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2015-06-23 3:21 PM

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Subject: Planning an Epic Bike trip

Hey Y'all.  I'm planning a cycling trip for later this year....but I don't have much idea where to start.  I want to ride from LA to San Fransisco along the pacific coast highway.  I have read that there are campgrounds and things along the way.  The other rub is that I don't have a touring bike yet.  I was thinking about doing this right after nationals since I will be halfway to California already, and buying a touring bike in LA.  I know my fit measurements, I might bring my own saddle. 

I'm a little unclear on what kind of gear i will need exactly.

Any advice, experience, laughing at me would be most appreciated!



2015-06-23 3:39 PM
in reply to: dmiller5

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Seattle
Subject: RE: Planning an Epic Bike trip

Awesome! Can't wait to hear about it.

I've not done this before but I have many friends who have. I think you just have to think about it through two different lenses and then create a hybrid kit.

 

So first, long distance cycling (likely what you are most familiar with) so, fuel and mechanical equipment.

The second, lightweight backpacking (if you are planning to camp vs get a hotel or whatever): sleeping stuff (tent/bag/pad) cooking stuff (stove/fuel/utensils)

 

As for a touring bike there are lots of options and lots of options for carrying gear. This might be a good place to start: http://www.bikepacking.net/

 

2015-06-23 4:00 PM
in reply to: dmiller5

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Subject: RE: Planning an Epic Bike trip

Plan for basically anything to break. Bring an extra chain, extra brake cables, etc. A few years ago I biked all the way around Iceland over the course of a month and I was surprised at how much wear and tear the bike actually took. My chain broke half way through, good thing I had an extra, but I wish I had brought extra screws for things like my cleats which rattled loose over the weeks and fell out, never to be seen again. I don't know how much camping experience you have, but if you do camp out there are ways to keep it nice and lightweight on the gear side of things. A bivy sack instead of a tent for example will prevent you from having to pack up poles, and it folds up really small compared to a tent. Of course, rain gear, at the very least a rain jacket. If you wanted a stove to cook on, you could get one of those micro stoves which is essentially just a small device that screws onto a propane can, but you'd have to carry enough of those propane cans because they're not really common to just buy at a gas station for example. That's why I got an msr whisperlight international stove which can run off any kind of fuel, including gasoline. Waterproof panniers will keep your gear dry on a rainy day, or you could go the cheapskate route like me and just keep your gear inside a garbage bag inside the panniers. 

Actually my friend who did Iceland with me also did the Pacific coast from san fran to LA, let me ask her what she thinks in terms of logistics.

2015-06-23 4:32 PM
in reply to: trijamie

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Subject: RE: Planning an Epic Bike trip
Happy planning. You should get some socks like the ones I just bought



(EpicSocks.JPG)



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EpicSocks.JPG (81KB - 12 downloads)
2015-06-23 5:17 PM
in reply to: reecealan

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Seattle
Subject: RE: Planning an Epic Bike trip

Originally posted by reecealan Happy planning. You should get some socks like the ones I just bought

Waita hijack the thread so that  you can post a butt picture, Reece! I think this is the definition of a backdoor brag. 

2015-06-23 7:29 PM
in reply to: dmiller5

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Subject: RE: Planning an Epic Bike trip
I rode most of the PCH on a 650cc BMW motorcycle back in the 90's. A long time resident in my bucket list.


2015-06-23 8:12 PM
in reply to: dmiller5

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Subject: RE: Planning an Epic Bike trip

Originally posted by dmiller5

I'm a little unclear on what kind of gear i will need exactly.

A new insurance card.

2015-06-23 10:20 PM
in reply to: dmiller5

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Subject: RE: Planning an Epic Bike trip
In the summer of 2008 I cycled across Canada, self supported. Just over 7700km.

