cross country

[totient]

I'm really going to do it.

I've got a chance to ride my bike across the US, and I'm going to do it. I'm in shape, I have the time, and I have the money. These things might not all be true at once again. I'm leaving LA around June 12 and hope to arrive back in Boston five or six weeks later. I'm not going to camp, so it'll be a mix of cheap motels and couch surfing.

To that point, if you know anyone with a couch along the route (below) who can put me up, please do put us in touch.

I'll have at least rudimentary internet with me, and expect that Facebook will be my primary update mechanism. I'm looking at internet-connected GPS logging toys that let people watch my progress in real time, but I don't know if that's really going to work in the field (I'll post here with a link if it does).

I'm buying a new bike, since my current touring bike would probably not make it (and needs a ton of work, and doesn't fit me well anyway). I'll transfer a few of the nicer parts from that bike and then retire the frame (and all of the low-end parts, which is most of them). More about that in a separate post.

I'm mostly not riding an established "trail", because I want to spend time with friends, and none of my friends live along or really anywhere near any of the trails. I'm not currently planning to ride with anyone, so apart from Colorado (where I will most likely follow a trail) I expect it'll be a lot of time just me and the bike. I've been riding centuries to train and really enjoying them, so I'm really looking forward to this.

The route (all dates extremely tentative):
June 11: Pasadena-Santa Monica-Pasadena. 70 miles to get in the ceremonial wheel dip in the Pacific ocean. Live in Southern California and want to go on a nice long bike ride with me? This is a pretty good bet.
June 12-16: Pasadena-Flagstaff. Could cross the Colorado anywhere from Blythe to Boulder City. Possible overnights anywhere between Palm Springs and Las Vegas, or really anywhere in a pretty wide area.
June 17-19: Flagstaff-Durango. The obvious way is through Tuba City and Four Corners.
June 20-24: Durango-Denver. This bit has more cyclotouring resources available, but I'd still love to stay with folks in the mountains of Colorado if you or anyone you know lives there.
June 25-July 1: Denver-Iowa City. I might just have Nebraska covered, but I don't have anything lined up in Iowa so far.
July 2-6: Iowa City-Ann Arbor. I'm staying with family in Ann Arbor but could stop in Madison or Chicago (probably not both) and would love to visit folks in Wisconsin and Michigan.
July 7-9: Ann Arbor-Pittsburgh. Google suggests a brief dip into Canada followed by a ferry ride to Sandusky, and then two nights somewhere in Ohio.
July 10-11: Pittsburgh-Gaithersburg. Stopping in Bedford PA or Cumberland MD, perhaps?
July 12-16: Gaithersburg-Boston. Via family in Huntington, NY, and the Bridgeport-Port Jefferson ferry (yeah, I like ferries). Anyone know someplace I could stay in the Brandywine River valley in DE or southeastern PA, or anywhere in Connecticut?

Please feel free to forward pointers to this post. Woo-hoo!

Comments

[omnia-mutantur.livejournal.com]

congrats/good luck.

[inahandbasket]

Wowsers!
Sounds like an awesome trip...
If you get hard up for a place near philly let me know.

[mzrowan.livejournal.com]

Also good for cheap accommodations: http://airbnb.com.

Go you!

[mzrowan.livejournal.com]

Oh, and if you're going to be anywhere near Yuma AZ, I can probably score you a couch there.

[blk]

Sounds like an awesome time! We've got bedspace in Pittsburgh if you want to stop here at any point. xuth and I would be happy to show you some of the local sites (although he's more capable of doing so on bike than I am).

[palmwiz.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'd love to stay with you guys in Pittsburgh. In fact you guys are the main reason to go through Pittsburgh instead of passing to the south of it.

[londo.livejournal.com]

Ok, so, using this as a guide: http://tinyurl.com/3b7hbmf

I think I know people who I can probably get a second-hand couch off of in or near: Los Angeles, Flagstaff, Denver, Iowa City, Milwaukee, Kenosha, possibly Detroit, Toledo, Akron, Pittsburgh, Altoona, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Trenton, New York, Levittown, New Haven, Willimantic, Worcester.

There are likely others that I don't recall, and surely some of those have moved, but that's a start.

[palmwiz.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's quite a list! Let me figure out what I'm doing a little more specifically, and I'll be getting back to you. Iowa, Ohio, and Connecticut are especially useful.

[londo.livejournal.com]

Ohio I can do better in Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton, but I know someone in Akron I can dig up.

When you get a more specific route let me know and I can check again, I know people in a lot of places but do not have a good city-to-contact index in my head.

[netmouse.livejournal.com]

I also know folk in Ohio - Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Springfield - who might have a couch or a bed you could crash on.

[bryant]

We can lend a bed in Cockeysville, MD which is about 20-30 miles south of the PA state line, along I-83, if that's useful.

[bluegargantua]

Annnnnd....my social circles collapse down a little more.

