Touring Scratchwork

*In the summer of 2009, my friend Mia and I rode across the country on the TransAmerica Trail.

While on a bike tour, a note pad is a handy thing to keep in your handlebar bag. You'll want to write down the addresses of people you meet to send them postcards, grocery lists, mileage math, to-do lists and more.

This (above) is from the day I went to bed feeling a little queasy-- then Mia looked at me and said, "do you know what you ATE today?" So we scratched it out. That funnel cake really did me in-- especially when preceded by 2 donuts, a cinnamon roll and all that soda! OOF! You really CAN overdo it while on tour!

We took 1 day off each week-- in part to rest, in part to just catch up on chores and To-Do's. Chores can take a surprising amount of time-- there's no way I ticked off everything on this list!

Mileage math. I am often asked how to figure out mileage for a bike tour. Well.. you gotta figure out how much you can reasonably ride in a day. REASONABLY. Don't overestimate!! Both Mia and I have backgrounds as racers, with some national success at that, but we both felt a bit body-checked after our first few days on the road. WHOA. We can't ride 22mph anymore. More like.. 12.

We soon figured out that we could count on 10mph (including stops for food, bathroom) to figure out how far we'd be going that day. In a typical week, we'd average 63 miles/day, including our 1 day off. So we'd ride 45, 65, 85miles/day and 300-400 miles/week. We never learned to get up super early, so we never rode more than 85 miles in a day. With 2 more morning hours, we could have broken 100. With touring, it's not about being fast on the road-- it's just the time you spend on the road.

You've also got to accept that weather and terrain will have a huge influence over your plans. We tried making plans to meet up with a friend of ours in Idaho.. and ended up arriving 24hours later than anticipated. Thunderstorms, mountains, headwinds, flat tires, chaffing thighs, brutal sun.. there are a lot of things that can slow you down!

Remember-- you're not just out for a bike ride and will be back home in a few hours.. you are LIVING on the road!

So-- don't get too cocky when planning out your mileage. You might feel comfortable hopping out of bed and whipping out 60-80 miles on your carbon fiber road bike.. but try 55 miles on your steel rig, with Marathon Plus tires and 40-50 pounds of extra gear/food/water, making an 80-90 pound boat to steer up the mountain pass instead of a 17 pound whip.

If I were to do the math for my next multi-month tour, I'd plan an average of 55 miles/day (knowing that this includes the 1 day off/week) instead of 65. I'd ride earlier in the morning and have more time to relax in the afternoon. Even if I rode farther/faster, it's good to have some 'buffer' days for unexpected delays or opportunities-- like that shredded tire or blue grass festival.

For tours a month or less, I'd be tempted to plan a higher average-- but I'd use the extra time to smell the flowers.

Planning a Bicycle Tour: Calculating Days

Recently, a reader asked me how long our bicycle tour across the country took and how we did the math to figure that out. Here is my response:

Our trip (4,250 miles) was about 3 months. We took 1 day off per week and 1 week off half-way. Started the evening of May 31 (7pm!) and ended somewhere around August 27th or so.

When I am planning future trips, I use an average of 60 miles/day + 1 extra day/week + a week off if applicable (trips greater than 2 months, or if you just want to visit a place like a National Park) + travel to/from the start/finish to figure out about how long the trip would take. Even if you THINK "oh, my average will be more than 60 miles/day!" I would still recommend using 60 (or even 55), especially if this is your first big trip. Using a number that is slightly lower than you expect to ride will give a buffer for mishaps, preventative weather, mechanicals, etc. Remember that 60 is an AVERAGE. One day riding 80 miles and another riding 40 averages out to 60.

So, for example-- The Sierra Cascades route is 2,362 miles. 2,362 divided by 60 is about 39 days, or a month and a week. Add 5 days for a day off per week, plus one day to get to the start, 4 days at the end (one to rest, one to sight-see/rest, one to pack, one to actually travel). That's 39 days + 10 days = 49 days. If I were taking time off work, I'd add more days to the start/finish for rest and packing.

Something else that is useful in planning is checking to see how long the self-supported (not van supported!) Adventure Cycling group plans to take.

Because your trip is 6,000 miles and will take longer than a season to complete, I'd also be very aware of any passes you'll go over and whether or not they'll be open during the time of year you expect to be there. If you search around, you can find charts that list when passes opened and closed over the last 50 years and their average opening/closing date.

Hope that helps!

RJ

Touring Bikes Under $1500

If you're looking for an affordable touring bike, you can stop your internet wanderings. Joshua, over at Adventure Cycling, has compiled a list of touring bikes under $1500: click here to visit the blog post. 

I've posted a link to my review of the Trek 520 there, and hopefully other Adventure Cycling readers will do the same!

Trek 520 Touring Bike Review

We made it! Parked on the shore of Atlantic waters.

*There is a sleeping bag and cowboy hat under that yellow jacket,

in case you're wondering why it's piled so high. :)

Last summer, I rode a Trek 520 across the country. These days, the 520 rolls both as a super commuter and a plain ol' fun bike. This is my review.

As a touring bike..

The 520 is fantastic. When purchasing any bike, what you're really buying is the frame. The material and geometry of the frame dictates both how it fits you and how the bike behaves.

