16 ms·

How to bike across the country

242 points by benjbrooks 1y ago

jaxtracks 1y ago
One theme that pops out to me here is the reliance on other people being a positive experience for the author. In the software field, we tend to live pretty high up the economic value chain, which can abstract us a bit from participation in the more grassroots co-operative aspect of society. This can be alienating and warp worldview. When I'm hitchhiking to support packrafting trips or get back to where I launched my paraglider, I have no say in who I'm going to be chatting with and feeling gratitude towards. Initially that feeling of being reliant on whoever comes my way was difficult to adjust to after the false sense of individualism that a high paying job in a bubble of similar people brings. The benefit though is enormous. Now I stop to help anyone who's broken down on the side of the road despite the flash judgements their car or bumper stickers might bring. I'm much more aware of the value and interconnectedness of our society, and feel inspired to actively seek to contribute instead of remaining aloof. Most importantly, I realize that there's a whole lot of people out there looking to help people out at any turn, and that gives me a lot of faith.
- cynicalpeace 1y ago
  I hitchhiked Mainland China in 2019, and it's true that you are constantly relying on the kindness of other people. But I would argue that the type of person that does this kind of thing is very independent and thrives in an individualist environment. After all- it's you that's inserting yourself into an environment of strangers. When I was in China, people were bewildered as to why anyone would ever hitchhike. Whereas in America, a 5 year old knows what hitchhiking is.
  - contingencies 1y ago
    Err yeah, mostly based in China ~2001-2022 here. Basically in China hitchhiking makes you look like a criminal because there's perfectly good long distance transport for not much and the government bans people it doesn't like from using it. Therefore, if you're thumbing you're looking suss. Sounds like a cool trip! Where'd you go to/from? Got a write-up somewhere? Highlights? I really enjoyed cycle touring in the west of China, there's some really beautiful areas.
    - coldtea 1y ago
      >Therefore, if you're thumbing you're looking suss Not if you're a westerner and look like an obvious tourist/trekker, etc
- raffael_de 1y ago
  I made similar experiences - some also through hitch hiking. One major takeaway for me was how often my "flash judgements" are wrong or unfair. I'd also say that asking for help and trusting is more of a strength one has to develop and nurture than a sign of weakness, which is what I used to believe.
  - jajko 1y ago
    That classic meme of guys never asking for driving direction, so women have to... but its not so much meme, just refusal to step out of comfort self-zone
- schmookeeg 1y ago
  Thank you for this. You gelled several ideas I was ruminating on over my morning tea -- my aloofness and my sneaking suspicion that self-sufficiency is isolating from society at large. I still pull over to help motorists. You've inspired me to look for more opportunities like those. :)
- dangus 1y ago
  I feel like this comment and the article itself together in context have kind of a sour taste for me. Just the fact that it takes such a great effort to experience first-hand how poorer people just help each other out because nobody has money, so they help. But for a tech bro to do that they have to engage in a self-indulgent hobby and cosplay as poor like they're on Undercover Boss. Ironically this effort to relate to other real live humans with normal incomes is only possible by indulging in the ultimate luxury, which is taking major time off of work rather than being stuck working a shit job. This is all done with a straight face while jamming a sentence full of words like "paraglider" and "packrafting." This whole subject is all so stereotypical tech bro in such an unappealing way. Maybe this sounds unnecessarily bitter, but I think a valid alternate take on this is that privileged people are taking advantage of the kindness of others to get a bunch of help they don't need to help them achieve a goal that is a frivolous luxury. It's great we all get to feel warm fuzzy gratitude but it seems like the NPCs in this main character syndrome story are the people inconvenienced by the OP. Example: asking the fire department for a place to sleep, they probably feel bad so they let OP sleep in the fire department. But as a tech startup founder and software engineer, OP could have almost certainly afforded a basic motel each night with minimal to zero planning and effort and not resorted to inconveniencing other people. It feels a little bit like your CEO going to the food bank doesn't it? The median firefighter earns under $60k and dude who has probably outearns that salary in passive investment income is asking for a place to crash. I bet if the firefighter knew that they'd surely still be nice on the outside but they'd probably have a negative story to tell their spouse when they got home. I completely understand that not booking a motel facilitated human connection and all that loveliness but I sense that the benefit is very one-sided. In Zuckerberg-esque style, the tech bro gets to cosplay as a human with real emotions, while on the "normie NPC" side they get to deal with a tech bro on a bicycle asking for weird shit while they're just trying to get through a shift.
  - _rpxpx 1y ago
    Agreed. This sort of article does convey a lot about the mental world of the tech bro. Apart from the surprise at the hospitality of "normal people" it has the glassy sheen of purely procedural mind. I mean, one is not exactly swept away by the sense of adventure. It's a sort of fitness exercise.
- giantg2 1y ago
  "we tend to live pretty high up the economic value chain, which can abstract us a bit from participation in the more grassroots co-operative aspect of society." I really don't see this as being directly true. Most sorts of interactions where we would depend on others/strangers would happen outside of a job, just like all the examples you give. Maybe there's some truth to the stereotype that us IT guys are nerds and participate in fewer IRL group hobbies, which could make your statement indirectly true. However, there's still communities build around stuff like MMORPGs, FOSS, etc where people are from different backgrounds and regions. But then again, maybe I'm the odd one out as a middle class developer with everyone making more than me.
  - jaxtracks 1y ago
    Oh yeah that's a sweeping generalization of course. My point was that the heavy reliance on paid services that usually comes with a white-collar lifestyle reduces participation in community-based mutual aid and deepens cultural divides. I figure this probably gets worse with higher income since the more services you can afford, the less you may feel you need community. Diverse hobby groups are also a great way of attacking these divides, but may lack the aspect of vulnerability that comes from experiences like the author's.
  - coldtea 1y ago
    >However, there's still communities build around stuff like MMORPGs, FOSS, etc Both are luxury communities though. I mean, the example MMORPGs as a community, it has nothing to do with the community experience of poorer people "people helping each other to get by" mentioned
- 7402 1y ago
  > Now I stop to help anyone who's broken down on the side of the road I have a certain amount of fear about doing this sort of thing. I am ashamed of that, too. When I was in college (this was in a small city), I was walking at night by the library and I saw someone trip and fall in front of me. I asked if they were hurt and if I could help. He hobbled up and said yes, one leg was injured, but he just needed some help to get back to his car. I helped walk him four or five blocks, supporting his shoulder. In a darker bit of street, his friend tackled me to the ground and threatened to kill me with his gun. He took my wallet, ordered me not to stir from where he pushed me under a car, and they ran off. To be explicit here, the tripping and falling was fake. The campus police took me to the student health services; my knee was banged and slightly scraped from the tackle. I related the story to the doctor and he said, "Well, you can't stop helping people." On the other hand, the cop just said, if anything like that ever happens, I didn't have to handle it myself, just call them, they were happy to come and assist anyone who might need help on campus. I still help others when I can, but I am always cautious about my environment and assessing the circumstances
