Author Topic: XC Cycling and the Coronavirus .... is anyone riding XC ?  (Read 21524 times)

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Offline RustyCrank

Re: XC Cycling and the Coronavirus .... is anyone riding XC ?
« Reply #45 on: May 24, 2020, 02:03:25 pm »
I plan to leave June 1. DM me for more info.
Cycling The Great Divide NOBO Summer 2022

Offline timcote1960

Re: XC Cycling and the Coronavirus .... is anyone riding XC ?
« Reply #46 on: May 25, 2020, 06:03:32 pm »
We are still on for departing Yorktown Westboundfor 2wks May 29-june12. It seems we are the first on the forum to do so. Going by RV is making it easier, as is the limited commitment to 2wks. Then we come home until at least July 1, then may pick it up again (at the KY endpoint ) for another 2-3wks. I know this sounds like a very odd way to do the TA but my wife is a non-cyclist, going without her isn’t anything Either of us would want (How odd: husband and wife who don’t like being apart, I know!) and we both get homesick. So little 2-3wk sections work for us. Whether we finish in 2020 or not is unknown, but damn it, we will start!

Tim

Offline brhoward

Re: XC Cycling and the Coronavirus .... is anyone riding XC ?
« Reply #47 on: May 26, 2020, 02:30:27 pm »
Please keep me posted as to the 'receptions' you receive on the road. I'm thinking there are crazies out there who will accuse you of spreading the virus?

Offline staehpj1

Re: XC Cycling and the Coronavirus .... is anyone riding XC ?
« Reply #48 on: May 26, 2020, 05:00:55 pm »
Please keep me posted as to the 'receptions' you receive on the road. I'm thinking there are crazies out there who will accuse you of spreading the virus?
A large part of touring for me has always been the warmth, openness, and hospitality of many of the folks along the way.  I hope that will still greet folks at least to some extent.  I don't doubt there will be some negative experiences, but hopefully not many.  I too am anxious to hear how things are on the road today.

In the past I always found that if you met folks with openness and genuine friendliness they will respond in a similar fashion.  I hope that will still be the case and suspect it mostly will be especially in the heartland.  The level of suspicion and mistrust will undoubtedly be higher than in the past though.

Offline smm7144

Re: XC Cycling and the Coronavirus .... is anyone riding XC ?
« Reply #49 on: June 02, 2020, 01:03:07 am »
Freshly laid off from work, looking to possibly start doing an east starting in NYC to west route. First time doing something like this, aside from using warm showers, any route recommendations and has anyone had any issues with COVID aside from some stuff being closed?

Offline staehpj1

Re: XC Cycling and the Coronavirus .... is anyone riding XC ?
« Reply #50 on: June 02, 2020, 08:49:48 am »
Freshly laid off from work, looking to possibly start doing an east starting in NYC to west route. First time doing something like this, aside from using warm showers, any route recommendations and has anyone had any issues with COVID aside from some stuff being closed?
I have no experience with touring in these Covid times so my comments aren't going to provide much specific to that, at least nothing based on actual experience with the current situation.

I will say that for me warmshowers stops proved to be of limited use in non Covid times and I'd imagine it would be worse now.  I found that warmshowers hosts were not as conveniently located as I'd have liked and often had expectations that didn't work for me.   Many (most?) wanted some notice and for me that didn't really work well.  That was the biggest issue.  I find that I really don't want to plan stops ahead of time I don't usually know where I will want to stop for the day until I am there.  I fully understand folks wanting some notice that someone is coming, but I not only don't know when I will be getting to a given town, but typically don't know if I will want to stop there for the night.  I didn't find it fair to contact folks about possibly coming, not committing to a firm date, and maybe never showing when I decided not to stop in their town.  Better to just not use them at all.

I do find them useful at times when I know exactly when and what I need.  For example at the start of a tour if I need some kind of logistical support like an address to have a box to shipped to or be held at or maybe a place to stay after flying in late enough not to start a ride that day.

In these Covid times with social distancing I'd imagine that fewer doors would be open to you.  So I'd really recommend not relying too heavily on warmshowers hosts, at least not as a primary strategy.

I found that once away from either coast, camping was easy enough to manage, usually for free and with no need for stealth.  Not sure if the current social/political climate in the country has impacted that much or not.  On my first tour (using the ACA Trans America maps) we relied pretty heavily on the stops listed on the ACA maps.  I thought that was because the trail had been well blazed, but subsequently found that I found that especially in the middle of the country I could use what I learned from that to find places to stay in most small rural towns anywhere that I went.

