As of Yesterday (Aug 1, 2010) I have decided to bike from the West Coast to the East Coast, it's really just as simple as that for now. I got the idea from Donald Miller's book 'A Million Miles in a Thousand Years'. The theme of Donald's book was, as Donald put it, "living a great story". Essentially, if your life was a book who would you write it for? what would the inciting Incident be? what would be the memorable characters, conflicts or scenes? when it was finished would anyone want to read it? Now, in the book, Donald actually did the same thing-biking from coast to coast raising money to dig water wells in countries that didn't have clean water. Donald never got to specific on this topic but I though this was very noble.
After a bit of mulling it over and quick research. I decided to follow through. What I need to find now is 1) Everything. Now everything includes: bike, biking partner(s), supplies, route, charity to ride for, getting into shape, time line, etc. I seriously mean everything!
What I request from you is feedback, support-(both monetary and advice), and spreading the word of my endeavors.
Thanks.
I'd be happy to sponsor the Richmond portion of the ride when you start!
ReplyDeleteI'm certainly willing to donate supplies/cash to the cause. You're going to need a bunch of things. Have you thought of stuff like travel first aid kit, tire patch kit, air pump, Advil, super-awesome biking glasses, etc?
ReplyDeleteI am happy to help as well, can't do much in the finance way right now, but I have survival camping and packing light knowledge out the wazoo. I will follow up with some lists and will try to be available for any and all questions.
ReplyDeleteTraining - Physical:
ReplyDelete1) Do as much high altitude biking as you can. You will need it for the Sierra's and especially for the Rocky's. It also builds stamina. If you cannot do high altitude training, or even if you can, just be sure to schedule some extra time for the mountain crossings.
2) Crosstrain a little. Most of your focus should be on the bike, but a little light jogging and swimming are good stamina buiders and will help toughen the rest of the body, especially swimming. Focus some time on abs and lower back as well, the core must be solid.
3) Rid ewitha pack. You will likely be carrying a bit of weight. Make sure you are used to the extra effort and especially the differences in balance.
4) Start getting used to eating what you are likely to eat on the road. Which will probably be a combination of backpacking food and god-knows-what.
Training - Mental:
1) Study good form. Read up on long distance bikers and their techniques for staying comfortable on long rides. Be sure you are training and riding in a healthy way that will not lead to eventual injury.
2) Study nutrition. Read up on what you need to eat and on what can be carried easily, and try to find a balance.
3) Study the rules of the road and conditions. Check up on what you may run into in various states concerning biking. There may be regulations that could vary, etc.
4) Once you get your gear, camp in it some. Get it broken in and get your setup and packup down to a science.
What you will need to do to physically be ready for this trip is to be able to ride 4 days back to back to back to back. Your no way able to train for a trip of this magnitude and anyone who has done it will tell you that. I met a couple who bought their bikes rode them for a week and then set out for their cross country trip. They did have some savings that they used for their trip.
ReplyDeleteIts going to be a real bitch, and its going to really kick your ass for the first couple of weeks. Its not going to be fun the whole trip. It will be an experience that you will be able to treasure for the rest of your life. Should you do it, yes. Should you do it relying on other people as stated above in your blog post, NO.
Please do not expect people to provide everything for you on your trip. Go to walmart, buy a $30 tent. Go to craigslist, or hit every garage sale and find a bike. Get a GOOD rack for the front and back. You can always make Kitty litter panniers. Google it, Im too tired to find the link for you right now.
Your going need 3-5 months to complete the trip. They said that you are going to need roughly $30 for every day that you are touring. Go to crazyguyonabike.com and read all the blogs that you can. There you will find all kinds of information on touring.
Good luck.
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ReplyDeleteLogistics:
ReplyDeleteWeather - Depending on when you start and when you project your finish, you will have to keep an eye on the weather. Too cold and you have to pack too much gear to stay warm (not while biking so much as while sleeping). Too hot and you will not be able to carry enough water to keep yourself alive. That last part is going to be enough of a concern in the deserts of the southwest regardless of the time of year, and its none too warm at night there even in the summer. Just make sure you allow for the season you are riding in when mapping your route and deciding on how far north or south it takes you.
Water - You will need a lot of water, and it is your heaviest item. Weight is your enemy, but dehydration is a worse one. Map your routes and pack your gear to allow for plenty of water and resupply of water. Might be worth a small water filter if you go rural or if you go super cheap and cannot afford to buy water (you may not need to buy water regardless, but bottled water can add up fast if you plan on using that).
Clothing - Layers. Polypropeline or something similar. Sunscreen. The sun can really drain you if you are biking shirtless, I do not recommend it, but if you must, at least do the sunscreen thing.
Tools - Make sure you have spare chains and spokes and tire tubes and patches and the necessary tools to change those things. A Spoke tuning tool is a must as well, it will keep your efficiency up if you keep your wheels tuned. It is easy to do, if you don't already know how I can show you or find a place you can learn it (I used to be a bike tech for a sporting goods store)
First Aid - Have a small kit. You need abrasion covers, antiseptic, bug/spider bite stuff, salt, and some basic painkillers at a minimum. Ideally you might have a more advanced kit, but you dont want to carry too much weight.
Food - Figure out what you will eat. If you are eating at restaraunts, make sure its in the budget, your caloric intake will not be low. If you are going rural or eating on your own for the challenge, you will need a little whisperlite for cooking and plenty of hiker food. That starts to take up space fast and is not a lot cheaper than stopping tho, so think it through. You will, however, want to at least keep some high calorie snacks on you like trial mix and jerky for those in-between-stops-but-I-am-starving times.