Discussion: Cross Country Bike Trip

For those of you interested in following an orienteerer on a cross country bike trip I have a web site at www.whereislance.com
Al Newman

Jeez, way back when I did this, all I could do was send a postcard to my college dorm every day... kind of like medieval twittering I guess...

Sounds like a great adventure Al. What are some of the previous rides you've done?

Your outfitter certainly has put you on a lot of western interstates. There's local roads too. But they're not graded like the interstates, so are a lot more work, going up and over each hill and down into all the valleys. The interstate grades everything smooth, using the cut material from the hills to fill in the small valleys. But I think the extra work is worth it: no pollution, noise, shoulder riding with all that debris, and 18-wheelers doing 80mph passing within 3'.

I did much of your route from Cottonwood, AZ going west in October 2004 by myself. And yes, I arrived in Blythe, California on I-10. But I cut off, going south along the Colorado River, across the desert to Brawley in the Imperial Valley. And from there, over the Coastal Range to dip my wheel in San Diego...mostly two-lane roads.

For some of the ride, I used maps published by Adventure Cycling...my route was the black line on the west part of this map. They use interstates only as a last resort. They send out research vans to find low-traffic local roads and scenic countryside to use for their routing. I recommend them.

Clark, I had almost no biking experience before this. I did it on a whim. I am finally gaining biking form and strength.

Al, let us know where we can see you as you pass near Lawrence in the next few days.

Mike, give me a call at 734 646 9015. Al

Just had a nice chat with Al. He seems impressed with the wheat and wind in Kansas.

One of the most interesting cross-state rides I've done is Biking Across Kansas (BAK). Each year the ride starts somewhere on the Colorado state line and travels east to end somewhere on the Missouri River or state line. During the ride, it is revealing to watch the countryside change from high plains to rugged Ozarks terrain. And by the time you're done you sure know the difference between wheat, corn and milo.

Both the BAK and the Adventure Cycling routes go through the southern part of Kansas -- anyone know of a northern route?

Driving through Kansas, there are incredibly beautiful moments. I wonder if they are simply longer when one is biking, or if they are overwhelmed by the effort.

BAK 2004 went across the northern parts of Kansas. And BAK 2005 went from the far SW corner of the state diagonally to to NE corner....must have been a long, tough ride. You can download detailed maps from their website and reride those routes yourself. You'd only miss interaction with other cyclists and the local communities...which is a big part of BAK. They do a great job of introducing local flavor into each day's ride.

I find the easiest way to participate in these cross-state rides is to use Amtrak. With my bike and panniers, I take Amtrak to a city closest to the start of the ride (Garden City in western Kansas) and bike to the start of the ride in the days beforehand. This gets me in better riding shape than the guys who've been sitting in cars for the same time.

After the ride, I bike to another nearby Amtrak station. The sudden absence of thousands of cyclists and sag vehicles is usually a pleasing contrast. For $20 Amtrak will give you a commodious bike box and take charge of your bike. I've never had any damage to my bike on Amtrak, whether boxed or unboxed; not true of my trips by air. And no TSA screening to worry about.

In 1983 I took US36 across northern Kansas. The whole New York -> San Francisco trip was done with very little advance planning. Whenever we got to another state, we'd go to a tourist bureau, pick up a state map, and figure out where we wanted to go. Got home by bus.

I was wondering JJ, did you have vehicle support? I met a fellow here in STL who had ridden from here to colorado with 2 pairs of bike shorts. he'd put one in a plastic bag with some soap behind his saddle, it would be clean by the end of the day and dry overnight. I believe that was the extent of his support facilities:)

My parents are currently cycling unsupported across Asia and hopefully some of Europe.
http://www.candmwanderings.blogspot.com/

No support. Just two guys on bikes (we started with four, but two quit after about a week) with a tent, a couple of sleeping bags, and a camp stove. No training, either — neither of us had been on a bike more than once or twice since the previous fall, because we were trying to graduate from college that spring (and we both... postponed that whole "finishing college' thing to a later point). And no fancy bike clothes, I was wearing cutoff jeans. 8-speed bike. We typically each had a half-dozen doughnuts and a quart of OJ for breakfast.

Cool! Love the photos, and I wish them well.

Wow, your parents are pretty enterprising, and seem to be taking it all very much in stride.