Gambit McCrae

I will keep this short:
New to cycling
Don't have a bike (budget of $1500)
Come from an Appalachian Trail backpacking experience
Next Spring or Fall (17') I want to cycle the Natchez Trace Parkway Sobo from Loveless Café in TN down to the southern Terminus. I want to tent every night unless my father will run his Motorhome as a support. And I want to do it in no more then 8 days. Starting a Saturday and ending hopefully the following Saturday but the next Sunday would be fine.


Q&A:
If I take it serious and ride my bike a lot, how far can I go in a day? I'm not looking for exact mileage here but as a 220 lbs 6'4"ish man, should I be looking at 30 miles in a day or on the Trace would 100 a day be doable? As in a 8-10 hour time frame.


Any bicycle recommendations would be helpful. What I have been looking at is getting say a $3000 bike on sale for 45-50% off, online. Good idea or bad?


How freely can I tent along the trace? I am aware of the 5-8ish? designated camping locations but if I roll into a rest area and hang out, 30 min before dark pitch my tarp for the evening, any issues here?

10 Wheels

Online Bike buying is only Good if you Know your exact bike size.

fietsbob

trek 520 ,, its time in the saddle that covers the miles .

+ Buying a Bike online requires you to already Know how to assemble it properly and get it all adjusted and safe .

10 Wheels

First get a bike and see how much you enjoy riding.

Gambit McCrae

I should have added: As a teenager I loved riding, I had a Schwinn that I put many miles on. But it was a cross between mountain bike and I could change out the tires to be more suitable for ride riding. I did 1 "marathon" it was 26 miles along the Harpeth river and I loved that. My enjoyments in life revolve around accomplishments. Doesn't really matter to me if conditions are enjoyable, my #1 hobby is completing the Appalachian Trail as a section hiker, at 1000 miles in I am all to fond of embracing the suck.


I guess step 1 for me is to go to my local bike store, get fitted, and just ride around on some touring/ road bikes.
Purchase a bike and set out on a Saturday to see how far a make it.

jefnvk

Two things:

Depending on what $3000 bike you are looking at, it may be a $3000 bike, or it may be a $1500 bike marked up to $3000 to sell it to you "on sale" for $1500.

Secondly, speed/range is dependent on one thing: you. I have no doubt there are people on here who could pound out 100 miles a day on it easily. What sort of range/pace do you move now? I found on my first tour, that I needed to take my regular weekend riding pace and cut 5-6mph off of it to get an accurate progression speed on a heavier touring bike in a scenic area: the rate at which you get from point A to point B including stops. Personally, after a year and a half of more serious riding, I can comfortably do 50 miles in a day, but that is all I care to exert myself on a trip that is supposed to be enjoyable past just the cycling aspect.

andrewclaus

You might be able to find a nice 90's 21- or 24-speed road bike on Craigslist for $300 or so. Those bikes can be great for touring, with the right accessories and maybe some new components. Then start riding it. Do a weekend shake-down cruise, starting Friday night, and see how far you go in a full day of riding on Saturday, and just as important do you feel like doing it again on Sunday.

If you can work up to 100-mile weeks, you should be in fine shape by next spring, with very few limitations during your tour.

Sorry, I don't know about stealth camping along that route.

Garlic (AT'08, CDT'07, PCT'04)

Gambit McCrae

Garlic man whatsup! familiar face! WB

andrewclaus

Yep, thought you looked familiar!

I've seen a lot of crossover between LD hiking and bike touring. I shared a campsite in MT a few years ago on a cross-country ride with two other bikers. We all met up that day, and we were all AT veterans. A few of my PCT "trail family" were cyclists, one couple even rode a tandem to Campo from ME that year, via FL.

Have fun on the bike, and keep the rubber side down.

mstateglfr 

1- You can ride anywhere from 0-100mi per day with good training for a few months. By good training, I mean average 125mi/week for a few months and get some back-back-back rides with gear on so you get used to riding multiple days in a row. There is no need to ride 100mi each day though, at least I wouldnt like that due to too much saddle time. 6 hours of actual saddle time will easily get you 75mi down the road if you are in good health and condition. And 6 hours of actual saddle time is a good amount. That equates to 8 or so total hours from start to finish, taking into account lunch, stop/breaks, etc. 75mi day after day is not easy for many cyclists, even if some here claim its no big deal.

