone in bear country, and especially not in mountain lion country. Go with your own preference, though, but be sure not to contaminate your bike bags, clothing or tent with food odors. Wash all bags before embarking, and don't carry anything that might ooze or spill or otherwise smell up your bags. I carry fig bars, for example, in a tightly-capped Rubbermaid bottle. Same with raisins and nuts. Never have food in your tent. Once in there, it may leave residual odors which can attract animals long afterward. At night, suspend food from a tree branch (see literature for pointers).

Well, that's more than enough from someone who told you to go read it in a book, lol. Bottom line: be less concerned about what might happen than about what might
NOT happen. In other words, make it the best adventure ever. Have fun, and the best of luck to you.....Lew

jamawani 

I've cycled cross-country too often to be considered normal, but it's a bad habit. When do you plan on going? What kind of bike - touring or mountain - I like the latter - slower but fewer spoke problems.
My guess is you want to do it on the cheap and I can help you there, too. Depending on how many miles per day you plan on doing - whether or not you want to explore some of the western parks where you want to start and end would dictate a route and direction. The Cascades and Rockies are snowed in early in the season and by the time you get east it is sweltering in August - so it may be better to go east to west.
Plus you save the best for last - also the toughest climbs for when you've built up endurance. E-mail me - johnegan@vcn.com

Roughstuff

You will love your x-country tour. I did my first one in 1980 and have been hooked ever since. You've already gotten a few letters with great advice so I needn't be long winded. A basic bike, front and rear panniers, a dome shaped self standing tent, and cooking equipment will be your major purchases. They look expensive but don't forget they last for years if well kept.

I always prefer to ride from West to East. The Cascades, Sierra, Rockies and Tetons are best early in the summer while they still have snow on the passes. Later in the summer they tend to be dry and much less scenic. Also, the road gradients out west are much less than in the Appalachians, where brutal grades and roller coaster hills can tucker you out day after day of riding. You'll be in tip top shape by the time you hit these hills if ya ride eastward. Even so make sure ya got a granny gear or two.

In addition, the winds will be behind you most of the time if you go from west to east. The sun will not be blistering in your eyes in the late afternoon heat...yes you'll face the morning sun: just when you need it to warm ya up on those chilly AM rides.


One thing worth doing: get a flu shot, tetanus shot, and a pneumonia shot before you go. Even in summer you'll get some chilly rainy days that can test your endurance and resistance to nasty bugs and viruses. Before my world tour I got those shots plus rabies, yellow fever, and god knows what else: being sick on a trip is no fun.

Good luck and godspeed.

roughstuff

xcountry

Thanks a lot for all your great advice, and I will be emailing you jamiwani. Just to let everyone know, we will be going east to west, we go to school in the Cape Cod area, so since we're here we're gonna start here. We'd like to end up in San Diego. You have no idea...or maybe you do....of how excited we are. I've started to look in to panniers and into bikes. I already have a Specialized Hardrock Pro...mountain bike, so I think I'm going to be taking that, can you think of any modifications to make to it that might make the trip better, i.e. gears or tires. Thanks million guys, the trip can't come soon enough.

Blackberry

The organization Adventure Cycling is made to help people just like you (and me).
Lots of info about touring on their website. You can join or look around as a guest.

www.adventurecycling.org/

By the way, touring is a lot like other parts of life. You figure out a lot as you go along. Organization has its place, but the main thing--as other writers suggest--is to saddle up and ride!

xcountry

You've got that right, my main concern is not breaking something every other day....other than that, I want to the be a "ride" by the the seat of your pants experience.

redfooj

hay-seuzz christ..that was an INCREDIBLE write-up! next to traveling solo to europe, i now want to bike tour accross the country! thanks for your inspiration!

gotta do it quick, too, as i haev about a year of schooling left. riding a century, and then a state-wide cross is my immediate goal, but its magnitude pales in comparison to a x-country trek.

how long does it usually take to achieve a full coast to coast ride? 2 months? a whole summer?

jamawani 

Hey - I'm one of the big believers in either direction - not AC-DC - but
E-to-W or W-to-E - However, that said, Cape Cod to San Diego can be tough in that direction - two main reasons - 1) Prevailing winds - in the Midwest, Plains, and West there are lots of SW winds - steady rain and steady headwinds are the two biggest bummers for touring - as a cyclist you can't beat the wind, it can only beat you. 2) The Mojave Desert - you'll be crossing the hottest part of the country at the hottest time of the year. Yes, you can bike in the early morning and evening, but there are precious few shady places in-between to chill out during the intervening 110-degree hours.

