boredom on cross-country?

[cycledancer]

Considering southern-tier crossing. Experienced cyclists: Do you ever get on aways, and get bored, and wonder when it will be over and why didn't I just sign up for a two-week trip?

[staehpj1]

No.  I was sad to see the trip end whether it was coast to coast or 10 days.  This was especially true on the coast to coast trip.  Getting back into real life was tough.

[johnsondasw]

Nope, never been bored on tour.  I've been too hot, too cold, tired, sick, bonked out, but not bored.  A good bike trip is like any great adventure--the agony and the ecstacy, always exciting.  On most tours I've been on, I agree with Staephi--sad to see it end.  I get pretty excited just looking at maps and planning rides. 

[tonythomson]

Can I join in with a big NOPE.  Have only done the Southern Tier in USA but I found it just so fascinating everywhere.  Enjoy those long roads that stretch out in front seemingly forever as either a challenge or wonderful invite to freedom from the daily pressures.  (Coo dropping back into my hippy dippy mode here from the 6o's) Sure can be hard at times and even when holed up in some grot bag motel room because of the weather - just enjoy the rest.

At the end of my last trip I was ready to turn round and do it all again as such a nice life on the road. This is despite having a very happy home & family life so not escaping anything.

My advice would be take it easy, smell the roses, stop and talk - that damn hippy stuff back again if only I still had the hair!

[FredHiltz]

One day out of 80 I was feeling a bit bored while riding the high plains (ND Rte 200, FWIW). Beautiful waves of grain, but much the same for several days. I don't know why it occurred to me, but I changed my attention from the distant views and the traffic--not much of that--to the nearby scene. Focusing on the roadside plants, the birds on the wires, and the changing odors was good for the rest of the day. Now I recommend it on any ride.

Fred

[MrBent]

I'll echo the general sentiment here.  I've found some stretches very challenging but I don't think "bored" was ever really on the menu.  Western Kansas had the longest, straightest roads, but the worst part was the wind.  I kicked my butt every day for about five days.

One thing did help on the high plains and endless cornfields of the Midwest: an mp3 player.  Some tunes or a radio podcast can help those long miles when the scenery doesn't change.

I've had days that I wanted to end, but I'm always ready to get after it the next day.  A cross country tour is a great adventure that every American should do.

Scott

[mikedirectory2]

I dont think I have ever been bored...sorry

[litespeed]

I've never been bored while bicycle touring. But I'll admit that I have always been good at endless, strenuous tasks of any kind. Sometimes I have to force myself to get started but once I get cranking I go to the end. As my brother once pointed out "Peter (me) would make a good ant".

[whittierider]

How about this one-- Do you ever wish you weren't touring alone?  It seems like it would be a bummer at the end of the day to not have anyone to talk to about what you experienced together, or to be able to eat together, or look over the route for the next day together, etc..  I hope to do a trip next month, but it was something I was hoping to be able to do it in the summer with our son before he went away to college but couldn't get away.  Now I'll be alone.

[FredHiltz]

How about this one-- Do you ever wish you weren't touring alone?  ...  I hope to do a trip next month, but it was something I was hoping to be able to do it in the summer with our son before he went away to college but couldn't get away.  Now I'll be alone.

I think solo touring is great. Of course you are rarely alone for more than a few hours. I found it easier to strike up conversations with strangers, who often seem to regard a couple as a closed unit. Of course the campgrounds are great social events.

Before a motel night, ask about where the locals get their eggs and home fries at sunrise. Walk in and join the inevitable gang of (usually) men at the big table or the end of the counter. Weary of cracking jokes with the same crowd every day, they love to see a new face and they are a fount of information about the locale.

Fred

[tonythomson]

I'm off the Go it Alone group.  Although had some great fun when with others on balance prefer to ride alone.  No pressure there from others to ride, ride faster, not to stop and talk.  Maybe because I'm bit slower than the others I rode with I always felt under pressure.  Plus always being at the back those up front would wake the dogs up and be away before they arrived at the road side - then along comes slow coach me with the dogs not having to do any chasing.  When they dropped out it was like freedom.  Can be a bit unsure to start but getting over that is a great feeling. 

However, whichever way you do it it's a great experience on so many levels.

[litespeed]

Unless two people are on a tandem or are VERY compatible, solo touring is the way to go. I've lived alone most of my life so solitude seems perfectly normal to me. Most touring cyclists I've met have been solo although I have met quite a few couples who seem quite happy. I wouldn't recommend touring with anyone you haven't known for a fairly long time. I've heard a lot of stories of people touring together who haven't lasted a week. It's a real test of a relationship. Personally, I have never toured with anyone more than a few days - very few.

[staehpj1]

No, I've never been on a solo tour and regretted it.  That said I greatly enjoyed riding coast to coast with my daughter and a friend of hers from college.  I'd happily tour with either or both of them again and probably will.  I will certainly also tour alone again.  Both ways can be great.

[MrBent]

I tour alone and with my wife--both are great.  There have been times, for sure, on my solo trips when I wanted companionship, but that would NEVER stop me from going solo.  The solitary tour has many advantages already mentioned and a very different vibe, an intensity of feeling and introspection that isn't really possible with companions. 

On the other side of things, I've been on tours with others when I wanted to be alone!

Bottom line: Get out there!

Scott

[cycledancer]

Thanks for all the helpful replies. Specifically, I'm wondering about joining the Adventure Cycling supported Southern Tier next March. I'll be with 13 strangers, but I'm a team player, so that should be okay. I don't like to ride in a tight group and I'm sure I won't have to. The truth is, I'm never bored in my real life; if anything, my life is so interesting and exciting that I guess I wonder if I'll miss it. And these cross-country routes are designed, I imagine, so you're not on major pavement with semis rushing past all day, right? I like nature and Americans, and that part of the country. I'm a constant reader, so I'm not sure how I'll work that in; the cheap paperback resale shelf at local libraries? Turned 61 yesterday; time to go?
Mary