Biking across America is on of my goals. Any advice, thoughts, suggestions?
Unless you don’t have a job, something like this seems like a good option:
http://www.americabybicycle.com/FastS/
We did a 10-day segment with them one year as kind of a training camp. 100-140 miles per day and very well organized.
I don’t have a job and I will be biking across Canada this summer.
I did it after graduating college. The timing is too good to pass up a challenge that is immensely easier without responsibilities. Took me 7 weeks to bike the Transamerica trail from adventurecycling. I had previously done no rides longer than 60 miles and never did any camping…but my body adapted well. And it served as a superb base for triathlon. After riding with all that weight strapped to my bike and in a vertical form…I feel like a rocket on a light bike with aerobars. But you do have to be willing to spend alot of time by yourself if you’re going solo.
My roommate did it during college summer break. He rode his mountain bike from Mexico to Canada. He was solo until his dad met him in the northern Rockies; they finished up together. All he had was a BOB trailer, tent, some other basics, and a credit card. He said it was one of the best things he ever did.
I’ve always wanted to do that. I’d do the credit card style and go from hotel to hotel. I don’t like camping and carrying all that stuff.
Agree that America By Bicycle is a great way to go. Also Trek has a cross-country trip, but it’s quite a bit more expensive.
Definitely on my To Do List
I didn’t have the time to do a “true” coast-to-coast (east-west) cross-country trip last summer, so I did something smaller - a “coast-to-coast” from South to North - gulf of Mexico to Lake Michigan. It was just over 1,000miles. Several of my kids did it as well, so it was like a stepping stone to a longer east-west coast-to-coast.
—Francis
I say do it before the real world sucks you in and you end up like me, wishing that you did it when you had very little responsibility
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You can read about my trip: http://bikeysride.blogspot.com/
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All the advice and info I think you could ever need…
This site has great advice, and can supply route guides and maps to keep you on bike-friendly back roads: http://www.adventurecycling.org/
Make sure you pack as light as possible. The less you carry or tow, the more fun it will be to ride. Resist the temptation to carry stuff you don’t absolutely need. This is a friend’s kit list when he did the same: http://rob.bikerevuk.com/ustour/tourkit.html
Thanks Ben,
I plan I reading your blog. What route did you take? Is it logged on google map or anything like that?
this would be so legit to do. too bad it takes so long.