In planning your route, do consider Rails-to-Trails bike trails in the East and Midwest - go to their website - and check by state - there are some great, long rides in NY, Penna, Ohio. Also canal trails offer you the pleasure of uninterrupted riding - free of car traffic. Two come to mind - the C&O west of DC - 186 miles through the mountains with free hiker/biker camping - also the Illinois & Michigan Trail which crosses Illinois.

Free camping - Are you aware that you can camp free anywhere in the West on public lands - that means BLM or Forest Service - not National Parks. You need to make sure you're not on private land, though. In the Midwest and Plains - very small towns are great stops - ask at churches - Catholic churches - the priest usually lives next door - Protestant churches - usually have the preacher's name on a sign in front.

Often they'll insist you stay in the rec hall instead of camping out. Second choice in small towns is the Kiwanis Park - usually means calling the chapter pres. The smaller the town, the better. Obviously, if the town has a Winnebagoland trailer park - you'll be asked to go there.

Best of luck - John

meanderthal

Thanks, redfooj. My 3400-mile crossing from Woodstock NY to Ilwaco WA took 48 days of biking. Added to that were a few rain days on which I decided to stay put. I averaged 71 miles per day while on the move, camping and cooking a lot, with a motel once a week.

I must have hit the sweet spot of the year, because I didn't have to put on rain gear until western Montana. I hit no extreme weather outside of a couple of frosty mornings here in the east, and some snow in southwest Montana (fun!). I started on April 29 and hit the coast in late June.

I liked the idea of going AWAY from home into territory that became more and more unfamiliar with each passing day; it just feels more adventuresome that way. But I agree with John's advice re crossing E-to-W and ending in the Mojave Desert--too hot! It's already too late to start from the east coast hoping to miss that heat. I beat it by staying north--all the states that border Canada. Best of luck though, whatever route and time you choose!

tkehler

Meanderthal, it was really good -- and patient -- of you to provide so much valuable information to the rest of us. Thanks for taking the time.

lofter

my question to those that have done this is how much money did it cost how many break downs and how many times people try to run u off the road or dogs trying to get you?

meanderthal

You'll have to extrapolate to today's dollar, but in 1993 I spent $1400 over 48 days and 3500 solo miles--not including train fare home from the west coast to eastern NY state, but including around $175 in bike repairs, tire and glove replacement (a friendly dog made off with mine) along the way. I was being fairly thrifty, but not to the point of penury. I took a motel once a week, cooked a lot, and camped free 20 times. Eight flats, total.

I never "broke down". Replaced a tire and a tube. Had an all-over inspection at around 2400 miles, in which a brake was damaged in the shop but I had to spring for the cost. Long story.

I had no problems with drivers cutting me off; just a few rude honks mixed in with scores of friendly ones. Dogs? Nothing serious at all, and only one halfhearted chase. Never had to use my Halt. Despite that I still worry most about dogs, not drivers, 99% of whom I've found to be courteous and accommodating.

Lew

lofter

thanks mean, was really wanting to know.

super-douper

My goodness...how inspiring and informative.

Some friends and I are planning a 4-day trip somewhere in California (havn't decided where yet). I can't wait. Reading that makes me even more excited. Not just the gear section (which is very informative) but the parts about thinking what the trip is REALLY for....the experience, not the mileage or the route or the camping.

Lew, you seem to really have everything in perspective. Thanks for sharing.

SarahTW

I am also preparing to ride cross country as soon as I finish my masters thesis. We're hoping that going east-west in the fall (starting early september) would keep is from being too hot, and get us west before its too cold (going on a southern route). Has anyone gone cross country in this time of year?

meanderthal

Sarah -- I think you're choosing a good time, provided you haven't verged too far northward by the time you're crossing the Rockies. It might be a good move to mail your warm-weather clothing and gear to, say, eastern New Mexico. That was my plan when I mapped a September/October route from upstate NY to Death Valley that was to pass through northern NM and onward via 4-Corners. I've never gotten the time together to do it at that time of year, however, so my info is not from south-route experience but based merely on armchair research and a previous May/June, east-west crossing through the northern states.

Here's hoping you'll get to do the ride. And good luck on the thesis in the meantime.

Lew