Your trip is about 450 miles (?). That will take you less than a week. You really shouldn't have to pack all that much. If your bike is in good working order with fresh cables and chain, etc you shouldn't have to worry about anything except tubes and a foldable tire. A good multi-tool, and the knowledge of how to use all the items on it (like breaking a chain or trueing spokes) is about all you will need. Two large panniers on the rear will probably all you will need. You can add a small set to the front for more even weight distribution and a small handle bar bag with map viewer on the top. Just make sure the panniers are waterproof. I found that a pack with a single opening at the top is best. Harder to get at stuff, but with less pockets and zippers there is less places for water to penetrate. Just make sure that the seams are taped and sealed. I found the more packs you have the more you tend to bring along. I brought a full compliment of pots/pans, utensils, small stove with the intention of cooking my meals along the way. After the second week I sent them all home by mail. I ended up only making one breakfast with the stuff. It is just easier to buy meals along the way.

I brought a 2 person, 4 season tent with full rain fly and 2 vestibules. If you get socked in because of the weather you will appreciate the ability to sit up and read and the extra space compared to a bivy. Also, a Therma rest and a pack pillow. Don't underestimate the value of a good, comfortable sleep after 8-10 hours in the saddle.

Really good rain gear is a must. I spent a fortune on Gore-Tex pants, jacket, booties, gloves, helmet cover. The choice is whether you get wet because of the rain or because of the sweat. I have yet to find anyhing out there that is breathable and windproof and waterproof. I found that all that it does is keep you warm, but not dry.

As far as what to ride. That is a matter of personal choice. I used an old Rocky Mountain Blizzard hardtail steel mountain bike. It had full braze ons for fenders and racks. Oh, front and rear full fenders are a must. I swapped out the front fork for a rigid fork. I spent 2+ months on that thing and it was bomb proof. Extra wide tires may be a bit slower, but as far as comfort goes, 28 front and 32 rear worked well. Also, the heavier built wheels stood up to the extra weight and rough roads. I ran Continental Gatorskins. I had 2 flats the entire trip.

I road every day, with one day off every 7-10 days. Averaged about 140km/day. Shortest day was about 80km (wind and rain) the longest day was just over 220km (wind at my back). I kinda had a plan each day where I wanted to get to based on campgrounds, but it all came down to weather. Some days were shorter than planned, others longer. I stayed in a hotel one night (after a wicked thunderstorm with a deluge of rain and hail). The rest was camping.

That is about all I can think of at the moment. If you need anymore information, let me know.
2015-06-24 9:06 AM
in reply to: DeVinci13

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Subject: RE: Planning an Epic Bike trip

Wow, super helpful advice everyone, thanks!

I'm thinking also I should get some very good bike lights for front and rear.  I've never done multi-day touring, but I have done lots of long distance riding so I *think* I know what I'm getting myself into.

2015-06-24 2:33 PM
in reply to: dmiller5

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Subject: RE: Planning an Epic Bike trip
If you're not committed to self-supported, check out Cycle Oregon's week long trip in September. Prices are certainly reasonable.

Tent camping, but they feed you and haul your gear from camp site to camp site. This year's ride covers some pretty fantastic roads.

http://cycleoregon.com/week-ride/


2015-06-24 2:54 PM
in reply to: dmiller5

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Subject: RE: Planning an Epic Bike trip

Met the guy who owns this business at a local race. He made a custom frame bag for my friend doing the Tour Divide: http://www.nukesunrise.com/

SUPER awesome guy - with great gear for bikepacking!



2015-06-25 12:39 PM
in reply to: dmiller5

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Subject: RE: Planning an Epic Bike trip
I did a 700 mile ride over 4 days last year with a buddy. Awesome experience and I highly recommend it. We did a 'credit card ride' staying in cheap motels along the way. Benefits were didn't need to buy a new bike (I rode it on a brand new road bike... considered doing it on my TT bike actually), faster and we slept more comfy in a bed rather than tent.

We mailed supplies ahead of time to the motels along the way so we had fresh clothes daily, extra supplies if we needed and food for the trip. Each night we would the mail worn clothes / extra supplies back home that we didn't want to carry. We shipped our bike in a normal corrugated bike box, put it together right outside the airport and were on our way.

