Requesting Advice

[ki4jgt]

In light of my wasted trip to cali ticket (posted a few months back about a ticket I won to Cali) I've decided that I need something that I've accomplished in life. I want to remember myself for something (other than sitting on my butt playing the computer all day) I posted this on two ham radio forums and decided to post it here also. I'm wanting as many heads put together on this as possible.


Hey guys,
In order to bring a spark to my boring life, I'm wanting to bike across the USA (from Kentucky to California and several stops in between; Niagra falls, Mount Rushmore, Twin Towers Memorial, Grand Canyon, Beverly Hills, White House) I'm looking for sponsors/employers who would hire me to take photos on my journey. I'm wanting to upload them to a blog so readers may enjoy a weekly update.

Here's what I'm planning to take with me: (Haven't bought it yet)
Bicycle (obviously)
Archos 43 tablet (it has wifi and a camera and it runs on Android)
2M Radio (I don't know what mounting supplies I'll need)
$500 (probably on a paypal account card for safety reasons)
Bluetooth GPS device for the Archos 43 (So I know where I am)

I'm planning on practicing in the country (steep hills and curvy roads) all Winter and then to take off on the first day of Spring. If you guys know of anything else I would need to add to this list or anything else I would need to take into consideration, please let me know. I also need some places to stay or crash while doing this if anyone is up for it or knows of anywhere. This would be my first time doing something like this (I bike all the time) so some advice on mounting my radio and some general dos and don'ts would very much be appreciated. Thanks for the support. 73 DE KI4JGT

I REALLY need some ideas on how to fund this though. It's going to drive me crazy if I get 1000 miles out and then run out of money :-(.

I just checked out this site http://www.bikeacrossamerica.org it's pretty awesome.

If you guys have suggestions, I'm open to hear them as well.

[CharlesA]

Estimate how much it would cost you and double it so you have a good buffer.

[MG&TL]

There was a guy cycling around the UK very recently. Here's his website:

http://www.coastrider.org.uk/

..not that I'm suggesting you're an OAP, but you might want to ask him about it.

[bluexrider]

If anything it would be a human interest story.
Contact the local newspaper with your plan of action.
Get your bike shop to sponsor you ie: Giant or Fuji or maybe Raleigh.
Set-up a donations page with a legitimate Bank holding the trust.
You will need a coordinator to contact each local chamber of commerce whose town you will be passing see if they have local escort for safety.

About a million other details no room to write here. Get the Idea?

[ki4jgt]

If anything it would be a human interest story.
Contact the local newspaper with your plan of action.
Get your bike shop to sponsor you ie: Giant or Fuji or maybe Raleigh.
Set-up a donations page with a legitimate Bank holding the trust.
You will need a coordinator to contact each local chamber of commerce whose town you will be passing see if they have local escort for safety.

About a million other details no room to write here. Get the Idea?

I get it. I still want to do it. I'm currently calling my local news. They're unable to make decisions because they belong to a corporate. I'm in the process of calling some radio dealers to see if they'll donate an amateur radio with mount.
I'm also calling some big nation wide retailers. This guy (http://www.bikeacrossamerica.org) doesn't say anything about having an escort but it may be something to look into. Thanks :-)

[deonis]

Buy a good seat! I am doing a lot of biking across Canada and I can assure you that nothing is better than a big, comfortable seat. :) Your butt might not survive the trip otherwise :)

[forrestcupp]

A couple of cans of Mace, a phone, and rain gear.

[ki4jgt]

Buy a good seat! I am doing a lot of biking across Canada and I can assure you that nothing is better than a big, comfortable seat. :) Your bot might not survive the trip otherwise :)

I'll definitely remember that one. Last summer I rode for about 5 hours. My butt was severely cramped. :-( I wouldn't want to ride cramped for weeks on end.


A couple of cans of Mace, a phone, and rain gear.

You're not the first to suggest the mace. I think I may take that comment seriously.

[forrestcupp]

You're not the first to suggest the mace. I think I may take that comment seriously.

And don't keep it buried in a bag somewhere that will take you 5 minutes to find.

[CharlesA]

And don't keep it buried in a bag somewhere that will take you 5 minutes to find.
Easily accessible pants pocket ftw?