• Is it a long or short reach? 
• Is it snappy or stable? 
• Is it harsh or forgiving? 
  

The Trek 520 frame has remained unchanged for many years. Probably because they got it right. 

• The 520 supports a comfortable upright position. 
  
• The bike is super stable, with or without a load (downhills are a delight!), yet still remains lively (not sluggish) when pumping and rocking (loaded!) uphill. This bike performs not just under the weight of a cross-country tour, but when unweighted-- it's still a joy to ride.
• As to be expected, the steel is stiff (power transfer!)-- but absolutely melts over bumps and lumps. The only downside to steel is the heavier weight-- but heck, this bike has gears your great grandma could turn over! So who cares?!

So the frame, complete with a metallic powder coat finish which absolutely glows in the sun, gets 5 of 5 stars. 

If you plan to use the 520 for day to day commuting and leisure use, I wouldn't change a spec on the bike-- except that saddle appears to be there just for looks. Slap on your favorite saddle and you're good to go!

However, if you plan to ride this steel beauty on a long and loaded tour-- there a few key parts and accessories that I would recommend replacing:

1. TIRES. Those Bontrager Race Lite Hard-Case tires are great for rolling around town and over your favorite hill and dale.. but their durability and flat protection is lacking for true long hauls. I had 2 flats and my tire shredded in Booneville, KY. Mia, my touring partner, rode Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires-- not one single flat. So I recommend a tire out of the Schwabe Marathon line. Remember, though-- the addition durability and flat protection aren't the only features of a tire, that extra rubber detracts from the butter and snap of your ride; though I have no complaints of the Schwabes which now roll on my wheels.
2. RACK. The suggested max load of the Bontrager rear rack is 50 pounds. My total gear nearly weighed 50 pounds, depending on the food and water we carried-- so only 30 pounds at most was ever mounted on the rear rack. And it broke. Fortunately-- we were in Blacksburg, KY-- where there was a bike shop. My rack recommendation is a set of Old Man Mountains, Tubus or Surly. OMM for pure performance and reliability, Tubus for the same plus they're pretty, Surly for all of the above plus added durability (and weight). I ride OMMs.
3. FENDERS. While the abbreviated fenders improve your toe overlap (the fender simply 'boings' out of our way should you hit it with your foot while making an awkward u-turn in a grocery parking lot), you'll be much happier on the road with FULL FENDERS and dry feet. 
4. SADDLE. It's not uncommon for a bike to be spec'd with a saddle that the maker expects the consumer to replace with his or her favorite or preferred saddle. This is one of those saddles-- it's pretty and brown, but it has no cut-out and instead, is rather crowned and squashes all the things you don't want squashed. I ended up riding my Specialized Jett, my racing saddle. If you want something softer, I'd recommend a Specialized Lithia Gel-- but remember, softer does not necessarily equate better! That's a whole 'nother post.

And finally, full disclosure-- I was obligated to ride a Trek 520, as I was sponsored by Trek at the time. I already had a Surly Long Haul Trucker that I planned to detach from my Xtracycle. So would I buy a Trek 520 now? Sure would. The Trek 520 is great for:

• A $1300 price point. 
• Touring trips from one night to several months (or years?!).
• A sturdy commuter.
• A stable, comfortable, wide-gear-range everyday bike.

The only reason that I would buy a different bike: if I had twice or thrice the cash to spend. In that condition, I might ride more expensive parts and wheels-- but I'd still enjoy a frame just like the 520.

Was this review helpful to you? Leave a comment if you have any questions!

Bicycle Touring Packing List: IN REVIEW

Back in May, before my bicycle tour across the country-- this is the list I came up with. Here are my {thoughts in retrospect.}

TOPS

• 2 sports bras {could bring just one, plus a swim suit to wear while doing laundry}
  
• a synthetic shirt {SENT HOME. Replaced with a long sleeve SPF shirt which worked great to circulate air and keep me cool. Eventually cut the sleeves off when it got humid.}
  
• a thin wool shirt (cool even in hot weather) {fantastic. Would do this again, but with Smartwool or IceBreaker instead of Patagonia. The Patagonia shirt-- surprisingly-- fell apart.}
  
• a WWR jersey {brought it to publicize my sponsor. Would ride w/o a jersey next time.}
  
• ..kinda tempted to bring a tank top, too. You know-- for the tan. {If I brought it, I definitely sent it home.}
• arm skins (SPF protection and COOLS you off rather than keep you warm) {These things actually do kinda work.. but didn't need 'em once I had my SPF shirt, which was more appealing to wear anyway, as it was billowy.}
  
• arm warmers {I wear arm armers a lot in everyday riding, I don't think I used them very often during the tour, though. Debatable. Depends on other clothing items.}
  
• long sleeve wool jersey, medium weight {Worked great, though could substitute with medium weight short sleeve + arm warmers.}
  
• wind jacket {Brought a bright yellow, convertable kind. Used it a lot and draped it over my load on the rear rack for increased visibility.}
  
