Author Topic: Can live/work wherever I want - why not on a bike?  (Read 19368 times)

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Offline JonnieCycle

Can live/work wherever I want - why not on a bike?
« on: July 21, 2014, 11:53:12 am »
Hey Everyone - brand new to the forum and am seeking advice:

My company allows me to work from my computer, wherever I want - so long as I'm on certain conf. call meetings - and am available for calls when needed.  As long as there's a good wifi/broadband connection ...I'm set.  All of that said, I'd like to take advantage of - not necessarily "bike touring" ...but "bike working" - meaning that I'd like to simply go around the country (and if possible, so long as I still have my job, around the world) at my own pace.  This isn't a vacation ...it's not "adventure cycling" (though I'd certainly love the adventure of it!) ...it's literally working from my bike - going wherever I want to.  For me the idea of going from state to state (staying in one for a week or 2 - or a month - longer or shorter) ...place to place enjoying what this country has to offer without reservations.

Okay - you get the idea ...next - the web/this site has tons of info on how to equip the right bike and the right gear I'll need ...so that'll be my next research project before embarking on this idea (if it's feasible) ...so my questions to you don't have to do with gear/bikes etc - they have to do with the following:

- where to stay securely (without the expense of hotel/etc. - I get this will have to be the case in emergencies - but can't do regular basis)
- where to shower securely
- where to camp that allows for more than the "vacation tour" angle (longer term - maybe week or so)
- keeping my laptop dry/secure etc.

Keep in mind ...my thoughts have gone to simply becoming a member of a national health club chain in order to take care of the shower thing ...but I've seen people lose all their stuff, thinking those silly little club lockers aren't prone to thieves.  But aside from that, really we're talking about more than trekking, less than residing.  Almost like the RV'ers do ...(I've searched their forums also - seems like they have a good network of rv campgrounds - but not sure how cyclists are treated there) ...

My requirements aren't quite the same as much of what you guys do ...and I've seen that older thread where it's mentioned about people who are indigent/itinerant workers who are down on their luck ...guys - that's not me ... I make a decent income and simply am at a point where I don't need to be tied down and will kick myself for not at least trying to do this. 

If this is the wrong forum - please toss out any suggestions you can - thanks so much.

J.
« Last Edit: July 21, 2014, 11:56:02 am by JonnieCycle »

Offline John Nelson

Re: Can live/work wherever I want - why not on a bike?
« Reply #1 on: July 21, 2014, 12:55:18 pm »
Here's an off-the-wall idea. I think, by not paying for hotel rooms, you will save enough money that you can afford to occasionally and infrequently lose stuff to thieves. Make sure your key information is backed up in the cloud and encrypt your hard disk. Buy a really good tent, one you're comfortable in long term. Many campgrounds limit your stay to a week, but that sounds like it will work okay for you. You'll need to choose campgrounds with WiFi and/or 4G, plus power, so that will limit your options a bit. Carry a long extension cord. Start in your own country until you establish a comfortable routine, and they you can branch out to other countries. Organize your route to be some place warm in the winters. Showers aren't that hard to come by--a lot of campgrounds have them--or maybe you can go swimming in a lake each day. Security isn't too hard when you're in camp. Take you most valuables with you when you leave camp.

Sounds like an interesting idea.

Offline JonnieCycle

Re: Can live/work wherever I want - why not on a bike?
« Reply #2 on: July 21, 2014, 01:12:05 pm »
Thanks John ... I suppose you've got a good point there ...probably the main thing I should map out is where the good cyclists camp grounds are ... and indeed - this is mostly the US first -then someday others (as I've seen cyclists talk about on this forum - cool stuff!)

J.

Offline JonnieCycle

Re: Can live/work wherever I want - why not on a bike?
« Reply #3 on: July 21, 2014, 01:14:21 pm »
Meant to ask - are there good "lock-up" type safe-room facilities if you want to leave your bike somewhere that any of you seasoned travelers are used to dealing with?  (for example - if you stay at a hotel they usually have a secured room etc. for valuables - though these can tend to not be THAT secure, I know)

J.

Offline JDFlood

Re: Can live/work wherever I want - why not on a bike?
« Reply #4 on: July 21, 2014, 02:21:36 pm »
To me this sounds like the perfect formula for credit card touring. I don't understand your reluctance to use motels. That way you have a desk and quiet for working. If you travel a lot Adventure Cycling routes, the motels get really inexpensive. Like across the Northern Route I hit a long string of $30 per night motels. Instead of a tent and cooking gear, you bring a decent sized laptop. mouse and battery backup. Sound perfect.

Offline JonnieCycle

Re: Can live/work wherever I want - why not on a bike?
« Reply #5 on: July 21, 2014, 02:27:47 pm »
JD -

To be sure - I have no qualm in doing that (plus with AirBnB now there are even more choices) ...but every night is going to get outta' hand ...while I make decent money - I also don't want to have to rely on the Red Roof's out there whenever it's time to hit the sack.  But the Hybrid (maybe once a week - or a couple of times a week - then camping on the other days) is something that is certainly part of my thoughts on this.

