Anyone ever ride cross country solo (ish)?

Triathlon Forum
1

Just graduated and found out 2 days later that I didn’t get the job I was banking on. Now I’m left with an endless amount of free time and minimal money. I have a free $600 flight voucher from Delta because they screwed up my flight a few months ago, so getting to the west coast wouldn’t be a big deal. I’ve kind of always wanted to bike across the country, so maybe not getting a job right away is a blessing in disguise.

Has anyone ever done this? Solo? I really don’t know anyone that would have the time or even desire to do this with me. Is it even possible? Or am I just being stupid? Any info would be appreciated.

2

Talk to Khai. He rode across Canada solo last year.

Jodi

3

Try this web site: http://www.adventurecycling.org/

On the last blog I followed of a group of about 15 riding across Norther US, one person was killed (hit from behind on a wide open road) and another person was nearly killed (hit from behind on a narrow bridge. I’ve done tons of touring but haven’t toured much in the states for a long time.

The biggest question is: Do you plan to stay in motels or camp?

4

Wow. The possibility of death never crossed my mind. I would probably camp most of the time, just to save money. But a motel hear or there wouldnt be a bad idea.

5

I went NY to LA with a buddy of mine in 2004. Not exactly solo because we had each other- but then it wasn’t supported either.

If I can be of help let me know.

Jared

6

Not across USA, but a buddy of mine and I were planning on riding to Challenge Wanaka in New Zealand last year. It’s in the far south and we live in Auckland in the north. Our route was going to be about 1600km (1000mi). We were going to ride about 150-200km for two days, then have a swim/run/laundry day. Repeat until we get to the race venue on the Wednesday, before saturday race. We’d planned on a duffel bag with minimal clothing etc and a credit card for food and motels, with a rear carrier on our bikes. We had a serious falling out, so both pulled out of the race, and never ended up doing the ride. We’d have had a friend doing the race take our race bikes etc down and back for us, with us getting a lift back with him.

I still think of doing the race and the ride, but doing it solo would be a bit boring after a while I think.

7

Bump… and thanks for the help. I’m going to PM you if you don’t mind.

8

hey mate -

a few years ago i rode from vancouver to toronto. so, not the US but similar climate/distance/etc. i went solo, towing a BOB trailer. i camped most of the time, and also stayed once in a while in cheap highway hotels (especially if it was raining or something) and once in a while with friends/relatives. i had a great time, no question, and am really glad i did it.

happy to answer any questions you’ve got about nuts and bolts, but some general points:

-i really loved the trailer. 1 flat tire in 6000kms, and as soon as i unhooked it ‘in town’ i had a nice light commuting bike.
-bring goggles, cap and runners - i actually hopped into a couple of tris during my ride, and it was a blast
-it’s surprising how slowly you go. count on an average around 20 km/h, all in.
-you sure eat a lot
-my longest day was about 230km, which felt like a real haul, and had something like 11 hours in the saddle
-my legs were fine, but my shoulders got sore
-hills are not the enemy - wind is.
-it’s not hard at all. you train as you go. the hardest part is deciding to it and heading out the door.

anyway, those are some things off the top of my head. i say go for - the toughest bit is finding the free time, so if that’s fallen on your lap, i say go for!

-mike

9

I did exactly what you are talking about, didn’t have a job after college and ended up biking across the country alone. It was a great experience. Adventure cycling has created maps of different routes, I did the Transamerica Trail, and it was great. Pretty much all back roads, the maps were mostly up to date. It is a super fun experience, I would definitely recommend it. A great resource is crazyguyonabike.com. If you have specific questions, let me know.

10

Just graduated and found out 2 days later that I didn’t get the job I was banking on. Now I’m left with an endless amount of free time and minimal money. I have a free $600 flight voucher from Delta because they screwed up my flight a few months ago, so getting to the west coast wouldn’t be a big deal. I’ve kind of always wanted to bike across the country, so maybe not getting a job right away is a blessing in disguise.

Has anyone ever done this? Solo? I really don’t know anyone that would have the time or even desire to do this with me. Is it even possible? Or am I just being stupid? Any info would be appreciated.

Here is Khai’s (Board member) blog of his trip across canada last year: http://kractour.blogspot.com/

My dad and I went down the Pacific Highway 1 (From Coos Bay to San Fran) when I was a teen. Not really unsupported as mom drove the follow car, but we did about 50-70 a day depending, just cruising and watching scenery. Great trip.

John

11

Thanks for the info Mike!

Sounds like you had a blast. One of the main questions I have is how much money did it end up costing you? If I were to do it, I would be able to fly to the west coast for free, so that is not a huge issue. I’m just curious how much money you ended up spending buying food/supplies/shelter across the way?

12

That sounds awesome, good for you for actually getting out and doing it. I was actually looking at the transamerica trail too. Did you end up doing the whole thing (about 4500 miles right?) If you don’t mind me asking, how much did you end up spending along the way? and how long did it take you/how many miles per day?