soared 1y ago
Props to the author for grinding through this, but I think a very strongly worded and formatted warning is needed at the top. Embarking on this trip with so little knowledge meant putting yourself far away from civilizations while criminally underprepared. I love the energy of Supertramps, but there is a reason they are controversial. It would be very easy to make a mistake and be in big trouble - underestimating water needs in a barren stretch, a hole in your tire (not tube) and not knowing how to fix it, etc. it’s pure luck you didn’t not over exert a small muscle or ligament locking you out of cycling during recovery.
- pavel_lishin 1y ago
  For what it's worth, he did carry a satellite phone. But I do agree - this felt like a wildly optimistic decision to make :P
  - dkarl 1y ago
    He also had experience backpacking, so he had experience managing water and preparing for weather, so I would say it was optimistic, but not dangerous (except for the danger of getting killed by a driver.)
    - throwway120385 1y ago
      IME drivers are by far the biggest danger on the road.
      - yunusabd 1y ago
        I was wondering how it went for the author. Didn't see any mention of traffic in the article. Probably a lot of open roads, but at least in the populated areas traffic must have been a factor?
        pavel_lishin 1y ago
        It seems he was following a pre-set route that's been used for ... decades, now? I'm guessing it's optimized to keep cyclists out of high-traffic areas.
bryanlarsen 1y ago
Another way to do it is the way my cousin did: do it over a period of 15 years. She took a week of vacation time during most of those years to do a chunk of the route.
- ghaff 1y ago
  Section hiking on long distance trails is pretty common as well. Most people aren’t in a position to just take off and do the Appalachian Trail or Pacific Crest Trail in one shot.
fifilura 1y ago
Some do this in 8 days https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_Across_America https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_Across_America But 51 days is also fantastic!
- yunusabd 1y ago
  Your brother learned to read at the age of 4, but learning it at 7 1/2 is also fantastic!
- JKCalhoun 1y ago
  Deciding whether to trade sleep for distance… Wild.
- juliogreff 1y ago
  Completely different experience though, since RAAM is a supported race, a very different kind of suffering. The Trans Am is a more comparable one (though still a race): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_Am_Bike_Race https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_Am_Bike_Race
mrcwinn 1y ago
Unreal. Great achievement!
sour-taste 1y ago
Congrats! It was super interesting to read about the western express, when I did this a few years ago I did the astoria route: https://blaise.bike/ https://blaise.bike/ Did you look into different tires? 8 flats seems like a lot. I got exactly one running schwalbe marathon plus tires. Overall what was your favorite part of the trip?
- dmwiens 1y ago
  Not OP, but I also went across America along the Northern Tier in 2023 with Schwalbe Marathon Plus's. I think I got 9 flats total, 7 of which were in Montana for some reason. I always tried to investigate and eliminate the source of the flat, but sometimes you are just repeatedly unlucky (in my experience).
- benjbrooks 1y ago
  i didn't look into different tires. my hypothesis is that most of my flats can be attributed to all the weight being on the back tire. favorite part was jumping into extended conversations with strangers. from a scenery perspective, coming down into Lake Tahoe from Eldorado was just absolutely stunning. same when I went past Bryce Canyon.
  - contingencies 1y ago
    Route wise, did you deviate at all from the suggested route? Never felt the call of a fork in the road? I find value in small roads (less traffic) where feasible. Basically riding with wildlife rather than cars. Rhythm wise, super surprised you did the whole thing without stopping! I used to do a half day (pre-dawn to late morning) then chillax at a place and explore. This gave time to recover, take in the area, balance cycling with walking, and time to maybe wash some clothes which means carrying less. Rest days can be best days. That's totally nuts you did the whole thing without stopping! I'd be sketchy on those Utah areas too - no shade! Probably would have camped out at the lookout there, etc. Of course, not feasible if you're running out of water. I'm getting old now (43) but have to mention one thing I never properly appreciated in my earlier travels and regret missing was the biology. iNaturalist is friggin' awesome. It has never been easier to get in to biology, and it adds a deeply fascinating dimension to travel. Looking at those instant pot meals, foraging would be one application! Re. Diet, I was veg when I did most of my cycle trips too. Used to acquire bags of raw husked peanuts as easy protein. On later trips (Romania) deeply appreciated eating a steak! So... any ideas for next trip? Europe? New Zealand? Around Australia? Back across Canada from "Europe"? https://maps.app.goo.gl/URwtvz9wxWHWYEb18 https://maps.app.goo.gl/URwtvz9wxWHWYEb18 Good luck, don't be afraid to slow down, and keep it up. Once you have kids it becomes difficult to continue.
limaoscarjuliet 1y ago
I did the same, the opposite direction. If you are interested, there is a whole community of people that do this called Crazy Guy on a Bike. My Trip: https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1&doc_id=10372&v=2E https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1&doc_id=10372&v=2E
towndrunk 1y ago
There is a Japanese kid riding across the U.S. and documenting it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GcBzfu7u0nw https://youtu.be/GcBzfu7u0nw
rd 1y ago
I'd love to do this one day! Curious - after reading, the part about wildlife scares me. Did you ever run into genuinely worrying situations with wildlife? Hearing about Black widow spiders alone makes me want to only do this with a van following behind me to sleep in at night!
- wincy 1y ago
  That black widow spider could be inside your house right now. Houses afford us protection but not immunity from these things. Spiders are notoriously resistant to pesticides as they require direct contact since they don’t clean themselves like insects do (thus not ingesting the poison on the floor or wherever they’re creeping along).
- bluGill 1y ago
  Most wildlife is somewhat afraid of humans so long as they are not taught otherwise. They know you are big and don't know if you are going to eat them so they stay away. Mountain lions are the only possible exception. So long as you don't get close and don't give them reason to get close they will generally leave you alone. The above is why it is critical to keep food either hung in a tree or in bear proof containers. So long as bears don't see humans and think "I've found food near them" they will stay away - but once they realize humans mean food there is trouble. Wild areas rarely have problems - causal campers don't realize how important proper bear protection is and over time bears have figured it out. The black widow and a few other spiders and insects are exceptions - they will target you. (though mostly spiders leave you alone)
- JKCalhoun 1y ago
  Ha ha, I felt like you did when I moved to California and found them everywhere when I started looking for them. Never got bit in the 26 years I lived among them. And people there were freaked out when they heard I was from Kansas and thought little of having grown up around the perhaps more frightening Brown Recluse. You'll be fine.