J.

Offline BrianW

Re: Can live/work wherever I want - why not on a bike?
« Reply #6 on: July 21, 2014, 06:26:15 pm »
I have a similar job (can telecommute from wherever), but with a wife and young son I'm not quite as flexible as you are.

Have you considered a kind of hybrid bike/van setup? Get a van to use as a base camp, drive it to an area you want to explore, and then do day rides or multi-day rides, returning to the van to resupply, sleep, etc. While you are out biking you can park it on a safe-looking street or in a long-term parking lot. There are a lot of resources on the Web that cover this sort of thing.

You might also consider the national and international network of hostels. Most have maximum stay limits, probably a week or so. There aren't as many in the USA as there used to be, but internationally there are quite a lot. See http://www.hiusa.org/hostels/usa-hostels

For Internet access you'd definitely want your own "MiFi" cellular hotspot so you aren't reliant on finding free WiFi. I've used both T-mobile and now Verizon 4G devices and they work well, even with VPN.

Offline BikeFreak

Re: Can live/work wherever I want - why not on a bike?
« Reply #7 on: July 21, 2014, 07:40:41 pm »
Like across the Northern Route I hit a long string of $30 per night motels. Instead of a tent and cooking gear, you bring a decent sized laptop. mouse and battery backup. Sound perfect.

And KOA campgrounds, which are very nice and clean, are often asking for more than 40 USD even if you are in the most rural remote place.

Lucas

If I were you: Buy a van and tour for 1 month sleeping in the van itself. That way you can test your new lifestyle where you constantly hunt for internet connections. If you like it, move to the bike option.

Offline JDFlood

Re: Can live/work wherever I want - why not on a bike?
« Reply #8 on: July 21, 2014, 07:48:45 pm »
The van is good. Bring your bike!

Offline JonnieCycle

Re: Can live/work wherever I want - why not on a bike?
« Reply #9 on: July 21, 2014, 08:09:03 pm »
Hey guys - (RE: van) ...yup a darn good idea ... have actually been running it through my head for a while, but from an RV perspective - however, didn't want to sink that much $$$$ into it ...so figured maybe do it in reverse - start out with the bike  & tent, camping - then do the RV thing... downside is in the end you're still sinking money into the thing.  But perhaps a simple van might work (older one's oughta' be cheap.) ... and YIKES ...who'da' thunk camp grounds are $40?  Part of me wonders about simply finding a thicket of woods and doing what those ice-climbers or hunters do - hoisting your sleeping platform up a tall tree (along with your bike).

Offline John Nelson

Re: Can live/work wherever I want - why not on a bike?
« Reply #10 on: July 22, 2014, 09:40:31 am »
YIKES ...who'da' thunk camp grounds are $40?
Some are $50, and they're nothing special. Cost does not seem to correlate with how nice they are.

Offline JonnieCycle

Re: Can live/work wherever I want - why not on a bike?
« Reply #11 on: July 22, 2014, 10:53:31 am »
Some are $50, and they're nothing special. Cost does not seem to correlate with how nice they are.

Yeesh...seems like someone figured out cyclists have money. 

Offline John Nelson

Re: Can live/work wherever I want - why not on a bike?
« Reply #12 on: July 22, 2014, 12:17:54 pm »
Yeesh...seems like someone figured out cyclists have money.
I don't think they are considering cyclists at all. They set these prices based on big RVs with big boats, and they don't see any need to offer reduced rates for people with smaller footprints.

Offline JonnieCycle

Re: Can live/work wherever I want - why not on a bike?
« Reply #13 on: July 22, 2014, 12:41:43 pm »
I don't think they are considering cyclists at all. They set these prices based on big RVs with big boats, and they don't see any need to offer reduced rates for people with smaller footprints.

Got it ...had made the assumption the campsites that had been mentioned catered mainly to cyclists, run by cyclists etc.  So they're just your standard campgrounds ...I get it.

Offline adventurepdx

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Re: Can live/work wherever I want - why not on a bike?
« Reply #14 on: July 22, 2014, 12:58:44 pm »
...had made the assumption the campsites that had been mentioned catered mainly to cyclists, run by cyclists etc.  So they're just your standard campgrounds ...

I think the problem you're going to run into if you want to use campgrounds as the base to work is the ones that are more catering to cyclists/hiker-biker sites, while usually cheaper than $40-50 a night, are pretty rustic and don't have that many services. If you're going to be looking at things like a reliable source of power and wi-fi for your laptop, you'll have to look more at those campgrounds that cater more to the RV set. And those ones are going to be more expensive.

I've heard of a few people who have done work on tour on places like the Pacific Coast. What they normally would do is stay at the hiker/biker sites, then find an adequate cafe in a town and then plunk themselves down on the laptop for several hours.