Messages

2326

General Discussion / Re: How many days for a good ride

« on: December 29, 2009, 09:53:39 am »

I just took a look at about 20 of the many Southern Tier (NOT TransAmerica) journals on CGOAB. The ST is just over 3000 miles from San Diego to St Augustine. The trips took anywhere from 26 days to 120 days. You sound like a 26-day kind of guy. Take a look at that journal. This guy did over 100 almost every day. The highest day I saw was 157 miles.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/lenz2008

His route wasn't exactly the ACA ST, and his trip was supported (i.e., he carried no gear).

Bottom line is that you can pretty-much do it as slowly (as allowed by time or money) or as quickly (as allowed by conditioning) as you want. Nobody except you can decide what is "reasonable".

2327

General Discussion / Re: Trans Am Advice Needed

« on: December 29, 2009, 12:47:15 am »

Just as a matter of interest, I wonder if anyone has advice on shipping via Fedex, UPS etc.   I've spent about half an hour on line this morning and their web sites are so convoluted I gave up.   It seems that the boxed size of a bike doesn't fit into their shipping system.

FedEx and UPS both do ground shipment (the only thing you can get for a reasonable price) only if the L+2W+2H is no greater than 165 inches (above that incurs the much higher "freight" rates). USPS only allows L+2W+2H to be up to 130 inches (above that and they won't take it at all). Stay under these sizes and you'll get a pretty-good rate. In my calculations, FedEx is usually a bit cheaper than UPS. Rates vary based on distance, insured value (if any) and where you want it picked up and delivered (e.g., residential delivery is a bit more than business delivery, and you can save money if you take it to one of their shipping centers). Size typically affect the price more than weight.

2328

Routes / Re: TransAmerican Route

« on: December 29, 2009, 12:39:43 am »

In my opinon, the Western Express route is primarily intended for people who don't have the time to do the whole TransAm. If you have the time, I'd recommend the regular TransAm route.

I think Pete has a typo in his first bullet when he said what direction he thought the winds favored. But maybe I'm wrong. Pete?

The must-sees are different for different people. Some people would consider Disneyland a must-see, but I doubt that applies to most touring cyclists. Most touring cyclists just want to soak it all in and might find a particular tree or cow to be a must see, or talking to a particular local. Some would consider as must-sees the Cookie Lady in Rockfish Gap, Danger Hill in Christiansburg, pie at Cookie's in Golden City, the Dragon Lady outside Summersville, the springs at Alley Springs, Yodeling Katy in Chanute, Hoosier Pass, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, ACA headquarters in Missoula, fireworks on the fourth of July in Lander, the Oregon coast, the Twin Bridges bicycle campground, the Prariie Chicken capital of the world in Cassoday, Dusty Gilmore in Ash Grove, Schechter's hostel outside Guffy, Mammoth Cave, Gillian Hoggard in Ordway, etc. Simple stuff.

How long will it take? It can be done in as little as six weeks or as many as sixteen. The longer you take, the more memorable your trip will be.

2329

General Discussion / Re: TransAm East to West

« on: December 29, 2009, 12:20:57 am »

All ACA maps are direction-agnostic. They give turn-by-turn instructions for both directions of travel. No translation required.

2330

General Discussion / Re: Trans Am Advice Needed

« on: December 28, 2009, 12:22:59 am »

Okay, I'm no expert, but let me give you my thoughts.

I would guess that if you camped most of the time, about $30 per person per day might be about right. If you motel most of the time, you might be looking at about $50 per person per day (double-occupancy). As you say, a lot depends on your taste in food (and drinks and treats), accommodations and entertainment. The budget allows a bit for bike repair and supplies as needed. Let's see what others think.

You should be able to FedEx your bike either to a bike shop or to the motel you're planning to stay at on arrival or to a warm showers host. If you FedEx it to a bike shop, they could put it together for you (for a fee)--that might be good or bad. You can take whatever public transportation is available (bus, taxi, shuttle, etc.) to get from the airport to where your bike is. You can then ride from there to where you want to dip your wheel.

2331

General Discussion / Re: travel insurance for a cross country trip - uk cyclists

« on: December 22, 2009, 04:35:16 pm »

I'm guessing you are talking about medical insurance. If so, and if it covers almost everything with a low or no deductable or co-pay, then the price you cite doesn't sound too bad to me. But policies vary all over the map as to what and how much they cover.

If you're talking about some other kind of insurance, please clarify and tell us what it covers.

