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How far was it, and how long did it take?
The total distance of the trip was 4258 miles and it took 65 days.
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How many miles did you average each day?
We averaged 65.5 miles per day.
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The longest day was from Dighton, KS to Larned, KS a total of 97 miles.
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The shortest day was19 miles from Missoula, MT to Chief Looking Glass Fishing Camp, MT.
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We averaged 12.9 mph for the whole trip.
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This is a difficult question to answer because we used equipment we've had for several years as well as newly purchased just for this trip. The cost just for travel to the start, lodging, and food averaged out to $35 per day per person.
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We stopped at ATM's along the way so we always had an amount of cash on hand, but most of the purchases were made with debit and credit cards.
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Why did you choose the route you are riding?
We chose to ride the Transamerica trail, developed by Adventure Cycling 26 years ago, for several reasons. First of all it is a time tested route that is ridden by scores of bike tourers every year, and has been traversed by thousands of riders since it's inception in 1976. There is a lot of information available from previous riders documenting overnight accommodations, restaurants and cafes, and sights that need to be seen. A great variety of scenery including Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, grass roots Americans that serve up hometown hospitality and cooking, and lightly traveled back roads make this the ideal cross country crossing.
For a map and more detailed information about the route, see the Route map.
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What training did you do to be ready for the trip?
All three of us are committed to life long fitness, and have been cycling to achieve this goal for about 8 years Daily cycling gave us a good base to build on for this trip. Of course you can never prepare for all that will be encountered on a cross country ride. There comes a point where you just have to do it. Your body will adapt to the long days in the saddle and the stress of long tough climbs.
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What gear did you take with you?
Take a look at our equipment and packing lists for a complete listing of what was needed for the trip. This list does not include everything we started the trip with, just what we consider absolutely necessary. We found out early on that we had over packed and on two different occasions sent things back home.
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We stayed in churches, hostels, fairgrounds, fire halls, campgrounds, motels, and a hog pen. About half the time was camping and half moteling.
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Everything we could get our hands on!
It was important to have a good breakfast in the morning so we either ate in a restaurant or purchased food in a grocery the night before that could be eaten in camp the next morning. Lunch was quite often PBJ sandwiches, granola bars, and fruit. Dinner was the largest meal of the day and almost exclusively eaten in a restaurant. Topped off with dessert - mostly pie a-la-mode.- back to top -
The weather during our trip was great. There were only 2 days we had to ride in the rain, and those were just showers. On those days we just put on our rain gear and kept riding.
There were 2 nights we got rained on in our tents, but those turned out to be some of the best nights sleep on the entire trip. The worst part was having to pack up wet gear the next morning, which added weight to our already heavy bikes.- back to top -
What were the roads like that you biked on?
They varied from great with little traffic and wide paved shoulders to narrow, busy, and no shoulders at all. Oregon was the state that had the best biker friendly roads. Colorado was the biggest disappointment.
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95% of the motorists were extremely courteous. They passed only when it was safe and gave us lots of room when they did go around. The place we had the most trouble with traffic was in the larger towns. It seemed those people had no patience for bicycles and didn't mind letting you know you shouldn't be on the highway. The stories we had read about the inconsiderate motorists in Farmington, MO were exactly right.
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The mountains in the west were long but gentle grades. For the most part they were relatively easy to climb, they just took a long time (several days in some cases) to get up. In the east it was a different story. The mountains are not as high, but the grades were much steeper. The Ozarks were tough because of the short, steep climbs. A roller coaster ride that went on forever. The most difficult mountains were in eastern Kentucky and western Virginia as we climbed over the Appalachians. They consisted of very steep climbs followed by fast and dangerous down hills.
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Why did you ride west to east?
We rode west to east because our homes, family, and friends are on the east coast. Going in this direction eliminated having to pack up bikes and gear at the end of the ride for shipment back home. We also didn't have to contend with the problem of making airline connections at the end of the ride. Our decision to go in this direction had nothing to do with prevailing winds. We expected head winds and tail winds regardless of the direction we went.
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There was wind every day on the Transamerica Trail! Most of the time it was a disadvantage. About 1/4 of the time it was in our favor, 1/4 of the time it was in our faces, and the other 1/2 it was a cross wind. For those who don't know a cross wind is just about as bad as a headwind.
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Was your security/welfare ever threatened?
We took cable locks along to lock our bikes. They were used the first night we camped and that was it. We shipped them home in Pueblo, CO when we shipped the winter gear. Security/welfare was never a problem.
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How did you communicate with folks back home?
We were able to send email home on a regular basis. Almost every town has a public library and librarians are more than happy to allow visiting cyclists to send and receive mail.
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Did you have any equipment problems?
The only equipment problems during the trip were 5 flat tires and one broken seat. Gary broke his seat when his bike fell over early in the trip and had to have it replaced. Fortunately there was a bike shop near by where a new seat could be purchased.
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