Cycling Coast to Coast

Bodega Bay, California

Cycling Coast to Coast

IT’S THE JOURNEY THAT MATTERS NOT THE DESTINATION

In 2012 I came up with a bizarre idea. The idea was simple to cycle coast to coast from New York to San Francisco. Why those two cities to start and finish your cycle you ask. Well, they are the two cities I was to check out and everything in between is just space!

I had finished uni, and this would be my “Gap year”. A page is dedicated to a daily blog of the journey at https://www.zibaadventures.com/adventures-journal/cycling-america/

To cycle coast to coast of America or Great Britain requires a few things that I wish I had spent a bit more time planning towards. There is an excellent quote from National Geographic explorer Sarah Marquis “Commit to the journey just before you feel fully ready.”

So true, if you plan down to a t you probably won’t do it. I was told so many scare stories from people who said they knew someone who had died, been shot and anything else you can imagine to put someone off going. Nearly all had never been to America!!

I believe that cycles are the best way to see a place, city or country. While I have down quite a few expeditions with my bicycle, I probably can’t give you advice on how you complete your epic journey. I can offer a few tips to help you achieve your goal.

Teton National Park

Research

I got a call from a friend three years after I did my trip saying he is thinking about cycling coast to coast of America. He hadn’t got a bike yet but knew which one he wanted, wasn’t sure where to start, but after ten minutes of going through it, he announces he plans to begin in three days !! I told him to wait a week or two to plan a little better.

It is get up, cycle, eat, sleep, repeat but you have to think about where do I sleep, and that is a challenge each day if you are wild camping. You can get to dusk and have the problem of finding a spot to hide away and not to be disturbed (for more tips check out https://www.zibaadventures.com/wild-camping-tips/)

A good option if a warm bed and shower are more your thing is Warmshowers.org a couch surfing equivalent for cyclists. These places are free, and usually, the host has a similar story to you and is looking to give back.

There is also other webistes to check out such as https://matadornetwork.com/read/cycling-solo-across-usa/

North America

You don’t need much stuff

On my first trip, I stuffed my panniers with, actually on all the expeditions I have carried my laptop and hefty camera gear.

This is not necessary, you get more out of travelling when you have the freedom to move freely from place to place. I carried things like mosquitos nets in case! Be ruthless with your packing, camera phone instead of a camera etc. and you will thank me for it.

Just go and even if you don’t feel ready

As I said early, you will never be 100% ready; there is always more research you can do more tips. I researched the weather at that time of year, and the average was about 28 degrees celsius; however, for the majority of the trip, the weather was more like 38 degrees celsius.

What I am saying is be flexible and hope for the best, prepare for the worst. People you meet are super friendly and will help you along the way; it is overwhelming at times how kind and generous people can be.

Meeting people in Illinois

Conclusion

Cycling coast to coast is an unforgettable experience and will stay with you for a lifetime. But as the cliché goes, it’s not the destination that matters it the journey along the way. Take your time and enjoy it, every moment, the encounters with locals, the sometimes crappy food and odd the places you end up staying.

For more posts on Cycling check Out

https://www.zibaadventures.com/cycling-guide/