ACA TransAmerican Summer 2025

[cotajack]

I'm leaving the west coast in early June 2025 for a 3 month tour along the TransAm to Yorktown VA.
I'm starting this thread for any like-minded cyclist wanting to ask questions, post resources and/or simply keep in touch.

Thanks- Jack

[elickerj]

Hi Jack, I am planning to cycle the TransAmerica, west to east, in summer of 2025.  Here's an intro request:
I plan to cycle the ACA TransAmerica route, Oregon to Virginia, next summer. Dates not yet determined. Seeking one or two riding partners for part or all of this trip.  I am an experienced cycle tourist, male, 74 yrs. old, retired college professor who enjoys taking time to explore, visiting WS hosts along the way, and enjoying encounters with the land and its people. I've previously biked the both the Northern Tier (2018) and Southern Tier (2022) routes, so this will be my third coast to coast cycle trip. I carry gear for camping out, but also like to stay with WS hosts, motels, or B&Bs. I expect to average 60-70 miles per day. I would enjoy hearing from experienced cyclists who are interested in joining this trip or who have done it and are willing to share stories or advice. You can reply here or text me at 765-491-8141. Jim

[Jonathan Davis]

I am riding TransAm east to west, end of April 2025 departure.  I a am linking together the following ACA route segments - Chicago-NYC (Philly Alt), to Eastern Express, to TransAm sections 6 through 1.  Happy to discuss routing, trip plans, gear, etc.  516.698.7603 Jonathan Davis

[elickerj]

Hi Jonathan,
It's great you are undertaking the TransAm tour! I am located in north-central Washington, so planning to start my ride in Oregon in August. It may be hot on the coast, but should be cooler as I get into the mountains, and hopefully, somewhat cooler in Kansas and eastward in September. I loved riding the Northern Tier route west-east in 2018, and enjoyed (however a little less) the Southern Tier west-east in 2022. This will be my third and probably last cross country ride. I will probably keep a daily journal on crazyguyonabike, as I did for the Southern Tier.
Jim

[Glasford Jim]

I am splitting the trans am west to east this year. Starting in IL and riding to VA probably late April early May. Then from VA back to Tucson to wait out the heat for a couple months. Should also be strating the Eugene OR aouround my 68 B-day  August 8. back to where I started In IL. Be great to ride sometimes with others doing the late summer departure from the west coast. Hope to beat the cold and the heat doing it this way and maybe catch the wind more. Have a few details to work out for airfare and bike transport but getting closer.

[Glasford Jim]

Guess spell check may not be a bad idea huh? Sorry.

[elickerj]

Jim Glasford, let's keep in touch. I am planning an early August departure from OR also. I plan to do the whole TA route beginning then, hoping that by the time I reach Kansas and the midwest it will be cooler in Sept.
Jim E.

[jamawani]

Late summer / early fall ride -

My first cross-country ride in 1987 was west-to-east in the late summer and early fall.
It's a great time of year with a few caveats.
It can still be super hot east of the Cascades, but you can also have early snow in the Rockies.

Fire is a real issue in late summer, especially with climate change.
I was riding westbound in 1988 and had to detour around Yellowstone. Lots of roads closed.
More recently, there are big fires most years in late summer.
A few years ago I was driving on I-84 at night on the south bank of the Columbia in Oregon.
The entire north bank on the Washington side was ablaze. It was like Dante's inferno.
Everyone pulled over and got out to stare in utter amazement.
Alternate route options may be needed.

Then there's the length of the day.
By September the days are really getting shorter.
I couldn't make my summer daily allotment of miles.
It really kicked in east of the Mississippi.
Also, parks and campgrounds started shutting down.
I got a warning at a state park in Illinois when I camped in a closed area.
Although it stays warmer about 2 weeks longer than back in 1987,
state budget shortages have prompted earlier closures.

Still, this is a super sweet time to ride cross-country. Enjoy!