Keep us posted on how things go since we are all wondering how the new normal will be for touring.

Offline brhoward

Re: XC Cycling and the Coronavirus .... is anyone riding XC ?
« Reply #51 on: June 03, 2020, 12:42:35 pm »
Yep, I agree with the scheduling stops. What if you want to keep going for another 20-30 miles after you've notified a warmshowers host? Probably ok if you are just needing a camping spot and no amenities, but....

I have emailed a few for 'local information' and get minimal responses.

-

Offline RustyCrank

Re: XC Cycling and the Coronavirus .... is anyone riding XC ?
« Reply #52 on: June 03, 2020, 01:24:34 pm »
Guys- it’s fine out here. Stealth camping. Take out food. Bottled water. So many flowers in bloom.
Cycling The Great Divide NOBO Summer 2022

Offline staehpj1

Re: XC Cycling and the Coronavirus .... is anyone riding XC ?
« Reply #53 on: June 03, 2020, 05:33:38 pm »
Guys- it’s fine out here. Stealth camping. Take out food. Bottled water. So many flowers in bloom.
I MUCH prefer camping for free in plain sight using stealth only as a last resort.  That has generally been doable on most of my tours for a significant portion of the time.  Are you anywhere that camping in rural town park picnic areas or other free and in sight places is the norm?  If so have you done any of that since the pandemic days have started?

Offline nhhillrider

Re: XC Cycling and the Coronavirus .... is anyone riding XC ?
« Reply #54 on: June 06, 2020, 10:09:40 am »
Well I started this thread ... too bad I have not been getting notifications about the replies.  Anyway ....

Our initial thinking was postponing to as late as July.  Would give us enough time to still make the trip in nice weather.
We wanted the country to start opening up enough so that we could get lodging and food ... which actually was always the case I think.
But also feel like we would be welcomed out there.   With the entire country coming out of lock down in May/June the time had come.   
I called a bunch of lodging places in VA/KY and all said that they were open and there were plenty of eating options.     So ....
Our trip is back on!!!!!   Starting Tuesday (June 9) from Yorktown.   

We will be practicing all the CDC guidelines for social distancing.  Will be bringing masks,  hand sanitizer,  wipes.   Will do our best.
Hope to see others out on the road!
« Last Edit: June 06, 2020, 12:15:38 pm by nhhillrider »

Offline staehpj1

Re: XC Cycling and the Coronavirus .... is anyone riding XC ?
« Reply #55 on: June 06, 2020, 10:39:08 am »
Starting Tuesday (June 9) from Yorktown.
Have a great trip.

If your plans are not too set consider the following...

Personally I'd consider a start in the West given that start date.  McKenzie Pass would likely be open to bikes and still be closed to cars given your proposed start time if you started in the West.  You'd have to check to be sure, but I think they said it was opening the third week of June to cars and it usually opens for bikes a couple weeks earlier.  Most folks do an early start in the east or a later start in the west for better weather along the way.

Another thing to consider is that it is nice to have air travel out of the way at the beginning since you know the date you will start and don't know when you will finish.  So I always prefer to start on the opposite coast to the one I live on.

Offline nhhillrider

Re: XC Cycling and the Coronavirus .... is anyone riding XC ?
« Reply #56 on: June 06, 2020, 12:10:37 pm »
Starting Tuesday (June 9) from Yorktown.
Have a great trip.

If your plans are not too set consider the following...

Personally I'd consider a start in the West given that start date.  McKenzie Pass would likely be open to bikes and still be closed to cars given your proposed start time if you started in the West.  You'd have to check to be sure, but I think they said it was opening the third week of June to cars and it usually opens for bikes a couple weeks earlier.  Most folks do an early start in the east or a later start in the west for better weather along the way.

Another thing to consider is that it is nice to have air travel out of the way at the beginning since you know the date you will start and don't know when you will finish.  So I always prefer to start on the opposite coast to the one I live on.


There are definitely pro's and cons to each direction.   With the original start date west to east was not an option.   It is now as you stated and we could.  And we discussed it and decided to stick with an  East to West trip.   Definitely agree the logistics are easier flying out west ... get it all out of way.   But I do like the idea of saving the best for the last.  For me thats riding out west.  Plus we are considering riding down the coast to the Bay area after we reach Oregon.  So we are sticking with plan A.   But thanks for the suggestions.