USA tour

[mr riff raff]

I've found British Airways good for bikes and prices are OK. Their website isn't as good for searching as Skyscanner though. I search on Skyscanner then book direct via BA. Cuts out any middleman if there is any problems. On economy fares you get one hold case free up to 23kg. Unless you are travelling very light you will need a hold case and a bike box in which case the bike box gets charged as if it was a second hold case. Approx £45 each way.

Prices? Vary according to season of course. Going W - E from San Francisco or further north you should be starting from early June to late July.

When searching for flights be flexible on dates/times . Last year I halved the cost of my Glasgow - LHR - San Francisco and San Diego - LHR - Glasgow return by leaving Glasgow a few hours later. £349 return. That was booked about 6 months ahead. And was for late August to early October. Midsummer flights will be more.

And avoid USA based international airlines. They have huge bike charges.

Thanks. I'm going to be totally flexible with day and time.

Went to the US last year to see the solar eclipse. Bang in the middle of the school holidays in August. Like you say, if we'd have gone in September it would have been half.

[mr riff raff]

Follow the adventure cycling website and crazy guy on a bike website (many journals from people doing a similar route to you).

No tent is doable but you have to be prepared to put some distances in.

The route you are proposing from San Francisco is classically followed using the adventure cycling western express route from San Francisco to pueblo, Colorado and from there either following the classic transam to Yorktown Virginia or using that route to eureka, Kansas and then the eastern express link to Washington DC. Seattle to Bostonish is closer to the Northern tier route. Obviously you can pick any route you choose-it's just that these routes are well established and mapped.

https://www.easternexpressroute.com

I am planning/hoping on cycling east to west from Washington to DC to Portland Oregon next summer. I'm plannning on varying from these routes but broadly using them to Montrose Colorado and then cutting up through Moab, Salt Lake City and Boise Idaho to Portland. I like camping and hotels every night would blow the budget and might stop me riding it next year and so I am planning a mostly camping based route especially in Colorado, Utah etc. I'm thinking of mixing in some air conditioned hotels for some of the hottest nights in Kansas. I'm a warm showers host so some of that in the more urban areas.

I'm fiddling with the route ATM. Here are my working versions. https://cycle.travel/by/kate_culley/journeys?group=717

Thanks.

I'm happy to stick the miles in. I usually do 60-80 when touring here, so I'm comfy with that and over. As for blowing the budget, I've started planning now including getting the finances sorted with the assistance of a work sharesave scheme.

Started looking through some of the crazy guy stuff. Fantastic.

Out of curiosity, why east to west as everyone goes the other way, which I presumed is done for wind assistance?

[irc]

Out of curiosity, why east to west as everyone goes the other way, which I presumed is done for wind assistance?

Everyone doesn't go the other way. Currently Crazyguyonabike has 313 E-W journals and 450 W-E. Having done it both ways I have had headwinds and tailwinds both ways. I don't think there is a prevailing wind pattern for San Francisco to Boston. The Route 66 from Chicago to LA has prevailing winds from the SW but it is an exception.

John Meiners on Crazyguyonabike has done 2 coast to coasts and a R66 and kept detailed wind measurements

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=1oF&page_id=440018&v=f#pic_2473525

Usually when people go E-W they give history as a reason - the way the USA was settled, saving the best scenery to last, or depending on route, no hills for 1500 miles until you are tour fit.

Going E-W for a East coast to San Francisco further north crossing allows an earlier in the year start if the matters. Early May would be good. Though I did my Washington DC to San Francisco starting mid July and was fine. June to August can give some really hot weather from the East coast through the Midwest (much higher humidity than the west) but it is easier to cope with small gaps between towns and services. In my first week I was getting 96f daily highs in a humid climate. But that was exceptional.

Starting on the west coast in mid July would get you to the east coast in mid Sept past the really hot weather. I finished a tour in Boston in late Sept and the weather was beautiful the whole way over other than 1 really hot day the first week in Washington State.

[mr riff raff]

Usually when people go E-W they give history as a reason - the way the USA was settled, saving the best scenery to last, or depending on route, no hills for 1500 miles until you are tour fit.

