Fast Trans-Am route ideas welcome

[jamawani]

2800 miles?
Doing the motel thing might permit everyone to ride all the way?

[Engee]

Although the C&O trail may not be ideal for the bikes you are riding you can avoid the trail by using the Chicago to NYC route.  It joins the Eastern Express at Zanesville, OH.  This would get you all the way across the country and NYC may be easier/cheaper to fly into/out.  Just another possibility to go cross country.

Yes, That's been part of my original idea.  In particular though, I'd like to take the alternate route through Lancaster but it seems this section is not good for road bikes.

[Engee]

  You should look up the RAAM website (Race Across America). It kicks off June 11. You have a 'team' with a support vehicle and a time crunch- I think you should go for it. If there are four of you willing to pull off a ride like this, do it! You don't necessarily have to enter the race but you could certainly use their framework as a guideline for your endeavor, or at the very least use their route. It sounds like a challenge you'll remember for the rest of your days whether you make it or not. Good luck to you all!

Don't we need to qualify for it?

[DSchweikert]

I'll chime in that I think your plan is very doable- as long as you've thought it through and have experience with multi days of the hours of riding you'll have to do.  2 years ago at the age of 49, I rode solo and unsupported across the US- used Warmshowers and hotels all the way, carrying all that I needed including "on the bike food" with me.  I finished 3600 miles in 28 days- and felt like I could have turned around and done it again.  You're asking the right kinds of questions, planning well ahead, etc.  There WILL be unknowns- weather, mechanicals, road conditions.  If you have the right mindset and prepare for as many of those contingencies as you can, you should be fine (no guarantees obviously- that's why it's a challenge). To be honest- after having done such a ride, I now consider a support vehicle sort of cheating!  Just kidding- that was my original plan also.  Good luck and keep asking questions to be ready.

[bbarrettx]

DS,

That's an incredible pace, especially for a guy approaching 50 yrs old. I'm curious about your route and whether you ran into any difficult weather along the way. Also, you must have encountered days in the West where you had to bang out huge miles to get to a hotel. I'd love to hear more.

[DSchweikert]

BB-
I actually don't think it's that big a deal.  8-10 hours per day on the bike averaging 14-15mph overall.  I tell everyone "if I can do it, anyone can".  And I believe that.   Lots of training and prep for sure, but possible.

I wrote a blog after the ride, which I've linked from a new website https://whyiride.org/- Past Adventures menu.  Post here or contact me via the website if there's anything else you want to know.  I'm working on additional blog entries for preparing for a long endurance ride and my routine during them which should be up before long.  Also have a Facebook page to share those updates- https://www.facebook.com/Why-I-Ride-343659289768027/

Thanks for asking!

[bbarrettx]

Great stuff. Gotta love the surprises like those Iowa hills. My daughter and I crossed the same summer but we stayed in the furthest north reaches of Iowa which was just flat and straight. You certainly covered some ground. I hope you were able to avoid persecution by the mileage police out here on this forum!

Best of luck with your project!

[fastrog]

You might want to look into the ACA Southern Tier. Much shorter than the other options, and much flatter. Wind along the Gulf of Mexico is also generally more moderate than the Plains and Rockies. Given your start date, at least you would not have to worry about cold-weather gear or snow and sleet in the Rockies, where it can snow any month of the year, and does. It will be hot (mostly 90s), but since you have a camper you could go 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. withe the camper following with flashers during dark hours. Chill and hydrate in the hot part of the day. If you did shorter hand-offs you could ride in the hottest parts of the day. I live in Florida and you get used to the 90s pretty fast. Also: You can expect heat anywhere. I rode the first 800 miles of the ACA Transam last year, starting June 12 in Yorktown, and had many days of temperatures over 100F. They say Kansas is a virtual oven, and the Midwest is almost a hot as the Southern Tier Good luck.

[danny dea]

Engee,  RAAM does require a qualifying race.  However, you may be able to get information on routes by visiting the website.  You may also get pointers on the support aspects as well as rider rotation and technique.  Trans-am has been done many times by various size teams as well as individuals in much less time than you available.  I
 crewed for a solo rider that took 12 days in spite of horrible weather and other physical problems.  That year the race went from Irvine, Ca to Savannah, Ga.  It's very doable and if that's your goal, go for it.  Ultra Marathon Cycling Assoc., who puts on the race, has recently changed the name to World Ultra Cycling Assoc.  Good luck.