hally118

hello people.

My name is Michael, i'm 28 and from the UK

I'm planning on doing a bit of a bike ride and although in some ways the idea appeals to me, i'd rather not do alone.
I plan to cycle from the southernmost tip of south america all the way up to alaska. depending on the route this will be about 17,000 miles.
i am aiming to leave about the start of december of this year and it should take anywhere between 6-8 months.
if this appeals to you in any way then send me an e-mail at hally118 (at) hotmail dot com and we can discuss it further. also if you happen to know anybody that may be interesting in such an undertaking then please put them in contact with me.
i can promise you adventure, big skies and a sore bum (from the bike seat)

cheers

jamawani 

Gotta laugh at the last line.

fietsbob

PNW Coast, Summer wind patterns are CW around high pressure that makes for the dryer season,
so I hope you like riding into the wind.

More common and wise, as well . start in the North,

plus in all the drive right countries the Ocean will always be across the highway ,
so oncoming traffic, to cross , between good view points.

north to south, near side, you just pull off the shoulder..

Worknomore

Might add a wee bit the the 6-8 months

chasm54

This. More than 2000 miles per month for eight consecutive months, some of it through challenging terrain, is a stretch.

gdlerner

Wua 6 to 8 months !!!How they call you speedy gonzales....

gregw

I have done some research on a similar tour. Prudhoe Bay Ak. to one of the sea ports in Seward or Anchorage. Then by cruise boat to Vancouver Island. Back on land to one of the Mexican ports, Cabo San Lucas or Acapulco. Back to the water to Ecuador. On land the remainder of the way. Timing would be about 11 months. A July start and ending probably June of the following year, at a slow leisure pace. Just something to consider.

gregw

Oh yeah, Rosetta Stone Spanish on the headphones from day one :-)

yiesyisyeno

M jelus but i d need 18 months ..if u decide going slower let me know....sounds great

texasdiver

You are going the wrong way. Prevailing winds along the Pacific blow North to South and better to ride on the seaward side of the highway rather than the landward side.

Plus, North America (even Alaska and Canada) are more civilized and modern than much of South America in that you'll be able to get things fixed, have replacement parts and such shipped to you in a day or two, and buy gear you didn't know you needed. From Alaska to the Mexico border there are hundreds of bike shops and mail order is fast and reliable. In Alaska you won't find as many bike shops but lots of outdoor gear shops (I lived 10 years in Alaska and bought everything you could imagine on Amazon). Alaskans and Canadians live by fast and cheap mail order which barely exists in Latin America.

If you start in the north you'll have 3,000 miles or so of riding under your belt and will have worked out every detail of your gear and bike before crossing into Latin America where replacement parts and camping gear will be much harder to find.

axolotl

Several folks seem to be assuming that you'll be riding along the Pacific coast while in the USA. I'm not sure why they're assuming that. If you do intend that, then yes, north->south is better. If you're thinking of the Rocky Mountains or somewhere else inland, then it doesn't matter. Regardless, it sounds like way too much ground in too little time, especially for what will likely be a mountainous route in most of Latin America. Also, if you want to ride in Alaska, you'll have a much smaller window when the weather is cooperative than for the rest of the route. But if you have to start in December, then Alaska is obviously not the place to begin. If your start time is flexible, though, Alaska would be a better place to begin.