Might also consider riding from SF to LA becuase I believe you'll have tailwinds ... someone local should confirm that.

I'm very jealous of you. Good luck!
2015-07-02 4:54 PM
in reply to: 0

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Subject: RE: Planning an Epic Bike trip

I've done some touring. In 2012, my SO and I spent 3 weeks touring a bit of Germany and France and in 2014, we spent 3 weeks touring Cuba. 

We both have steal touring bikes that we bought from craigslist. They are nice touring bikes, just old and we probably paid $100-$150 each for them. Then of course we outfitted them with panniers, pedals, great tires etc.

We used Ortlieb panniers (http://ortliebusa.com/) I think they are top of the line and you'll see many others using them. They are a bit of a pain to get stuff in and out of, but will keep things dry if it rains which is more important. I had 2 rear panniers only and my SO had 2 rear panniers and two small ones for the front. We also had the tops of our racks. Our rear panniers were basically loaded with our clothing and foam pads. Our sleeping bags and tents went on the top rack. In the front panniers we mostly kept maps and food.

I used SPD pedals that are flat on one side and clipless on the other. (These ones http://www.dalescycles.com/shimano-a530-tour-spd-flat-pedals-p6162) Then if we just wanted to ride around the campground or where covering much distance we could just use the flats. I also bought new shoes that had SPD cleats but pretty much looked like running shoes and doubled as running shoes that I could also use for easy hikes.

Schwalbe Marathon 32mm tires worked great. We used road tread, but with that with if you wanted to ride on gravel paths, it wasn't a problem.

If you want to read a blog post about my trip in France http://mightyriders.blogspot.ca/2012/08/gerths-do-france.html

Pro tip: A compass is pretty useful. Oh you'll also want some easy gearing.

It's hard to think off the top of my head, but that should start you off. We planned routes the night before, but had some destinations in mind a few days before. If you need any other advice, just post here or PM me.



Edited by jeng 2015-07-02 4:57 PM
2015-07-02 5:24 PM
in reply to: jeng

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Subject: RE: Planning an Epic Bike trip

Question on day-length planning.  I was thinking the first couple days trying to push the mileage. The terrain is flatter and I will be fresh..  If I can go over the century mark on the first two days, that will mean when I hit the mountains I might only need to do 50-60.  Does this sound like a reasonable strategy?

2015-07-02 5:46 PM
in reply to: dmiller5

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Subject: RE: Planning an Epic Bike trip

Yeah, it depends what you want from the touring though. My SO and I planned on riding 120km / day but yeah some days we did 180km and some days 60km.  I think we averaged about 20km/hr and after lunch we took more stops. I'm trying to remember back to 2012 in France, but I think we'd wake up around 8am, have some breakfast and get moving usually around 10am. You can definitely get an earlier start, but we just weren't that type. Then we'd ride about 60km by 1pm, stop for a quicker lunch or snack and then usually finish our day around 7pm. So often we'd do another 60km in 5+ hours because we'd do a lot of stopping. Some of it would be at grocery stores though we could usually carry groceries for 2-3 days, but most would just be to stop take in the scenery and take pictures. So if we minimized our stopping, it was totally doable to do 100km in 5+ hours instead of 60km.

2015-07-02 6:00 PM
in reply to: 0

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Subject: RE: Planning an Epic Bike trip

My SO has biked the hwy from Portland to San Francisco, but then flew home (to Vancouver) from San Francisco, so I can't offer any advice on your route. He was alone and the weather wasn't fantastic for him, so he minimized stops. Here's what he covered on that road.