• rain jacket {YUP.}
  

BOTTOMS

• 3 pairs of underwear {Yup.}
  
• two pairs of cycling shorts {Yup.}
  
• gym shorts {Yup.}
  
• synthetic knickers {Did I really bring these? I think I ended up bringing long pants. Better choice. Or some convertables.}
  
• knee warmers {Yup. Sent 'em home once it got hot though, of course.}
  
• 50/50 wool/poly long john/tights {Nights can be surprisingly cold! Would bring again.}
  
• Probably not rain pants.. but MAYBE some quick-drying MUSA pants. {I don't think I brought rain pants.. }

HANDS

• shortie bike gloves {YES.}
  
• and.. a windproof? a liner AND windproof? {I brought some really basic long fingered gloves. Worked most of the time, except when wet AND descending. Will go with wool next time and a Gore Tex shell.}
  

HEAD

• helmet. duh. {Yes.}
  
• cycling cap-- keeps rain out of eyes {Or a helmet with a visor.}
  
• beanie-- keeps whole body warm and a back up for a wet cycling cap {YES.}
  
• visor > I love this visor in hot sunny weather, so it's coming! {Haha, gave it to my touring buddy when I bought a cowboy hat! Really great for cooling off when you're in a desolate stretch with no shade.}
  
• sunglasses, with a light and dark lens set {Oh definitely yes. Love my Rudy Projects.}

FEET

• 2 thin short cycling socks, hot weather
  
• 1 thin tall wool socks, cool weather
  
• 1 thicker tall wool socks, cold weather and post-rain ride {Yes on all the socks. Sent the warm ones home once it got hot.}
  
• cycling shoes {YES. I like it better to have a performance cycling shoe that's more efficient, then to take those shoes OFF at the end of the day and cool them off in something else. I don't like the one-shoe-for-both thing. Not for me.}
  
• booties {YES.}
  
• Keen sandals {Replaced them with flip flops. Will replace with Crocs for next tour. Keen's were too heavy and unnecessary. We didn't do any more walking than we needed to.}
  

COOKING

STOVE

• MSR Whisperlite
• Fuel bottle
• Matches
• {Yes to all. Also bring lighter as back up to matches. Even if they're "waterproof."}

COOKWARE

• 1 pot, 1 pan {Ended up with 2 pots, happy with that.}
• Spatula {Yes.}
• Wooden spoon {Ended up with a folding spoon.}
• Cutting knife ..and a mini-knife sharpener (I'm a snob. And I like safety.) {Didn't bring the sharpener. :) }
• Spices {At one point, we had a LOT of spices. Then we narrowed it down to what we could use most often. Only carried a few: salt, pepper, garlic, cinnamon, and one or two others.}
• Hand-sanitizer {Oh, yes.}

EATINGWARE

• Mug/bowl {My mug/bowl was one mug nestled inside another, which was handy. Plus it has measuring marks.}
• Frisbee/plate/cutting board {Used a real thin-type cutting board after questioning the food-gradeness of the frisbee.}
• Fork/spoon {Read: fork and spoon.}

CLEANING

• 1/2 sponge
• Camping Suds {Yup.}

WATER

• Iodine {Yes, good for back up! Used it once, though we ended up finding water anyway.}
• 2 small bladders (for when our water bottles aren't enough) {YES. Takes no space and no weight, it's just a no-brainier.}

ETC.

• Plastic bags {Ha-- we saved any useful looking plastic bags that we came across.}
• Cord to hang food {YES. Not just for bears-- but for raccoons, too!}

CAMPING

TENT

• 2 person tent w/ fly & tarp ground cloth {My 2-person was more like a 1-person. We were gifted a 3-person tent with MAJOR ventilation when we were halfway across.}

SLEEPING

• REI sleeping bag {20degree}, eVent compression sack {Yes.}
• Thermarest or Ridgerest pad (undecided) {Went with Ridgerest foam pad for speed and it was comfy enough for me.}
• Thermarest compressible pillow (YES, I'm BRINGING the pillow.) {And I'll bring it again!}
• Cotton liner (an old bed sheet) (This is to keep my bag from getting stinky and also for those hot nights that a sleeping bag is just too much.) {Will buy a nice silk one next time. My sheet was haphazard and heavy.}

OTHER

• Bandana {Used one as a pee rag. :) }
• Tent patch kit {Never used it, but glad I had it! Useful for patching other things besides tents.}

TOOLS

BIKE TOOLS

• 3 tire levers, patch kit 
• Mini pump
• Huge Alien multi tool that has EVERYTHING
• [except] very miniature pliers
• Lube, 1/2 blue rag, small bottle of degreaser
• {Yes to all. Definitely USED those pliers. That's a kind of leverage that's hard to come by otherwise.}

OTHER TOOLS

• Mini Leatherman {I think we used this, but we didn't really need it. We had other tools to replace it.}

SPARE PARTS etc.

