Time on a Bicycle

[tourider]

I have decided to take a gray hound bus up to Canada and then ride from Banff Canada south to New Mexico. But I'm also  planning on turning around and riding north to Alaska. And then back to Utah. If anyone has been on a Tour that long or that stretch how long will the route take ? I'm guessing how far I'll be going in one day i should be done in about a year. But i want to hear from you guys. I'm starting training next monday and continuing until i leave.
I need details on how the terrain is and what's out there so i can bring the right equipment ?

Any help from anyone would great.


Jake

[rvklassen]

You'd need to say more about the route you have in mind.  Specifically, is this all on-road?  Are you planning to take the most mountainous route possible, or skirt to the east and stay in the prairies where possible?  I assume you're planning to go self-contained, camp and cook for yourself?

That said, once you've been training awhile, you should have a sense of what speed you can maintain with a load (40 pounds of water will do just fine to simulate your touring load, unless you think you can do it on less than 40 pounds of gear).

Given that speed, figure six or seven hours per day, with a rest day at least once per week.  You can do way more than six hours for a day or several, but eventually it gets hard to find the time to do everything else (shopping for food, setting up/striking camp, maintaining the bike...).  And if you need 10 hour days, one flat tire ruins your whole day.