Going E-W for a East coast to San Francisco further north crossing allows an earlier in the year start if the matters. Early May would be good. Though I did my Washington DC to San Francisco starting mid July and was fine. June to August can give some really hot weather from the East coast through the Midwest (much higher humidity than the west) but it is easier to cope with small gaps between towns and services. In my first week I was getting 96f daily highs in a humid climate. But that was exceptional.

Starting on the west coast in mid July would get you to the east coast in mid Sept past the really hot weather. I finished a tour in Boston in late Sept and the weather was beautiful the whole way over other than 1 really hot day the first week in Washington State.

E-W is a good shout. I could start late May which the roads would be open when I get to cross the Rockies, whichever way that would be. Added bonus would be off peak for flights and accommodation.

[MrsHJ]

Usually when people go E-W they give history as a reason - the way the USA was settled, saving the best scenery to last, or depending on route, no hills for 1500 miles until you are tour fit.

Going E-W for a East coast to San Francisco further north crossing allows an earlier in the year start if the matters. Early May would be good. Though I did my Washington DC to San Francisco starting mid July and was fine. June to August can give some really hot weather from the East coast through the Midwest (much higher humidity than the west) but it is easier to cope with small gaps between towns and services. In my first week I was getting 96f daily highs in a humid climate. But that was exceptional.

Starting on the west coast in mid July would get you to the east coast in mid Sept past the really hot weather. I finished a tour in Boston in late Sept and the weather was beautiful the whole way over other than 1 really hot day the first week in Washington State.

E-W is a good shout. I could start late May which the roads would be open when I get to cross the Rockies, whichever way that would be. Added bonus would be off peak for flights and accommodation.

In the USA school holidays often start mid may and are over by August. Their main holiday month is July to go with Independence Day. I was also in the USA for the eclipse (in Casper, Wyoming) and I think that the increased business was just due to the eclipse. My friends in Wyoming had to have their kids in school the next day. In Denver the schools started on about 12 August for registration etc. Kids in the southern states are back in school even earlier.

[MrsHJ]

Follow the adventure cycling website and crazy guy on a bike website (many journals from people doing a similar route to you).

No tent is doable but you have to be prepared to put some distances in.

The route you are proposing from San Francisco is classically followed using the adventure cycling western express route from San Francisco to pueblo, Colorado and from there either following the classic transam to Yorktown Virginia or using that route to eureka, Kansas and then the eastern express link to Washington DC. Seattle to Bostonish is closer to the Northern tier route. Obviously you can pick any route you choose-it's just that these routes are well established and mapped.

https://www.easternexpressroute.com

I am planning/hoping on cycling east to west from Washington to DC to Portland Oregon next summer. I'm plannning on varying from these routes but broadly using them to Montrose Colorado and then cutting up through Moab, Salt Lake City and Boise Idaho to Portland. I like camping and hotels every night would blow the budget and might stop me riding it next year and so I am planning a mostly camping based route especially in Colorado, Utah etc. I'm thinking of mixing in some air conditioned hotels for some of the hottest nights in Kansas. I'm a warm showers host so some of that in the more urban areas.

I'm fiddling with the route ATM. Here are my working versions. https://cycle.travel/by/kate_culley/journeys?group=717

Thanks.

I'm happy to stick the miles in. I usually do 60-80 when touring here, so I'm comfy with that and over. As for blowing the budget, I've started planning now including getting the finances sorted with the assistance of a work sharesave scheme.

Started looking through some of the crazy guy stuff. Fantastic.

Out of curiosity, why east to west as everyone goes the other way, which I presumed is done for wind assistance?

For a couple of reasons. I think for me the closeness of support and easier terrain on the route I am doing in the east (which is also when I expect to get the heat) works better to build up to the sparser support, more challenging terrain and climate in the west. Also I am an early morning cyclist who likes to finish early. This puts the sun behind me and makes my visibility better in the morning. I also think I'm going to enjoy the west more so I'm getting the not my favourite part over first.

Looking at your proposed routes I think a northern tier route might work for you time wise and hotel wise. Not that I'm any expert but I've noticed a few people doing the Northern teir with hotels only. Southern teir you'd need to go earlier. Most people doing the centernary route seem to take tents but there are plenty of people on that route too who seem to mostly use hotels.