• Brake and derailleur cable
• Spare tube, tire boot
• Extra bolts for rack, shoes
• Brake pads
• Zip ties
• Hoseclamp
• AAA batteries for bike lights
• {ADD: Spokes! and a Tire!}

OTHER

• Curly combo lock {Yes, we brought one each, used them both to lock our bikes to each other and to something else. Often, though-- the bikes were unlocked. Really, I'd like to see someone just TRY and ride away on a fully loaded touring bike.}
• Bungees {Yes, infinitely useful!}
• Duct tape & electrical tape wound around a pencil {Yes. We nearly used it up!}

SAFETY

VISIBILITY

• Reflective triangle {Definite YES.}
• [Wind jacket is neon yellow]
• Rear flashing light
• Front light
• {Yes & yes. Even if you don't plan to ride in the "dark," fog, rain, dusk and dawn are all low light conditions requiring lights for safety!}

SELF-DEFENSE

• Pepper spray
• {Yes. ADD: Dog spray! We never sprayed it (very nearly did a few times), but pulled it out often in Kentucky. Some dogs recognized the can and gesture and went high-tailing the other way!}

FIRST AID *all in mini-packets

• MEDS: Pepto-bismol, midol, sting relief wipe, benadryl, ibuprofen, poison ivy wipe, eye drops, Neosporin
• ROAD RASH: alocohol, iodine and saline wipes. Gauze pads and mini roll. Band aids.
• HOT/COLD: Hand warmers, chemical ice pack, icy/hot patch {Ditched the last two.}
• TOOLS: nail clippers and very pointy tweezers
• BLISTERS: mole skin
• {Used a fair number of this, would still bring all of it.}

PERSONAL

TOILETRIES

• Travel towel (super thin, light, dries fast) {Yes, but I could bring a smaller one. Mine was full size! A luxury.}
• Terry wash cloth 
• Toothbrush, toothpaste
• Deodorant
• Razor
• 'Feminine products' and a coffee bag to keep stinky ones in
• Dr.Bronners for soap/shampoo
• Butt'r chamois cream {YES! Although I would bring Belgium Budder, as it's Paraben Free.}
• Bug spray
• Sunblock, SPF chapstick
• MAYBE a lotion bar {Don't think I brought this-- or I sure didn't use it!}
• {Yes to the rest!}

DOCUMENTS

MAPS

• Adventure Cycling TransAmerica Route maps

ID

• Driver's license
• Medical and car insurance card
• A card with my medical info written on it

MONEY

• Debit card, credit card, checkbook, cash

POSTAGE

• Stamps and addresses

{Yes to all. Plus a blank notepad for writing notes, addresses, scratching out math etc.}

TECH

CAMERA

• Camera, 3 batteries, extra memory card, charger and a tiny thingy that plugs your memory card into a computer {the cord that plugs the camera to the computer would have been fine as opposed to the other plugger thingy. Although the plugger thingy worked without needing a charged battery!}
• Add: Joby! My lil' bendable tri-pod. This enabled SO many self-timed photos!

CELL PHONE

• Phone, charger -- I am NOT bringing a phone on this trip. I am letting my cell plan expire and will rely on my touring buddy's phone for emergencies. {I BROUGHT MY PHONE! Kept it off most of the time to conserve battery.}

LUXURY

BOOKS

• 1 paperback {I would bring one only if I were traveling alone. My traveling buddy was way to entertaining to need a book.}

JOURNAL &c.

..to read my "full explanation" as to why I'm bringing FOUR journals, click here. 

• A Moleskine graph journal to make charts/graphs out of our trip
• A panoramic drawing journal for landscapes
• A square drawing journal for interviews
• A mini drawing journal for everything else
• Various pencils, erasers, colored pencils, sharpener, pens

{If I were traveling alone.. MAYBE. But definitely sent these all home! I know, I know..}

OTHER

• Kite! :)  {and it never flew. We threw the frisbee once, though. Sent that home too.}

OTHER THINGS WE ADDED AND I WOULD CONTINUE TO TRAVEL WITH:

• Rubber bands. We used these to keep food closed, etc.
• Clothes line, the kind that doesn't require any pins to use.

And there you have it! As I prepare to go on some shorter trips, I'll review what I've packed in a (somehow) more streamlined way.

Cheers!

Bike Mirror Review

This is the best bike mirror in the world.

Didn't know that one could be so passionate about a mirror, did you? Well-- I've been through a number of mirrors and THIS is the one I took on my summer tour (across the U.S.) and this is the one I will put on every bike that needs a mirror.

Initially I ended up with this mirror because it was pretty much the only one that would work with drop handlebars with bar-end shifters. I also liked how the mirror extended away from the bike. I've found that mirrors that are too close to the bike make me squirm on my bike in order to see what I want to see-- and what I get to see isn't that much in the first place, because the mirror is tryin' to be all small-like so that I don't ram into it with my knees.. which I manage to do anyway. That said, I've met people who swear by the road bar-end mirror (see photo, right).

I've also tried one of those super sexy mirrors that you stick to your helmet. In all fairness, I did not gi

ve it much of a chance before tearing it off my head. It's like-- if you were watching tv, and it's your favorite program-- but there is this GIANT BEETLE crawling all over it! AHH!! GET OFF! GO AWAY! I'M TRYING TO WATCH 30 ROCK! Except the tv program is your bike ride, of course. That said, I know people 

who swear by this little guy too (see photo, left). I just don't like tilting my head all funny like that gold robot guy from Star Wars, changing my focus and well, looking geeky. 

