First a big thanks to all the people I stayed with a long the way and all the friends I met or met-up with during the trip.
Here are a few statistics followed by some lessons learned/thoughts should someone else find this site and do a similar trip.
Total days: 46
Days riding: 31
Days resting: 14
Days on a bus: 1
(following are approximate)
Total Miles: 4,200
Miles by Bicycle: 3,400
Miles by Bus: 500
Miles by Car: 200
Miles by Public Transit: 100
(excluding rest days)
Hours Spent Pedaling: 300
Hours Spent in other Travel: 15
Hours Spent Sleeping: 250
Hours Spent in Pizza Hut: 20
Hours doing other stuff: 180
Pizza Huts eaten at: 9
Average Pizzas Consumed: 4
Average Cost: $5.50
Total Spent on Food: About $1,500
Total Spent on the Trip: About $3,000
Inner Tubes replaced: 9
Flip Flops replaced: 1 pair
Most essential Items: #1 Sunblock, #2 bug spray, #3 Droid, #4 bike.
Least used Item: Nice Shoes
Stinkiest Item: Bike Shoes
Favorite State to Bike through: Colorado (even despite the storms!)
Least favorite: Missouri
Worst roads: Providence, RI
Times hassled by Police during the trip: Once, which is absolutely amazing considering the frequency I impinging on traffic laws, doing suspicious activity, or possibly trespassing. And, the one time wasn't even justified...he was just insisting I go on a sidewalk crowded with tourists instead of the empty road.
Lessons learned:
1) Do this trip with more time than I did. My life consisted of pedaling a bike. The daily mileage load was too high and the schedule wasn't flexible enough...sure I could have gotten to Cambridge a week latter and been fine, but I didn't want to prolong the trip. Recommend doing a trip like this with at least 60 days and a lot of flexibility. Do 80 miles or less a day.
2) People to stay with and meet-up with are great. And, the worst thing ever. Being a polite guest and showing up on time or at a reasonable time leads to the most miserable days. If your hosts aren't fine with being 100% flexible don't bother....unless it is really hot outside and they have AC. Being a hobo committed to a timeline is not right.
3) Mosquito net. Have one. rig it up off your bike and sleep under it. There were many nights were it was hot, but would have been fine if I could have slept in the open air. Instead I was in a catch 22 of suffocating inside a Gortex bivy sack or being eaten alive by bugs.
4) Physical problems: Your ass gets used to the saddle in about 2 weeks...it really hurts until then. Hands go partially numb, mine are getting better but not yet fully recovered. Bug bits: bugs will bite your feet and ankles, these bites will rub in your bike shoes and turn into sores...very very painful sores: don't get bug bites on your ankles/feet.
5) Hair: Keeps bugs off your skin. Also bugs get stuck in your hair...on your arms, your legs and yes your face. This is especially bad in the evening and in Missouri. Look at your car wind-shield and imagine that on your face. Is it better on your skin or embedded in a beard? Undetermined.
6) If I could do it again: I would hitchhike. You meet very few people riding a bike and when you are in cities your are very sweaty, dirty, and stinky...so you meet very few people. You have very little time to relax and enjoy cool interesting places when your on a schedule (either for the trip or your next bed) and biking.
Here are a few statistics followed by some lessons learned/thoughts should someone else find this site and do a similar trip.
Total days: 46
Days riding: 31
Days resting: 14
Days on a bus: 1
(following are approximate)
Total Miles: 4,200
Miles by Bicycle: 3,400
Miles by Bus: 500
Miles by Car: 200
Miles by Public Transit: 100
(excluding rest days)
Hours Spent Pedaling: 300
Hours Spent in other Travel: 15
Hours Spent Sleeping: 250
Hours Spent in Pizza Hut: 20
Hours doing other stuff: 180
Pizza Huts eaten at: 9
Average Pizzas Consumed: 4
Average Cost: $5.50
Total Spent on Food: About $1,500
Total Spent on the Trip: About $3,000
Inner Tubes replaced: 9
Flip Flops replaced: 1 pair
Most essential Items: #1 Sunblock, #2 bug spray, #3 Droid, #4 bike.
Least used Item: Nice Shoes
Stinkiest Item: Bike Shoes
Favorite State to Bike through: Colorado (even despite the storms!)
Least favorite: Missouri
Worst roads: Providence, RI
Times hassled by Police during the trip: Once, which is absolutely amazing considering the frequency I impinging on traffic laws, doing suspicious activity, or possibly trespassing. And, the one time wasn't even justified...he was just insisting I go on a sidewalk crowded with tourists instead of the empty road.
Lessons learned:
1) Do this trip with more time than I did. My life consisted of pedaling a bike. The daily mileage load was too high and the schedule wasn't flexible enough...sure I could have gotten to Cambridge a week latter and been fine, but I didn't want to prolong the trip. Recommend doing a trip like this with at least 60 days and a lot of flexibility. Do 80 miles or less a day.
2) People to stay with and meet-up with are great. And, the worst thing ever. Being a polite guest and showing up on time or at a reasonable time leads to the most miserable days. If your hosts aren't fine with being 100% flexible don't bother....unless it is really hot outside and they have AC. Being a hobo committed to a timeline is not right.
3) Mosquito net. Have one. rig it up off your bike and sleep under it. There were many nights were it was hot, but would have been fine if I could have slept in the open air. Instead I was in a catch 22 of suffocating inside a Gortex bivy sack or being eaten alive by bugs.
4) Physical problems: Your ass gets used to the saddle in about 2 weeks...it really hurts until then. Hands go partially numb, mine are getting better but not yet fully recovered. Bug bits: bugs will bite your feet and ankles, these bites will rub in your bike shoes and turn into sores...very very painful sores: don't get bug bites on your ankles/feet.
5) Hair: Keeps bugs off your skin. Also bugs get stuck in your hair...on your arms, your legs and yes your face. This is especially bad in the evening and in Missouri. Look at your car wind-shield and imagine that on your face. Is it better on your skin or embedded in a beard? Undetermined.
6) If I could do it again: I would hitchhike. You meet very few people riding a bike and when you are in cities your are very sweaty, dirty, and stinky...so you meet very few people. You have very little time to relax and enjoy cool interesting places when your on a schedule (either for the trip or your next bed) and biking.
I was reading advice from others on what they would do different, #1 and #4 were very similar. Plus they talked about ridding by places that looked real interesting to explore, and regretted it.
ReplyDeleteBeing able to saying you rode a bike across the country is right up there near the top of cool accomplishments, little cooler than running a marathon, but the same respect factor.
Good luck with the next adventure!
Matt, you took 800 miles by combustion engine? What a poser..
ReplyDeleteCome to El Paso when you get a chance!