[Smilax]

www.couchsurfing.org/

[bluexrider]

Long distance bicycling http://abbike.com/

Maybe you could hook up with part of the tour

Tour dates are listed and so are the mileages

It doesn't say how many butt-bumps your going to get though

[Docaltmed]

Though I've not cycled across the U.S., I have done fairly long tours in several countries.

You need to do a lot more planning. Will you camp or be staying at hostels/motels? What is your route? (this is absolutely *key*. A bad route can make for a very unpleasant trip).

You will go through tremendous amounts of food. $500 won't even begin to cover the cost of such a trip, even if you camp your way across.

If you camp, you will be taking a lot more gear, obviously. Make sure you bike can handle the heavier weight. A carbon-fiber road bike is not going to make the trip in one piece once you've added 40 lbs of gear. You need a sturdy frame on a cycle designed for touring, which also has different frame dimensions to orient it more toward comfort than speed (a recumbent is also a very good choice for touring).

Prepare to encounter some real tough stuff along the way. The Appalachians are no joke, nor are the Rockies -- both difficult in very different ways. And until you've experienced multi-day headwinds on the plains in the central and western U.S., you simply haven't had *real* fun on a bike.

By the time you leave, you should be capable of cycling 60-70 miles in hilly terrain on multiple consecutive days. If you can't do this, don't go. Even though all days won't be like that, you will need the reserves to counter bad weather/bad planning/mechanical failure.

Which reminds me -- if you aren't a fairly accomplished bike mechanic now, become one. Strip your bike to the frame and put it back together (and while you do that, put new cables in and regrease/rebuild the hubs, even if they are sealed-bearing). That way you will have the experience and know-how to fix things on the road. I remember the time I had to rebuild a bottom bracket with a rock, a screwdriver and a pair of pliers, while sitting on the shoulder of a highway in the middle of nowhere. I felt like Macgyver.

Don't think it won't happen. I ride very high-end bikes with components designed for long-distance riding, and I have had everything from exploding tires to taco'ed rims to derailleur seizures (and you don't know the meaning of fun until you have had to ride all day and into the night through the Alleghenies while stuck in your highest three gears).

Yeah. That's it. Now go read some of the stories at crazyguyonabike.com. Good luck, have fun.

[Docaltmed]

Oh, yeah, the 2M HT -- there are going to be *very* long stretches where you won't even remotely be in repeater range. Don't think about depending on it for emergencies, because most of the time you won't be able to key up a repeater, and even if you do, you won't be able to roust someone.

I remember the time I was on a fairly extended solo trek and had injured my knee. As a result, I was running several days behind, and was going to miss a planned rendezvous. I was also, at that point, unsure of whether my knee was even going to get me out of the woods in the first place.

The only way to get access to a repeater from there was to gimp my way up this mountain that was off-route. Once there, I called for about 20 minutes before rousting someone. I explained my situation and asked if he could relay the traffic for me, either through NTS or impromptu.

He said no, he didn't really handle traffic, and signed off. I love it; a ham that wouldn't handle Health & Welfare traffic. What a bozo.

I never was able to get the message through.

[eriktheblu]

A couple of cans of Mace...
This will be something that requires a good amount of research and planning. Each state and some municipalities will have their own laws regarding this. Fines and jail time will make your trip a lot more expensive.

Personally, I'd opt for a pistol of chemical spray (or both). Probably best to find a more specialized forum for this anyway.

Sponsorship will be hard to come by if you haven't done anything like this before. Biking across the state first may give you sufficient notoriety to attract that investment, but I can't say for sure.

With Niagara falls on the list, you might want to consider a passport if you don't already have one. This of course would further complicate the issue of chemical irritants.

Spring is not a great time to be in the mountains. Last time I drove through the Rockies in April I made use of 4WD. I don't have much experience in Appalachia, but my best guess is that it would be wise to wait until mid May to start rather than the first day of spring.

[ki4jgt]

Oh, yeah, the 2M HT -- there are going to be *very* long stretches where you won't even remotely be in repeater range. Don't think about depending on it for emergencies, because most of the time you won't be able to key up a repeater, and even if you do, you won't be able to roust someone.

I remember the time I was on a fairly extended solo trek and had injured my knee. As a result, I was running several days behind, and was going to miss a planned rendezvous. I was also, at that point, unsure of whether my knee was even going to get me out of the woods in the first place.

The only way to get access to a repeater from there was to gimp my way up this mountain that was off-route. Once there, I called for about 20 minutes before rousting someone. I explained my situation and asked if he could relay the traffic for me, either through NTS or impromptu.

