Which route is better???

[dieseldan]

Me and a friend of mine in june are planning on biking from coast to coast. We wanted to take either the western express route or the southern route. We liked the southern rounte because it looked a little shorter, but we thought it might be really hot for june.  Also which route has better views. and finally is a six week time frame a realistic estimate?

[wanderingwheel]

I'm familiar with only a little bit of the Southern Tier, so I can't give you any opinions there.  The Western Express is a challenging route and I really like it.  Full disclosure:  I grew up in Reno and the San Francisco so I'm not unbiased.

The entire route through California and Nevada can be very hot in the summer, especially the high desert east of Carson City.  The plains in Kansas can also warm up, so don't think that you will avoid all hot weather by taking the Western Express.

Six weeks is realistic, if a little faster than average.  You will need to ride 80-90 miles per day, six days a week.

Sean

[mgarnett]

Your tolerance for heat may vary, but I think you will find Arizona in particular very hot, as well as encountering punishing humidity in the east in July/August.  We did the Southern Tier (east to west) from late February to late April this year, and still had temps over 90 (with blazing sun) in the Phoenix area.  Carrying enough water in those circumstances can be challenging, even if you don't mind the heat.  But depending on the weather you are used to or comfortable with, it is doable.  Feel free to check out our trip journal at http://thebigtrip.crazyguyonabike.com.  The crazyguyonabike.com site in general is a terrific resource for getting a sense of what different routes are like -- there are hundreds of journals of bike trips, searchable by specific routes, states, type of bike, etc.  Good luck -- a trip like this is a truly amazing experience.

[mgarnett]

Also, we took ten weeks to do the trip, riding approximately 6 out of 7 days.  But we were relatively slow (averaging about 50 miles a day).  Six weeks is not impossible, but a lot depends on your level of training beforehand, your tolerance/willingness to ride in bad weather or high winds, etc.  Even if you are very fit, don't underestimate how your body will react at the beginning to being on the bike all day, every day.  In other words, give yourself enough time to complete the trip even if everything doesn't go exactly as well as you planned.  

[pbj]

i rode parts of the southern route in the summer of 2001.  i started in silver city, nm.  i road the gila wilderness route and then continued west toward san diego.  it was 100 degrees and more everyday throughout the arizona leg.  if you are going to do a route in the summer, the non-southern approach may be more livable.