I can't say that I've ever tried the mirror-inside-the-sunglass thing-- but I've pretty much ruled it out, as I don't always wear my sunglasses (or the same lenses, anyway) on my bike. And again-- bug on the tv screen. No, thank you.

And recently, I've even tried this guy on my road bike with STI shifters (common modern shifter; the shifting is integrated into the

 brake lever unit, instead of being on the bar-end like on my touring bike). Initially, I was pretty stoked-- because I thought I'd be able to take the mirror on and off fairly easily for s

witching between commuter and race mode. While that bit may have been true-- what I hadn't anticipated is that the mirror rattles like mad! AHHH! Maybe it's because it's on a bike with 23mm tires (skinny!) running at least 100psi (hard!). But that's my set up on that bike-- so this mirror became a dud. Drats!

So back to the best mirror in the world. Great things about the mirror:

• It's big enough to actually see something.
• It mounts away from the bike, so all you have to do is glance (not squirm or tilt your head) to see what you want to see.
• It is mountable on top of bar tape, so it does not rattle and make your view blurry.
• It is always there-- doesn't rely on wearing a certain helmet or pair of sunglasses.
• Compatible with just about any bike set up.

Only downsides:

• This summer, while on tour, we did find that we had to continually retighten the clamp as it would slowly loosen and move around. However, I've had it for several months on fresh bar tape (not two layers of bar tape like this summer) and have never had to reset it.

Other tips:

• I have my mirror mounted at the very end of my bar. It doesn't really get in my way and I like the view it gives me. My touring buddy ended up moving hers further up the bar and liked the view better and didn't find that it got in her way too badly. So play around with your mounting spot.

Buy it:

• You can buy this mirror online at Adventure Cycling's online store, or
• Buy it at Gregg's Cycle in Seattle, Bellevue or Lynnwood, WA. (I work at the Bellevue location.)

Adventure Cycling Blog

Well, HEY! Adventure Cycling has a BLOG!

Adventure Cycling, if you didn't know already-- is the non-profit organization that established the route and maps that my friend and I followed this summer on our bike tour across the country.  Click HERE to see a map of all the Adventure Cycling Association (ACA) maps. The route we followed was the TransAmerica Trail, established in 1976, the bicentennial of the country.

Following Adventure Cycling maps easily eliminated half the logistics of planning our tour. That is, if you even able to CHOOSE which of the many routes to go on! For us, choosing the TransAm was easy. We knew that we wanted to cross the entire country and the TransAm is perhaps the most "classic" way to do so-- and, my riding partner's mom had done the route in 1976, the year the route was born. So for us, it was an easy choice.

Now that I have just started saving up for a second tour-- hmm.. I could do the Great Divide.. or the Sierra Cascades.. or maybe a loop in the SouthWest.. how do I choose?! I'll just have to do them all. 

Anyhow-- back to Adventure Cycling. Making maps and establishing routes isn't the only wonderful they do. The ACA also advocates for cyclists in the political arena. They are currently working with the government to establish a U.S. Bicycle Route System. The ACA is also a rich resource of touring information-- in their archived magazine articles, cyclists' yellow pages and now-- their BLOG! Check it out!

TransAmerica Q & A: How to Budget

click to enlarge

After completing a cross-country bicycle tour this summer, one common question I hear is: how to budget for a tour? It's a tough question to answer, because it depends on the kind of tour you want to ride. 

The above (abbreviated) chart is a colorful way to explain just SOME of the matrix of choices that lay before you. 

Our trip included a CX (cyclocross) and touring bike, fully loaded panniers, mostly camping and some homestays/parks/churches, and a mix of cooking, diner food and junk food, with the very occasional fancy food that we were treated to.

Another column that I could add would be 'People.' Do you choose to travel alone, with a friend, in a group or a paid tour? For our tour, it was just my friend and I. We split the cost of lodging, shared the weight of group gear and cooked meals together.

Another column that I could add would be 'Route.' Will you ride an established route and purchase the maps for it? Or will you purchase state maps and look for the skinniest lines on it? We traveled on a historic Adventure Cycling route, the TransAmerica Trail, established in 1976. Our Adventure Cycling maps included information specifically useful to touring-- such as an elevation profile, a list of camping/lodging contacts, bike shops, grocery stores and more.

Faced with so many ways that you could tour, just how DO you budget for a trip? This is my insight:

GEAR

You will need some sort of bicycle (or tricycle..or unicycle! yes, it's been done..), panniers if you plan to go that route, and all the rest of that 'STUFF.' Before you go buying a new wardrobe, though, take a look at what you already have, be creative, and see if it's useful to your trip. And before you go worrying about having the "perfect set up", save enough money so that you can buy a new saddle, a new shirt or a new.. cowboy hat.. during the trip. You'll likely change your mind about what is a "perfect" set up.

Budget: depends what ya' got and what ya' want! Make a list of what you need and include cost estimates.

BILLS

After acquiring the gear you need, you'll need to be able to leave your job (should you have one) and still pay the bills. This (health insurance, student loan, cell phone, credit card) was easily half of my trip expense. If you are dreaming wistfully of your summer tour, but don't know how to start: get out of whatever debt you can. That's step one. 