Hi!
Tom

[bryant]

Heh heh heh. I know palmwiz from college. The only reason I'm not hip deep in that particular segment of your social scene is because I fled to Iowa for love in my early 20s.

[desiringsubject.livejournal.com]

I can get you a couch in (near?) Bloomington, IN. That's the only place off the beaten path I can really think of...

Cool!

[catya.livejournal.com]

In Colorado, feel free to crosscheck against the cohousing communities list and tell me if any of them are in range - I know people at most of them. (directory.cohousing.org)

[starphire.livejournal.com]

Ha! I was thinking the same thing. :)

[palmwiz.livejournal.com]

Oh, good thought! I'll need to sit down with a map and see how the dots connect, but that'd be a great resource and I'll likely take you up on in as soon as I know what it is I'm taking you up on.

[starphire.livejournal.com]

Golden, CO isn't so much *in* the mountains, but it's in the foothills above Denver and surrounded by peaks. If that's on your route or close enough, I could try to arrange a stay in one of the guest rooms at the cohousing village where my friend lives. Though I don't know how flexible reservation dates might be or how far ahead you'd be able to pin down a date of arrival and get lucky, but it's free, and there's a hot tub on the roofdeck.

[beah.livejournal.com]

You could stay with my parents, though I suspect you have a more appealing alternative in that area ;) I have a friend I could ask about Colorado, if you like, and possibly one in Iowa. Oh, and Pittsburgh almost certainly.

Also, I think this is totally awesome. I'm excited for you, and can't wait to hear more!

[palmwiz.livejournal.com]

Where in Iowa?

[beah.livejournal.com]

Ames.

[nosebeepbear.livejournal.com]

These things might not all be true at once again.

Indeed. I'm very glad you decided to go for it!

[muffyjo]

So I have a friend I could probably ask if you're going anywhere near Chloride, AZ (which sounded like it might be in the:June 12-16: Pasadena-Flagstaff. Could cross the Colorado anywhere from Blythe to Boulder City. Possible overnights anywhere between Palm Springs and Las Vegas, or really anywhere in a pretty wide area. Section).

He used to be my tech director and taught me everything I know about it. He and his wife live there. I could ask? And if not him, I might ask his son (who is our age) who lives in Las Vegas.

[palmwiz.livejournal.com]

Really!? Chloride is worth a few extra miles for sure. Please do!

[kirkcudbright.livejournal.com]

So cool! I'm glad you're doing this (although the pace sounds hella ambitious, given the mountains and the amount of gear you're going to be carrying). Speaking of gear, do you want to borrow the Arkel panniers again? They're not doing anything at the moment, and would quite enjoy another adventure.

Oh, and I've got a brother in Madison if you're going through there.

[palmwiz.livejournal.com]

hella ambitious

Yeah, perhaps. Though as I said, not camping, which will help.

do you want to borrow the Arkel panniers again

Yes, please! That'd be lovely.

[eccentrific.livejournal.com]

Woo, sounds awesome.

Of course, let me know if you decide to detour up to Portland. :-)

Reading your schedule, I was like "Whoa, you have family in Huntington? I grew up there!" Then I remembered that I already knew that, cause we already established that I went to school with your cousin.

Sadly, it looks like I'll miss you in Boston. I'll be there in the beginning of July.

[weegoddess.livejournal.com]

We're in Central PA (State College), which admittedly is north of where you were planning to head after Pittsburgh. But we'd be glad to offer you a room and a queen-sized futon all to yourself, should you consider a detour.

[carneggy.livejournal.com]

A friend of mine _just_ did Chicago -> Detroit; if you like I can get you details about the route/motels she chose for it.

[rmd.livejournal.com]

What a great adventure! Have fun!

[cogitationitis.livejournal.com]

If you have specific holes (and it looks like there's a lot of offers here), you might want to ask on the smofs list. "I'm looking for 1 night in/near [place] on [date]" sort of thing.

[42itous.livejournal.com]

If you'll be going through or near Meadville PA, you should stop by Hank's Frozen Custard for a snack. :)

[bluegargantua]

If you *don't* have Nebraska covered, I might be able to help, depending on the route you take.

later
Tom

[kimberlogic.livejournal.com]

Wow - this sounds wonderful and very fast-paced.
I am sure you could stay with Phil & Jen (Philly), Uri/Becky/Lyn (Baltimore) or my Dad (though I doubt you'll end up needing space in DC).

For Colorado, if you want to start looking at routes that helps narrow it down for pointers to good people & reliable beds. There is an awesome coffee shop in Buena Vista where there's a "stay board" - essentially like airbnb ... and I have friends & such in Golden, Evergreen, Colorado City, Castle Rock, Gunnison, Limon, etc. A

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

That is so great! YAY!

[srl.livejournal.com]

Very exciting. I don't know any of the areas you mention offhand, but I'd suggest checking out the individual route segments on the Adventure Cycling site for ideas. (For example, Monroeville, IN to Orchard Park, NY.). If any of your eastern path takes you near the Northern Tier, I can offer suggestions or my now-out-of-date maps. It's not like roads move around that much.