13

Do it!

Check in with Khai as he did this last year( across Canada)

Several other board regulars have done some long distance touring.

I have never done anything like that, but have always wanted to. There is a certain satisfaction you get from having moved yourself that far all under your own power. I get a bit of that when I do a big point-to-point training ride. When you do a loop, you just end back where you started, which does not deliver the same level of satisfaction.

14

Thanks Steve! I’m in the process of reading his blog right now. Pretty amazing stuff.

15

I rode from Bellingham, Wa to Boston in summer 2008 with 4 of my buddies from college. Absolutely the coolest thing I’ve ever done. We rode 3850 miles in 47 days (43 riding). Took days off in Glacier, Minneapolis, Chicago and Rochester.

We used the adventure cycling maps Northern Tier route, camped almost exclusively except a few places we stayed with friends, and hotels through Indiana and Ohio (not much good camping). We carried our own stuff (unsupported), but it was nice because we could split things like stoves, fuel, bike tools, etc between the 5 of us. Also make sure you know how to fix everything on your bike, true a wheel, replace a spoke, etc. If you’re not handy, you’ll probably die on the side of the road.

If you can convince some friends to do it with you it will be a lot more fun.

Check out this site on touring:
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/

Here’s our blog from the trip that my friend Scott wrote:
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=RrzKj&doc_id=3854&v=9G&term=urxcxc&context=all

Feel free to email me with questions on logistics, packing, routes, etc.

  • Brian
16

I did do the entire thing. It took me just under 2 months. I don’t recall my exact average miles per day, but I would usually ride at least 80-90. There were a few stretches where I did a week or more of 100+ mile days. I don’t think that I would have been able to do it much faster than that, either physically or mentally.

The money thing is completely dependent on what you are willing to put up with/how much will power you have to avoid eating out all the time. There are plenty of places to camp, and you can always stealth camp (which I did very little of). A lot of the towns you go through will let you stay in the city park for free, but they are public places, so often have lights on all night, people show up to use the park right by where you are sleeping, etc. The first month I did really cheap, but then my parents saw me and said I was too skinny and got tired of hearing of me sleeping on park benches and forced me to stay in more hotels (which they paid for, what a graduation gift!). If you are really interesting in the exact number that I spent, I have it tallied in my journal at home and can PM you with it, I don’t recall off the top of my head. It really just comes down to how much you want to spend. It is hot, and you will pass through towns everyday, so not getting some ice cream is tough :slight_smile:

Let me know if you have any other questions, I would highly recommend it, it is amazing!

17

Thanks Brian. That’s pretty much the exact route I would take I think. I live in NH 40 minutes north of Boston. If I do decide to do this, I’ll be sure to get in touch to ask some more details.

18

well, if your flight is free, you’re off to a huge start. staying at cheapo highway hotels in the middle of nowhere was usually about $40-50 for a night. once a week, i figure TV, a hot shower, some laundry - it’s worth it. camping in some little towns is a matter of pitching up at the local Lion’s Club park, or whatever, and dropping $5 in the bucket. at provincial/federal parks and private campsites it was more expensive. (personally, i don’t suggest the private campsites - these days they’re full of people sitting in huge RVs watching TV with the air conditioning on. tell them you’re camping and they think you’re a dirtbag hippie or something.) then of course friend’s places are free, though usually i’d pitch up with a bottle of wine or something.

food was cheap - mostly just groceries. i’d have quaker oats most mornings, and then dinner would be pasta, rice, soup - something boring like that. i’d pay for lunch on the road if i had a good momentum going and didn’t want to stop too long. and of course i ended up buying a fair deal of juice/pop/water/chocolate milk on the road, so a few bucks a day for that. of course, i’d also treat myself to hot meals once in a while, and it’s nice not to do your own cooking all the time. plus, i really think if you’re riding all day, you really do need a big steak once in a while!

the rest was just odds and ends. i’d clean my drivetrain once in a while, but carried my own lube and grease i think. i bought a new cassette toward the end, and had it installed. i had only 1 flat tyre, and carried a folding spare. decided to buy a new spare to replace it, and always carried lots of tubes.

i should note that i owned all my own gear already. i’d done lots of camping, so i had tent/stove/bag etc and didn’t really have to buy any new kit. i’d also been cycling for years, so had most of what i needed. bought a new pair of bibs, maybe some socks. . . not much.

sorry i can’t put a $ figure on it off the top of my head, but hopefully you get the idea. first i think you want to decide your basic “capital costs” - basically, the gear you need, since your flight’s free. next, you can start tuning the ‘operating costs,’ and figure out how much you could afford to blow on hotels, food, massages, etc. . .

-mike

19

All great info mike, thanks for all the help. Looks like I could do it pretty cheap, as I’ve already been riding for 6-7 years. Now all I have to do is pull the trigger

20

Out of curiosity… what job didn’t you get?

I’m planning a cross country trip one of these summers. www.Adventurecycling.org has routes/maps… good resources.