Across America 2018

[SaemiVald]

Hi all,

During the summer of 2018 my wife and I will ride across America - eastbound from Astoria to Yorktown - using the TransAmerica Trail by the Adventure Cycling Association. We plan on leaving mid-June and arriving mid-August.

If anybody is planning on riding the same route we would love to share ideas, plans, tips and tricks, packing and perhaps ride together part of the way. We could either exchange ideas here on the forum or create a separate Facebook group.

Let me know if you are interested!

-Saemi

[intoTHEwind]

Hi,

yes, we will do the same tour 2018 - Start 27.05.2018 in Vancouver --> Astoria (HW 101) and than TransAm  Astoria to Yorktown.

Greetings
Rudolf from Germany

[Figaro]

I'm heading on the opposite direction, E to W, on the TransAm starting in late May. Will wave as we pass each other :-)

Steve

[SaemiVald]

I'm heading on the opposite direction, E to W, on the TransAm starting in late May. Will wave as we pass each other :-)

Steve

Good luck! Maybe we can have lunch together midway and compare notes

[SaemiVald]

Dear Saemi -

9 weeks is a pretty tight schedule for the TransAm. Possible, but.
That's 110 km per day, no days off, no margin for bad weather, bad stomach, bad bicycle.
You should also expect heat like you have never seen in Iceland once you leave the Rocky Mountains.
And heat & humidity in the East - like being in a steam bath all day.

J

We actually plan on riding 80 miles (130 km) each riding-day and take one day off every 7 days.

[Ty0604]

Dear Saemi -

9 weeks is a pretty tight schedule for the TransAm. Possible, but.
That's 110 km per day, no days off, no margin for bad weather, bad stomach, bad bicycle.
You should also expect heat like you have never seen in Iceland once you leave the Rocky Mountains.
And heat & humidity in the East - like being in a steam bath all day.

J

We actually plan on riding 80 miles (130 km) each riding-day and take one day off every 7 days.

Good luck... I agree with jamawani that 9 weeks is pretty tight. That doesn't leave you much room for error. It's doable but personally wouldn't put myself in that tight of a window. I spent ~14 weeks riding 5,200 miles across the USA last year. I rode 72 days and took 24 days off. Ideally I took a day off every 4 or 5 days on the road. That's all my body would allow me to ride without crashing. I ran into some issues; weather, tendonitis etc. I would suggest you be flexible and allow for the unexpected.

Also I found it best for me if I started off with shorter days and worked up to longer days. I averaged ~72 miles a day but my days were staggered; 50 one day, 90 the next, 30 the following day, 110 the next.

You'll find out what works best for you though!

[RussSeaton]

That's 110 km per day, no days off, no margin for bad weather, bad stomach, bad bicycle.

We actually plan on riding 80 miles (130 km) each riding-day and take one day off every 7 days.

jamawani said:  110k per day, no rest days, is 770k per week.  68.75 miles per day.
SaemiVald said:  130k per day for six days, one rest day, is 780k per week.  69.64 miles per day.
Seems pretty close to me.
For me, 70 miles per day is not very difficult.  Its nice to have a 60 mile day every now and then, but 70 miles is not a hard day.  You need to be above 80 miles per day to start getting more difficult.

[Westinghouse]

 Of all the journals I have read about doing the TA, I do not remember any completed in 9 weeks. It may be possible for the loaded touring cyclist. Most I read were talking 85-95 days, more like 12 or 13 weeks or longer. I know I cannot do it in that short a time.

[Ty0604]

Of all the journals I have read about doing the TA, I do not remember any completed in 9 weeks. It may be possible for the loaded touring cyclist. Most I read were talking 85-95 days, more like 12 or 13 weeks or longer. I know I cannot do it in that short a time.

9 weeks would be 66 miles/day with no days off. If you took a day off a week you're looking at 75 miles/day. That seems more like a chore to me than being on tour!

I did my tour in 96 days with 71 days of riding. ~73 miles/day (5,177 miles) but I took a day off every 3-4 days. My body couldn't handle anymore.

