ACA TransAmerican Summer 2025

[logantrinklein]

Hi jim,
I am also interested in riding coast to coast this summer, but as I am still in school, I would need to leave early June. All other details you listed like route and pacing sound great. Please let me know if that would be a possibility.
-Logan

[John Nelson]

I am also interested in riding coast to coast this summer, but as I am still in school, I would need to leave early June.

IMO, if you leave in early June, it's best to go west to east. If you leave in early May, it's best to go east to west.

[ktdub69]

Hi Jack and everyone,

I am also planning to ride the TAT West to East this summer.  Current plan is to leave Astoria just after Memorial Day with aspirations of being in Yorktown by mid-Sept.  Happy to join others with similar plans.  A few qualifiers:

- This is a Bucket List thing, and my first tour.  I've been training for well over a year on a loaded (~75lb total) Kona Sutra I purchased specifically for this ride.  I've been a road cyclist (Moots RSL) for many years but had an idea to "just keep riding" one Sunday morning a couple years ago.

- I'll be 68 in June [ 9th, thus 6-9, a ying-yang thing ].  Thanks to being gifted a pretty good set of DNA and plenty of working out, I'm in good shape, but, as many of us know, 68 is nothing like 38. For reference, last training ride was 30 miles, 3,415 feet of elevation, 3 hrs 28 mins and could have done a few more after a break.

- Experienced multi-day backpacker, including solo, so very comfortable with packing light, managing a campsite, eating weird combinations that cooks in a steel cup, etc

- I have the Ride with GPS app and downloaded the TAT maps.  Also have the WS app and account. I haven't used either before but have used All Trails app a gazillion times and understand the concept of RwGPS

- I am a little uneasy with the food strategy, especially for ~5k calories, so expecting some trial-and-error lessons. This includes what to do with the bike while I go into a grocery store, what to eat in the more remote areas since I'm vegetarian (+fish, so pescetarian) so riding through Billy's Burger Hut isn't really an option.  Open to others experience and guidance.

Right now, my possibly naive strategy is to ride 3 days and take a day off.  Daily, the idea is to ride 2 hours and take 1 off -  repeat 3 times for 6 hours.  Mix hotel-WS-camping roughly 1-2-1 depending on availability and weather. I'm sure this will change along the way with experience, pain/fatigue, unplanned adventures...

My basic goal is to have fun, meet people, and enjoy a bucket list memory. =)

Best,
Kevin

[jwrushman]

Just a couple of thoughts:

1) Start using RWGPS on your training rides and start playing around with it's route planning features. I think the app is great, but it can some times be a little quirky with turn-by-turn instructions.

2) Despite being pescatarian, I think you'll have no problem finding enough calories. Maybe not always the healthiest options.  But Subways are ubiquitous with plenty of meat-free options.

3) I planned to take a zero once a week but learned I didn't need it. I take time off when I need to for errands or for sightseeing. Regarding my daily ride, I can go four hours straight but my (old) back does best with a six minute stretching routine every hour.  I think you'll find a bicycling routine that works for you once you're riding.