Messages

1

Routes / Re: UK rider planning Transamerica, West to East, starting August.

« on: May 08, 2021, 06:16:40 am »

Firstly, really appreciate all the further knowledge people dropping on here.

A range of 27*-100*F, it's going to be a real challenge for me, one that I look forward to, whilst I sit in my nice warm house typing, but is definitely going to feel very new when on the journey. Haven't ever kitted up for cold weather touring, but i guess it's not rocket science, just take all your kit for the coldest weather, and when in hot places, sleep in the sleeping bag liner and not the bag and such. Also the option of re-stocking stuff on the road - big winter jumper etc.

Yeah, from the reading I've done, I'm constantly seeing Yellowstone as a possible logistically concern. I have been looking at pages such as this https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/hours.htm, and looks like if I can get through Yellowstone in September, preferably pre-20th, it should be OK (depending obviously on the covid variable).

As seems to be the general sentiment when travelling long distance by bike, I'm prepared to flexible in acommodation/logistics if it means not getting into too much trouble on the road.

I was actually planning to take a bike trailer for a bit - I have a big one wheel trailer - but although I love the thing, it's just too heavy for me to imagine carting about for 2-3months.

I'll drop an update message on this thread when I'm on the journey to let everyone know whether I froze too much or not.

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Routes / Re: UK rider planning Transamerica, West to East, starting August.

« on: May 04, 2021, 12:08:30 pm »

Hey

Thanks for the replies, I really appreciate the help and tips. Regarding Covid scenario - I should have the two jabs by then. As you said, anything can change between now and then, but by the sounds of it, there could be a good chance of flights and travel being possible by then, so I'm hopeful.
Thanks for the tip on health insurance, I will definitely get some good cover, don't want to be caught out.

In regards weather and accommodation, looking at the tips here, I think my attitude is just going to need to be flexible. I'll bring enough money to be caught short at more expensive accommodation options if needs be, and will be open to taking public transport or alternative routes if diversions from the TA are necessary.

I will definitely pickup the ACA maps, and will plan for some cold weather. I think that's one of the greatest differences between Europe and US touring - in UK/Europe, if it's summer, it's going to be generally warm and manageable. But the variation I'm going to be meeting temperature wise should certainly keep things interesting.

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Routes / UK rider planning Transamerica, West to East, starting August.

« on: May 02, 2021, 04:49:14 pm »

Hi.

I'm a rider coming over from the UK, and planning on riding the Transamerica starting in early August 2021. My original planning was that I would ride it East to West, but after research, it seems at that time of year West to East will be the better direction - would anyone with experience or knowledge on this agree with that?

I've done a few month + tours in Europe, but as I'm not used to touring in the US, I'm wondering about the below questions.

- When riding the Transamerica, how much planning do I need to do in terms of camping/accommodation? I'll be planning on camping as much of the route as possible, with the money to use cheap hotels/guesthouses if I need to. Can I expect to just get cycling, and plan accommodation on route, a couple of days or a day ahead?

- Are US riders, and Transamerica riders this season, expecting any major disruptions due to Covid? The general vibe on this forum seems positive in this regard, but a lot of Europe is really going to be shut down this summer, so I'm just looking to get any advice on Covid related concerns from US riders.

- Final question, and forgive me if I sound stupid, but should I be doing any preparation, or understanding any major dangers regarding animal life? As I've said, I'm a confident camper, and have done a lot of wild camping (by the side of the trail or in forested areas) when touring in the past, but I'm not sure what my confidence levels should be when doing this on the trip? Obviously different states will come with different risks in terms of this, but any tips or info or thoughts on that, would be much appreciated.

Cheers for reading, and again, any help is much appreciated.

Best,
Will