2- As for bicycles, what are you looking to do with it(besides ride)? Are you looking to carry all your gear(assuming your dad doesnt drive) in panbags? Are you looking to tow a trailer which holds your gear? Are you looking to attach all your gear to your frame and not have racks?
Depending on what you want to do, the bike will vary greatly.
If you want to have racks and bags, then look at traditional touring bikes. Surly LHT, Novara Randonee, Trek 520, etc. These can be had for $1200-1600 and will be ready to ride and tour with out the door. You will be able to attach racks and they will be strong enough to handle your size plus gear due to good(typically) wheels.
If you want to ride ultra-light and fast, then look into an endurance bike that you can then attach a bunch of bikepacking gear to. There are dozens upon dozens of great endurance bikes, no point in listing them all.

3- Went to college in Mississippi and was on the Trace many times. Its a great place to ride as traffic is moderately limited and the scenery is good.



I am a little taller, but basically your size. Whatever you buy, get good wheels. Solid quality hubs, 32-36spoke rims, and ask for the shop to stress relieve and properly tension the spokes before the bike leaves. If they wont or cant, go elsewhere...bikes are a product these days and shop service is whats valuable.
The Trace isnt incredibly hilly, but it does have some decent elevation changes, especially from Nashville to the TN/AL border. Make sure the bike has good gearing, which means wide enough range of gearing to comfortably get you up hills. A triple crank is on all the traditional touring bikes I mentioned and the cassettes on those all ensure good range for getting up hills while also going as fast as you want on flat road.
A lot of touring bikes have a triple that is a road triple. This will not have the same easy to climb hills gearing that the triple cranks on the bikes I mentioned will have.

bradtx

GM, There are plenty of touring bikes in the $1500 range, and less, that are proven performers from Novara (REI), Surly and Fuji. An expedition level touring bike is a pretty versatile mount.

Unlike riding on pavement, a trail can be slower in bad weather. What's the total mileage?

Brad

Gambit McCrae

Total mileage is 440 miles. The bike selection is overwhelming at this point. But hopefully I can provide the needed characteristics to a bike shop, get sized for a bike and then go from there as far as buying one

10 Wheels

7 days = 63 mi a day
Please get wheels with 36 Spokes...Best for touring.

alan s 

The distance you can cover in a day depends on how much time you want ride vs. doing other things. For me, 60 miles a day is easy, at about 5 hours of riding. That leaves 19 hours a day for everything else. If there's not much else to do, then I tend to opt for more miles. Maybe 8 hours a day riding. Still plenty of time to relax and do other stuff. Never ridden where you're planning to ride, but if it were me, I'd probably opt for longer days in the saddle, and would easily be able to do 440 miles in 8 days, as you are planning. Probably more like 5-6 days.

10 Wheels

600 miles in Ten days.

Tent stuffed inside one of the front panniers.

Classtime 

If you haul your camping stuff in a trailer you can get a nice and versatile roadbike which is my recommendation.
If you are thinking traditional touring bike with panniers, get a Surly LHT or Trek 520.
If you go the roadbike route, get a compact crankset and have them put on a mountain bike cassette and a mountain bike derailleur. (Or tough it out with the road set up).

