Usa coast to coast

[halroberts87]

Hi there,
Me and a friend are planning an unassisted charity ride across the States next summer, following a vaguely NYC - San Francisco route (needs to be finalised!!) all for the worthy cause of Cancer Research. I was just wondering if anyone had any particular tips to pass on? I've done a bit of touring before, as in LE-JO'G a few years back, but that was not with panniers or camping equipment like we're planning this time...

Yet to pick myself a bike for the trip, I've currently got a fairly bog standard racer, but am definitely looking to upgrade to something which will hold a bit of weight. Being a student I am on a bit of a budget, am currently weighing up between a Ridgeback Horizon for an all out touring bike, or a Specialized Tricross which I can run into the ground when I bring it back....
Any advice from anyone who's done this before would be greatly appreciated
Cheers
Hal

[pq]

Have a look at crazyguyonabike. More journals describing trans-US rides there than you can shake a stick at.

[MartinBrice]

i'd suggest you buy an old steel-framed bike - a galaxy maybe - and either do it up or just go with it. you can fix it out there, it's not like remote nigeria. ebay is good for them, despite comments on this forum. you can get one within days for a few hundred pounds. your LBS can upgrade it for you. Or you could do a bike maintenance course, which i suspect will stand you in good stead for the rest of your life. but in general, the dollar is falling so the pound (generally) is buying you more at a US bike shop so buying stuff out there is not such a bad idea - probably less hassle than buying it all here and flying out with it.

[lisap]

Can't advise on a bike but get yourself the Adventure Cycling maps.

[scottg]

Can't stress using the Adventure Cycling Maps enough, they are great for finding food, camping, bike shops etc.
Things are rather far apart here, not like GB where there is a pub with rooms every 100 yards.
Plus you will be on routes that are used to seeing cyclists, that will make for less harassment from drivers.

What ever bike you get, try riding it with all your kit packed, BEFORE you ship it here, lots of "touring"
handle like damp noodles when loaded up.

[simonhill]

One slightly sidways bit of advice: Check out the airlines carefully before booking. Some are getting very snotty over carrying bikes - you could end up paying more than you bargained for.

Also not sure how long you've got, but bikes are a lot cheaper in the US and for the same money you could get something really nice (Surly Long Haul trucker?). Obviously you should check avaialbility before you go and then you would need a bit of time to set it all up - but could be worth it.

[travelling]

I'm in the states at the momment and returning in december

the pound to dollar although not as good as a year ago is still stupidly lovely

http://directbicycleparts.com/page.cfm? ... nt=BK6458#


A surly long haul trucker for $1,048= for 630 pounds...gotta be tempting.

[halroberts87]

Thanks for all your advice, taken a lot of it on board...
Looked at the adventure cycling maps which look invaluable, and a bit of a bargain if we share the cost i would say!
My colleague has gone ahead and bought a new Dawes super galaxy, which looks like a class bike...think i might be following suit onto something similar in the near future.
Thanks for all the tips, wish us luck!

[shane]

I've just finished a coast to coast run. see http://www.coast2coast.tk if you get bored some time.

If you want to keep life simple take an ACA route, I however like to do it the old way and made up my own route, this has alot of pro's and cons. The main pro's of the ACA routes is that they give alot of information and keep life simple, cons include generally longer routes, your inflexible and everyone you meet knows what your doing where you came from that day and where your going the next day. I prefer the chance meetings you get along the way when you walk into a bar or cafe and nobody has ever met a cross country cyclist. The bigest disadvantage of doing your own route is that accommodation is a little more tricky, alot of towns dont have motels/campsites.

My other main tip would be to look into warmshowers.org I only used it about 6 times but the people I met where great, you just can't beat American hospitality.

Have fun....

[Barrenfluffit]

I've currently got a fairly bog standard racer, but am definitely looking to upgrade to something which will hold a bit of weight... I am on a bit of a budget,

A slightly sideways suggestion; if your bike can do the miles then maybe spent the money on a trailer for the extra loads. Replacing key major components tends to be the cheapest way but it depends how much needs to be done.

[irc]

I did a Vancouver - Boston ride this summer using bits of the Adventure Cycling Transamerica and Northern Tier routes. Their maps are great. Knowing in advance which towns have shops, libraries etc is very useful. It's possible to ride 50 miles through small towns with no shops open especially on a sunday. For Kansas and Colorado I wouldn't carry anything else. For other areas state maps are handy for shortcuts. ACA routes are not always the most direct.

