G'day from a complete tour NOOB

[SKYMAX]

I am an Aussie who is about to begin my first ever tour on my first Bent, in the USA.
I have read everything about every type of Bent there is but I still do'nt know which one to buy when I get there. I know nothing about touring or the USA, or even why I want to do this, but I do. The whole idea freaks me out sometimes and I often wonder if I am capable of sustaining the demands and discomforts of an extended(6-12 months)and mostly self-supported tour.
Please excuse me asking a thousand stupid questions in an effort to avoid making too many bad choices.

I am starting in April/May at the town of Alfred NY and heading West to start with, that is my only plan so far. I will be riding some kind of Bent and towing a trailer. look for a tall, fair guy with a Kangaroo flag on his bike.



Clear skies, Max.

[Jbikes1]

I've ridden, self-contained, out and back on the RAGBRAI ride for 3 years on a long wheel base Bent. About 1200 miles. I packed everything on the bike.  In those 3 years I only had to walk up 1 vertical hill. However, there were a number of times I wasn't sure I would make it up without having to stop. Maintaining the speed required to keep balance can be difficult on a bent. I suspect there are hills bigger than I had in Iowa on the northern route. I decided to go to a BOB when I became worried about overloading the rear tire and breaking spokes. I was also concerned about pulling the extra weight of the trailer. My solution was to go with a tricycle and have not regretted it. I have seen others biking the northern route and would be interested what they might say. Personally, I wouldn't do it on a road bike or a bent...only a trike.

[OmahaNeb]

Just to let you know.  In US, the wind is primarily from West to East.  This means you will probably have more head wind days than tail wind days.  Unless you are using a fairing on your bent, the head winds will be a source of frustration at times.

[SKYMAX]

Thanx for your reply. You seem to be saying that the Northern Tier is infamous for it's numerous steep climbs, is that the case?
As for the winds I intend to turn around when I get bored with travelling West so I can enjoy the tailwinds on my way back.
Wade Hatler, the legendary Round-the-World Bent rider, tried a fairing on his Velo and hated it.
BTW way I read a touring journal from a guy who rode East to take advantage of predicted winds only to find that the fickle wind blew from the East for most of his journey

Clear skies, Max.

[Peaks]

RE: Prevailing winds.

It always seems that no matter which way you are going, it's always a head wind.  We were having head winds going East on the Northern Tier when we met a group going west on the Lewis & Clark route.  They complained about headwinds also.

[DaveB]

I suspect there are hills bigger than I had in Iowa on the northern route.

I'm sure this is going to sound condescending even though I don't want it to but if you had problems with the hills in Iowa, I seriously recommend you avoid West Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, etc. not to even mention the mountain West.    

And yes, I've ridden RAGBRAI too and seen the biggest hills Iowa has to offer.  It isn't flat by any means but the hills are pretty modest by most other standards.    

[SKYMAX]

Phew! thats a relief i didnt really want to start the hard way.
LOL @ Prevailing Winds tales. I know what you mean.I have flown light aircraft for  many years and can count the number of significant tailwinds ive had without taking my shoes and socks off. (Or do you say "sox" over there?)
I believe the "standing winds" are only in the upper atmosphere, everything else is affected by local geography and conditions.

What the heck is RAGBRAI ?
Where is Mountain "West"

Georgia and North Carolina are on my list but only on the return journey. Hopefuly I will be a tougher guy by then.
Your experience is much appreciated, Thank You.


Clear skies, Max.

[Jbikes1]

RAGBRAI is an annual event across Iowa.( http://www.ragbrai.com) I can go as fast up a hill as I want on a trike. Sometimes I "want" to go about 2 miles an hour and that would be difficult to maintain balance on 2 wheels. Yea, I am sure smaller hills by comparison which is why I went to a trike. I imagine Iowa’s hills are mere bumps in the road…..something to look forward to.  

[JunkMan]

RAGBRAI is the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa.  It is an annual bike ride of about 500 miles that crosses Iowa, from west to east.  Approximately 10,000 riders make the 7 day ride each year.  Here's their web site: http://www.ragbrai.org/

The Mountain West usually refers to the Rocky Mountains, includes New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana.

[SKYMAX]

Seems like one man's mountain is another man's knoll.
77-year old Earl Norman recently rode the Lewis + Clark without getting off his bike once.


Clear skies, Max.