Messages

46

General Discussion / Re: Do we need to do any training?

« on: April 23, 2013, 03:43:53 am »

Hi All,

My girlfriend and I will be cycling the TransAm West to East this August. Although we both cycle to work currently (3-4 miles each way) neither of us have any touring experience.

We are both relatively young (25 and 24) and have a lot of enthusiasm. We will have to complete the TransAm in 90 days.

I am getting a bit concerned that this might be too much of an ordeal. I am less worried about myself, but I wonder whether it might be too much for her.

What do people think? Should we be training, or can we just rock up and go?

One nice thing about such a 90 day trip: If you manage to do it without any fights, extensive arguing etc, you can safely get married and remain as a couple for the rest of your lives :-).

Or if not, split up knowing it was the right decision

Seriously, expect some arguments.  They are just part of human relationships.

47

General Discussion / Re: Do we need to do any training?

« on: April 22, 2013, 10:35:03 am »

If you don't train, plan on taking it easy for the first ten days to two weeks.  Actually that is a good idea either way unless the schedule is tight.  90 days in a generous time allotment and allows for easing into the trip.

48

Gear Talk / Re: do I have too much crap?

« on: April 22, 2013, 04:41:26 am »

I weighed the bike alone today and it's 36 lbs. That's with stainless fenders, front and rear racks and a dynamo hub.

It isn't heavy for what it is.  For heavy touring it is probably pretty average.  On the other hand it is certainly possible to go a lot lighter.  With careful packing I think I could get below that for my fully loaded bike.  I have come within a pound or so of doing that including cooking and camping gear, but not counting food, water, or stove fuel.

So I guess 27 lbs isn't awful for two sets of panniers and a large handle bar bag loaded.  That said I'm not at 100% load yet either on the list I had.

If 27 pounds were really your gear weight including panniers, your weight might be below average for what I typically see people carrying.  That said when folks say what they think their weight will be, they often seem to wind up with another 15-20 pounds or more of misc. clothing and gear items creeping into the bags when actually packing.

49

General Discussion / Re: Inspire or Scare the Begeebees?

« on: April 17, 2013, 02:03:07 pm »

Don't you find it somewhat humorous or ironic that you post this two days after someone set off two bombs at the end of the Boston Marathon?  3 dead, 140+ injured last I heard.

I didn't see any bears or any one that was obviously a rural American resident in the coverage of the Boston attack.  Since those two groups were the subject of the OP I don't see your point.

"the replies that reinforce those fears are very disappointing"  You will have to provide a few quotes to support this.  I remember most people giving both the good and bad sides.

I have to agree that I have not seen all that much in the way of posts here that "reinforce those fears".

50

General Discussion / Re: Inspire or Scare the Begeebees?

« on: April 17, 2013, 10:34:07 am »

The Adventure Cycling Association's mission is to inspire and empower people to travel by bicycle. As a 14-year ACA member, who has been touring since 1996, and a 25-year park ranger, I am really surprised by posts, mostly from riders outside of North America, about fears of two things; bears and rural American residents. The real truth us, there is not a bear behind every tree bush and rock, and the rural countryside is NOT inhabited by people like those in "Deliverance". Moreover, the replies that reinforce those fears are very disappointing, and certainly not very "inspiring" to those whose only exposure to the United States has been from Hollywood or the network news.

True.  The people you will meet in the rural US will on average be kind, generous, open and warm.  They are a big part of what makes touring worthwhile.  Bear fears are also as you say mostly either unfounded completely or at least greatly exaggerated.

This message will likely be removed before many folks can see it, but hopefully, those that do will take my suggestion to try an "inspire" bicycle travelers, rather than scare the begeebees (Whatever begeebees are?) out of them.

Here you lose me.  Why would it be taken down?

51

Routes / Re: Weather in the TransAm Mountains

« on: April 17, 2013, 08:15:25 am »

Good luck Curt. I love to see declarations such as yours:

Important: All donated money will go directly to the Wounded Warrior Project — none will be used for ride costs!

+1
That is way too often not the case.

52

General Discussion / Re: Bears

« on: April 17, 2013, 08:13:21 am »

I took food in my tent last year in an area with no bears. Should I be concerned about using that same tent this year in black bear country?

Some would say yes.  Me. I wouldn't worry unless maybe you cooked and/or really slopped food around in there.  My impression is that you will carry some food odors in on your body and clothing.  I think bears can tell the difference between some odor on a human and food actually in there.

53

General Discussion / Re: Bears

« on: April 16, 2013, 03:28:21 am »

So true. I've been to a campground or two and saw some "be aware of bears" signs, then noticed that all the trashcans and dumpsters were not secured. So I didn't worry much, since the campground itself wasn't taking the appropriate precautions. And honestly, a bear is most likely going to go for the trashcans and dumpsters.

That reminds me of a camp we stayed at near the California Nevada border (Bootleg Camp).  There were a lot of signs about securing food from the bears.  I asked the camp host how bad the problem was and he said no one had reported seeing a bear there in something like the last 15 years.  We hung our food anyway, but more because we figured raccoon might be a problem

54

Gear Talk / Re: No Stove

« on: April 15, 2013, 09:52:21 am »

If you don't cook at home, you probably won't cook on the road.

Probably true.

If you change your mind, you can just buy one.

Or take one and send it home or discard it if you find you do not use it.  If you go the pop can stove route the weight can be just few ounces and the price can be pretty close to zero.

