Has anyone done coast to coast in the US?

[ukdodger]

I cycled from Los Angeles to Vancouver in 1981 on the then recently marked Pacific Coast Bicycle route. Took me 8 weeks of cycling roughly 50 miles a day. Two of us going against the prevailing wind met everyone else coming the other way. Camped (mainly) in forest parks where if you turned up on a bike the fee was 50c and there were hot showers but the tent had to be struck at dawn otherwise officious park rangers would be shaking the tent. It was a great experience and we did meet cyclists who had come across from the east coast following the original bikecentennial route. (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bikecentennial). Consensus was that the Pacific route was more interesting. Got fed up with eating at Denny's though.

Interesting thanks. I think I might have decided against it for now though. If I could find an organised tour that catered for my sort of cyclist (old and slow) and without any camping I'd go for it.

I cant imagine that sort of officious behaviour here. What was the point?

[Vorpal]

I cant imagine that sort of officious behaviour here. What was the point?

They don't do that anymore. Once upon a time, the cheap camping spots were all dusk to dawn & campers had to pay for two days or more, or a spot with electricity to stay during the day.

[Mick F]

Pedantic head on here.

Does the USA have a coast?
Being a continent with many coasts, you cant really do to a specific "Coast to Coast"?
I rode from the coast of Lake Ontario to the coast of the Atlantic in 1986.
Does that count?

Also, they call the sea, "The Ocean".
Maybe they have two oceans: Atlantic and Pacific, so they call the seas, oceans.

We in UK don't have an ocean coast much, mainly only sea coasts:
North, Irish, Celtic ....... plus English Channel, but the French call it de Manch.
(it annoys me greatly that the folk in Newquay think they are surfing in the Atlantic! )

The Scottish have Minches and Firths, and the Shetlanders have the Norwegian Sea.
You could argue that the Hebridians have the Atlantic Ocean one one side and the irish have the Atlantic Ocean too to the west.

The English have nothing but seas and can do an End to End.
They can do a Coast to Coast, but there are many Coast to Coasts up and down the country.

[PJ520]

Quite a bit has changed since 1981 in particular campgrounds have been closed. So go by the ACA maps and check the addenda to the maps to make sure you have somewhere to stay. Restaurants are notorious for coming and going. On the Sierra Cascades route I rode 20 miles planning on breakfast at a diner in Oregon that was on the ACA map only to find it closed. If I'd checked the addenda I would have known that; I ended up riding 35 miles for breakfast. Riders are quite good at sending in amendments to maps that the ACA checks and then lists in its addenda. BTW if you need anything en route (ACA map, new back wheel etc) the post office is a great resource: have it sent to 'General Delivery' to a post office up the road. Make sure the office takes general delivery with a phone call as not all do. Alas just like the UK rural post offices are getting axed. You'll find the PO staff very helpful. I ended up with my medication behind me in N Dakota and the man at the PO phoned me and arranged to have it sent to the next biggish town up the road where I got it. FYI My cell number was on the package.

[PJ520]

I cant imagine that sort of officious behaviour here. What was the point?

I can. 45 years ago we used to camp at Horton-in-Ribblesdale. The aged farmer's technique for collecting his tanners from slumbering campers was to poke his walking stick in a tent and proddle it about until it woke something.

[ukdodger]

I cant imagine that sort of officious behaviour here. What was the point?

I can. 45 years ago we used to camp at Horton-in-Ribblesdale. The aged farmer's technique for collecting his tanners from slumbering campers was to poke his walking stick in a tent and proddle it about until it woke something.

[RickH]

Interesting thanks. I think I might have decided against it for now though. If I could find an organised tour that catered for my sort of cyclist (old and slow) and without any camping I'd go for it.

Bike Adventures are running a Pacific Highway trip in September 2014 over 28 days. I've done a few other trips with them & like the way they do tours (a bit like a daily series of Audaxes rather than any forced riding in groups) & I know someone who did this trip in 2012 & thoroughly enjoyed it.

Rick.

[ukdodger]

Interesting thanks. I think I might have decided against it for now though. If I could find an organised tour that catered for my sort of cyclist (old and slow) and without any camping I'd go for it.

Bike Adventures are running a Pacific Highway trip in September 2014 over 28 days. I've done a few other trips with them & like the way they do tours (a bit like a daily series of Audaxes rather than any forced riding in groups) & I know someone who did this trip in 2012 & thoroughly enjoyed it.

Rick.

Cheers. I'll Keep the link.

[PJ520]

Does the USA have a coast?
Being a continent with many coasts, you cant really do to a specific "Coast to Coast"?
I rode from the coast of Lake Ontario to the coast of the Atlantic in 1986.
Does that count?

Pedantic too. Where land and lake meet is a shore not a coast. This Wikipedia entry discusses the difference http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coast

[le vieux grognard]

Others may already have suggested this but, if not, the place to go is the Adventure Cycling Association. You'll be astonished how many route maps it publishes, including coast to coast, on roads found by cyclists for cyclists. The maps aren't cheap but you'll find nothing better, not least because of the turn-by-turn instructions and the signs for campgrounds, hotels, libraries (for the internet) and shops.

[PJ520]

the place to go is the Adventure Cycling Association

And if ride your bike to their headquarters in Missoula Montana you get a free ice cream!