[elickerj]

Thanks for your message and advice! Having done a couple coast to coast trips in the past, I can relate to your thoughts about the pleasures and obstacles I can encounter. At 74 yrs, I need to consider that my tour could be aborted or detoured for any number of reasons (illness, injury, weather, fires, etc). But I will still do the journey as an adventure. That’s part of the appeal, the challenge of not knowing what each day will bring!

[uturnshari]

Hi, I am new to this forum as well as bikepacking. I have done some long distance bike rides but nothing like what I am hoping to tackle. I just started mapping out a route and the first part is on the TransAmerica route. Planning on leaving from Eugene, OR to West Yellowstone. After reading some of the details about the heavy truck traffic on the routes and the small shoulders, it makes me feel like I am crazy to do this. If anyone has done this section, I would love to get some feedback about the route. From West Wyoming, I was planning on taking the Parks, Peaks, Prairie route, North Lakes, and Chicago to NYC. I am just going to go as far as I can because I have another trip planned in the fall. I was planning on going first of July, but sounds like most of you prefer leaving heading into fall. Any advice is welcomed. Thanks.

[elickerj]

uturnshari, it seems you have a great cross country tour in the planning stages! I highly encourage you to do it! I have done 2 xc tours so far and am looking forward to my 3rd later this year. I can only think of one time I was scared due to logging trucks and no shoulder. That was about 5 miles heading into Whitefish, MT on the Northern Tier. My experience in the NT and ST ACA routes was that mostly they are mapped on roads that are quiet and/or have adequate shoulders. Some exceptions, but usually not for long distances. It's especially important to have high visibility (bright clothing, flashing tail light, etc.) for those times when traffic is close by. I have found that MOST drivers are courteous and give me space. (With just a few, rare exceptions.)
I plan to ride the TransAmerica route starting in Astoria on about Aug. 1st this year. What sections on the TA route from OR to Missoula have you read bad things about?

[uturnshari]

Thanks Jim, Thanks for the encouragement. The longest biking trip I have done is 7 days, but didn't have to carry a lot of gear. I did a 6 day bike ride in NC to see how I would do with elevation and there were some scary moments on the winding, narrow roads with trucks and wind.   The notes from ACA about the routes talks about the one from Kooskia, ID to Lolo, Montana as being bad. The planning of something like this is very overwhelming, but I am ready for the adventure. Though I was just recently diagnosed with a torn meniscus. I am hoping to have it all better by the time I ride. Good luck to you with your ride.

[elickerj]

I’m not sure how the traffic is these days, but many years ago I rode from Lolo to Kooskia. It was a beautiful ride, with not too much traffic.

[jwrushman]

My suggestions are more for uturnshari. Elickerj, with your level of experience, you already know this.

Uturnshari, are you riding self-supported? Camping, credit card touring, or a combination? Whichever it is, start training as soon as you can (or as soon as the weather permits).  Even though it's only January, I'm carrying 40 lbs in my panniers in preparation for a Trans Am ride. And start practicing with whatever gear you're planning to take. If camping, take some overnight bike rides to a campground, say 20 to 30 miles away, multiple times if time permits, to try everything out. A fully loaded bicycle handles much differently than one not loaded.

[davidbonn]

...
Uturnshari, are you riding self-supported? Camping, credit card touring, or a combination? Whichever it is, start training as soon as you can (or as soon as the weather permits).  Even though it's only January, I'm carrying 40 lbs in my panniers in preparation for a Trans Am ride. And start practicing with whatever gear you're planning to take. If camping, take some overnight bike rides to a campground, say 20 to 30 miles away, multiple times if time permits, to try everything out. A fully loaded bicycle handles much differently than one not loaded.

This is good.

I'd also recommend doing a couple of overnight rides to someplace you can set up camp -- that might be a friend's house and you can pitch your tent in their yard.

A big reason to do this is to get some practice on setting up and taking down camp and packing everything up with cold fingers on a rainy morning.  You can also work out if where and how you plan to carry your stuff will be efficient and workable day to day.

Packing up camp in very soggy conditions while keeping your dry stuff as dry as possible takes some practice.  And it is better to get that practice at your friend's house than out on the tour during a major weather event.