cyccommute 

I've been at my job for 37 years. At about 15 years, my vacation accrual maxed at at 26 days per year. I could carry over more but only slightly up to 35 days or 9 days more than the maximum. Anything I don't use over the 280, I lose. Since I'm not in the habit of donating time back to my company, I had to do something with my vacation time and there's only so much sitting around the house that you can stand, so I started to look for adventures.


Touring doesn't have to be expensive. Yes, travel to the beginning of a tour can be costly. Shipping a bike to the beginning of a tour can be costly. (Watch the dimensions of the bike box you use. Even a fraction of an inch over the limit doubles the shipping cost.). But the riding isn't all that expensive.

I often drive to a starting point and park my car at, for example, a long term airport parking lot. That way I avoid the hassles of getting a bike on a plane...expensive and chancy...and the hassles of getting all kinds of baggage through TSA. The cost is really about the same. Take, for example, a tour I did in 2015. The cost of a flight to Toledo is about $370. To send the bike on the plane would cost me $150 each way for a flight cost of $670. I could ship my bike to Toledo but where would I ship it to? How would I get to where I shipped it? Where would I put the box for 5 weeks? That applies to both the shipping and airlines since bicycles have to be packed in a box to send on an airline. Where would I get a box to ship it back if I didn't find a place to keep a box for 5 weeks?

Then there are the TSA regulations. I can't send fuel canisters through even checked bags. TSA regulations on stoves are tricky to follow and you may end up with a no stove because it was confiscated (in violation of the Constitution, I might add). Not a great way to start a tour. And I'm not sure TSA would look kindly on tents, sleeping bags, bike tools and other items for carry-on. They might even be questionable for checked bags, especially if you use liquid fuel for cooking and carry it in a pannier.

So I usually drive to a start point. This is what the 2015 trip looked like

Bike and touring stuff

2015-04-23 06.25.21 by Stuart Black, on Flickr

Docked excursion module in mother ship

2015-04-23 07.38.13 by Stuart Black, on Flickr

Undocking in Toledo

IMGP0245 by Stuart Black, on Flickr

Parking cost me $8 per day or $280 plus a ton of gas to get there and back. But that's still less cost and far less hassle than taking a plane.

For one way rides, rather than loops, I've also use one-way car rentals which are expensive...probably more expensive then planes... as well but still less hassle than airplanes. If you can drive to your starting location in 24 hours, it will cost you around $300. But it does allow you the freedom of doing ride throughs rather then having to return to a starting point. You'd be amazed at how far you can drive in 24 hours. Portland, OR to Denver is 1240 miles. It can be done, with gas, snack and bathroom breaks, in close to the 18 hours that Google says. I've also driven the 1000 miles from Terre Haute, ID to Denver in about 15 hours. It's two days from Burlington, VT (stopped in Terre Haute) to Denver. I wouldn't want to do that drive again but it is possible.

Unlike me, my wife has switched jobs frequently so she never got to the vacation level that I have. Rather than go with someone and suffer the friction of differences in personalities, I go alone. (The only thing worse then going alone is going with someone and the only thing worse than going with someone is touring alone.)

But not every tour has to be an expedition. There are lots and lots of tours that can start from your front door (or further along if you can get someone to drive you). I've done several tours in Colorado...both along and with my wife...several times. We did a week along the Katy Trail that involved leaving our truck in St. Charles and riding Amtrak to the start of our tour. I don't know where you live but Colorado now has a bus system called the Bustang which I have used for an off-road trip and I plan on using it for several more. I can get from Denver to just about any jumping off point I want without having to use my car.

"But...", "but...", "but..." are the rocks upon which many a bicycle tour and budding bicycle tourist are dashed. Don't let them get in your way. You just have to swallow your fears and get out there. As the Great Pee Wee Herman once said, "Everyone has a big but, Simone. Let's talk about your big but." (There is a lot of wisdom in Pee Wee's Big Adventure that is applicable to bicycle touring. I suggest you watch it.)