55

General Discussion / Re: Bears

« on: April 15, 2013, 09:48:25 am »

Another thing to think about when you are stealth camping in bear country is not to be too close to streams or obvious corridors to  sources of water. Bears are likely to travel along these routes and you'll be right on their path. Prepare and eat your meals near water where you can wash up, but pitch your tent elsewhere, preferably on higher ground. Although not conducive to a good night's sleep, sometimes camping closer to the road with the sound of occasional traffic turning bears off is not such a bad choice.

That may be all true, but I will add that on the Trans America there is little to no need to stealth camp unless you just want to.  Places to stay in plain sight are pretty frequent and many are listed on the AC maps.  I think it is probably possible to stay for free the whole way without ever resorting to stealth.  I am told others have managed this.  I know we stayed for free better than half the time without ever stealth camping and averaged under $5 a night for lodging in 2007.

I have found stealth camping to be more desirable at times on some other routes though.

56

Gear Talk / Re: two handlebars on one stem...crazy?

« on: April 15, 2013, 04:29:02 am »

I just got a new touring bike, a Lynskey Backroad, and I added a second handlebar on top. I took my hybrid bike bar and put it on top of the drop bars that came with the bike (left the stem long when the bike was built so two bars would slide on with spacers in between). Reason being, I like the wider reach (4" on each side wider than the drop bars, and 3" closer to me than where I would normally reach on the drop bars.) placement for my hands and like to "sit up" a lot. No shifters or brakes on this bar (might change them from the drop bar to this bar), but I can easily drop down to the drop bars that came with the bike to get out of the wind with the second set of bars already there. A little more weight but loads of hand positions.
My body just rebelled when I had to ride without the hybrid bars(I did get fit for the bike just like my old bike). Is this crazy? Should I ditch the drop bars and just use the hybrid bars? Is there a single bar out there that would accomplish what I am trying to do with two? Going Canada to Mexico this summer over the Rockies. First tour but have trained a lot, so now it is just getting these ergonomics right. Thoughts anyone?

Personally, I'd get rid of the hybrid bars and use only the drop bars, but you need to do what works for you.  I would suggest using the drop bars, starting with them fairly high and gradually lowering them as you adjust to the position.  Again that may not be for you so experiment a bit and decide, but do give your body a chance to adapt to the drop bars before giving them up.

57

General Discussion / Re: Bears

« on: April 15, 2013, 04:24:21 am »

The areas on the TransAm that you need to be most cautious about bears include Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and the stretch through northern Idaho along the Lochsa River. That said, we did have a bear wander through our campground at Breaks Interstate Park in SW Virginia.

There are other places as well, but in generally all of the places where there is concern campgrounds provided bear boxes.  In regular campgrounds you can judge the risk pretty well by whether trash cans and dumpsters are bear proof .  If not you can probably assume that bears will not be a problem.  When in doubt hang your food if there is no bear container.  In any case keep food away from the tent and generally cook a ways from the tent.  Never take food inside the tent.

Also remember that scented items like toiletries are also attractive to bears so treat them the same as food.

In any camping places other than campgrounds, the bears are much less likely to be habituated to humans and are therefore less likely to be a problem.

Use common sense and consider yourself lucky if you get to see a bear.

58

Routes / Re: Southern Tier

« on: April 13, 2013, 11:43:43 am »

There were only a few places where I found services to be few and far between.  You may want to try a couple of detours from the ACA route.  One is from Safford, AZ to Silver City, NM.  Instead of the ACA route follow hwy 70 all the way to Lordsburgh, NM.  The road is good and there are limited services in Duncan along the way.  Then take hwy 90 up to Silver City to rejoin the ACA route.  The other detour is taking hwy 90 from Van Horn, TX.  The road is good with little traffic but there aren't any services between Van Horn and Marfa so carry everything you need for the approximately 75 miles.   As was mentioned earlier there are few spots where you will travel more than 40 miles between services and those are indicated on the ACA maps.

I agree with Aggie on all of that.  I will add that we departed for the AC mapped route on other sections as well.  I think if doing it again I would ride of US 90 a lot more.  I suspect that riding US 90 for most of it's length would be a pretty good route.  It is relatively lightly traveled most of the way.

I also rode I-10 a good bit even where AC avoided it and would do so again, but I know that the interstate isn't everyone's cup of tea.

59

General Discussion / Re: Shipping Supplies to Yourself

« on: April 12, 2013, 07:37:17 am »

The first post office was in a very small town and closed at noon every day of the week. The second place I didn't snap that I was getting there on a Saturday (my fault) and another early closing.

A few things can make that more manageable:
1. Pick a town big enough to have a real post office with reasonable hours, but small enough that it is easy to find the right post office.
2. If you know that you will be hitting the post office you shipped to at bad time, or if you changed your route, or if you decide you are not ready for the package, stop at any post office and they can arrange to forward the package ahead to another town.
3. If you have someone shipping the package to you, plan on using a town that you are pretty sure you will hit mid week.  This is easier if you do not ship too many days ahead.

I thought afterword that I should have arranged with hotels I knew I would be going to stay at to take delivery for me. If you get there after 5, they'll still be open.

Be careful with that strategy because if the pickup doesn't work out for any reason it will be harder or even impossible to get the package forwarded ahead.

60

General Discussion / Re: touring without "eating out"

« on: April 11, 2013, 07:14:46 am »

I would suggest skipping the "no restaurant" approach, as there are plenty of lovely crossroad diners throughout each of those three states which you'll probably regret not stopping for (for at least chit-chat, if for nothing else).

+1
Eating a meal a day in diners is often a big part of the fun for me.  It is a great opportunity to meet the locals and I enjoy diner food as well.