A few bits from memory:

• Probably too far north for your route, but Highway 61 in Minnesota/Wisconsin(?) has wide, well-marked bike lanes, just under the river bluffs of the Mississippi, and there are state-park shelters near a lot of it.


• If your path takes you through Stillwater, MN (again, farther north than you expect to go), I can recommend a very nice couple who offer shelter to bicycle travelers. I met their son traveling the other way.


• Running parallel to any of the Adventure Cycling maps will ensure that you see a lot of cyclists & locals who are friendly to cyclists.


• Monroeville, Indiana has a town-supported, air-conditioned bike shelter and is worth routing through just for that experience.


• The Herbert Hoover Presidential Museum is near Iowa City, and I'd be stunned if you can't find friendly camping space nearby. Many hotels in Iowa City/Cedartown are cheap at midsummer, since there are no football games yet.
  

I have cyclist friends in northern New Mexico, if that's along your route. (A google map would help me visualize where you're going.)

Also, the email list touring@phred.org(bikelist.org?) is a great option for checking in about routes in unfamiliar parts of the country.

Good luck! I'd love to follow your tour but I'm a Facebook conscientious objector, so a blog/LJ/etc mirror would be really handy for me.

PS. Public libraries are a wonderful internet access mechanism.

[palmwiz.livejournal.com]

[check] out the individual route segments on the Adventure Cycling site

Mostly they don't line up with where I want to go. But I'll be riding along a segment in Colorado that's part of two different routes.

I have cyclist friends in northern New Mexico, if that's along your route

Plan A is to pass through Four Corners, almost entirely missing New Mexico. But I'm still putting together a list of possibilities in the area, in case Plan A doesn't work out. And I'm trying to visit cyclists, particularly if they might come along for a few miles. Where exactly in NM would this be?

[medyani.livejournal.com]

fanw and husband, big_jewfro live in Cleveland, and would likely be happy to offer you a place to stay for a couple nights. I could ask for you if you like (commenting by way of miss_chance)

[cos]

I've emailed friends at several places along your route who I think would like you, and pointed them at this post. You may get LJ comments from some of them.

[palmwiz.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[netmouse.livejournal.com]

In response to one of those emails...

flinx and I will likely be in Ann Arbor when you swing by. Looks like you have a place to stay but if you're looking for company or tour guides, feel free to get in touch. I'm Anne and you can reach me at akg.netmouse at gmail.

This looks like a great trip. My sister and I took a road trip (http://www.netmouse.com/me/roadtrip_1996/roadtrip.html) (in a car) around much of the US for 3 1/2 months and I have always been glad we did. We only stayed in hotels twice, but we did also camp. I have a friend who has biked from Minneapolis to Texas and back, and I have a lot of respect for that sort of thing.

I went to school in Grinnell Iowa and then lived in Chicago for a while and cannot imagine trying to bike that distance *and* take a side trip up into Wisconsin in 4 days but if you end up with any gaps in places to stay in between here (Ann Arbor) and Iowa City I might be able to hook you up.

My advice btw, based on Sarah's and my roadtrip and Brian and my recent TAFF trip, is to plan in some down time. You'll get fried on travel and, honestly, fried on visiting with people, or at least on the hassle of trying to get in touch with people and hook up exactly when you're coming through town. Plus, you'll want to do laundry, or just sit and not move, or whatever. So if you can, plan in at least a day's leeway every week and a half or so, and let yourself take a break if you need it.

[http://users.livejournal.com/cgull_/]

Woot! Go ride!

I might be able to help with family northeast of Philly, but that would mean riding right through or around Philly.

I might suggest taking a minimal tent and sleeping bag, so you're not absolutely forced to make it to a motel to have a place to crash. (But that is a good few extra pounds to drag around.)

Google Maps was comically bad at planning Gaithersburg -> Huntington, but one bit that it found actually sounds like a really good idea, especially for you: take the commuter ferry from Port Monmouth or Atlantic Highlands or Sandy Hook, NJ to Manhattan. Approaching NYC by land from the southwest through NJ wouldn't be great.

Bicycle thoughts tagged on your other post, whenever you get around to it (short form: I have bikes/frames you may be interested in, if you get stuck on getting a new bike-- you've ridden one of them already).

[palmwiz.livejournal.com]

I'll definitely be taking a commuter ferry from Port Monmouth. But which one? There are three. One puts me near the Brooklyn Bridge and means almost no biking in Manhattan, but more biking through unfamiliar territory. The other puts me across town from the Queensboro Bridge, which I have biked across before.

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

OMG SO JEALOUS

We know lots of people in Chicago, and I have connections in Madison, Michigan and Maryland that I can think of offhand. I'll ping people if you need bunking down there.

[entirelysonja.livejournal.com]

My third grade teacher did this.

Joel Perlish (http://www.joelperlish.com/bicycle-trip-chronology-mileage-counter/)

Have fun!