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Eraser Nubbin
03-16-2007, 06:27 PM
Hey!
I just quit my job and have decided that it would be a great idea to try and ride across the country (or get as far as I can) on a bike.
Thing is I don't know anything about bikes and was hoping some of the enthusiasts on here might have a bit of information...
I was thinking about throwing a tent and a sleeping bag on some saddle bags, bringing along some clothes, an extra tire and chain and that was about as far as I had gotten for planning.
This is what I was thinking of tackling:
http://www.tctrail.ca/thetrail.php
Apparently the thing isn't connected all the way across, seems they have isolated chunks done. So I am wondering if I should look into getting a road bike or a mountain bike....
Thanks in advance.
Mynock
03-16-2007, 06:35 PM
Bring some tetanus shots too.
Eraser Nubbin
03-16-2007, 09:23 PM
For those times when trying to jump a barbed wire fence is just a little to tempting?
Mynock
03-16-2007, 09:24 PM
Yes, or if you're going to rid the rails the non-legal way.
Actually I had a teacher in college that road across the states, twice I believe. Math teacher.
WannaBrie
03-16-2007, 09:36 PM
Wow that's cool. I wish I would've been that adventurous before I had a child. Sorry I can't offer any advice, but I offer you my moral support and wish you the best of luck. don't forget your camera, I bet you'll see some amazing things on your journey!
Leave the tent. Tents are for sissies. Just take the sleeping bag and a tarp for when it rains. Use the room you save to bring a can of wd-40 and some granola bars.
Red Kittie Kat
03-17-2007, 03:24 AM
If you do you must take loads of pics .... I think that would be a very exciting adventure :)
Virgo Nightingale
03-17-2007, 03:29 AM
I hope you're in at least fairly good shape! This will be a huge test of your endurance. Your legs are going to hurt like a bitch... :p
Eraser Nubbin
03-17-2007, 05:37 PM
I wasn't planning on doing it all at once ;)
I've got six weeks to get into better shape and figure out the whole biking thing. After that it will just be a matter of seeing how far I can get.
Eraser Nubbin
03-20-2007, 06:11 PM
Has anyone ridden one of those hybrid bikes?
Don't get a hybrid. The first steep hill you come across will make you regret it.
I have a mountain bike with semi-slick tires and a suspension seatpost. That works great! My limiting factor is my asthma.
You should always have a spare innertube. Patches are sometimes useless. Like when you split a tube. It happened to my buddy once.
"Good quality" granola bars, and lots of liquids.
There are bikes made specifically for this type of long-distance riding.
Trek has the 520. Others have similar, I’m sure.
These bikes are made to carry saddle bags both in the rear and in the front.
They have stronger frames (heavier unfortunately), and rims.
I would add a suspension seatpost for sure since you don’t know what type of roads you’ll be riding on.
A trailer might also be a good idea.
They can be expensive, so it depends how much you’re willing to spend.
Here’s an example…
http://www.bobtrailers.com/trailers/trailer.php?product_id=10 (http://www.bobtrailers.com/trailers/trailer.php?product_id=10)
Hope this helps.
I'm not a bicycle master, just motorcycle, but as far as tent and sleeping bags are concerned, I would probably invest in a bivy tent (http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?id=0013075512726a&navCount=2&podId=0013075&parentId=cat20103&masterpathid=&navAction=jump&cmCat=netcon&catalogCode=IH&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat20103&hasJS=true) (link is to a similiar tent that I use, from the same store I got mine) and a Thinsulate Lite Loft (http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/ThinsulateInsulation/Insulation/Thinsulate-Products/Thinsulate-Lite-Loft-Insulation/) sleeping bag. Extremely lightweight and practical.
Carob bars (http://www.goodnessdirect.co.uk/cgi-local/frameset/article/17.html) (the "healthy alternative" to chocolate"), as well as granola bars, would probably be the cheapest way to keep yourself nourished along the way. "Energy Bars" are expensive, and not much better than carob and granola.
Eraser Nubbin
03-21-2007, 09:42 PM
Myst, Ned,
Thanks a bunch. Looks like I need to dig a little deeper on how much of the trail is done, possibly consider the good old Highway 1 if the trail isn't going to work.
I was hoping to get everything in a backpack and saddle bags, I figure a trailer would be just one more thing to worry about and the idea crossed my mind to take the VIA Rail home, so being compact and mobile is necessary.