He said no, he didn't really handle traffic, and signed off. I love it; a ham that wouldn't handle Health & Welfare traffic. What a bozo.

I never was able to get the message through.

I think I would've kept calling. If he was annoyed long enough, he would've relayed it or found someone who could. If you have an emergency, you do have frequency rights or at least in the USA. I'm going to carry a 911 phone with me to though, just in case I need some kind of help. Other than that, I feel the isolation would only help me get to where I was going.


This will be something that requires a good amount of research and planning. Each state and some municipalities will have their own laws regarding this. Fines and jail time will make your trip a lot more expensive.

Personally, I'd opt for a pistol of chemical spray (or both). Probably best to find a more specialized forum for this anyway.

Sponsorship will be hard to come by if you haven't done anything like this before. Biking across the state first may give you sufficient notoriety to attract that investment, but I can't say for sure.

With Niagara falls on the list, you might want to consider a passport if you don't already have one. This of course would further complicate the issue of chemical irritants.

Spring is not a great time to be in the mountains. Last time I drove through the Rockies in April I made use of 4WD. I don't have much experience in Appalachia, but my best guess is that it would be wise to wait until mid May to start rather than the first day of spring.

I may have gotten a sponsor already. Passport may not happen. Guess I'll just have to skip.

[Megaptera]

www.couchsurfing.org/

+1 to that ...

[LowSky]

I used to work in a state park that was on the Appalachian Trail. I would meet people who just started it and others on their way to finish and even some people ready to give up. The best was seeing the hiking veterans versus the greenhorns. The veterans carried about 40-60 pounds on them, while many of the greenhorns tried to carry upwards of 80.

Here is a list of things I learned;

1. Pack only 3 pairs of socks.

2. Pack two short sleeve shirts, and one long sleeve. One pair of pants. In your case get a reflective vest, and maybe some tape for your pack/bike.

3. Carry a gallon of water.

4. Rice and Beans should be the only food you bring. Get used to bland meals or carry a small container of spices. Be ready to lose 20-40 pounds. (a good belt maybe required).

5. Buy a tent that can hold all your items, make sure it can easily be fixed. Army surplus tents are probably best, as they are made for brutal traveling.

6. A roll of duct tape.

7. Since you using a bike, a small bag of tools and supplies to fix any problem. replace anything used from the kit as soon as possible.

8. Plan your stopping points. Learn all of the camping grounds along the way. On the App Trail route many allow hikers to stay free for a night. Since you'll be on a bike learn about bike laws in every state you will be going through. For example biking in and out of NYC is going to be near impossible at the bridge/tunnel points. Most don't allow pedestrian traffic. You may need to take a ferry or train. Many states do not allow bicycles on highways. That means mostly back roads. Don't make dates you may not be able to keep with other people. Plan for arrival/departure windows. Estimate and be generous. Just because you think you can do 40-60 miles a day doesn't mean you will do that every day.

9. See a doctor before the trip. Get vaccine boosters, especially tetanus.

10. Realize you will need to be self reliant on the trip. Brush up on survival techniques, like fire building, first-aid, and (paper) map and compass reading. don't rely on electronic gadgets you may not always be able to charge/fix them later.

11. get used to biking with all the gear on the bike. it will change the characteristics of the bike.

12. It is going to hurt physically and mentally. don't think it wont. at some point you will fall or breakdown. Plan a route home, like a bus or plane ticket if necessary as a worst case scenario.

13. Don't expect hand outs or kindness from strangers while on the road. If you cannot afford this trip DO NOT take it, have the money before you leave. Sponsorship is only going to come if people think you can do it. The best bet is set up a blog now, ask for donations from friends, family and your readers. don't expect corporate sponsorship they will want a return on the investment, business does not do anything for charity. Its all advertising. They want publicity.

[forrestcupp]

don't rely on electronic gadgets you may not always be able to charge/fix them later.

And they don't work everywhere. Last year, my parents took a long trip across the country from Indiana to California and back, taking a northern route one way and southern route the other. They ran into several large regions where GPS navigation didn't work at all. I doubt that your 911 phone will work everywhere, either.

[LowSky]

And they don't work everywhere. Last year, my parents took a long trip across the country from Indiana to California and back, taking a northern route one way and southern route the other. They ran into several large regions where GPS navigation didn't work at all. I doubt that your 911 phone will work everywhere, either.

