self-guided support on lewis and clark

[peggy]

hi,

i am new to this.  i hope this is an appropriate question.  3 of us want to road bike for a week (60+ miles a day) somewhere along the lewis and clark trail - probably montana, idaho, WA state part but we are open - and 1. don't know particularly great areas/routes and 2. would like to not take panniers and have our (modest) luggage moved from town to town as we go along.  they do this and we have done this in europe but i do not know of it in the US (or this part of the US).  can anyone help with suggestions on support or particularly great sections to road bike on the lewis and clark trail?

thank you,

peggy

[Pat Lamb]

Sounds like you want a "supported" tour.  AC has Cycle Montana, which might be what you're looking for.  Also check out the classified ads in Adventure Cycling magazine or the Cyclist's Yellow Pages for supported tours around the places you might like to ride.

Just a word of warning, most of the scenic parts of the west involve mountains.  There may be a lot of climbing, or you might find a tour operator who'll shuttle you to the top of a pass and let you coast down.

[RussSeaton]

I don't know if there are companies that offer luggage transporting in the US.  With only 3 people it may be a bit dicey.  But one person could drive the vehicle to the next town, 60 miles.  Then cycle back while the other two people cycle the 60 miles.  Meet about in the middle and ride together the final 30 miles.  This plan would work best if you had 4-5-6 people so maybe two people could ride back and 2-3-4 could ride forward.  So my suggestion is to recruit more people for your trip and have a big vehicle to haul everyone and the bikes and gear.

[bogiesan]

Welcome to AC, peggy. Once you have decided on the region you wish to travel, try calling some of the bike shops along your route. They may be able to hook you up with trekking and travel support outifits. There are many. You can spend a few hours searching the Interwebs for support companies, too. They're out there.

You're paying for their time and gas and lodging, not cheap. Some outfits provide mechanical, meal or emergency support along the route; others just move your gear. Be sure you know what you're buying.

Sections of the Lewis and Clark route can be done easily by carrying your own modest luggage. Minimalist credit card travel is fun and easy; you need very little to be comfortable and warm and dry if you're taking your time and know  you will do some laundry each evening.

Hope you enjoy your trip. The L&C route through Idaho and Oregon is spectacularly great!

[DaveB]

Sections of the Lewis and Clark route can be done easily by carrying your own modest luggage. Minimalist credit card travel is fun and easy; you need very little to be comfortable and warm and dry if you're taking your time and know  you will do some laundry each evening.

Excellent point.  If you are doing a credit card tour, meaning you stay in hotels/motels/B&B's and eat in restaurants, your luggage requirements can be very modest and centainly not enough to need the complexity and expense a van or other support vehicle and driver.

Several years ago a group of us did a credfit card tour in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New york and my total luggage weight, small panniers and all, was 13 pounds.  We each took two changes of riding and casual clothing and some emergency rain/cold weather gear and hand washed in the hotel room each evening, which took all of about 10 minutes.  If you want to be more "mechanized", most hotels have a laundry room and for about $2 you can all have you wash done and dried while you go out to eat.

[indyfabz]

Sounds like you want a "supported" tour.  AC has Cycle Montana, which might be what you're looking for.

If you are open to a supported tour of this nature, last year I did a good portion of the route ACA will use for Cycle Montana in 2013 during an unsupported loop tour of my own out of Missoula. (Days 1-4 and Day 6.) It's quite nice. Day 4 is particularly nice. The view from Big Hole Pass is wondeful as are the meadows and the descent on the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway. Saw a moose with calf outside of Jackson and a herd of antelope near Polaris.

As DaveB notes, you can get by with very little in the way of gear if you are planning to motel it. With a little planning and some route modifications, you could do the loop I did and sleep indoors. Send me a PM if you want details.