Budget: whatever monthly bills you have. 

FOOD 

How good is your self-discipline? Our trip started out with the best of intentions-- we would shop out of the grocery, cook our meals and zest them with a ridiculous mound of spices we carried around. The spices were surprisingly heavy. Then we learned to eat out of the gas station. I have eaten TWO ice cream Snickers bars, back to back, and then climbed a Montana-sized hill. Without throwing up. Yes, I am amazing. Anyhow, my point is that we probably ended up spending twice as much on food than we had anticipated. I have a sudden craving for donuts..

My guess: we strove for $10/day, but I probably landed closer to $20/day.

LODGING

So, you shouldn't really PLAN on getting free lodging during your trip, but we were fortunate to be graced with a lot of free lodging during our trip. Free lodging is a result of both skill and geography. While in Oregon, we snaked through so many state parks, that we often paid for camping. However, while in KANSAS.. there really isn't "camping," so the little towns we passed through often let us stay in the city park and shower at the city pool for free. Yeah, don't diss Kansas. On the whole, we ended up paying less for lodging than expected.

We only once paid for a hotel and most often camped, whether in a state park, a barn, a golf course, a back yard, a living room, a guest room, a city park, a fire station or a church.

My guess: Paid lodging probably averaged $12/night (doesn't include free lodging). I split that cost with Mia, my touring partner.

TRAVEL

Unless your route starts and ends at your front door, you will need to travel to your start and/or back home. This might be a car, plane, train or ferry-- but in whatever case, budget for it! In some cases, it is no small chunk of change.

Budget: however you need to get there.

MISC

A misc fund can be a trip-saver. It may be that lodging is TWICE as expensive, not half as expensive as you thought. Maybe your tire turns to shreds and you have to buy a new one. Maybe you saw a really cool cowboy hat and decided it would be a great idea to bring it with you for the rest of the trip. In whatever case, budget a little extra "just in case."

* * * *

So that's it! It's hard to come up with some hard numbers when advising someone to budget, because it totally depends on your riding style. But go ahead and get a pen and paper out and scratch out some numbers.

My main advice would be to give yourself a buffer once you've outlined a bare bones budget. You just don't know if you're going to need that extra ice cream Snickers bar every day, or a new tire, new saddle or even medical attention.

I once read a post written by an experienced touring cyclist who was encouraging the idea that a tour can be done on any budget if you're creative. I like this idea and support it. Except for the part where he didn't eat for a whole day because he was out of money. It was well-intentioned, but sorry, that is one BAD IDEA. Please eat. And buffer your budget.

TransAmerica Q & A: What did we eat?

One of the most common questions we got about our bicycle tour across the country was:

WHAT DID YOU EAT??

What you eat depends on these factors:

1. Your budget.
2. Calorie/energy needs.
3. Available resources.
4. How many days you've been on the road.

BIG BUDGET & EATING OUT

Convenience and Weight Savings

If you have a plump budget, you can eat at restaurants for nearly every meal. This can be an attractive choice, since you can avoid the chores of cooking, cleaning and carrying all the things you need to prepare a meal (stove, fuel, utensils, whatnot). 

Time Savings

You may or may not save yourself time. Mia and I would spend foreverrr in the grocery store (2 hours!) to find something that 

• A) wasn't too heavy
• B) was filling, 
• C) had enough protein
• D) was at least half-appealing to eat
• E) was affordable
• F) could be cooked on high rather than a simmer, and 
• G) we could agree on. 

Eventually we sent just one person into the store in an effort to hurry up! Oh, and we also had fun trying to avoid TBHQ, a frightening preservative found in a lot of cheap, processed foods. Avoiding high fructose corn syrup, which I ordinarily do, would have been impossible (according to our appetites). 

Options

Eating out may be convenient, but doesn't mean that you are awarded many options. In Wyoming, we came across one diner that was the only food resource for at least 50 miles in either direction. 

Meeting Locals

Convenience aside, eating out is a prime way to meet the locals. While sitting out a rain storm, we ducked into a McDonald's and got to chat with 4 hilarious elder gentlemen who were pretty amused with us. Their southern accents were so thick that I kept asking them to repeat what they had said. Eventually one man said, "You ain't a foreigner, you know what I'm sayin'!" Except.. I didn't. Ha ha! I always brought my helmet inside to encourage such locals to inquire.

LOW BUDGET & 'EATING IN'

As mentioned, we spent a lot of time in the grocery store because we had so many factors to consider. We would have eaten out more often, but we were motivated to eat in so we could:

1. Save money.
2. ....uh, save money.
3. and to maybe get a few more veggies and a bit less deep fry in our diet.

A sampling of what we ate:

BREAKFAST

--Powdered milk + cereal (sometimes cold oats) + fruit (fresh or dried), we had to eat several bowls of this to be satisfied.

--Scrambled eggs, cooked very, very quickly and with great care. (The stove is either ON or OFF.. no simmer!)

--Hot oatmeal + fruit, etc.

We tried to not cook for breakfast, because it took so much time-- but we (I) would be more satiated after eggs or oatmeal than cold cereal, which meant that we were less likely to have to stop for second breakfast in another hour.

