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Routes / Re: I quit a ST trip in2010. I was slow and ran out of time. Going ultralight. Tips?

« on: January 15, 2013, 08:05:40 am »

I know it will be a grind but I kind of like that when I have a goal.  This is for the purpose of going cross-country on a bike and I have limited time because of work (and wife).

OK adlocopter, thread is once again yours, I relinquish control - thanks!

Wow I tried this exact same trip! In March I started a few miles up the road in Hilton Head but was in Savannah by lunch on my start day. I think I had a lighter setup than you might have. I had a Surly Cross Check and rear panniers with a bag on top of the rear rack. My bike was around 55 lbs loaded without the water and food for the day.

My ride turned out to become a grind from the start. The headwind was a constant and the panniers felt like big parachutes. If I coasted down a hill I was having to pedal by the time I got to the trough. I kept thinking things were going to get better but after 20 days I was burnt out on the experience.

One big thing for me was I couldn't stay on the road enough. If I started as early as the temperatures would allow I felt that by evening I was running out of light too soon. I would have to look for camping or a hotel since I didn't want to ride or setup camp in the dark. My next trip will be a few months later just because of daylight.

Hope you do well and think lighter! I was pretty lightweight compared to what I saw as the norm for tourers but looking back I was carrying 15 lbs of stuff I wouldn't take again.

Don't worry about hijacking the thread! Any info you get is good for me to hear also!

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Routes / I quit a ST trip in2010. I was slow and ran out of time. Going ultralight. Tips?

« on: January 07, 2013, 01:56:49 pm »

I went East to West on the Southern Tier in March 2010. I started in South Carolina and met the route in Tallahasse, FL. I only got 20 days into my ride in and stopped in Navasota. Out of the 20 days I biked I had 17 days of headwinds. With rear panniers and my heavy Surly bike I was very demotivated. I had more days I could bike, but there was no way to finish the trip in my allotted time so I cut my losses.

Only after returning home and eventually deciding that I would try again in the future did I learn about ultralight cycling. This seems to be more in line with what I want out of my next tour. I need more miles per day and less scenic stops. At this point in my life I would just like to accomplish going coast to coast in a little over a month and later I can tour at a relaxed pace.

Anyway. I am beginning my research into my next trip which could be as early as April. I was thinking about going West to East since I had such bad winds last time. I am also thinking about going on a faster route through the middle of the country. I don't want to bike through the Eastern part of the ST again.

Are there any suggestions on faster routes that are relatively safe shoulder wise? I downloaded the 2012 RAAM route and it looks fast but I can't tell how safe that would be solo. Is there route where wind is more dependable if you go at a certain time of year? I could easily switch my route to more northern if it would mean I was getting more tailwind than headwind.

I am actively searching the forums but wanted to try this also. Thanks!

EDIT: Thought I would point out that I prefer warm to cold weather.