Starting the TA in mid August...

[ronnie421]

I have decided to push my ride back a few weeks, basically just for the sake of saving a little more cash.  If I were to start the TA on the east coast in mid August, then (in Colorado) catch the western express into SF, what kind of trouble will i run into, weather-wise? Is this a bad idea?  Will I run into severe cold? Severe heat? Would anyone vote against this?

[jamawani]

Mid August is better doing west to east, but if you do ride it east to west, you should be prepared for a short early cold/snowy spell in the Rockies or Wasatch any time after mid-Sept. Central California usually stays warm until mid-Oct, but you can get an early storm in the Sierras, too. Services such as campgrounds begin to close after Labor Day - depending on elevation and usage.  Many National Forest and National Park campgrounds are shut down by Oct 1 in the West along the WX.

[zzzz]

Hi:

+1 on changing your planned direction.

I did most of this same route starting in SF on September 1, 2012. By the time I hit Monarch Pass in Colorado on September 17 there was already snow on the ground.

Mid August may even be the ideal starting date for starting from the west. If the days are exceptionally hot out west you can get a early start. Once you get past mid September (say.... Missouri) you will be in the best weather window of the year, late summer/ early fall for the rest of the trip.

pm

[BikeFreak]

You will not have any problems if you ride +150 mi/day :-)

Lucas

[staehpj1]

You will not have any problems if you ride +150 mi/day :-)

How long you plan to take is a fairly big factor in how this start time is likely to work out for you.  Assuming 10 weeks plus or minus a week or maybe two, I'd either start in the west or go earlier.

BTW:  This may or may not apply, but...  All other things being equal I like to start on the opposite coast from where I live to get the air travel out of the way up front.  That makes it easier to be flexible with your end date.  Having to hit a particular day for a return flight is a pain.  Better to have a flexible schedule.  Weather might well trump this preference though.

[ronnie421]

Thanks for your feedback.  I think I know what im going to do. Looks like changing my direction is the best thing. Maybe even shoot for the beginning of August instead of middle. The 2 weeks may help a bit. Now, is the sun in your eyes THAT much of a problem going w to e? Oh well.

[staehpj1]

Now, is the sun in your eyes THAT much of a problem going w to e?

My two coast to coast tours have both been W to E and I have not found it to be that big of a deal.  I am an early riser and early morning rider too.

[zzzz]

I wasn't quite as comfortable w/ it as staehpj1 but of all the things to consider, the low morning sun is pretty low on the list. I took my sweet time in the morning, hit the road around 9±(depending on where in the time zone you are) and I felt safe with that.

Pete

[John Nelson]

Now, is the sun in your eyes THAT much of a problem going w to e?

Depends on what time you like to start riding in the morning. If you typically start riding an hour or two after sunrise (like me), then it's no problem at all. If you typically like to start riding before sunrise, it might be a problem on some days for just a little while.

[PeteJack]

Now, is the sun in your eyes THAT much of a problem going w to e?

Depends on what time you like to start riding in the morning. If you typically start riding an hour or two after sunrise (like me), then it's no problem at all. If you typically like to start riding before sunrise, it might be a problem on some days for just a little while.

+1 My only memory of sun-in-eyes being a problem was on heading S on the Sierra Cascade route! The road out of Big Bear City heads due E for a few miles, has no shoulder and a huge drop off of 10 -12 inches in places I was blinded by the sun and went by the few feet of road I could see by lowering my head and getting a bit of shade from my helmet visor. I should have stopped and waited for the sun to move round but like a chump I bashed on to where the road turned S. All the while I was doing this I was thinking that traffic behind me was equally blinded. So enjoy a lie in.

[ronnie421]

After some consideration, I have changed my departure date AND my direction. I will now be leaving about early to mid August and will be starting in SF (instead of mid May, leaving from the east coast).  I hate to push it back three months but thats ok. I am not locked down to any certain time that I have to leave or return. I come and go as I please. In place of my original plan, I will be doing a nice shake-down ride to San Antonio, about 140 mile (one-way) ride. That should eat up about a week of my 3 month wait.