DeadGrandpa

I rode the Trace in November'14,a beautiful time to ride, on a Novara Safari. You don't need a heavy expedition bike to do this ride, but if you like it you may want one.
Designated campsites are recommended. Near Jackson I was still pedaling late in the day and swamped by local rush hour traffic so I pulled off at an overlook. I was getting my tent out because the sunset fast approached when a local drove up, looked at me and drove off. I felt uneasy so I found a semi level spot on the reverse side of the hill, lay my bike down and crawled into my tent. Ten minutes later a sheriff drove up but it was dark enough and I was down low enough that he didn't see me. He left but returned 30 minutes later, used his searchlight and looked around again. I definitely got the idea camping in non designated places is not allowed, per the brochure.
The Trace is entirely paved but there is no bike lane. Commercial traffic (semi's) is banned but locals use it some, and there are RV's. Max 50mph limit. The campgrounds are free, with toilets and running water, and were not crowded in November. Neither was the traffic bad except near Tupelo and Jackson.
60 miles a day is a comfortable amount if you are loaded, and 75-80 is doable, assuming you trained for a couple months beforehand. It is a good 'beginner tour'. When I finished, I was disappointed it was over but the weather turned rainy so I went home.

Amigo_Frio

I personally wouldn't tour alone anywhere. Too many possible mishaps along the way...

hilltowner

To each his own, but if I had to find a touring partner I probably would have gone on only a small fraction of the rides I've done. I've also never felt alone. There have been plenty of helpful, friendly people I've met on all those rides. In fact, traveling alone encourages one to have more interactions with new people in my experience.

KC8QVO

A few thoughts from a fellow backpacker-convert (in no particular order of importance, just what came to mind):

1. PLEASE get on a bike and prepare by building up ahead of time. They say that nothing can prepare you for a long distance hike like the AT besides hitting the trail and hiking. There is truth to that - for the average person we can't devote the time it takes to do the endurance training that is really required for day after day hiking miles. You have to build up to it as you go, though some strength training, hip flexer activities can make breaking in to the trail quicker. With the time frame you are giving yourself on the bike trip you do not have time to "break in" to the ride while on the ride. The best thing you can do for yourself is to ride as much as you can to build up to the ride. You need to know what your limits are. You need to know how your body will react. See my story below the numbered list for an addition to this topic that I think all bikers must heed and listen to.

2. Get padded shorts, maybe a few pairs. This goes along with #1 but you need your rear end in shape as much as you do anything else. For some people this may be the limiting factor on being able to stay on the bike day after day. If you are not in shape below you will have a lot of other problems - riding posture.

3. Posture. You need to spend time on the bike to figure this one out. Though, as you have thought of already - a proper bike fitment can go a long way. Your local bike shop may be a good place to start, but if you really want to get a head start on this then do some research in to bike fitment and places around that may do this. For a good fitment plan on spending about $100 or so. This can give you a head start on making your ride more comfortable and take a lot of guesswork out.

4. Clipless pedals are a must. This goes along with my note below. Start using them and get comfortable with them. Don't forget to loosen the tension on the springs before you start learning how to use them. As you get more comfortable with them you can tighten them up if you feel the need.

This is a little background on where my list comes from. I started riding for a few reasons, but the most important one to me is to stay in better shape, specifically my legs and endurance, so that when I get the chance to go backpacking I hold up better. I have had some experiences on the trail that I would rather not repeat. If I was in better shape before setting out I would hold up a ton better. It gives me another activity to do, also. My uncle went from biking to backpacking and I thought it would neat to go from backpacking to biking. We have since done a few rides together - good times!

I used to ride BMX when I was younger, so I have spent a lot of time on bikes. When I got my Surly Disk Trucker and really started riding again I had a big hill to climb. 2014 was an interesting year. I hit 1000 miles, which was my goal for the year, and surly not much compared to a lot of seasoned riders. In that time I built my miles up to where I was doing weekend day rides up to 50 or so miles. Then I decided I would try for a century ride. That day I made it to about 65-70 miles and I was done for. My neck was the biggest problem, and upper back. My arms were hurting pretty bad also. I called a buddy of mine (another rider) and he met me at a park on my return, at the 80 mile mark, for a ride home. I realized I had to do some big changes.


I went on a quest to tune my gear so I would hold up better. The two big ones were a lighter helmet (less weight hanging on my head/neck) and padded shorts. My saddle is a Brooks Flyer Special, same one I have had on the bike since new (I only did about 40 miles on the bike with the stock saddle). The sprung saddle wasn't enough for me. The padded shorts did several things for me – gave me more cushion = less pain, but the biggest difference was it let me transfer more weight back there – less off my arms and upper body, straighter back, stronger lower back = MUCH better posture.

