Two Wheeling West

The Trip

Riding a bicycle from Maine to Oregon (sort-of).

The plan was 4,300 miles, but that changed when I skipped a chunk

(Updated 7/14/2009) I had planned a 4,300 mile trek from coast to coast using the Northern Tier, Lewis and Clark, and Transamerica bike trails, but I bailed on that plan just a few miles shy of the Illinois/Iowa border.  I had some problems with saddle sores in IL, so I needed a few days off, and I was in a convenient place to visit friends.  I took a train from Kenawee, IL to Chicago, then Chicago to Minneapolis for a few days with Amy, and finally from Minneapolis to Minot, ND to get back on the bike.

I very easily could have gone back to the point I left my route to keep going, but I’d seen enough corn at that point - time to go further west.  I really enjoyed riding the midwest, but the things that I really want to see are out west, so off I went!  For the most part, I’m following the Northern Tier Route west, adding things that others recommend as I go.  I’m not exactly sure where I’ll go once I cross the Continental Divide, but I’ve heard that I can’t go wrong biking in the Pacific Northwest.  More updates to come…

2 Months-ish: June 7 - August 8

(Updated 7/14/2009) I was planning on roughly 75 miles per day for 2 months to cross the country - since that plan is toast, I’m going to use the same amount of time to wander around.  I took a full week off during early July, and I hope to take a day or two around Glacier National Park.

I’ll hope off the bike on August 8th to spend a week with Amy visiting Portland, and we fly back on August 15th.  Just enough time to move my stuff to Wellesley, MA, buy new #2 pencils, a calculator, back-to-school clothes, and my mind ready for business school.

Maps, Route

(Updated 7/14/2009) The maps are out of date as of early July since I skipped the middle.  The western parts are out of date since I plain old changed my mind when I got out here.  I decided to stay on the Northern Tier at least through Glacier National Park.  I’ll update where I actually rode when I get home in late August.

Google Map of entire route: pan, zoom, explore! (out of date)

I’m going alone

I’m not riding with a group, though I’m sure I’ll run into others headed the same direction along the way.  Trips like this typically have a high season based on the weather.  Fall would be too cold up north, winter is impossible, spring would be too wet to be enjoyable, which leavesthe height of summer as the best season.  I’ve read and heard accounts of random groups of people traveling hundreds of miles together simply because their schedules matched.  Of course, I’ve also heard about people riding most of the trip alone.

Unsupported and fully loaded

I’m not riding with any support along the way (vans, cars).  Everything I need day-to-day will be packed, tied, or bolted to my bike:  (see The Gear…)

• tent: small, one-man backpacking tent with rainfly
• sleeping bag: 40 degree down mummy bag
• cooking gear: backpacking stove, titanium pot, spoon
• clothes : cycling shirts, t-shirt, jacket, socks, gym shorts
• bike parts: spare tire, inner tubes, chain, tools, brake parts

I’ll likely have a few maildrops along the way to get things like contact lenses, homemade cookies (please!), and certain specialized bike parts.  For example, my tires aren’t typically available in bike shops and would have to be special ordered.  Send me an email if you’d like an update on possible maildrop locations and timing. I really like chocolate chip cookies, just in case you were wondering…

“Unsupported” sounds a little more strict than it really means.  I’m looking forward to visiting friends and family along the way which will almost always mean leaving my route and driving/riding somewhere.  “Unsupported” simply means that I don’t have a van following me with gear, clothes, bike parts, cookies, and gallons of ice-cold water.  For the most part, I’m on my own - if my bike breaks down in the middle of North Dakota, I end up getting greasy or walking.

Camping as often as possible

I don’t plan on staying in hotels unless the weather is truly miserable or my schedule makes camping impossible.  There are some stretches with very few campgrounds, or campgrounds that are located more than a few miles from my route.  I’m not against showering, sleeping in a real bed, gorging myself on pizza and falling asleep with the TV on, but even cheap hotels add up night after night.

I’m carrying a one-man backpacking tent, sleeping pad, and sleeping bag, all attached to the bike of course.  I’m really going to miss having a pillow - the thought of sleeping on balled-up cycling shorts isn’t really appealing.  Unfortunately, I’m not carrying very many clothes and my panniers are plastic (not the best pillow).

Are you near the route? I’d love to hear from you, drop me an email!