Advice for Newbies about the Weather.

[froze]

IHow many of us remember the perfect days out there anyway? It’s always the brutal days that stand out in our minds. (and as horror story badges of honor. Lol) All part of the adventure I’d say...

I love the pictures that Adventure Cycling uses in their tour catalog, all the pictures are of sunny skies with broad smiles on the riders...where are the pictures of stormy days with frowns on the riders as they pedal their way through the mess?  Oh, that's right, pictures like that wouldn't sell as many trips.

[Westinghouse]

IHow many of us remember the perfect days out there anyway? It’s always the brutal days that stand out in our minds. (and as horror story badges of honor. Lol) All part of the adventure I’d say...

I love the pictures that Adventure Cycling uses in their tour catalog, all the pictures are of sunny skies with broad smiles on the riders...where are the pictures of stormy days with frowns on the riders as they pedal their way through the mess?  Oh, that's right, pictures like that wouldn't sell as many trips.

Actually, it is quite possible to bicycle across the USA transcontinentally with great weather all the way. 25 minutes of rain in Slidell, LA was it on one crossing. The rest was free and clear. The thing is sudden, extreme, calamitous changes do happen. I was caught out in storms. I mean, all is calm and clear all day. Then, inside an hour, rain is rocketing parallel to the ground at sixty mph, the sky is a swirling black mass, traffic must halt on interstate highways, large tractor-trailers are pushed over on their sides, and a hideous stroboscopic lightning storm is slamming thousands of strikes to earth all around you for hours. I would say just about any tent made for lightweight bicycle touring would be useless in that level disturbance. That is what is meant by POUN!!!!!DING!!!!!!! Rain Storm.

[froze]

I struggled over getting a lightweight tent to reduce load carrying weight and one that was a bit heavier that "supposedly" can take a beating, so I got a 3 season tent, so far I haven't been able to test it pounding rain, just normal rain with no leaks.  I ended up with a Marmot Tungsten 2 person because of a year end sale, and because a reviewer claimed he camped out in snow with it just to see how it would do, and during the night it got windy with blowing snow but the tent was fine.  Some reviews you have to be careful because they could be faked, I'm not sure if it could handle blowing snow, but the fabric seems a bit more denser than other lightweight tents I saw which probably why it weighs more than ultralight tents.

[EmilyG]

We have a Big Agnes Fly Creek 3 person tent (for 2 people). Worked great on our W-E Northern tier route.    I remember well one night in Fort Benton, MT, where the wind blew so strong that the tent pretty much squashed sideways many times. It was completely unharmed afterward.  Weathered many rain storms and wind storms.  The mosquitoes loved to hang out between the tent and fly, waiting for us to come out.....   

And thanks for the reminders about weather.  It pays to watch the weather reports, and believe them.  No matter what the current weather outside may be.  We are vulnerable out there.

[Martine Stoker]

Thank you so much for sharing this valuable information and I definitely apply those tips on me.

I learn many new thing from your article as beginner.

[Westinghouse]

Not long after the first posting of this subject, a storm they said was unprecedented covered 75% of the contiguous US, cut power from millions in Texas, stoved in roofs, froze water pipes and caused catastrophe.  The storms of these past few weeks are called unprecedented. I got caught outside in weather similar to that. In weather events I survived, No light weight tent could have stayed up. There is not any tent or tarp that can protect you.  Keep a close frequent watch on forecasts.

[froze]

Keeping an eye on forecasts at least every 4 hours while you're up of course can be a lifesaver.  There is another thing you can do to, there are websites on how to tell the weather without any outside aid just observations like they use to in the old days, now a lost art but still very accurate for forecasting in 12 hours, a lot memorizing and practicing the stuff to get accurate with it.

[Westinghouse]

Always valid advice. Many unprecedented serious weather events are coming out of nowhere.  They are lethal.  Keep current with weather forecasts in your area while touring.  If you hear warnings of dangerous storms  headed your way, take it very seriously and take cover.  And remember, lightning does not have to strike you to kill you.  Electricity can conduct 100 feet across wet ground and kill every living thing in range. I got caught out in extreme sudden storms.  Believe me, those were lessons learned the hard way.  Take this message to heart and you learn the easy way.

[Westinghouse]

You can be sure, if it is Westinghouse.

[ray b]

You can be sure, if it is Westinghouse.

I love it. That's a good one with which to date yourself.

Should we also take a poll to see how many newbiesrecognize that slogan or how many have even heard of the  Westinghouse Electric Supply Company?

[Westinghouse]

You can be sure, if it is Westinghouse.

I love it. That's a good one with which to date yourself.

Should we also take a poll to see how many newbiesrecognize that slogan or how many have even heard of the  Westinghouse Electric Supply Company?

It is an old one for sure.

[Westinghouse]

You can be sure, if it is Westinghouse.

I love it. That's a good one with which to date yourself.

Should we also take a poll to see how many newbiesrecognize that slogan or how many have even heard of the  Westinghouse Electric Supply Company?

It is an oldie for sure. I remember as a little boy hearing that from advertisements on TV. Most likely, younger people have not heard of it, but maybe stumbled across it on you tube.

[Westinghouse]

I chose that nickname, Westinghouse, because I noticed it in an encyclopedia of biography. I did a very short genealogical study in Philadelphia around 1977 approximately. It was an encyclopedia of biography for the state of Pennsylvania. I was looking up information on one of our uncles. He was General John Peter Shindel Gobin. He was a lawyer who became a civil War General and a state senator lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania and commander of the National Guard. He was United States Commander in Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic. I found his biography in that encyclopedia. Next to his biography was the biography of a man named Westinghouse. Later I saw a bridge named after this Westinghouse. That was where I got the idea to use that as a screen name.

It cannot hurt to resurrect this long forgotten thread. It is still of essential importance to anyone planning a long distance bicycling tour across North America. Not that anyone is reading this part of the form or commenting anymore. The subject is still very much relevant to the subject of cycling long distance.

[UncaBuddha]

I chose that nickname, Westinghouse, because I noticed it in an encyclopedia of biography. I did a very short genealogical study in Philadelphia around 1977 approximately. It was an encyclopedia of biography for the state of Pennsylvania. I was looking up information on one of our uncles. He was General John Peter Shindel Gobin. He was a lawyer who became a civil War General and a state senator lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania and commander of the National Guard. He was United States Commander in Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic. I found his biography in that encyclopedia. Next to his biography was the biography of a man named Westinghouse. Later I saw a bridge named after this Westinghouse. That was where I got the idea to use that as a screen name.

It cannot hurt to resurrect this long forgotten thread. It is still of essential importance to anyone planning a long distance bicycling tour across North America. Not that anyone is reading this part of the form or commenting anymore. The subject is still very much relevant to the subject of cycling long distance.

I check this forum every day! Someone has to keep the pressure on to finally get out there and tour!

[BikeliciousBabe]

I check this forum every day! Someone has to keep the pressure on to finally get out there and tour!

I have already been on two short tours from home this spring.  I'll be heading to Missoula on June 15th for an relatively easy, two-week loop.  Plan to do some exploring/easy hiking during that time.

And speaking of weather, I got snowed on in Jackson, MT when I was out there last June.  Had to hole up at the hot springs resort for two days.  Camped one night.  Sleet falling on my tent woke me up at 4 AM.  Was able to get a cabin the second night.  There was a bar, restaurant, and pool fed by a hot spring.  It was torture.  .  What sucked was that I had to cut the Pioneer Mountains portion out of my route.  6-8" of snow was forecast for up there.