It's been years since I've been on here! But here is a quick question. I'm thinking about crossing this amazing country on a bike. My first step is picking a date. When would be the best time of year to depart? I am more interested in avoiding rain and snow than I am of avoiding heat.. It's safe to say I am very used to riding in the heat... I'll be leaving from Crescent Ca and ending at a not certain location yet (looking into new york...). Hope I get some good answers here! Share some experiences if you'd like. Thanks guys!

June-August departure would make sense to me. I left 8/1 OR to NJ, and had about 7 days with any precip, 5 of them in Yellowstone. I took about 10 1/2 weeks to get across. You could probably get away with mid-May and September as well.

Depending on your daily mileage and curiosity, a x-country can take from 6 weeks to 3 months. Lets say 2 months.

Fall is the best time for touring all over the US. Cool temps and least chance for rain, usually. Leave CA on Sept 1, arrive at the Atlantic on Oct 31. Adjust for to your expected speed.

Thanks guys. I'm shooting for a two month ride... Two and a half at the max... I may have to move my route around. This whole idea is new to me.

Any mapping tips? As in ideas on how to pick a good route. I think that is what worries me the most. Getting lost.

Adventure Cycling takes the work out of planning a route. You might be able to do the Western Express / TransAm combination from California, or Southern Tier if you're going further south.

www.adventurecyling.org has most of the good routes/services mapped out for you. Very detailed and great value. Little or no route planning needed. Load up and ride off.

If you want to DIY, plot on Google where you can view pictures of the route. As for not getting lost, ask for assistance if you do, and/or get a gps.

Free state paper maps are for the asking through state tourism departments. Takes a little digging sometimes to zero in on the right site. Transfer the Google plot to the state maps, and/or create a track of the route on www.bikeroutetoaster.com, then download it to a gps. Just follow the line.

July