An advantage of following the ACA route through Kansas Colorado is that all the small towns have a tradition of free camping for cyclists in the town parks. The facilities vary from basic toilets to free outdoor pools with good shower facilities. Go off the ACA routes and you my find free camping but it might take more of an effort. For state maps some states Departments of Transport (DOT) will post their free road maps to UK addresses. To avoid carrying the maps for the whole tour you can post them ahead to a post office en route addressing them to yourself "General Delivery". They will hold general delivery mail for I think 30 days. I found the maps I posted were arriving in 4 or 5 dayus

The only guys I met with bike problems had broken rear spokes. A handbuilt back wheel is worth thinking about.

In the National Parks like Yellowstone, Glacier etc there is usually hiker/biker areas in the camp sites which cost 5 or 7 dollars. State parks on the other hand charge more. I paid between 16 and 25 dollars for the few nights I spent in state parks. Beware RV parks or KOA camp sites . ACA maps list a few with biker prices (often 8 or 10 dollars) but I asked at some KOA or RV parks and was quoted 35 - 40 dollars for i tent and 1 person. I managed to avoid laughing out loud and declined.

There is scope everywhere for discrete free camping. I camped on sports grounds a couple opf times, at the roadside a few places, and in a cornfield. Camp at dusk and leave at dawn and you'll be OK. I met two guys in Yellowstone who had reached there from the east coast spending a total of 60 dollars in camping fees. Oh, and don't cook in your tent and hang your food in a tree 100 yards fro your tent when camping in areas with bears. National Park sites have bear boxes for food storage. State parks often don't.

As far as airlines go I flew Glasgow - Vancouver with Thomas Cook airlines with my bike in a cardboard box and was charged £30. I returned Boston - Dublin - Glasgow with Aer Lingus again with the bike in a cardboard box at no extra charge
THe bike wasn't damaged on either flight. A guy on the Glasgow - Vancouver flight who had put his bike in a plastic bag saw it come off in several pieces.

As already suggested try reading some of the accounts on Crazyguyonabike.

[hamster]

Consider going West to East. The prevailing wind will be in your face most of the way if you start in the East.

[irc]

Consider going West to East. The prevailing wind will be in your face most of the way if you start in the East.

I had far more headwinds on my W-E tour. There's more to it than winds. E-W means you an start earlier in the year for example. Also most people finish with a few days to spare before thir return flight. Would you rather spend a few days on the east or west coast? E-W saves the best scenery for later.

I was happy with W-E as I couldn't start before July. Next time I'd go E-W. I wouldn't worry much about the winds though.

John Egan on Crazyguyonabike posted on the E-W or W-E question.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/forum/bo ... ontext=all

[shane]

Consider going West to East. The prevailing wind will be in your face most of the way if you start in the East.

I had far more headwinds on my W-E tour. There's more to it than winds. E-W means you an start earlier in the year for example. Also most people finish with a few days to spare before thir return flight. Would you rather spend a few days on the east or west coast? E-W saves the best scenery for later.

I was happy with W-E as I couldn't start before July. Next time I'd go E-W. I wouldn't worry much about the winds though.

John Egan on Crazyguyonabike posted on the E-W or W-E question.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/forum/bo ... ontext=all

Agree!

I went W-E because of my late start and wanted to be over the high passes before they got snowed in. My wind was mostly SE with the occasional SW,NW so I had no wind advantage by going W-E.

And as someone said to me in the first week "you really are front loading your trip, we have better scenery and micro beers here in the west". And he was right.

Have a think about tires too, those goat head thorns and pieces of truck tire steel wire are both killers for your tires, I had 6 punctures in the first 2000miles then I used "slime" after that I only had a couple on the last day as I rode into New York.



Even this didn't leak with slime, after I pulled the wire out its sealed itself in about 5 seconds (with a little help from my thumb)

[TRUDGE]

Hi Hal,

I keep reading bad stuff about the specialized tricross, but I bought one for the same purpose of touring. I have used mine to do the LEJOG in June and in October road down through spain. The original tyres were excellent for puncture resistance but rolling resistance suffered. I only got one rear puncture which considering I was carrying 10kg of luggage in rear panniers was pretty good. Its a good riding position as more upright than a road bike. The front brake does judder a little.
I chose this bike as the outright tourers look old fashioned and being young thought it not cool when using in the uk.
Good luck with the ride.
I myself am planning on a ride in May from the uk down to southern Spain.
Its not as epic as your 3000 miles:)