Bike Across America

A great friend by any measure of the word drove 5 hours to the Adirondaks to remove me from the mountains and return me to the NH soil that just…

Happy 4th from the new resident of Newcomb NY, bumping the population of this mountain town from 481 to 482. Spent 2 nights at Lake Harris and tonight will be…

In the mountains after 65 mile ride and a ferry across Lake Champ. Yup, its all mountains on this side. Camping at Lake Harris. Also taking a day of rest…

Got an early start in the morning after a peaceful sleep by the White River. Rolled through Rochester VT and picked up some fruit and “raw” energy bars. My stomach…

When at campground, as I am now, my posts will be short in order to conserve phone battery. Had trail mix for dinner last night because Inn’s bistro was closed…

This morning began with a tearful goodbye to my beautiful wife. She is driving out to Oregon to get our new life started. Though we have been apart in the…

With the trip hours away from kicking off I have taken full inventory of the materials that I will be carrying with me for the next 4,000 or so miles….

Though most of my day will consist of pedaling a bike, foraging and cooking food, and showering and cleaning my clothes, I am hoping to have several hours each day…

I’m getting married today to the girl of my dreams.  As a result, I am adding a gold ring to my cross-country touring arsenal.  If I get into a bind…

What????!!!!  Two posts in one day?  Yes, so I overshot on my departure date, so I need to gain some traction on the posts.   This post I am keeping…

Water is easy to come by while on the road when traveling main roads in and between towns.  This is due to the nature of modern gas stations that sell…

One of the lessons from my test drive is that, on most days my route will take me past several towns and food markets. Originally I packed enough fixings to…

We took the morning off today and enjoyed a coffee in Bath. Later we went back to the hotel and took a nap. Around 10:45 we packed up and headed…

We didn’t make Brunswick, but we f@%king tried. Arrived in Bath having traveled 46 miles and passed by a Hampton Inn and, maybe it was the second flat tire this…

This was intended to be a less intensive day. 45 miles from Bucksport to Rockport. Instead, it was a grueling day of 8 hours on the bike. Morning we awoke…

Had help from several friends getting a ride to Bar Harbor. Stayed at Black River campground last night and was awakened in the pre-dawn hours by rain that filtered into…

I brought some clothes to change into for when I am not at work.  Street clothes – or civilian clothes as us professional bastards call’em.  Just your basic stuff, but…

If it hasn’t been made clear in my prior posts, I am going on a long trip.  During this trip I will perform various sundry acts of exercise that will…

Here’s what we got: one glorified lunch box.  Strap that onto the bike handlebar, coat it with impenetrable shiny plastic, call it a bag, and charge a couple of Jacksons…

“Stop bugs dead in their tracks!” “I’m not drunk.” “Tell that to a breathalyzer.” …I’m bringing insect repellent on the trip in order to keep the bugs away.  The kind…

Despite the fact that I am homeless and soon to be unemployed, I refuse to heat my food over a burning trashcan.  Not even considering the weight of the barrel,…

So I need briefs for my junk.  And I considered it.  But what it comes down to is that I can’t go straight up briefs a la “Tighty Whitey” because…

I’ve already mentioned my cook set and silverware in prior posts.  To round out the meal-based trifecta I will also be bringing one MSR stainless steel bowl.  There’s really not…

Originally I wasn’t going to bring gloves, but having rode my bike in the rain I have found that, without gloves, the grip on a wet handlebar is tenuous at…

The posts are drying up around here.  Mainly because the content is getting pretty dull.  Take this post on pack towels for example. If heading on a bike or hiking…

That’s right.  I’m bringing “Big Helmet” with me on the ride.  So when I’m side-swiped by a giant pig-hauling tractor trailer and pushed head first into the ditch, I’ll still…

Socks.  I’m bringing 3-4 pairs of socks.  The white kind that ride at the ankles.  Like anything you could spend a long time researching the “best” socks for bicycle riding,…

If you ask bicycle tourers what the best type of lock is to buy for a bike you will get a different answer from different people.  Lets be clear about…

I’m rolling straight dope towards the Pacific Coasts with saddlebags (a.k.a. “panniers”) stuffed with gear.  Panniers are essential for any long distance travel, given that they are the best means…

I suppose it is human nature for one to be hopeful that, when one sets out on a “big adventure”, one may experience “life-altering events” that trigger “deep thoughts”.  As…

I’ll be traveling through Canada so will need to bring my U.S. Passport with me.  Despite the fact that my liberal viewpoint makes me “unpatriotic” to most bible thumping southerners…

So we’re channeling the 80′s on this ride.  I’m bringing a pair of leg warmers.  Made by Pearl iZumi, these bad boys have a nylon face for weather protection and…

Bandanas come highly recommended for a bike trip, mainly due to their versatility.  An obvious use for a bandana is appearance a.k.a. hippy fashion.  A dude wearing a bandana makes…

As if sent by God, or the angel of “Poop Shangle”, the HYmini is the one tool that any and all 21st century travelers must own.  Hands down and no…

Before I get started, has anybody noticed how truly dreadful the photographs are for this blog?  It’s nothing to be proud of.  To my defense though, have you ever attempted…

I would consider the sleeping pad optional in terms of “must have” equipment for a bike trip.  If I were instead hiking the AT, where I had to carry every…

Water is a pretty big deal on any excursion, mainly because humans need water in order to keep their body from breaking down.  On this trip I don’t know what…

I will be writing about the food that I am planning to pack in a later post, but for now suffice it to say that my planned menu for the…

I’m packing my filthy banged up sandals.  Packing it in and packing it deep. Check out these sweet flops.  They’ll come in handy if and when I want to go…

Hygiene notwithstanding, I have taken a firm stance and decided to only bring one pair of biking shorts with me on the trip.  And when I pull my bike into…

I am learning that every item that one must purchase in preparation for a long bike trip costs $120.  So quick expense calculation – count the number of items that…

The bike is a mechanical device and, as such, it requires maintenance and may still break in spite of this.  One option for keeping a bike in working order is…

One item that I knew I would need even before I got into researching cross-country bike travel was shoes.  This is because the only pair of sneakers that I have…

Part of playing the role of a dirty hippie male is to always carry with you some means of making music.  Most hippies choose a guitar, because chicks like a…

First aid is a nice catch phrase for safety enthusiasts and concerned mothers.  I’d be considered an idiot if I didn’t bring any first aid materials with me on the…

Any biped that has peed outside during the night knows that the surest way to contract poison ivy or sprain an ankle is to travel without a flashlight.  A headlamp…

Quick post because I am already half drunk and tired of staring at this cold dead computer screen.  You would think that I would be on a bike ride right…

If possessing a bike is the first necessary step in embarking on a cross-country bike trip, then having a sense of where one is going is probably the essential second….

For most of the trip I expect my filthy ass to be camping in some cramped damp tent upon some rocky frontier outpost.    So I’ll need a sleeping bag….

I purchased the bike today.  A Surly Long Haul Trucker.  The color is Truckaccino, a creamy brown sweetness.  It arrives Thursday. I’d say the bike is the most important accessory…