I have found on my own road trips that many GPS units work well in most normal areas with little obstruction from the sky. I found this occurs usually on road trips over 2-3 hours. I believe part of the issue occurs because the car is moving and lacks unobstructed link. The device gets locked into scanning for satellites but due to the vehicles movement signal lock is harder to affirm, and so continually cycles. This has not happened to me in a while as newer device are better than the older. But I do find that stopping the car and restarting the GPS often brings back the signal.

[LowSky]

niagra borders both the US and Canada, no reason to for a passport if you stay on the American border.

[F.G.]

hi,
so i haven#t read all the other posts, but here's my opinion:

http://www.thehungrycyclist.com/

also i did an end to end cycle across europe, i also did one in the UK and one across france, have fun. it will be great trip, i plan to do one across the US someday.
Have fun, it will be great.

look at daws, ortlieb, trangier and petzl for some bits of your kit.

[ki4jgt]

Thinking about selling photo rights to commercial organizations. Is there a service you guys can recommend for this? I want to sell rights to each photo individually without requiring them to pay if they use it for non-profit reasons.

[IWantFroyo]

- Lots of water canisters. (I mean lots)
- Those bags you can mount on the sides of your bike.
- Some kind of self defense tool. Mace or a concealed carry, if you're old enough.
- First aid kit.
- Lots of money. You'll probably end up eating a lot of overpriced hotels or fast food restaurants, so make a note of your favorites and what you'll be eating. This'll give you a general idea of the minimum amount of money you should bring.
- Vitamins. You aren't getting halfway across the US on junk food.
- Something to write in. You'll be wanting it. A book (or some ebooks on your tablet).
- A light tent, and a space blanket (or two; they're fragile. If you're planning on actually spending some nights outside, get a sleeping bag). Hopefully you'll be able to stay in civilized places, but I've been across the US quite a few times (by car/airplane) and sometimes civilization is few and far between.
- A case for your tablet. Wouldn't it suck if you took a spill and your blogging window died?
- You should bring some emergency food. Don't eat it unless you have to.

Edit: Also, you might want to take a look at some Boy Scout resources. I know they've published articles about crossing the country several times before. Usually it's on the front cover of their magazine, so you can just go to a library and flip through them till you get to one.

[KiwiNZ]

1. A GPS and a back up paper chart
2. Plenty of drink carrying vessels
3. Wind resistant outer clothing
4. With regards to money I will suggest the boating fuel formula, A third there, a third back and a third in reserve
5. First aid kit.
6. two cell phones
7. A good SUV or car.

[F.G.]

ok, so i read through the rest of the thread and there seems to be some pretty good suggestions there. i would certainly suggest looking in detail at the cycling related threads and websites, as there are some very specific concerns you will have as a cyclist (for instance weight). unfortunatly the site for my own trans-european trip is no longer running.

personally i've never taken any kind of weapon with me on any trips (except a decent knife), although i understand that a great deal of the States is alot wilder than over here. it would certainly seem prudent to have something to deal with wild animals (bears and cougars? you may need a gun).

if you can find a like minded person to do the trip with you this will also relieve a great deal of the stress of always not-knowing where you'll end up, if you'll break down, etc. etc. as on some days (in the wind and the dark and the rain, lost on some remote hilly road) it may seem like a truly insurmountable task you've set yourself.

regarding money, one way to do it is raise money for a charity (ie do a charity sponsored cycle) and then you can usually keep a portion for use doing the trip (say 10%) this probably still wont get you enough though, save up way more than you actually expect to spend. certainly sponsorship is a good idea, you may also be able to get free kit this way.

I would suggest getting a pretty decent quality tent as you will want it to be light and you will also need to rely on it to be durable (i once took a cheapo tent and after a couple of weeks of winter, water was coming in and one of the struts broke, it was a nightmare). If you are camping? (although i get the feeling that wild camping is probably frowned upon in the US, i know in California it seems you need to stick to Campsites in national parks).

you want a sturdy bike frame and good wheels, i have a hybrid, cobbled together out of random bits. a friend of mine uses this one:
http://surlybikes.com/bikes/long_haul_trucker
it is quite pricey, but gives the option of 26 inch wheels rather than 700c which some people prefer (i'd stick with the 700 myself). also you can put wider tyres on, which are better for touring (i'd recommend the Schwalbe marathon plus tyres, at least 32mm wide. these are indestructible). also 'Dawes' make quite good touring frames.