A successful tactic that many other touring cyclists used, was to eat a snack when you wake up, ride down the road an hour or two, then stop at a diner to have a hearty breakfast. This got you out of camp much earlier, but required the buck$.

LUNCH

We mostly ate 1 of 3 sandwich options, depending on our mood and needs:

1. PB&J

2. Cheese sandwich

3. Cheese, veggie, & sometimes meat sandwich. When we really craved it. This didn't seem to be very cost effective for us.

SNACKS

--Crackers + cheese

--Cheap granola bars

--Bananas, other fruit

--Snickers, other candy

--Ice cream

--Gummy worms

--Pop Tarts

--Donuts

--Can you see this list degenerating? :)

DINNER

--Pasta & beans, & sometimes a can of veggies.

--Dehydrated soups when we could find it, plus bread.

--Chili & bread.

--Breakfast burritos out of the gas station. Oh, delicious. 500 calories each! I would have two, and a few snacks to top it off. Probably some ice cream for dessert.

Having the Adventure Cycling maps was very helpful, though-- because we could see that a grocery store was up the road, and count on (most times) buying dinner food at the end of the day, instead of lugging it around all day (and up many hills). We only got sorta screwed a few times. Always keep a lightweight emergency food option in your bag (Ramen and some candy bars).

CALORIE/ENERGY NEEDS

One thing is for certain: you will need a LOT of calories! Possibly more than you can imagine. The most important thing is to listen to your body, and if you haven't heard your body talk about hunger before-- you will. If I didn't eat enough at dinner the night before, I knew the next morning and for the rest of the day until I dug myself out of an energy deficit hole. And then I discovered Snickers ice cream bars, which pretty much solved that problem.

Also, don't be overly influenced by how much others you are traveling with are eating. Mia and I found that our "hunger graphs" were slightly different. She was hungrier than I was in the beginning, but soon I was putting down more ice cream than she could-- or would.

 

A quickly rendered and highly scientific display of hunger over time.

AVAILABLE RESOURCES

So, you want to eat a vegetable-rich diet with whole grains like usual? I wouldn't count on it. Get used to donuts. This is just SOME of what I ate in the same day:

Gas station chimichanga & coffee.

Pop Tarts.

Soda.

That's salt from the chips I was eating on my fingers.

Don't eat fast food sandwiches that are only 99cents. That was disgusting.

A McDonald's sausage biscuit on the other hand? AWESOME.

We were going to have some plain cheese sandwiches,

then someone gave us cucumber out of their garden!

I ate one almost everyday. Right around 3 or 4pm.

& FINALLY, HOW MANY DAYS YOU'VE BEEN ON THE ROAD

If you have extraordinary discipline and a tight budget, you can live on PB&J and cheese the whole way. For us, we eventually became tired of the monotony and the effort. We ate out more and more as the trip went on and resorted to cheaper and fattier foods to satisfy ourselves. We also found that we spent much more on food and much less on camping than we had anticipated. 

So that's what we ate! Please leave a comment if you have question about something I did or did not cover!

TransAmerica Q&A: Where did we stay?

One of the most common questions we got about our bicycle tour across the country was:

WHERE DO YOU STAY AT NIGHT?

Well, that is both totally up to you and quite nearly, totally out of your control. Touring has funny contradictions like that.

For us, we were not only on a budget, but also interested in having a "ground level" experience. Staying at a hotel every night would have been feasible (given that we had money to do it, which we didn't), but it would be a wholly different tour. In a hotel, you can always wash up, always sleep well and never meet the locals. On the ground, you make personal sacrifices (those daily showers and a soft place to sleep) to realize that you're really not making much of a sacrifice. Indeed, you make a profit. A profit of creativity, insight, willpower and new conversations. All worth the 'price.'

To cut to the facts, here's the pie of where we stayed:

• State parks & private campgrounds
• City parks
• Homestays
• Churches
• Fire stations
• Someone's yard

STATE PARKS & PRIVATE CAMPGROUNDS

The west was full of state parks and recreational areas. We were also still pretty green to touring. As a result, we stayed most at 'official' state parks and private campgrounds. Some had special hiker/biker rates, some did not. We paid anywhere between $4 per person and $23 for one tent. Though the host at the Virginia City RV park tried to tell us that we had two tents. ???

CITY PARKS

Once we hit Kansas, we stopped seeing state parks or any private campgrounds (or any postcards, for that matter!). Instead, we learned that most towns allowed cyclists to stay in the city park! (Think TOWN park. This is small-town America.) Most towns just ask that you let the police know that you're there. As a bonus, most parks in Kansas come with a POOL (thus showers) and were usually free for cyclists.

FIRE STATIONS

We heard that the local police could be helpful in finding us a place to camp in town, so sometimes we just went straight to the police station to ask where we could pitch a tent in town. If the town was accustomed to hosting cyclists, a police officer would direct you to the city park, as usual. However, we also found that police can be kind of stingy about the law. Which is good, I guess. But fire fighters aren't!

Fire fighters are AWESOME. They're often happy to let you pitch in the grass or they might even invite you inside for a shower and a truck tour. 

