Topics

1

General Discussion / Fleece in July?

« on: July 09, 2011, 07:39:39 am »

I pulled the trigger (but not w/o a serious case of the hee bee gee bees first) and next week I'm starting the TransAm ride West to East, at least half of it.

I did a round trip, 700 mile, warm up. ride from Atlanta to Nashville this Spring where I rode in 50 degree rain and saw temps from the high 30's to the low 80's. (That was an unusual swing of weather down here.)

I'm basing my clothing selection on that experience, planning for temperatures anywhere from the high 30's up. I definitely don't want to be cold, but the extra layer of cloths seems over the top for July and August.

Any thoughts or comments on the subject would be appreciated?

Thanks in advance.

Mike

2

General Discussion / Crossing the Cascades

« on: June 15, 2011, 09:19:24 am »

Going W-E.

Difficulty? Weather July/August? TransAm or Lewis & Clark?

Thought?

Thanks,

Mike

3

General Discussion / Nightly Accomodations & Bicycle Traffic

« on: June 13, 2011, 07:47:44 am »

I'm planning a solo west to east Trans-Am ride, and wondering about nightly accommodations.

I plan on camping most of the time, but would enjoy the occasional motel.
Would really enjoy a nightly shower, but I don't I expect that to happen.
I don't want to stealth camp if I can avoid it.
I will be using the ACA maps.

For those of you that have done that ride, what should I expect for nightly accommodations, and did you know in the morning where you'd be staying in the evening.

Also, how often will I see other riders. I'll be starting the last week of July.

Thanks,

Mike

4

General Discussion / Accomodations in Astoria

« on: June 06, 2011, 08:00:26 pm »

Anybody have a recommendation for a motel or hostel in Astoria?  I'd like one to whom I could ship my recumbent ahead of time if possible.

Thanks,

Mike

5

General Discussion / Making the Commitment

« on: June 01, 2011, 08:08:15 am »

A couple of years ago I put riding coast to coast on my "bucket list", and have done several warm-up tours since then. Knowing what I do at this point, I have to admit that I am not undaunted by the prospect of such a long ride.

Besides the rigors of the road, getting my wife's blessing and squaring away my business before I go (I own a bicycle shop!), makes committing to the trip that much more difficult.

So, I'm interested to know anyone's thoughts on making the commitment to do the ride.

I'd also be interested to know about adapting to the rigors/dis-comforts of the road. Do they fall by the wayside after a while? How long does it take to get your rhythm, that sort of thing. I'm 57 and will be riding a recumbent.

Thanks,

Mike

6

Routes / How Far in a Month

« on: May 22, 2011, 09:54:28 am »

I will likely have to break my Trans Am ride into three segments. Wondering how far I can get in a month going West to East from Astoria. Is that time enough to make it over the Rockies into Colorado.

Thanks in advance.

Mike

7

Pacific Northwest / Lewis & Clark or Trans Am to Missoula?

« on: May 18, 2011, 08:49:07 am »

It looks like the Lewis & Clark Trail is shorter than the TA from the coast to Missoula. Anybody have any thoughts or recommendations for using one over the other?

I'm hoping to do the coast to coast crossing on my recumbent at the end of July or first week of August. Trimming a week from the trip would be helpful for a couple of reasons if one route is quicker than the other. Thanks in advance.