- benjbrooks 1y ago
  i was a little worried about bears for the night or two i was in bear country but my fear of cars and weather was far more top of mind
carabiner 1y ago
Met an Austrian guy who biked from NYC to LA in the early '90s. He had a paper list of people across the country who were bike tourer friendly who could house him, and he'd call them on payphones. He didn't have a tent, so he'd also sleep in post offices.
- googlryas 1y ago
  I never slept in a post office, but rural firefighters were always very good to me on bikepacking trips. Plying me with food and letting me sleep in their gym or somewhere around the station.
floriannn 1y ago
I have 2500 miles so far this year and could do a century any random day without preparation and I’m doubting whether or not I can do GDMBR, meanwhile this guy didn’t even own a bike, didn’t even do more than 30 miles once he did, and just set off across the country. I guess I should just do it.
- beezlebroxxxxxx 1y ago
  At your fitness level, you're more than capable of doing a long bikepacking trail. The hard part isn't really fitness (for any moderately experienced biker unless your trip has a specific time or FKT goal), it's the logistics of food + shelter, the mental grind, and dealing with possible repairs.
  - floriannn 1y ago
    Yeah I have done some trips before, max was 8 days with 85-100 miles each day, some decent elevation (max 11k feet in a day, but others around 5-6k) pretty bad weather, mix of paved and gravel. No chance I’m coming anywhere close to Lachlan’s time on GDMBR but I do need to finish in under 40 days. This guy was using Rockbros bags and rack and I’m wondering if I should swap out my Tailfin for a more durable OMM rack…
- hackingonempty 1y ago
  If you haven't, check out Mat Ryder's videos on YouTube. He's newly retired guy in decent shape from jogging who buys a bike and does the GDMBR while making a bunch of videos. He shows everything and at the end talks about how much he spent and how much less he could have spent if he tried harder to be frugal. You can see how an average guy without any bikepacking experience do it. You can do it too! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3-zVwEVdJ-UbC1DT4tSGgyfi55qLcGPX https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3-zVwEVdJ-UbC1DT4tSG...
- 0_____0 1y ago
  Yep just do it. (Gdmbr 2022)
- juliogreff 1y ago
blindstitch 1y ago
I think that finding free camping outside when you are in some shit nothing town is probably the most important skill to have, which is easy with satellite maps. Once you get the hang of it you realize that every town has at least one site where you can definitely get away with pitching a tent for one night. I think I have camped this way about 80 times and have never even been asked what I'm doing. That said, state and national park campgrounds are a great deal and you sometimes meet other tourers there, so they're good for a day when you want to take it easy for a morning. I sometimes get a kick out of zooming in on nowhere, USA and looking for spots. And some advice for anyone doing this for the first time and feels compelled to pay to camp - never stay at a KOA, consider them an absolute last resort. There is no bigger waste of money and RV culture is extremely cursed.
- zhivota 1y ago
  I did it this way back in 2007 when I didn't even have a smartphone, you can develop an eye for it at the ground level as well. I camped 8 nights without paying once and never had an issue. The only time I had to resort to help was in suburban Cleveland area, it got dark and it was too built up to stealth camp anywhere, so I ended up stopping at the fire station and they let me camp in their yard. They are there all night anyway so they are usually fine with it. The weirdest spot was in another suburban area, I camped behind a row of shrubs next to a cellphone tower installation haha. Wasn't the best setup but places like that usually don't get any traffic until business hours, so as long as you're in late and out early, you're fine.
  - mauvehaus 1y ago
    Were you heading east through Cleveland and did some rando try to give you directions to a spot in Shaker Lakes metro park that involved jumping a guardrail near a bridge? If so, that was me; sorry I didn't offer up a couch at my place; my roommates wouldn't have been cool with it.
    - zhivota 1y ago
      Hah, honestly I have no idea, but that does sound like something that could have happened. It's funny how memory fades and we are only left with snippets as we get older.
seizethecheese 1y ago
Of interest for the HN audience: the founder of grubhub has a memoir that tells the stories of biking across the country and starting grubhub in parallel. I found it an enjoyable read.
- unreal6 1y ago
  name/link?
mturmon 1y ago
Very nice summary. I did a similar cross-country trip and 100% endorse many of the conclusions at the end. (The Kansas winds and the hills of the Ozarks (central Missouri) were both surprisingly challenging and demoralizing, even after the continental divide.)
JKCalhoun 1y ago
I talked a friend into doing just the Katy trail across the state of Missouri a year ago. Like the author, I have a steel Trek 520. I did zero training — but the Katy trail is just one state. I hated it every day — right up until we finished it. The boredom, the drudgery of every day. Now I can't wait to go again. There was a weird thing that crept into my brain by about day 4 or so — I kind of didn't want to linger off the saddle for long. Strangely, I was starting to kind of prefer being on the saddle than to being off. Also, having done a minimal of research, there were often unexpected happy surprises that would pop up from time to time — for example a sudden bar along the banks of the Missouri River (Cooper's Landing — not, you know, a sand bar). I credit my friend being there for keeping me determined not to "puss out" and bail early. And he told me after he was waiting for me to bail so he could have an excuse to quit as well. We met all manner of other riders: many, like us, on their first bike tour. The six or so days on the saddle can be done, physically, by about anyone. I am almost 61 and over weight. I trained on the trail. I think if I had prepared before hand my ass might have been less sore — more "broken in". (It also would have been boring though.)
downut 1y ago
For the people who are wondering whether this is a good idea or not, lemme tell you about some x-country cyclists I met on a ride. 3 years ago in the middle of summer I was climbing Iron Springs Rd on the west side of Prescott AZ. 3 youngish cyclists were paused on the side of the road with an apparent mechanical. They had a modest amount of camping gear in their panniers. Turns out they were French, had the barest grasp of English (I have the barest grasp of French), and needed a derailleur adjusted (no gears, no climb). I fixed them up and of course I was damned curious about their situation. Turns out, they on a whim flew into NYC, bought some not serious bikes and camping gear, and... just started biking across the country! In the middle of summer! In the wrong direction! Going to LA! And their pins... NOT CYCLISTS. The Iron Springs climb tops out at 6000' or so, the weather is awesome in summer. However that is the end of weather happiness for 300 miles or so, because it's a steady drop from there into the desert, all the way down to the Colorado River. Temps in the 100-115F range are normal. Water is scarcer there than on just about any roads in the country. I was pretty alarmed so I got it across that they needed to show me their route. As best I could I showed them the best way on maps to not die. I tried my damnedest to get across they should not bike in the afternoons. "extra chaud!" etc. And off they went. Never found out if they made it or not, but... you just can't keep humans down. They will always find a way to do the craziest things.
- stevage 1y ago