3pm Friday Arrive in Portland

1pm Saturday Lincoln City (142km)

Saturday evening Yachats (79km)

Sunday Shore Acres State Park Coos Bay (135km)

Monday 11:30 Bandon (41km)

Monday 1:45 Port Orford (43km)

Monday evening Brookings (90km)

Tuesday evening Elk Prairie Campground (100km)

Wednesday evening Arcata (66km)

Saturday morning (2+ days) Elk CA (270km)

Sunday evening San Francisco (241km)



Edited by jeng 2015-07-02 6:02 PM


2015-07-02 10:37 PM
in reply to: jeng

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Subject: RE: Planning an Epic Bike trip
Just curious ... as far as touring bikes and gearing is concerned - are they equipped with triple chainrings? Doubles? Compact? Usual cassette gear ranges? I know it would be dependent on terrain and load....

2015-07-02 11:29 PM
in reply to: triosaurus

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Subject: RE: Planning an Epic Bike trip

i'm eyeing a triple with a 48-36-28 and an 11-32 on the back end

2015-07-03 1:07 AM
in reply to: #5124362

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Subject: RE: Planning an Epic Bike trip
I have a 52/39/30 and I think I have a 34 on the back. It was perfect I think. I did climb the col de tourmalet on it
2015-07-03 9:28 AM
in reply to: jeng

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Subject: RE: Planning an Epic Bike trip
You might want to dig around on this site for a while. The couple did a tandem ride across the country in 2014 and are doing a couple of big tandem rides this year. There is a link in the site to their blog of the trip across America which might give you some good ideas.

Take a look: www.webike.org/news


2015-07-03 9:18 PM
in reply to: gbswan

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Subject: RE: Planning an Epic Bike trip
WOW! Some of the rides you guys have been on are amazing!


2015-07-06 7:12 AM
in reply to: dmiller5

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Subject: RE: Planning an Epic Bike trip
Make sure you bring a bike lock/cable with you. I can imagine if I were doing that there would be times I would take a hike here or there for an hour or so. Would suck to come back and not find you bike.
2015-07-06 7:56 AM
in reply to: mike761

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Subject: RE: Planning an Epic Bike trip

Yeah, will definitely have a bike lock.

Any suggestions on vegan bikepacking foods?  I am going to bring some of the freezedried stuff, but I was hoping to have some real stuff with me as well.  I've heard tortillas and peanut butter can be a great option.

2015-07-08 2:55 PM
in reply to: dmiller5

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Subject: RE: Planning an Epic Bike trip
I haven't done any cross-country trips; my longest has been 8 nights. One thing that was important for me was a couple overnight trips to make sure that my gear and set up were exactly the way that I wanted them. For example, I don't carry a lot of gear, so I just started out with rear panniers. However, my touring bike (Surly Disc Trucker) is back-heavy, so only carrying the weight on the back made the bike very difficult to handle, especially going uphill. So I added a couple front panniers to distribute the weight better.

As far as food, you will eat more than you anticipate. With triathlons, we eat a lot more than most people, but bike touring requires even more. Touring bikes are heavy, and you will be carrying gear. In addition to riding, there will probably be hiking or other activities. I plan on at least 4000 calories a day, and I am saying that as a 42 year old woman. Tortillas are good. Hummus is good. I also like oatmeal, nuts, and for around camp, hot chocolate.

I agree with the advice to use a backpacking tent and pad. They have gotten really comfortable and lightweight in recent years. My Big Agnes sleeping bag and air mattress are the most comfortable that I have ever used in a lifetime of camping. I also love my MSR whisperlite stove. Allow a little bit of weight for creature comforts because adventures can get really uncomfortable. If you have ever ridden in 35F temps and pouring rain, you will appreciate a warm, dry bed, good wool socks, and hot chocolate in your tent.
2015-07-08 2:59 PM
in reply to: happyscientist

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Subject: RE: Planning an Epic Bike trip
After we left breakfast, I ate dougnuts, lollies, coffee, coke, gatorade, basically anything sugary and full of carbs that I could find at a gas station. We brought some powerbars / GUs with us. But when you're aiming for 4k calories per day - the fastest way to do that is from food like I listed above. We also tried to limit stopping time to 30-45 minutes for lunch and 15 minutes for any other stop.

FWIW, outside of these long rides, I rarely eat any of that garbage.
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