trangier cooking stove, used by the Swedish army is a good one for size and lightness, also it uses liquid alcohol fuel, which is easier to manage. petzl head torch (a head torch of some kind really is a must for putting up tents in the dark). ortlieb panniers, others will do, but these are super tough german panniers, that are very waterproof, i've seen them used as buckets to carry water before. also a knife, duct tape, and bungee cables (you can expect to have a mountain of stuff attached to your rack by the end), plastic ties are optional, but I quite like them, wet-wipes, first-aid kit (very important, you will almost certainly use this). you will also need a multi-tool, patches (make sure you get good ones), spare inner-tube, tyre-levers, chain-tool, spare links, a small adjustable spanner if you have nuts on you wheels (or 'wrench' as you Americans like to call them), a couple of spare spokes and a spoke spanner (although unless you know how to true you should avoid using this). definitely get familiar with your bike and how to take it apart and general bike maintenance.

when considering your route remember that if you can follow rivers or trainlines they are usually quite flat also if you keep your route a bit flexible and follow the advice of travellers, cyclist, cycle tourists and locals you meet you can avoid problem areas and usually see some more interesting things.

expect to drink a lot of water and eat a lot of food. good luck.

edit-> oh yes, and i think a good SUV or car will probably just weigh you down.

[Paqman]

- Vitamins. You aren't getting halfway across the US on junk food.


?!?

I don't get your logic. If you're eating properly, you don't need vitamins.

[IWantFroyo]

?!?

I don't get your logic. If you're eating properly, you don't need vitamins.

'Eating properly' while going across the US is easier said than done. I've crossed the US by car several times (VA to OR- family reunion type stuff), and the only consistent place to eat I could find was Macdonald's. Chances are ki4jgt will end up stopping at a lot of fast food places along the way.

Them Big Macs aren't exactly filled with vitamin C, you know. ;)

[CharlesA]

'Eating properly' while going across the US is easier said than done. I've crossed the US by car several times (VA to OR- family reunion type stuff), and the only consistent place to eat I could find was Macdonald's. Chances are ki4jgt will end up stopping at a lot of fast food places along the way.

Them Big Macs aren't exactly filled with vitamin C, you know. ;)
+++

[Gremlinzzz]

Advice,dont do it alone!:popcorn:

[Paqman]

'Eating properly' while going across the US is easier said than done. I've crossed the US by car several times (VA to OR- family reunion type stuff), and the only consistent place to eat I could find was Macdonald's. Chances are ki4jgt will end up stopping at a lot of fast food places along the way.

That's pretty grim. Surely every little town has somewhere to buy real food? You're likely to see far worse food in a car than on a bike, as you'll be eating at places beside the highway. On a bike you'd be off the major roads and going through towns.

[IWantFroyo]

That's pretty grim. Surely every little town has somewhere to buy real food? You're likely to see far worse food in a car than on a bike, as you'll be eating at places beside the highway. On a bike you'd be off the major roads and going through towns.

We would go off the highway and into towns to eat. If you look hard enough, you could probably find a local business to eat at, however. These are the best places to eat, but they are sometimes hard to find. That's when we would run ti Macdonald's, and that's what would happen a lot, sadly.

Another thing is, sometimes towns are really spread out. I remember one highway that we were on for 4 hours before we saw a town, and then it was another miserable 4 hours of pure desert. Nothing but farms. Hopefully ki4jgt will be able to figure out a way through more populated areas, though.

[dmizer]

I've done a trip across the US by bicycle and many trips around the US by motorcycle, my best advice is to pack VERY light. Make a list of the things you think you absolutely cannot to do without, and then cut it in half.

When money became a problem for me, I was often able to make a few bucks by slinging hash, scrubbing dishes, or working part time in a factory for a few weeks. Don't know how viable that would be in today's economy though.

As for junk food, you'll be burning gobs of calories, so your body will burn whatever you put into it. I clocked countless miles on convenience store "food".

For equipment (seat), what seems to be comfortable by look isn't comfortable after 60 miles. Get in touch with your local Randonneur club: http://www.rusa.org/ they can give you real good advice on many points that cannot be made here.

Edit to add:
Do many long (as in more than 100 miles in a day) test rides on/with any new equipment you purchase before setting out.