  Yeah, I'm always amazed what young people can get away with on the spur of the moment. Was in Kyrgyzstan recently, and there's a popular hike that everyone does (Ala Kul). But it's HARD. And the people that do it are often not hikers. It's 3 days, but it involves a massive climb at altitude, and you have all these random backpackers attempting it because...well, that's what you do. And by and large they all seem to get through it ok.
- testing22321 1y ago
  I’ve bumped into scores of people doing the same around Africa, from Alaska to Argentina, all over Europe etc. There are tons of people out there having great adventures!
shaftway 1y ago
I've done a much shorter route, but still long with a similar amount of preparation - Port Angeles, WA to San Francisco, CA I can not recommend it highly enough. It took us 2 weeks which is a much more reasonable amount of time to take off. I wasn't really prepped and not in great physical shape, which made it more difficult, but it was so rewarding. That route is very popular and there are hiker / biker camp sites every 30 miles or so. About half the people you see each night are going the same direction as you, so you probably saw them last night. I would strongly recommend the paper maps from ACA. They are fantastic, and you can get a holder that goes between your handlebars. It's really hard to use your phone as a GPS when you're out of power. I also broke a spoke on my wheel and it wasn't a very common wheel type. The person I went with had to go 20 miles back to a bike shop and ended up buying me a whole new wheel. So getting bog-standard equipment is very helpful.
billsmithaustin 1y ago
Congrats to the author. I plan to do Oregon -> Virginia next year but I'll take more like 80 days than the author's 51.
RankingMember 1y ago
Hey man, nice one! Only critique of the write-up is I'm sure you have more pics and would love to see them interspersed or in a gallery at the end!
- benjbrooks 1y ago
  check out the map! https://map.brooks.team https://map.brooks.team
vivzkestrel 1y ago
dude forget eating and sleeping man, my biggest concern is pooping. I need atleast 1 gallon of water everytime I hit the washroom to clean myself as I require portable bidets to clean the area in squat position thanks to some crazy medical history. How do you manage such a condition and travelling with the fact that I also need to drink atleast half a gallon of water, piss 10 times a day at the minimum. I am not exaggerating even once bit. Seriously, how do you manage traveling with this kinda stuff
yapyap 1y ago
tip: include which country in the title, “the country” doesnt tell the reader much.
sodality2 1y ago
Wow, I grew up in Yorktown and I remember seeing a lot of tour bikers. Never thought twice about it until now, seems like it's largely a result of the TransAmerica trail. Hope you enjoyed Colonial Williamsburg + Yorktown Beach!
CommenterPerson 1y ago
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peterburkimsher 1y ago
The blogger recommends Warmshowers for accommodation. That's good, but costs money. BeWelcome.org is free accommodation, like Airbnb or CouchSurfing but without money! And open-source, in many countries, and very hospitable to refugees.
stevage 1y ago
Wow, that is completely wild. I have done an absolute ton of cycle touring (at least 60 trips, in 5 countries), and the idea of buying a bike 2 weeks before a trip, and embarking on a solo journey like this with no experience blows my mind. He seems to have made some really savvy decisions though, like getting a proper bike fit, and knew enough about camping and meal prep etc to make it work. Kudos to him.
timonoko 1y ago
I made it twice in 1980s. Or maybe trice, at least piecewise. -- Note about "prepadness". No need for that. I started at 70km per day, but eventually made 500 km in 24h. Because good back wind and too hot for camping by the road. It takes about two weeks to totally numbify youres backside. Thereafter rockhard professional saddle is the best. https://youtu.be/8D-S8nYCwjA?si=TZfnb2qrkiZdiYU6 https://youtu.be/8D-S8nYCwjA?si=TZfnb2qrkiZdiYU6
- fransje26 1y ago
  > https://youtu.be/8D-S8nYCwjA?si=TZfnb2qrkiZdiYU6 https://youtu.be/8D-S8nYCwjA?si=TZfnb2qrkiZdiYU6 TIL that Pan Am was flying Airbuses! > It takes about two weeks to totally numbify your backside. Beat you sit-bones into submission until your pain-reporting nerves give up.. The week-and-a-half before you get there, though.. Ouch.
- fransje26 1y ago
  > https://youtu.be/8D-S8nYCwjA?si=TZfnb2qrkiZdiYU6 https://youtu.be/8D-S8nYCwjA?si=TZfnb2qrkiZdiYU6 Quite a helmet! Cool, eclectic video. With a bit of a teleport jump between the Pecos river and NY. :-)
  - timonoko 1y ago
    Sony Handycam froze. But recovered when I realized there is no hurry and I stayed some days in a warm hotel in New Jersey.
Chipen 1y ago
My friend and I attempted to cycle over 1300 kilometers during our university summer vacation without any special training. We just started off. This experience was very memorable because we had limited funds; I didn't have a sun-protective suit, and the bicycle was borrowed. Some protective gear was even handmade by my friend's mother, for which I am truly grateful. There was a particularly embarrassing incident where I even used women's sanitary pads because the area had become numb after long hours of cycling, and I needed something to cushion it. My friend bought them for me and insisted I use them. We also met many interesting people along the way. In short, although it was challenging, it was very fun. I believe that in life, some out-of-the-ordinary things are worth doing, but please always pay attention to safety.
- Chipen 1y ago
  It took us ten days.
  - lostlogin 1y ago
    That’s a good distance per day. Comfortably breaking 100km is one thing, doing it day after day is quite another.
lqet 1y ago
Reading this, I feel slightly embarrassed about our largely unplanned 100 km family cycling tour to France 1.5 years ago. We used our standard day-to-day Peugeot bikes from the 70ies, and a relatively new children's trailer. Because our bikes were so old, I made sure to have all the tools with me to fix anything broken, despite the relatively short distance. The bikes didn't have a single mechanical failure, not even a flat tire. But halfway through our trip, the trailer had a broken spoke. I removed the spoke, hoping that the rest of wheel would hold together, but all the remaining spokes immediately started to become loose after a few kilometers. I ended up truing the wheel using the remaining spokes, and than fixating the spoke nipples to the spokes and the rim with a pack of kid's plasters. To my surprise, this actually worked. We made the remaining 50km without problems, but stopped every kilometer or so to check if any spoke had become loose. Note that we largely cycled through the French and German countryside on dedicated bike routes on which we were the only cyclists most of the time, so this was relatively uncritical.
user777777 1y ago
There is nothing like the quiet sleek freedom of bicycle touring. Going as far each day as your legs will let you. No gas just peddling
QuinceOver 1y ago
Such a great post. I did my first bike trip last year—cycling Taiwan's Route 1 island loop last year over 3 weeks and it was one of the greatest trips of my life. Already want to do it again.
lexarflash8g 1y ago
Well biking and cycling is considered generally a high-class sport in the US -- but when you are in a bike out in the middle of nowhere you are vulnerable. And it seems like the friendly firefighters or citizens he met on the way made were being generous and made offers to help rather than OP asking for requests.
elmolino89 1y ago
Re spiders/anything entering your shoes: Do not leave them out in the open if possible. Unless the shoes are wet, pack them in a plastic bag and then put in the sleeping bag. I will sacrifice some comfort for not being afraid to put them on or spend the time cleaning them up from i.e. spiders or snails. I have used it few times while sleeping in the wild in Australia between Sydney and Brisbane without the tent or hammock.

