How to bike across the country
brooks.team
How to bike across the country
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Re: How to bike across the country
#2One 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 paraglider, I have no say in who I'm going to be chatting with and feeling gratitude towards. Initially that feeling of being reliant on whoever comes my way was difficult to adjust to after the false sense of individualism that a high paying job in a bubble of similar people brings.
The benefit though is enormous. Now I stop to help anyone who's broken down on the side of the road despite the flash judgements their car or bumper stickers might bring. I'm much more aware of the value and interconnectedness of our society, and feel inspired to actively seek to contribute instead of remaining aloof. Most importantly, I realize that there's a whole lot of people out there looking to help people out at any turn, and that gives me a lot of faith.
Re: How to bike across the country
#3Props 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 water needs in a barren stretch, a hole in your tire (not tube) and not knowing how to fix it, etc. it’s pure luck you didn’t not over exert a small muscle or ligament locking you out of cycling during recovery.
Re: How to bike across the country
#4Another way to do it is the way my cousin did: do it over a period of 15 years. She took a week of vacation time during most of those years to do a chunk of the route.
Re: How to bike across the country
#5Some do this in 8 days
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_Across_America
But 51 days is also fantastic!
Re: How to bike across the country
#6Another way to do it is the way my cousin did: do it over a period of 15 years. She took a week of vacation time during most of those years to do a chunk of the route.
Section hiking on long distance trails is pretty common as well. Most people aren’t in a position to just take off and do the Appalachian Trail or Pacific Crest Trail in one shot.
Re: How to bike across the country
#7Unreal. Great achievement!
Re: How to bike across the country
#8Props 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…
For what it's worth, he did carry a satellite phone. But I do agree - this felt like a wildly optimistic decision to make :P
Re: How to bike across the country
#9Congrats! It was super interesting to read about the western express, when I did this a few years ago I did the astoria route: https://blaise.bike/
Did you look into different tires? 8 flats seems like a lot. I got exactly one running schwalbe marathon plus tires.
Overall what was your favorite part of the trip?
Re: How to bike across the country
#10I did the same, the opposite direction. If you are interested, there is a whole community of people that do this called Crazy Guy on a Bike.
My Trip: https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1&doc_id=10372&v=2E