MKIV987

I've decided that I want to do the entire Pacific Coast Route starting in July 2012. I'll need to make arrangements obviously, so I was wondering (for those of you who have done the entire 1,800 miles or so) how long did it take you? What was your speed and what kind of daily mileage did you put in? How many rest days? All stories and advice is appreciated.

Another thing I've been wondering about the route is whether it's mostly on highways or trails. I've driven the Pacific Coast Highway and don't remember there being much room for a bike on the shoulder...

Dan The Man

The northern part of the California coast has some major hills. You never get to a really high elevation, but you spend all day going from sea level up several hundred feet and then back down.

I did it in a month. The first few days I was on my own so I just rode all day and finished the Washington coast from Port Angeles to Portland in 4 days. One of those days was 160 miles. After that I mostly rode with other people at a more relaxed pace of around 50 to 60 miles a day.

As most people here will tell you, plan for 10 miles per hour including breaks but not including lunch or long sightseeing stops.

Other stuff: the hiker biker sites at all of the State Parks are pretty nice and cheap. There will be tons of other cyclists travelling with you in the summer. Because you all go at roughly the same speed and direction and most of them are following the Adventure Cycling campsites you get to know everyone that is within a few days of you. Los Angeles is a mess, try to get through as quick as possible.

valygrl

99% road, not bike path or trail. Yes you have to share with cars. Mostly it's OK.

I haven't done the whole thing, but as they say "Your Mileage May Vary" - I generally plan on 50-70 miles a day, rest day once a week. 4-6 weeks. Try to fly Southwest or Frontier if you are flying - both have good bike baggage policies. Southwest serves all the major airports in the west, has good prices especially if you book a few weeks in advance, and has a very reasonable (no fee) ticket change policy.

Big Lew

Buddy and I, both middle-aged+ at the time, averaged 75 mi a day, including everything from wake up to bed time, and including 4-- 1/2 days. Great ride, tremendous scenery, good camping, traffic is normally aware it's a major cycling route, and are courteous and watchful. (didn't enjoy cycling around in San Francisco very much)

BigBlueToe

I rode from Seattle to Santa Cruz several years ago. I went back and did the part from Astoria (via Portland) to Crescent City. It's a great route and mostly bicycle-friendly until you get to norther California - the "Trees of Mystery" section.

I followed the route outlined in "Bicycling the Pacific Coast" by Kirkendall/Spring. It took 4 weeks to go as far as I went. I averaged about 55 miles a day and only took one rest day.

I had great times both times.

Bacciagalupe

I concur with most of the above, I usually ride around 10mph when on tour not including pit stops, and 60 miles a day is pretty good.

Including 1 day per week to rest, we're talking ~35 days.

The roads can be a little tight but most of the cars are taking it slowly. I haven't heard of any crashes on 1, and the AC route tends to avoid some iffy spots (e.g. near San Luis Obispo).

Jeremie

Hi, I did the route this summer, and remember checking this thread for info before leaving: just wanted to share the following blog for anyone who might be looking into doing the trip too.
https://cognac8.wordpress.com/catego...ver-san-diego/

fietsbob

17 years .. I came to stay.






[update: see below]




...

Ty0604

I've done Seattle to San Diego twice. Just over 1,300 miles. Once was 34 days and the other 39. The first trip was done with a friend or similar age/athletic build and the second trip was done with my three sisters (twins 17, other was 12). I could have done it much faster had I gone solo so I don't feel those are accurate times.

We spent a lot of time camping on the beach. We got kicked out of one spot on the second tour but otherwise no one seemed to bother us. The shoulder was pretty nonexistent in places. We never felt like we were in danger though and most motorist gave us plenty of space. In the instances where two vehicles were coming at each other we stopped and hugged the shoulder until they passed.

Good luck.

McBTC

Fyi-- The Pacific Coast Bicycle Route through Washington is missable.

rumrunn6

old thread, I know but just read about the landslide!

Landslide buries California's scenic highway near Big Sur - CNN.com

spinnaker

Why did you feel the need to wake up an ancient thread?

There is already a thread regarding the current condition of Hwy 1 and far more relevant than the thread in which you posted.

https://www.bikeforums.net/touring/10...r-hwy-1-a.html

rumrunn6

why? because I found this thread in a search, not the other one

trailangel

It's not ancient. This major slide just happened a couple days ago. What's the problem?

alan s 

This thread is going nowhere fast.

spinnaker

It is a 2 year old thread and the subject of the OP has nothing to do with closure of HWY1

rfield54

Because this thread shows up in a google search, and BECAUSE IT'S RELEVANT TO THE THEME OF THE ORIGINAL POST.

spinnaker

It is about touring so I guess it is.

robow

Definitely on the to-do list, now that my son lives in LA should make the logistics even easier.

Thanks for reviving this old thread Spin

rfield54

(Actually, the thread was revived by rumrunn6...spin was against revival)

I too am interested in this west coast trip, though I am more interested in doing it supported, and am currently searching for a tour company which offers this complete US west coast trip...nothing found yet.

Cyclist0108

I did it in two parts:

1. Port Angeles to SF/Berkeley: 3 weeks
2. Berkeley/Daley City to LA: 1 week

(I never went further south).

There is still a slide blockage on Highway 1, so you might need to add a day for that, but I think that part 2 of my ride (which I did first) was fairly leisurely.

Edit: didn't see it was a necropost.

rfield54

The re-routing over/around the slide at Mud Creek is scheduled to be completed by the end of next summer ('18), so I'm looking at maybe next fall.

robow

I fully realized that but he's a friend and just LOVES my wit and sense of humor

rfield54

👍👍

spinnaker

I think this should be the one thread for everything. Touring, general cycling, foo, P&R etc. Why go through all of that trouble of creating a new relevant thread?? It is so difficult to figure out how to do that.