242 points by benjbrooks 1y ago

One theme that pops out to me here is the reliance on other people being a positive experience for the author. In the software field, we tend to live pretty high up the economic value chain, which can abstract us a bit from participation in the more grassroots co-operative aspect of society. This can be alienating and warp worldview. When I'm hitchhiking to support packrafting trips or get back to where I launched my paraglider, I have no say in who I'm going to be chatting with and feeling gratitude towards. Initially that feeling of being reliant on whoever comes my way was difficult to adjust to after the false sense of individualism that a high paying job in a bubble of similar people brings. The benefit though is enormous. Now I stop to help anyone who's broken down on the side of the road despite the flash judgements their car or bumper stickers might bring. I'm much more aware of the value and interconnectedness of our society, and feel inspired to actively seek to contribute instead of remaining aloof. Most importantly, I realize that there's a whole lot of people out there looking to help people out at any turn, and that gives me a lot of faith.

cynicalpeace 1y ago
I hitchhiked Mainland China in 2019, and it's true that you are constantly relying on the kindness of other people. But I would argue that the type of person that does this kind of thing is very independent and thrives in an individualist environment. After all- it's you that's inserting yourself into an environment of strangers. When I was in China, people were bewildered as to why anyone would ever hitchhike. Whereas in America, a 5 year old knows what hitchhiking is.
- contingencies 1y ago
  Err yeah, mostly based in China ~2001-2022 here. Basically in China hitchhiking makes you look like a criminal because there's perfectly good long distance transport for not much and the government bans people it doesn't like from using it. Therefore, if you're thumbing you're looking suss. Sounds like a cool trip! Where'd you go to/from? Got a write-up somewhere? Highlights? I really enjoyed cycle touring in the west of China, there's some really beautiful areas.
  - coldtea 1y ago
    >Therefore, if you're thumbing you're looking suss Not if you're a westerner and look like an obvious tourist/trekker, etc
raffael_de 1y ago
I made similar experiences - some also through hitch hiking. One major takeaway for me was how often my "flash judgements" are wrong or unfair. I'd also say that asking for help and trusting is more of a strength one has to develop and nurture than a sign of weakness, which is what I used to believe.
- jajko 1y ago
  That classic meme of guys never asking for driving direction, so women have to... but its not so much meme, just refusal to step out of comfort self-zone
schmookeeg 1y ago
Thank you for this. You gelled several ideas I was ruminating on over my morning tea -- my aloofness and my sneaking suspicion that self-sufficiency is isolating from society at large. I still pull over to help motorists. You've inspired me to look for more opportunities like those. :)
dangus 1y ago
I feel like this comment and the article itself together in context have kind of a sour taste for me. Just the fact that it takes such a great effort to experience first-hand how poorer people just help each other out because nobody has money, so they help. But for a tech bro to do that they have to engage in a self-indulgent hobby and cosplay as poor like they're on Undercover Boss. Ironically this effort to relate to other real live humans with normal incomes is only possible by indulging in the ultimate luxury, which is taking major time off of work rather than being stuck working a shit job. This is all done with a straight face while jamming a sentence full of words like "paraglider" and "packrafting." This whole subject is all so stereotypical tech bro in such an unappealing way. Maybe this sounds unnecessarily bitter, but I think a valid alternate take on this is that privileged people are taking advantage of the kindness of others to get a bunch of help they don't need to help them achieve a goal that is a frivolous luxury. It's great we all get to feel warm fuzzy gratitude but it seems like the NPCs in this main character syndrome story are the people inconvenienced by the OP. Example: asking the fire department for a place to sleep, they probably feel bad so they let OP sleep in the fire department. But as a tech startup founder and software engineer, OP could have almost certainly afforded a basic motel each night with minimal to zero planning and effort and not resorted to inconveniencing other people. It feels a little bit like your CEO going to the food bank doesn't it? The median firefighter earns under $60k and dude who has probably outearns that salary in passive investment income is asking for a place to crash. I bet if the firefighter knew that they'd surely still be nice on the outside but they'd probably have a negative story to tell their spouse when they got home. I completely understand that not booking a motel facilitated human connection and all that loveliness but I sense that the benefit is very one-sided. In Zuckerberg-esque style, the tech bro gets to cosplay as a human with real emotions, while on the "normie NPC" side they get to deal with a tech bro on a bicycle asking for weird shit while they're just trying to get through a shift.
- _rpxpx 1y ago
  Agreed. This sort of article does convey a lot about the mental world of the tech bro. Apart from the surprise at the hospitality of "normal people" it has the glassy sheen of purely procedural mind. I mean, one is not exactly swept away by the sense of adventure. It's a sort of fitness exercise.
giantg2 1y ago
"we tend to live pretty high up the economic value chain, which can abstract us a bit from participation in the more grassroots co-operative aspect of society." I really don't see this as being directly true. Most sorts of interactions where we would depend on others/strangers would happen outside of a job, just like all the examples you give. Maybe there's some truth to the stereotype that us IT guys are nerds and participate in fewer IRL group hobbies, which could make your statement indirectly true. However, there's still communities build around stuff like MMORPGs, FOSS, etc where people are from different backgrounds and regions. But then again, maybe I'm the odd one out as a middle class developer with everyone making more than me.
- jaxtracks 1y ago
  Oh yeah that's a sweeping generalization of course. My point was that the heavy reliance on paid services that usually comes with a white-collar lifestyle reduces participation in community-based mutual aid and deepens cultural divides. I figure this probably gets worse with higher income since the more services you can afford, the less you may feel you need community. Diverse hobby groups are also a great way of attacking these divides, but may lack the aspect of vulnerability that comes from experiences like the author's.
- coldtea 1y ago
  >However, there's still communities build around stuff like MMORPGs, FOSS, etc Both are luxury communities though. I mean, the example MMORPGs as a community, it has nothing to do with the community experience of poorer people "people helping each other to get by" mentioned
7402 1y ago
> Now I stop to help anyone who's broken down on the side of the road I have a certain amount of fear about doing this sort of thing. I am ashamed of that, too. When I was in college (this was in a small city), I was walking at night by the library and I saw someone trip and fall in front of me. I asked if they were hurt and if I could help. He hobbled up and said yes, one leg was injured, but he just needed some help to get back to his car. I helped walk him four or five blocks, supporting his shoulder. In a darker bit of street, his friend tackled me to the ground and threatened to kill me with his gun. He took my wallet, ordered me not to stir from where he pushed me under a car, and they ran off. To be explicit here, the tripping and falling was fake. The campus police took me to the student health services; my knee was banged and slightly scraped from the tackle. I related the story to the doctor and he said, "Well, you can't stop helping people." On the other hand, the cop just said, if anything like that ever happens, I didn't have to handle it myself, just call them, they were happy to come and assist anyone who might need help on campus. I still help others when I can, but I am always cautious about my environment and assessing the circumstances

soared 1y ago

Props to the author for grinding through this, but I think a very strongly worded and formatted warning is needed at the top. Embarking on this trip with so little knowledge meant putting yourself far away from civilizations while criminally underprepared. I love the energy of Supertramps, but there is a reason they are controversial. It would be very easy to make a mistake and be in big trouble - underestimating water needs in a barren stretch, a hole in your tire (not tube) and not knowing how to fix it, etc. it’s pure luck you didn’t not over exert a small muscle or ligament locking you out of cycling during recovery.

