Joe Padilla

Hey all, im hoping to appeal to your kind side, im on tour across the trans am now and don't think ill have enough for food. Figured it couldn't hurt to ask for some assistance. I have a pay pal account and any little bit will help. Didn't figure I'd eat as much as I have. Probably went over budget on food. If you can help email me at checkmateinc@hotmail.com. Ill be on the road today but I check my mail every night, or when I hit WI fi.

Thanks.

alan s 

Not in a position to help you, but interested in your real world touring experience. From reading your other posts, you are about a week into a several month trip, correct? How much did you budget and how much are you spending?

simplygib

This should be a fun one.

pasopia

Then it's time to go home.

staehpj1

If you were passing by my home. I would offer hospitality in the form of a place to sleep and a meal or two. I have done that a number of times for others, and have accepted similar hospitality when touring. Donating cash to fund someone else's vacation is not something I would do or ask others to do for me.

indyfabz

Oh yes.

BTW...I am having some windows in my house replaced soon, and I need a new door. Can someome help me out so I can have more money to tour?

Big Lew

x2!.....I have shared my supplies, bought meals, or a bus ticket for a few I thought needed immediate help, but not cash.

saddlesores

um...well, maybe....but only if you're riding for charity!!!

Cyclebum

Surly you jest. Funny.

Just when I think I've seen it all, this appears.

VT_Speed_TR

Oh, this is going to be good!

MichaelW

How far can you get on fishing, roadkill, supermarket skips and other freegan offerings?

VT_Speed_TR

Can we ask the BF admin's to create a new sub-forum, perhaps called panhandling!

LeeG

Dumpster diving has more immediate rewards.

Thulsadoom

Pawn or sell your computer and buy some food.

zoltani

10 days into a cross country trip and you are out of funds for food...

something stinks, and it is not the dirty sweaty cyclist in the room

staehpj1

Yeah, doesn't make sense to me either. Is it possible he is pulling our legs or someone hacked his account and is pulling our legs?

If not I will be interested to hear what he budgeted and what he spent.

Depending on where this thread goes maybe some clues on cheaper eating would be helpful?

Edit:
FWIW, I will add that you can live pretty cheaply eating stuff like instant oatmeal, ramen noodles, and foil packed tuna. I know that I eat a lot of stuff like that on tour. I figure that if you can't afford that you shouldn't be on tour and if you insist on better than that and can't afford it you shouldn't be on tour.

zoltani

very good point

indyfabz

Doesn't sound like hacking:

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...Am-trip-so-far

Maybe if he gets rid of what looks to be a huge tent he won't need so much food.

Tansy

And the jackals close in...

If this is a sincere request, it probably isn't easy to ask. Can we at least politely decline?

If you're not under time constraints, why not try to find work along the way? Keep an eye out for events and festivals, see if they'll hire on setup help for a day or two. Wheel up your bike when you ask if possible. The loaded touring bike proves you're not lazy and makes you more interesting. I've done it, and it works. Craigslist might be worth a shot, sometimes you can help someone move, weed a garden, clean a garage, ect for some cash.

Depending on where you are, and when, there is apple picking, corn tassling... When you're going through larger towns, look for discount food places where they sell supermarket castoffs. Carry lots of lightweight food so you don't have to spend money at overpriced convenience stores. Sleep in parks, churches, behind natural windbrakes in farmland, public land, ect.

Dumpster diving sounds good, but I've not had much luck at it thus far. I've done some fishing(usually no luck) and frogging(More reliable then fishing. Use a bright headlamp at night to stun them.), and while it doesn't come close to filling the caloric requirements of a touring cyclist, it'll make you feel much better having some meat with the rice or pasta.

A lot of the above sounds like quite a bit of hassle, but believe me - being able to actually sustain yourself while traveling on a bicycle is a great feeling. It moves you up from "Vacationer" to "Traveler". I don't think there is any such thing as 'too broke to tour'. I don't have enough money to live stationary, but I travel pretty comfortably.

Steve0000

LMFAO. In the words of Jimmy C... 'you cannot be serious'.

Newspaperguy

What do you mean by not having enough for food? Are you going to be a few dollars short or have you run out of money already?

If it's going to be a little tight, then look for ways to trim your costs. And you may also be able to pick up a bit of work along the way to make ends meet. These things work if you're close to meeting your budget, not if you're already hitting dire circumstances.

If you started just a few days ago and you're already broke, then the tour's over.

Joe Padilla

I have food and money enough to get me threw a few more weeks. Funny how people have no problem if i created a web page with a donation gadget. Maybe i should run for public office. Doesn't matter though. How is what im asking any different to donating to anything else. Or is the only reason you donate is for the tax break and to tell your friends look im a good person? And for those that gave me helpful advice, thanks. I will definitely look out for those things!

i will make it across country regardless. For unlike most of you that post rude crap. I have the physical strength and mental fortitude to do it. Have a great day.

Joe Padilla

I planned on free camping the whole way which is easy with the ACA map set. I planned on spending 10 a week on cash for snacks. But find that it is gonna cost more. I've only done 700 miles and my body is hungry and still adapting. I'm hoping I can don't feel like I need so much food as I get used to 70-80 miles a day. And I've already had to replace a spoke. I have good gear though and a good bike, so I know ill be ok. But yeah budget at least 1000 just for food. I thought i could do better but i didn't realize how much climbing with a loaded bike for 8 hours a day made you hungry...

Newspaperguy

If you have what it takes physically and mentally, that's great, but it's not enough. You also need to have the financial resources to do a bike tour. If you're starting to run low on money this early in the game, you have a potentially serious problem. Insurmountable? Not necessarily. As I said earlier, you may be able to pick up some work along the way. Your trip takes a little longer that way, but at least you would be able to afford to complete it. If you want to finish the tour, you need to do some serious planning now in order to pay for it.

The problem I have is with any cyclist asking for donations to fund a trip. That's incredibly bad form. Bike tours are cool. Donating money is cool. Donating money to a bike tour is not cool, nor is asking for donations for a tour.

A bike trip is not the same thing as a charity. A bike trip, whether a weekend or a year, is a vacation. Asking for donations to fund your vacation is not good.

Joe Padilla

All I asked was a question a no would have sufficed. Not a rambling pompous rant.