HOMESTAYS/SOMEONE'S YARD

Acquiring a homestay is part luck, part art.

• You're more likely to find a homestay if you're actually in a pickle. Such as a stormy forecast or pending darkness. You're not going to get a homestay because you're being lazy or a wimp!
• Take off your sunglasses. People want to see your EYES and see that you're trustworthy.
• First, ask indirectly. "Do you know a safe place, out of the rain that we could pitch a tent?" This allows the person an 'out,' or an opportunity to say 'no' if they're not willing or able to host you. 
• If indirect inquiry fails with several people, and you're becoming a bit desperate, be more direct. "Could we just pitch a tent in your yard? It's getting dark and we can't ride any farther. We'll be out really early in the morning."
• Know your customer. For Mia and I, we look quite harmless and as young women are perceived as vulnerable. We're more likely to be helped by a mother who is concerned for our safety. If you're a scruffy guy that could pass for a bum, you're more likely be to be helped by a scruffy guy that kind of looks like a bum.
• Be genuine. Maybe it sounds contradictory at the end of this list, but I don't like to be manipulative, just honest. I just lay my situation flat out there. 

CHURCHES

Traveling on a well-established Adventure Cycling route, we found many churches that were accustomed to housing cyclists. These churches were often prepared with a cyclist guest book, a donation box, a place to shower, cook, launder and even access the internet. Don't expect ALL of these services at every church you encounter, but at the very least, you can at least find a safe indoor space to sleep. On a 3-month tour, THAT is luxury enough!

HOTELS, BED & BREAKFASTS

The only hotel that we ever stayed at was on a goof-up day. We somehow got off route and rode at least 50 miles on the Blue Ride Parkway instead of 30. The Parkway is beautiful, but lacks services and certainly is NOT flat, as it follows the ridge line of the Appalachian Mountains. Anyhow, long story short-- it was dark, the area looked sketch (unsafe), and for the first and only time on our trip, we paid for a hotel (and ordered pizza).

However, we were the recipients of jaw-dropping kindness when we were put up in a bed and breakfast, first by complete strangers, then again by a treasured friend of mine. We will always remember those experiences vividly and fondly. The timing could not have been better, as it quenched our thirst for rest before tackling the notorious hills of the east.

Do you have more questions? Leave a comment!

A state park near Yellowstone.

On a popular route, you're more likely to meet other cyclists!

Some parks are quite nice!

Other parks are quite basic.

In a church, be sure to ask first where it is appropriate to sleep!

This church asked us to not use the pew cushions, but sleeping between the pews was fine.

Except on Saturday night. ;)

A storm chased us out of our campsite,

so we ended up in this barn instead!

In Charlottesville, we had a hard time getting a yard or homestay until we started asking directly. We thought that it would be easy to find a place to crash in a college student housing area, but we forgot what a bubble colleges can be. People looked at us like, "and WHY are you asking to camp in my yard?" We finally succeeded when I explained what I thought was obvious, "we've been riding our bikes since Oregon."

If you're fortunate, you'll have the opportunity to stay in a unique place

like this botanical garden!

We were riding to an Illinois town with no real plans on where we would stay

when we were caught by a group of recreational cyclists.

We traded phone numbers and Greg was kind enough to take us out

to pizza, then let us stay the night!

When we arrived in Baker City, OR-- we weren't sure where we would stay because there was a huge motorcycle rally going on that weekend! Every campground and hotel would be booked to the brim! Before we even had the chance to ask anyone, Joy found us and invited us to stay! We even took a day off in Baker City and enjoyed our time with Joy and Ray.

The most luxurious and appreciated night I have EVER had.

A surprise courtesy of a friend.

The ONE TIME we booked a hotel. Of course it rained the next morning.

We had to walk our bikes for 2 and 3 miles downhill because our brakes wouldn't work

on the wet, oily streets. And then I walked through Poison Oak. Good thing Mia knows what it looks like!

Bicycle Touring Charts

There are a few logistics to figure out before embarking on a 3-month bicycle tour. Some logistics are enjoyable to figure out. For instance-- the gear that you'll carry-- to me, that's a fun logistic.  How can I make another item multi-purpose and further reduce my load? What is the ideal footwear for diverse weather conditions? The puzzles go on and on.

Since I found a list too cumbersome to navigate since I could not immediately make comparisons with just a glance-- I ended up sketching out a chart to organize my gear. Everything on the top half was "on the bike," everything on the bottom half was "off the bike" and items were allowed to overlap by hovering on the line. Similarly, everything on the left had to do with the torso or top half of the body and everything on the right had to do with legs or the bottom half of the body. Then items were arranged from hot to cold and hand wear, head wear and foot wear each found a special place of their own.

I was so a happy with my chart, I decided to make a fancier one to share with anyone who might find it helpful!

Click to enlarge.

And while I was at it, I threw in some other tools as well. These are still very much like lists, as I haven't found the most harmonious visual arrangement for them yet. Nevertheless-- here they are:

Click to enlarge.

This chart lists some of the most common accessories or customizable features of bicycles, such as racks, handlebars, mirrors and tires. Making this list helped me remember that I need to get a mirror!