pavel_lishin 1y ago
For what it's worth, he did carry a satellite phone. But I do agree - this felt like a wildly optimistic decision to make :P
- dkarl 1y ago
  He also had experience backpacking, so he had experience managing water and preparing for weather, so I would say it was optimistic, but not dangerous (except for the danger of getting killed by a driver.)
  - throwway120385 1y ago
    IME drivers are by far the biggest danger on the road.
    - yunusabd 1y ago
      I was wondering how it went for the author. Didn't see any mention of traffic in the article. Probably a lot of open roads, but at least in the populated areas traffic must have been a factor?
      - pavel_lishin 1y ago
        It seems he was following a pre-set route that's been used for ... decades, now? I'm guessing it's optimized to keep cyclists out of high-traffic areas.

bryanlarsen 1y ago

Another way to do it is the way my cousin did: do it over a period of 15 years. She took a week of vacation time during most of those years to do a chunk of the route.

ghaff 1y ago
Section hiking on long distance trails is pretty common as well. Most people aren’t in a position to just take off and do the Appalachian Trail or Pacific Crest Trail in one shot.

fifilura 1y ago

Some do this in 8 days https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_Across_America https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_Across_America But 51 days is also fantastic!

yunusabd 1y ago
Your brother learned to read at the age of 4, but learning it at 7 1/2 is also fantastic!
JKCalhoun 1y ago
Deciding whether to trade sleep for distance… Wild.
juliogreff 1y ago
Completely different experience though, since RAAM is a supported race, a very different kind of suffering. The Trans Am is a more comparable one (though still a race): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_Am_Bike_Race https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_Am_Bike_Race

mrcwinn 1y ago

Unreal. Great achievement!

sour-taste 1y ago

Congrats! It was super interesting to read about the western express, when I did this a few years ago I did the astoria route: https://blaise.bike/ https://blaise.bike/ Did you look into different tires? 8 flats seems like a lot. I got exactly one running schwalbe marathon plus tires. Overall what was your favorite part of the trip?

dmwiens 1y ago
Not OP, but I also went across America along the Northern Tier in 2023 with Schwalbe Marathon Plus's. I think I got 9 flats total, 7 of which were in Montana for some reason. I always tried to investigate and eliminate the source of the flat, but sometimes you are just repeatedly unlucky (in my experience).
benjbrooks 1y ago
i didn't look into different tires. my hypothesis is that most of my flats can be attributed to all the weight being on the back tire. favorite part was jumping into extended conversations with strangers. from a scenery perspective, coming down into Lake Tahoe from Eldorado was just absolutely stunning. same when I went past Bryce Canyon.
- contingencies 1y ago
  Route wise, did you deviate at all from the suggested route? Never felt the call of a fork in the road? I find value in small roads (less traffic) where feasible. Basically riding with wildlife rather than cars. Rhythm wise, super surprised you did the whole thing without stopping! I used to do a half day (pre-dawn to late morning) then chillax at a place and explore. This gave time to recover, take in the area, balance cycling with walking, and time to maybe wash some clothes which means carrying less. Rest days can be best days. That's totally nuts you did the whole thing without stopping! I'd be sketchy on those Utah areas too - no shade! Probably would have camped out at the lookout there, etc. Of course, not feasible if you're running out of water. I'm getting old now (43) but have to mention one thing I never properly appreciated in my earlier travels and regret missing was the biology. iNaturalist is friggin' awesome. It has never been easier to get in to biology, and it adds a deeply fascinating dimension to travel. Looking at those instant pot meals, foraging would be one application! Re. Diet, I was veg when I did most of my cycle trips too. Used to acquire bags of raw husked peanuts as easy protein. On later trips (Romania) deeply appreciated eating a steak! So... any ideas for next trip? Europe? New Zealand? Around Australia? Back across Canada from "Europe"? https://maps.app.goo.gl/URwtvz9wxWHWYEb18 https://maps.app.goo.gl/URwtvz9wxWHWYEb18 Good luck, don't be afraid to slow down, and keep it up. Once you have kids it becomes difficult to continue.

limaoscarjuliet 1y ago

I did the same, the opposite direction. If you are interested, there is a whole community of people that do this called Crazy Guy on a Bike. My Trip: https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1&doc_id=10372&v=2E https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1&doc_id=10372&v=2E

towndrunk 1y ago

There is a Japanese kid riding across the U.S. and documenting it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GcBzfu7u0nw https://youtu.be/GcBzfu7u0nw

rd 1y ago

I'd love to do this one day! Curious - after reading, the part about wildlife scares me. Did you ever run into genuinely worrying situations with wildlife? Hearing about Black widow spiders alone makes me want to only do this with a van following behind me to sleep in at night!

wincy 1y ago
That black widow spider could be inside your house right now. Houses afford us protection but not immunity from these things. Spiders are notoriously resistant to pesticides as they require direct contact since they don’t clean themselves like insects do (thus not ingesting the poison on the floor or wherever they’re creeping along).
bluGill 1y ago
Most wildlife is somewhat afraid of humans so long as they are not taught otherwise. They know you are big and don't know if you are going to eat them so they stay away. Mountain lions are the only possible exception. So long as you don't get close and don't give them reason to get close they will generally leave you alone. The above is why it is critical to keep food either hung in a tree or in bear proof containers. So long as bears don't see humans and think "I've found food near them" they will stay away - but once they realize humans mean food there is trouble. Wild areas rarely have problems - causal campers don't realize how important proper bear protection is and over time bears have figured it out. The black widow and a few other spiders and insects are exceptions - they will target you. (though mostly spiders leave you alone)
JKCalhoun 1y ago
Ha ha, I felt like you did when I moved to California and found them everywhere when I started looking for them. Never got bit in the 26 years I lived among them. And people there were freaked out when they heard I was from Kansas and thought little of having grown up around the perhaps more frightening Brown Recluse. You'll be fine.
benjbrooks 1y ago
i was a little worried about bears for the night or two i was in bear country but my fear of cars and weather was far more top of mind

carabiner 1y ago

Met an Austrian guy who biked from NYC to LA in the early '90s. He had a paper list of people across the country who were bike tourer friendly who could house him, and he'd call them on payphones. He didn't have a tent, so he'd also sleep in post offices.

