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How to bike across the country

brooks.team

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Re: How to bike across the country

#61

Post by zhivota »

blindstitch wrote: post #22

I think that finding free camping outside when you are in some shit nothing town is probably the most important skill to have, which is easy with satellite maps. Once you get the hang of it you realize that every town has at least one site where you can definitely get away with pitching a tent for one night. I think I have camped this way about 80 times and have never even been asked what I'm doing. That said, state…

I did it this way back in 2007 when I didn't even have a smartphone, you can develop an eye for it at the ground level as well. I camped 8 nights without paying once and never had an issue. The only time I had to resort to help was in suburban Cleveland area, it got dark and it was too built up to stealth camp anywhere, so I ended up stopping at the fire station and they let me camp in their yard. They are there all night anyway so they are usually fine with it.

The weirdest spot was in another suburban area, I camped behind a row of shrubs next to a cellphone tower installation haha. Wasn't the best setup but places like that usually don't get any traffic until business hours, so as long as you're in late and out early, you're fine.

Re: How to bike across the country

#62

Post by mauvehaus »

soared wrote: post #3

Props to the author for grinding through this, but I think a very strongly worded and formatted warning is needed at the top. Embarking on this trip with so little knowledge meant putting yourself far away from civilizations while criminally underprepared. I love the energy of Supertramps, but there is a reason they are controversial. It would be very easy to make a mistake and be in big trouble - underestimating wat…

I did 7,000 miles of touring in the US in 2006 without a cell phone, relying mostly on a paper Rand McNally road atlas and partially on Adventure Cycling's paper maps. I did most of the Western Express, and a good chunk of the Trans-Am between where they join and Missouri.

You are greatly overestimating the hazards associated with bike touring.

Folks are decent, and if you're on Adventure Cycling's routes, they are familiar with seeing cyclists. People offer help and stop to ask if you're ok. The route is well travelled by cars; if you passed out from heat exhaustion in the middle of the road, you'd be no more than an hour from being found, and in most places, a good deal less.

Water is pretty readily available, and most of the route passes through populated areas where you're a knock on a door away from a fillup if you're desperate. Mostly, I filled up with water at gas stations or where I camped in the evenings.

If you can ride a bike, fix a flat (you'll likely get a lot. I did), camp in a tent, and cook over a camp stove, you can do what the author of TFA did. Maybe a little/lot slower (75 miles a day is hauling ass fully loaded touring) but it's totally doable.

NB: Trek discontinued the 520 in 2023. Dozens of us are furious. The Surly Disc Trucker is well-recommended for touring, though I haven't been on one personally. Any bike that fits you with relaxed enough geometry, a long enough wheelbase, low enough gears, and the capacity to carry you and your gear will do.

Re: How to bike across the country

#63

Post by floriannn »

beezlebroxxxxxx wrote: post #42
floriannn wrote: post #21

I have 2500 miles so far this year and could do a century any random day without preparation and I’m doubting whether or not I can do GDMBR, meanwhile this guy didn’t even own a bike, didn’t even do more than 30 miles once he did, and just set off across the country. I guess I should just do it.

At your fitness level, you're more than capable of doing a long bikepacking trail. The hard part isn't really fitness (for any moderately experienced biker unless your trip has a specific time or FKT goal), it's the logistics of food + shelter, the mental grind, and dealing with possible repairs.

Yeah I have done some trips before, max was 8 days with 85-100 miles each day, some decent elevation (max 11k feet in a day, but others around 5-6k) pretty bad weather, mix of paved and gravel. No chance I’m coming anywhere close to Lachlan’s time on GDMBR but I do need to finish in under 40 days.

This guy was using Rockbros bags and rack and I’m wondering if I should swap out my Tailfin for a more durable OMM rack…

Re: How to bike across the country

#64

Post by hackingonempty »

floriannn wrote: post #21

I have 2500 miles so far this year and could do a century any random day without preparation and I’m doubting whether or not I can do GDMBR, meanwhile this guy didn’t even own a bike, didn’t even do more than 30 miles once he did, and just set off across the country. I guess I should just do it.

If you haven't, check out Mat Ryder's videos on YouTube. He's newly retired guy in decent shape from jogging who buys a bike and does the GDMBR while making a bunch of videos. He shows everything and at the end talks about how much he spent and how much less he could have spent if he tried harder to be frugal. You can see how an average guy without any bikepacking experience do it. You can do it too!

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3-zVwEVdJ-UbC1DT4tSG...

Re: How to bike across the country

#65

Post by troutwine »

1024core wrote: post #40
18nleung wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I biked with the author from SF to Sacramento — we went up to Marin over GGB, then over the Richmond–San Rafael bridge to the EB

Ah OK! Thanks!

It's a fun route! If you give it a shot and have a bike that fits you good you'd be amazed at how quickly you can build up fitness for cycling, heavy or not.

Re: How to bike across the country

#67

Post by mvdtnz »

blindstitch wrote: post #22

I think that finding free camping outside when you are in some shit nothing town is probably the most important skill to have, which is easy with satellite maps. Once you get the hang of it you realize that every town has at least one site where you can definitely get away with pitching a tent for one night. I think I have camped this way about 80 times and have never even been asked what I'm doing. That said, state…

What's a KOA?

Re: How to bike across the country

#68

Post by gnabgib »

mvdtnz wrote: post #67
blindstitch wrote: post #22

I think that finding free camping outside when you are in some shit nothing town is probably the most important skill to have, which is easy with satellite maps. Once you get the hang of it you realize that every town has at least one site where you can definitely get away with pitching a tent for one night. I think I have camped this way about 80 times and have never even been asked what I'm doing. That said, state…

What's a KOA?

Kampgrounds of America https://koa.com/

Re: How to bike across the country

#69

Post by sodality2 »

Wow, I grew up in Yorktown and I remember seeing a lot of tour bikers. Never thought twice about it until now, seems like it's largely a result of the TransAmerica trail. Hope you enjoyed Colonial Williamsburg + Yorktown Beach!

Re: How to bike across the country

#70

Post by contingencies »

cynicalpeace wrote: post #33
jaxtracks wrote: post #2

One theme that pops out to me here is the reliance on other people being a positive experience for the author. In the software field, we tend to live pretty high up the economic value chain, which can abstract us a bit from participation in the more grassroots co-operative aspect of society. This can be alienating and warp worldview. When I'm hitchhiking to support packrafting trips or get back to where I launched my…

I hitchhiked Mainland China in 2019, and it's true that you are constantly relying on the kindness of other people. But I would argue that the type of person that does this kind of thing is very independent and thrives in an individualist environment. After all- it's you that's inserting yourself into an environment of strangers. When I was in China, people were bewildered as to why anyone would ever hitchhike. Where…

Err yeah, mostly based in China ~2001-2022 here. Basically in China hitchhiking makes you look like a criminal because there's perfectly good long distance transport for not much and the government bans people it doesn't like from using it. Therefore, if you're thumbing you're looking suss. Sounds like a cool trip! Where'd you go to/from? Got a write-up somewhere? Highlights? I really enjoyed cycle touring in the west of China, there's some really beautiful areas.
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