Need advise on major trip

[bhowe]

OK Gang,

Here's the deal: 60 something, retired, bored (fixed up the house, got my kid set up in a coop, all responsibilities are over) want to have an adventure before starting my second career, wife is flexible, money not a problem. She likes to travel 1st class and we can and do, but I can sleep anywhere. Eagle Scout and former assistant scoutmaster so I can rough it.

Considering biking the Lincoln Highway, SOLO, New York to San Francisco (yeah, it's the wrong way, but I 'm listening to Horace Greeley).

My present bikes are a Cinelli road bike (triple crank and stem extender, certainly a sacrilege, until you get older), Rocky Mountain carbon fiber MTB, Surley Moonlander (for all the Long Island beaches) and an assortment of trash picked bikes for my son and his friends who's bikes are always stolen in Brooklyn. Do centuries regularly so I'm not worried about stamina.

What suggestions do you have for me regarding:
Choice of bike and set up
Equipment to carry and what is the good stuff
Logistics
And anything you think I need to know

My plan is to travel light with not a lot of food, but a stove and cooking gear if needed
I'm hoping I can bivvy, like back in the 60's without anyone noticing

Thanks,
Bruce

 

[Christophe Noel]

Hey Bruce,

I did a trans-US ride ions ago from West to East. I would certainly advocate a proper touring rig. It'll just be so much more comfortable for such a long haul, especially given the weight you'll need to carry.

Now that I think of it...Shoot me a PM. I might have an incredible opportunity for you depending on the size of bike you ride.

Christophe

 

[trailsurfer]

I would take a serious look at a Titanium gravel grinder. It will be comfortable, durable, and able to carry all of your gear.

 

[Christophe Noel]

I would take a serious look at a Titanium gravel grinder. It will be comfortable, durable, and able to carry all of your gear.

I did my CA to WV ride in 1992 on a Canondale T2000. It was like riding 3000 miles on a jackhammer.

 

[Christophe Noel]

I have a bit more time to offer answers for your other questions.

Regarding the bike, there are but a few solid touring offerings still available. The good news, you don't need anything uber fancy or expensive. A Surly Long Haul Trucker, Trek 520, or Marin Four Corners will do the ride no problem and with lots of comfort as all are steel. The fork is the key and steel is the way to go.

The area to splurge on is the rack and pannier combo. That is "home" for the many weeks you're on the road and poor racks and panniers can be a daily headache, or worse, leave you on the side of the road with bag in hand.

Regarding camping gear, I'm a shameless gear-geek with more gear than anyone should own. My current favorites are:

Tent: Nemo Equipment OBI 1P, or the 2P if you want a little extra room, which is a good idea.

Pad: Thermarest NeoAir XLite. Don't use anything else. It's 2.5 inches thick and packs down smaller than a bike bottle. Comfort is key, so this is a must have.

Sleeping Bag: If you want to go silly light with summertime temps, use the new Sea to Summit Spark. It packs down to the size of a grapefruit. Or, for more comfort, as in maximum comfort, try the Thermarest Antares bag at 20º. While I never thought I'd like a Thermarest bag, I do love that one for the roominess. My other current favorite for a 20 degree bag is the Eddie Bauer First Ascent Karakorum. Again, didn't expect to like that bag. Do get a down bag. Bulk is not the villain of the bike tourer. Weight is.

Stove: I would keep it simple and go with something like a Trangia burner and a Clikstand kit or something similar. You can find alcohol for your stove at any hardware store and it's super cheap, clean, etc. When I did my tour, we seldom cooked and often just ate read-to-eat meals, hit the occasional restaurant, or just ate backpacker meals, which are quick, easy, no-fuss, and rather tasty.


For logistics, you will want to spend some time with the forum at adventurecycling.com. That resource was once called Bikecentenial (1976) and produced the only maps guiding cyclists across the US when trans-US rides first became hugely popular. I lived on one of the routes in the 80s and saw hundreds of riders over the years, and eventually had to do it myself. There is a northern route that may interest you.

Other tips: Don't bother training too hard. No matter how fit you try to get before hand, your fitness comes quickly along with the usual aches and pains of a big ride in the first 500 miles or so. Slow and steady is the way to go. Baby steps at first. There's a lot of down time on long tours in those first days because your body won't like 12 hour days in the saddle. By the last day, the seat will be home.

Most people who do these big rides quickly learn to fold in a variety of nighttime options. I've slept in pastures, church yards (with permission), people's front yards (again with permission), an old school bus in a hail storm in Arkansas, several crap hotels, and in a hay barn with snakes and rats. That was lovely.

The scope of experiences you'll have will boggle your mind. I was flashed by a van full of girls in CA, gifted a whole rack of ribs in Missouri as I rode by a picnic in a park, had rocks hurled at me by delinquent kids in Tennessee, covered 122 miles in one day in Colorado, and struggled to cover 17 miles in high winds in Kansas.

As bike rides go, it was one of my most memorable.