googlryas 1y ago
I never slept in a post office, but rural firefighters were always very good to me on bikepacking trips. Plying me with food and letting me sleep in their gym or somewhere around the station.

floriannn 1y ago

I have 2500 miles so far this year and could do a century any random day without preparation and I’m doubting whether or not I can do GDMBR, meanwhile this guy didn’t even own a bike, didn’t even do more than 30 miles once he did, and just set off across the country. I guess I should just do it.

beezlebroxxxxxx 1y ago
At your fitness level, you're more than capable of doing a long bikepacking trail. The hard part isn't really fitness (for any moderately experienced biker unless your trip has a specific time or FKT goal), it's the logistics of food + shelter, the mental grind, and dealing with possible repairs.
- floriannn 1y ago
  Yeah I have done some trips before, max was 8 days with 85-100 miles each day, some decent elevation (max 11k feet in a day, but others around 5-6k) pretty bad weather, mix of paved and gravel. No chance I’m coming anywhere close to Lachlan’s time on GDMBR but I do need to finish in under 40 days. This guy was using Rockbros bags and rack and I’m wondering if I should swap out my Tailfin for a more durable OMM rack…
hackingonempty 1y ago
If you haven't, check out Mat Ryder's videos on YouTube. He's newly retired guy in decent shape from jogging who buys a bike and does the GDMBR while making a bunch of videos. He shows everything and at the end talks about how much he spent and how much less he could have spent if he tried harder to be frugal. You can see how an average guy without any bikepacking experience do it. You can do it too! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3-zVwEVdJ-UbC1DT4tSGgyfi55qLcGPX https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3-zVwEVdJ-UbC1DT4tSG...
0_____0 1y ago
Yep just do it. (Gdmbr 2022)
juliogreff 1y ago

blindstitch 1y ago

I think that finding free camping outside when you are in some shit nothing town is probably the most important skill to have, which is easy with satellite maps. Once you get the hang of it you realize that every town has at least one site where you can definitely get away with pitching a tent for one night. I think I have camped this way about 80 times and have never even been asked what I'm doing. That said, state and national park campgrounds are a great deal and you sometimes meet other tourers there, so they're good for a day when you want to take it easy for a morning. I sometimes get a kick out of zooming in on nowhere, USA and looking for spots. And some advice for anyone doing this for the first time and feels compelled to pay to camp - never stay at a KOA, consider them an absolute last resort. There is no bigger waste of money and RV culture is extremely cursed.

zhivota 1y ago
I did it this way back in 2007 when I didn't even have a smartphone, you can develop an eye for it at the ground level as well. I camped 8 nights without paying once and never had an issue. The only time I had to resort to help was in suburban Cleveland area, it got dark and it was too built up to stealth camp anywhere, so I ended up stopping at the fire station and they let me camp in their yard. They are there all night anyway so they are usually fine with it. The weirdest spot was in another suburban area, I camped behind a row of shrubs next to a cellphone tower installation haha. Wasn't the best setup but places like that usually don't get any traffic until business hours, so as long as you're in late and out early, you're fine.
- mauvehaus 1y ago
  Were you heading east through Cleveland and did some rando try to give you directions to a spot in Shaker Lakes metro park that involved jumping a guardrail near a bridge? If so, that was me; sorry I didn't offer up a couch at my place; my roommates wouldn't have been cool with it.
  - zhivota 1y ago
    Hah, honestly I have no idea, but that does sound like something that could have happened. It's funny how memory fades and we are only left with snippets as we get older.

seizethecheese 1y ago

Of interest for the HN audience: the founder of grubhub has a memoir that tells the stories of biking across the country and starting grubhub in parallel. I found it an enjoyable read.

unreal6 1y ago
name/link?

mturmon 1y ago

Very nice summary. I did a similar cross-country trip and 100% endorse many of the conclusions at the end. (The Kansas winds and the hills of the Ozarks (central Missouri) were both surprisingly challenging and demoralizing, even after the continental divide.)

JKCalhoun 1y ago

I talked a friend into doing just the Katy trail across the state of Missouri a year ago. Like the author, I have a steel Trek 520. I did zero training — but the Katy trail is just one state. I hated it every day — right up until we finished it. The boredom, the drudgery of every day. Now I can't wait to go again. There was a weird thing that crept into my brain by about day 4 or so — I kind of didn't want to linger off the saddle for long. Strangely, I was starting to kind of prefer being on the saddle than to being off. Also, having done a minimal of research, there were often unexpected happy surprises that would pop up from time to time — for example a sudden bar along the banks of the Missouri River (Cooper's Landing — not, you know, a sand bar). I credit my friend being there for keeping me determined not to "puss out" and bail early. And he told me after he was waiting for me to bail so he could have an excuse to quit as well. We met all manner of other riders: many, like us, on their first bike tour. The six or so days on the saddle can be done, physically, by about anyone. I am almost 61 and over weight. I trained on the trail. I think if I had prepared before hand my ass might have been less sore — more "broken in". (It also would have been boring though.)

downut 1y ago

For the people who are wondering whether this is a good idea or not, lemme tell you about some x-country cyclists I met on a ride. 3 years ago in the middle of summer I was climbing Iron Springs Rd on the west side of Prescott AZ. 3 youngish cyclists were paused on the side of the road with an apparent mechanical. They had a modest amount of camping gear in their panniers. Turns out they were French, had the barest grasp of English (I have the barest grasp of French), and needed a derailleur adjusted (no gears, no climb). I fixed them up and of course I was damned curious about their situation. Turns out, they on a whim flew into NYC, bought some not serious bikes and camping gear, and... just started biking across the country! In the middle of summer! In the wrong direction! Going to LA! And their pins... NOT CYCLISTS. The Iron Springs climb tops out at 6000' or so, the weather is awesome in summer. However that is the end of weather happiness for 300 miles or so, because it's a steady drop from there into the desert, all the way down to the Colorado River. Temps in the 100-115F range are normal. Water is scarcer there than on just about any roads in the country. I was pretty alarmed so I got it across that they needed to show me their route. As best I could I showed them the best way on maps to not die. I tried my damnedest to get across they should not bike in the afternoons. "extra chaud!" etc. And off they went. Never found out if they made it or not, but... you just can't keep humans down. They will always find a way to do the craziest things.

stevage 1y ago
Yeah, I'm always amazed what young people can get away with on the spur of the moment. Was in Kyrgyzstan recently, and there's a popular hike that everyone does (Ala Kul). But it's HARD. And the people that do it are often not hikers. It's 3 days, but it involves a massive climb at altitude, and you have all these random backpackers attempting it because...well, that's what you do. And by and large they all seem to get through it ok.
testing22321 1y ago
I’ve bumped into scores of people doing the same around Africa, from Alaska to Argentina, all over Europe etc. There are tons of people out there having great adventures!

shaftway 1y ago

I've done a much shorter route, but still long with a similar amount of preparation - Port Angeles, WA to San Francisco, CA I can not recommend it highly enough. It took us 2 weeks which is a much more reasonable amount of time to take off. I wasn't really prepped and not in great physical shape, which made it more difficult, but it was so rewarding. That route is very popular and there are hiker / biker camp sites every 30 miles or so. About half the people you see each night are going the same direction as you, so you probably saw them last night. I would strongly recommend the paper maps from ACA. They are fantastic, and you can get a holder that goes between your handlebars. It's really hard to use your phone as a GPS when you're out of power. I also broke a spoke on my wheel and it wasn't a very common wheel type. The person I went with had to go 20 miles back to a bike shop and ended up buying me a whole new wheel. So getting bog-standard equipment is very helpful.

billsmithaustin 1y ago

Congrats to the author. I plan to do Oregon -> Virginia next year but I'll take more like 80 days than the author's 51.

