Messages

1

Routes / Re: West to east across northern Iowa?

« on: September 21, 2015, 07:51:29 pm »

Just to update anyone curious, every major road in Iowa was busy and without shoulder. Back roads were inconsistent with pavement. Basically,  my advice would be to ask around a lot and hope for the best!

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2

Routes / West to east across northern Iowa?

« on: September 13, 2015, 06:30:04 pm »

We have just crossed into Iowa today and were planning to take route 3 all the way across then head up to 18 to make our way to Madison. However,  route 3 has been nearly shoulder-less so far and with a rumble strip right in thenmiddle of the almost non existent (and sometimes totally nonexistent) shoulder. Does it get better?  We are in Le Mars now. Maybe you know of a better cross Iowa route? Thanks! 

Also, pie suggestions on route are welcome too.

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3

Routes / Re: Biking in Yellowstone

« on: August 25, 2015, 12:10:10 am »

Left the park the other day. I felt pretty safe most of the time, especially on the improved roads in the southern parts.

Quick suggestions for others following this post:

1. Always put a car btwn you and the bison. A ranger suggested this and of course it makes sense to do and we would flag down a car and let them know our plan and they would go nice and slow with us.

And, take the "drives" along the main road. They always connect back and are always super pretty and usually RVs aren't allowed so there is less big traffic!.

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4

Routes / Re: Biking in Yellowstone

« on: August 14, 2015, 08:38:13 pm »

We plan to get there on Monday or Tuesday,  and leave by Thursday. Can't wait and send you "don't get hit hy an RV" juju our way!

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5

Routes / Re: Biking in Yellowstone

« on: August 07, 2015, 09:32:58 pm »

Thanks for the tips, especially to ignore the full signs!

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6

Routes / Biking in Yellowstone

« on: August 05, 2015, 02:50:09 pm »

We're heading through Yellowstone in the next few weeks and have heard from just about everyone that it's pretty terrible for biking. No shoulder, full of rvs looking at scenery and not at bikers, and so on. I welcome any tips about how to avoid the main tourist throngs, or any ideas about safety.  We already have reflective vests and orange safety flags. Thanks!

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7

Routes / Re: Trans America water refil options in Idaho between Lucille and Powell

« on: July 26, 2015, 12:01:44 pm »

And by Lucille I meant Lowell.

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8

Routes / Trans America water refil options in Idaho between Lucille and Powell

« on: July 26, 2015, 11:14:12 am »

Can anyone give us some info about where we can get water in that stretch? We are going to take it slow since we have some extra time but don't want to stop at a camping site without water without having had a fill up option.  We don't have a purifying system (well, we do but it takes 4 hours and is for emergency use). thanks!

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9

Routes / Re: Summit to NYC via GW Bridge

« on: July 21, 2015, 11:13:50 pm »

I used to live not far from the GWB,  and biked over it a few times to enjoy the pallasades. I'm going to disagree on the route mentioned above about going down Broadway and NYC drivers. NYC drivers are not better than any other crazy big city. For sure take the river trail, takes you from GWB to the Brooklyn bridge almost all on bike trails away from crazy drivers. Have fun!

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10

General Discussion / Re: Wearing the same bottoms...questions for the other ladies

« on: July 16, 2015, 02:47:37 pm »

I wear under wear and wash my single pair of bike shorts occasionally,  maybe every 5 or 6 days. I never really considered doing it otherwise,  though just yesterday after about 2000 miles of bike touring I started having some chaff issues, so I may have to reconsider my plan. Yesterday was probably my sweatiest day of biking yet...and its only gonna get worse as we ride west to east.

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11

General Discussion / Biking with a dog?

« on: July 13, 2015, 01:46:25 am »

We met a really cute puppy the other day and were almost convinced to buy a truck bag a tour with a dog. Just for future reference,  has anyone done this? General tips welcome, since while this time we decided not to get a dog, we may not be so strong willed next time we encounter a cutie looking for a home!

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12

General Discussion / Re: What can towns offer cyclists?

« on: July 02, 2015, 09:23:56 pm »

I would suggest having a store in town that sells supplies that a touring cyclist might need, mainly I have in mind stove fuel. The stores in a RV park or the hardware and grocery stores generally don't have the type of stove fuel a touring cyclist needs, often only selling the 1 lb Coleman propane bottles or the 1 gallon cans of Coleman fuel. It can be difficult to find the correct stove fuel in rural America and carrying more than about a weeks worth of fuel can be difficult.

Touring cyclists often use the 8 oz butane/propane thread on canister fuel containers or would like to buy Coleman fuel to fill their 20 oz fuel bottles. Having the canister fuel or selling Coleman fuel out of the gallon can by the ounce would be wonderful I think.

What Dan said! Buying white gas (camping fuel) by the ounce would be amazing!

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13

Routes / Re: The 101 south of crescent city

« on: July 02, 2015, 08:58:25 pm »

Thanks for the reply! we think busses aren't the way to go, but if people chimed in pro bus we were going to consider. We know we are going the "wrong" way, but we had some San Francisco visiting to do, and won't be going north more than another 100 miles or so.

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14

Routes / The 101 south of crescent city

« on: July 02, 2015, 12:46:37 pm »

We met someone near avenue of the giants that suggested taking a bus over the hill just south of crescent city (we are heading north before cutting across Oregon and heading cross country). What do you think about that hill? What's the shoulder like for biking? Is it safe or is the bus a good option? While you're at it, what are the worst parts of the 101? We just did the 101 just south of orick and found it pretty harrowing!  Thanks.

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