2332

General Discussion / Re: Rockies in June [was Re: Midwest Icebreaker]

« on: December 22, 2009, 09:38:48 am »

The Rockies in the second half of June is as favorable as it gets. That's the optimal time to be there. There should be plenty of sunshine, with a fairly low chance of rain. Depending on where you are ("the Rockies" covers a lot of ground), it can be as hot as the 90s F in the day and below freezing at night. But in general, the weather is great. Cycling in the day can usually be done in shorts and a short-sleeve jersey. But of course you need to watch the weather forecast and plan for cold descents from the passes (i.e., carry some warmer stuff up the passes with you).

2333

Gear Talk / Re: cold feet! Recommendations?

« on: December 15, 2009, 01:18:37 pm »

For the coldest temperatures (anything below 30 degrees F or so), I use liners, wool socks, chemical toe warmers, and neoprene booties. No problem with this setup down into the teens. For warmer temperatures, I just start backing off all those things.

Chemical toe warmers are sold in sporting good stores for about $1.50 a pair, but can be had in boxes of 30 to 50 in some of the big box stores for about 50 cents a pair. They are God's gift to cold-weather cycling.

2334

Routes / Re: TransAm starting in mid Aug?

« on: December 13, 2009, 11:00:57 am »

If you're starting that late, consider going West to East instead.

2335

Routes / Re: How to cut down on miles without cutting scenery (Boston to SF) with TA

« on: December 10, 2009, 11:53:53 am »

"Scenery" means different things to different people. Some people consider the wheat fields of Kansas scenic, and others consider them boring. Snow-covered peaks are certainly scenic, but that doesn't mean that a desert cannot also be scenic. Personally I like variety over a steady diet of one thing.

Figure out what parts you consider scenic, and how much time you have, and then take a automobile, bus, train or plane over the other parts you don't have time for. Given your desire to skip Nevada, then you certainly can. One possibility would be to fly to Pueblo CO and take the TransAm from there to Oregon, and then down the coast to SF. Logistically it seems much simpler to do your flying at the beginning of the trip rather than in the middle.

2336

Gear Talk / Re: Bring or buy?

« on: December 08, 2009, 10:34:23 am »

Shipping a bike can be expensive so it's at least worth considering buying after you get there.

Note that you'd do best to pre-order what you want from a particular bike shop to ensure that what will work for you is in stock. This includes the racks and panniers and tires you want. I would suggest that you ride the exact model and size for a while before you come so that you know what will work. Perhaps you could rent the bike you are considering buying. It would be a big risk to start a cross-country trip on a bike with which you have little prior experience.

Personally, my risk level would suggest that I bring, even if it costs more. Too many variables when you buy just before the trip. Also note that you'll pay return shipping in either case, so you're only taking about $200 difference.

2337

Routes / Re: Pueblo, CO to Durango, CO

« on: December 06, 2009, 10:03:07 pm »

Follow the ACA Western Express Route, Section 4, from Pueblo to Ridgeway. From there you can take highway 550 south to Durango. Or, for a somewhat longer route, take highway 62 and 145 to Cortez, and then highway 160 to Durango. The scenery in southwestern Colorado cannot be beat.

For other ideas, go to www.ridetherockies.com and click on "About Us" and then "history". You'll find 23 years of old routes. Pretty much any road used by RTR is an acceptable road for cycling.

2338

Routes / Re: Looking to take a long trip with a big cart/trailer from Bay Area

« on: December 03, 2009, 11:06:26 am »

Generally, the higher the traffic load, the wider the shoulder. It's hard to find low-traffic roads with wide shoulders. The widest shoulders are on the Interstate highways, which are legal to ride on in much of the West but you need to check because they are not all legal to ride on. Interstate highways, however, aren't much fun to ride on in my opinion and the shoulder sometimes has a lot of debris. A compromise perhaps is to stick with US highways, which have less traffic than interstates but often still have good shoulders.

You might consider the wide cart to be a safety advantage. Drivers will typically give you a bit more leeway (even if they do it subconciously) with a wide trailer, and if they do hit you, it will be more likely that they'll just hit the trailer.

2339

General Discussion / Re: Advice for a cross-country trip

« on: November 30, 2009, 07:23:12 pm »

A month and a half is tight. That's approximately a century a day, certainly doable if you're in great shape, but doesn't leave much time for smelling the roses. I'd try to extend the time available if possible. You might consider combining the TA with the Western Express to cut off almost 500 miles. Pack light, very light.

2340

Routes / Re: Which Direction TransAm Best -E to W or W to E?

« on: November 17, 2009, 10:04:51 pm »

I only know what I read. I've never ridden the hills of the Appalachians or Ozarks, but I have ridden extensively in the Rockies. I think it's not just that the eastern hills have steeper gradients, but that there are a hundred of them in a row. Perhaps this is because the TransAm follows the back roads which have not been extensively graded. But there aren't many back roads through the Rockies because there are far fewer roads in total.