RankingMember 1y ago

Hey man, nice one! Only critique of the write-up is I'm sure you have more pics and would love to see them interspersed or in a gallery at the end!

benjbrooks 1y ago
check out the map! https://map.brooks.team https://map.brooks.team

vivzkestrel 1y ago

dude forget eating and sleeping man, my biggest concern is pooping. I need atleast 1 gallon of water everytime I hit the washroom to clean myself as I require portable bidets to clean the area in squat position thanks to some crazy medical history. How do you manage such a condition and travelling with the fact that I also need to drink atleast half a gallon of water, piss 10 times a day at the minimum. I am not exaggerating even once bit. Seriously, how do you manage traveling with this kinda stuff

yapyap 1y ago

tip: include which country in the title, “the country” doesnt tell the reader much.

sodality2 1y ago

Wow, I grew up in Yorktown and I remember seeing a lot of tour bikers. Never thought twice about it until now, seems like it's largely a result of the TransAmerica trail. Hope you enjoyed Colonial Williamsburg + Yorktown Beach!

CommenterPerson 1y ago

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peterburkimsher 1y ago

The blogger recommends Warmshowers for accommodation. That's good, but costs money. BeWelcome.org is free accommodation, like Airbnb or CouchSurfing but without money! And open-source, in many countries, and very hospitable to refugees.

stevage 1y ago

Wow, that is completely wild. I have done an absolute ton of cycle touring (at least 60 trips, in 5 countries), and the idea of buying a bike 2 weeks before a trip, and embarking on a solo journey like this with no experience blows my mind. He seems to have made some really savvy decisions though, like getting a proper bike fit, and knew enough about camping and meal prep etc to make it work. Kudos to him.

timonoko 1y ago

I made it twice in 1980s. Or maybe trice, at least piecewise. -- Note about "prepadness". No need for that. I started at 70km per day, but eventually made 500 km in 24h. Because good back wind and too hot for camping by the road. It takes about two weeks to totally numbify youres backside. Thereafter rockhard professional saddle is the best. https://youtu.be/8D-S8nYCwjA?si=TZfnb2qrkiZdiYU6 https://youtu.be/8D-S8nYCwjA?si=TZfnb2qrkiZdiYU6

fransje26 1y ago
> https://youtu.be/8D-S8nYCwjA?si=TZfnb2qrkiZdiYU6 https://youtu.be/8D-S8nYCwjA?si=TZfnb2qrkiZdiYU6 TIL that Pan Am was flying Airbuses! > It takes about two weeks to totally numbify your backside. Beat you sit-bones into submission until your pain-reporting nerves give up.. The week-and-a-half before you get there, though.. Ouch.
fransje26 1y ago
> https://youtu.be/8D-S8nYCwjA?si=TZfnb2qrkiZdiYU6 https://youtu.be/8D-S8nYCwjA?si=TZfnb2qrkiZdiYU6 Quite a helmet! Cool, eclectic video. With a bit of a teleport jump between the Pecos river and NY. :-)
- timonoko 1y ago
  Sony Handycam froze. But recovered when I realized there is no hurry and I stayed some days in a warm hotel in New Jersey.

Chipen 1y ago

My friend and I attempted to cycle over 1300 kilometers during our university summer vacation without any special training. We just started off. This experience was very memorable because we had limited funds; I didn't have a sun-protective suit, and the bicycle was borrowed. Some protective gear was even handmade by my friend's mother, for which I am truly grateful. There was a particularly embarrassing incident where I even used women's sanitary pads because the area had become numb after long hours of cycling, and I needed something to cushion it. My friend bought them for me and insisted I use them. We also met many interesting people along the way. In short, although it was challenging, it was very fun. I believe that in life, some out-of-the-ordinary things are worth doing, but please always pay attention to safety.

Chipen 1y ago
It took us ten days.
- lostlogin 1y ago
  That’s a good distance per day. Comfortably breaking 100km is one thing, doing it day after day is quite another.

lqet 1y ago

Reading this, I feel slightly embarrassed about our largely unplanned 100 km family cycling tour to France 1.5 years ago. We used our standard day-to-day Peugeot bikes from the 70ies, and a relatively new children's trailer. Because our bikes were so old, I made sure to have all the tools with me to fix anything broken, despite the relatively short distance. The bikes didn't have a single mechanical failure, not even a flat tire. But halfway through our trip, the trailer had a broken spoke. I removed the spoke, hoping that the rest of wheel would hold together, but all the remaining spokes immediately started to become loose after a few kilometers. I ended up truing the wheel using the remaining spokes, and than fixating the spoke nipples to the spokes and the rim with a pack of kid's plasters. To my surprise, this actually worked. We made the remaining 50km without problems, but stopped every kilometer or so to check if any spoke had become loose. Note that we largely cycled through the French and German countryside on dedicated bike routes on which we were the only cyclists most of the time, so this was relatively uncritical.

user777777 1y ago

There is nothing like the quiet sleek freedom of bicycle touring. Going as far each day as your legs will let you. No gas just peddling

QuinceOver 1y ago

Such a great post. I did my first bike trip last year—cycling Taiwan's Route 1 island loop last year over 3 weeks and it was one of the greatest trips of my life. Already want to do it again.

lexarflash8g 1y ago

Well biking and cycling is considered generally a high-class sport in the US -- but when you are in a bike out in the middle of nowhere you are vulnerable. And it seems like the friendly firefighters or citizens he met on the way made were being generous and made offers to help rather than OP asking for requests.

elmolino89 1y ago

Re spiders/anything entering your shoes: Do not leave them out in the open if possible. Unless the shoes are wet, pack them in a plastic bag and then put in the sleeping bag. I will sacrifice some comfort for not being afraid to put them on or spend the time cleaning them up from i.e. spiders or snails. I have used it few times while sleeping in the wild in Australia between Sydney and Brisbane without the tent or hammock.