[Pavel]

I guess everyone has their preferences, but at that pace there is no room for error.  Where I can comfortably do 90-100 miles five or six day in a row through gently rolling hills in parts of the TA, in Virginia by the Jeb Stuart Highway for one example I am lucky to bear under the effort in the insane heat and humidity and get 35-45 miles under my belt.

Are you on a deadline for time off or just enjoy going fast?  There is so much to see along that marvelous route and so many people to meet, that it seems a bit of a shame to go full tilt through it - at least the way I look at things. 

 

[RustyCrank]

I'm heading on the opposite direction, E to W, on the TransAm starting in late May. Will wave as we pass each other :-)

Steve

I'm also traveling the TransAm east to west starting in late May. I'd love to compare notes and meet up with fellow cyclists!

[bbarrettx]

I'd disregard the alarmists who are saying that 9 weeks isn't enough time. If you're younger and in good shape that's a very reasonable timeline. I did the TA plus additional miles to get up to the NJ shore in 51 days. 4419 miles. Your goal is absolutely realistic. Enjoy the tour. Cheers.

[RussSeaton]

I'm going to add another comment to my post from two months ago.  The average mentioned by several people is roughly 70 miles per day.  More than doable.  But that more or less means riding every single day and never ever stopping.  Long ago when I rode across Europe I met several people and had pre arranged meetings with several people.  So I stopped for a few days or a week numerous times during my trip.  My trip was fun.  Riding my bike was important of course, but it was somewhat secondary.  My fondest memories are of the days I did not ride and spent with friends.  I rode in a glider plane one day.  I did not ride that day.  Another evening I spent sitting around a campfire with good people and their wonderful kids listening to the Olympic basketball games.  I did not ride that day.  Today I would happily trade the riding for the experiences I had and people I met.  The riding was not really important.

If you want to ride like the person who posted before me bragging about riding 4,419 miles in 51 days, then OK.  If you are a person who says "F-CK YOU" to everyone who smiles or tries to talk to you.  And spit on everyone you meet.  Then you can easily make it across the US riding every single day and never stopping to see anything.  Does not sound like much of a tour to me.  It would be much better to just get up every single morning and get on a time trial bike and race through 80 miles as quick as possible.  Why waste time touring if your goal is mileage accumulation?

[John Nelson]

I allowed 13 weeks for the TA. It took me 10. It's nice not to have a hard deadline. I got up everyday and did exactly what I wanted to do that day. I got to the end in 10 weeks. Not really by design. It just worked out that way.

I used the same approach on the NT, a slightly longer route that took me 9 weeks. I didn't take any days off, not because I was in a hurry, but just because I never wanted to take a day off.

Everybody is different. Do what makes you happy.

[staehpj1]

On the time allowed for the trip...

Yes, you proposed pace is doable, even reasonable. I have found that on trips where I averaged more miles than that per day I still managed to have lots of conversations with the locals, enjoy the scenery, take a ton of pictures, and generally enjoy the trip.

It is also possible to take twice as long and still not do that stuff.  Some folks manage to maximize their spare time and others spend their spare time sleeping in or sitting around in camp.  How much you manage to "smell the roses" is not strictly governed by how many miles you ride.

On the other hand do take into account that the spacing of services on the route will mean that at times you may need to take days that are either a lot longer or a lot shorter than you want.

FWIW, I think that different routes have different ideal paces.  For me the TA is one where I'd take a little longer and the ST is one where I'd roll with longer daily mileage.

Oh, and one other thing...  When it comes to budgeting time (and money) for the trip it is always nice to allow extra.  A tight schedule or a tight budget can take some of the joy out of the trip.  If at all possible allow extra time then finish when you finish whether that is way ahead of or way behind schedule.  For me 10 weeks is about right for the TA, but I'd budget at least 11 and finish somewhere between 9 and 11 weeks  Since you are from Iceland that may not be possible, but maybe you can have a little time allowed for some optional sight seeing at the end of the trip.