2015 came and I made my goal 1500 miles. I ramped my mileage up slowly in the spring time. I got back in to my 50 or so mile day rides on the weekends. Then I started doing rides 60-80 miles. No sweat. Then I decided to ride out to a state park I wanted to get to for a while that really pushed my limits – I wanted to hit the century mark. Total ride distance was 116 miles there and back, plus hiking the park in between. I held up great, so I thought.


I recuperated from the long ride and then kept pushing my miles for the season. I started having my left knee lock up on me on my rides. I couldn't figure it out. I thought it was kneeling down in the garage at one point and rolling my knee over an extension chord. I figured if I kept working it I would work it out. Long story short – I have never had joint pain as severe as what I went through during that time. When my knee would lock the pain was almost enough to throw me off the bike. I toughed it out and kept going – this was November last year by this point and my miles were nearing my goal. I thought there was a major problem with my knee, so before I had a doctor look at it and tell me I had to stay off it for 6 months or was in need of surgery to fix it I wanted to get 2 things out of the way, which I did – my mileage goal and my winter backpacking/camping trip.


Doc said my kneecaps were unusually high, but the joints were in good shape. They recommended I do physical therapy to try and correct the issue first. Diagnosis was patellofemoral arthralgia. There is a thread I had going here at one point. There are some really good posts in there of you want to dig in to it. The long and short of it was I built up my leg muscles and tendons in the direction that I use to push the pedals = extension. My left knee cap was, in the process, getting pulled out to the side and the pressure of that against my leg bones is where the pain came from.


My pedals were platform pedals so that was all I could do – push, otherwise I'd loose foot contact with them.


I spent a few months this spring doing physical therapy twice a week. That made a big difference – but I think the most important things I got out of therapy was the confidence to know what my body was doing and that I could manage what my problem was in a way that it didn't become a problem again.


Truth be told, I haven't been riding this season much yet. The therapy kept me off the bike for a while then I hit a lot of traveling. Back in July I drove over my front wheel in the garage so the bike has been out of commission for a month (hoping to order some new parts this weekend). I switched to clipless pedals/shoes early this summer/late spring. From the riding I have done I have been fine – no pain. Being able to pull up on the pedals also takes some getting used to, but I can get a lot more power in to the crank now also. I haven't gone much over 50 miles on a ride yet this season, though.


So my point – get a bike and take things in steps. Pay attention to your body, make adjustments, and learn how you will physically react to time in the saddle. Only you can figure that out. Though as I said before – a good bike fitment can give you a head start on this and lead to less time to work out the fine tuning.


As far as bike selection goes – I would not look at the price point of the bike in the theory you are - “$3000 bike for 45-50% off”. You need to consider the type of riding you are going to be doing. Are you going to use racks/panniers? Bike packing style? Backpack (highly not recommended)? Bob trailer? Any bike “will work”, but you need to figure out how you are wanting to carry your gear (if you are – you mention your dad and a motor home /RV as support?) and then look at bike options that fit that.


Good luck! Happy riding and happy hiking.

dim

Surly Long haul trucker with a Brooks Cambium C17 Carved saddle

stevepusser

Wow, they must have so little crime and meth use in that area that they can afford to spend time runnin' off them dam wussy bike campers!

No one can really tell what mileage you can do--that's between you, your gear, your fitness, the road, and the weather. You could get a good idea by doing a weekend trip before the main tour, though.

qpb52

My husband and I are also finishing up the last sections of 13 years of AT hiking. We are transitioning to biking as well. We found a very good bike shop, tested some bikes, got fitted. We both ended up with Salsa Marakesh's. These are really nice bikes for us, seem great carrying our gear, very comfortable. But we wouldn't have known what to get without talking to a very good salesperson and feeling the bikes under our bodies.

You will probably figure out what mileage you are comfortable with once you start cycling. Just like backpacking, it will depend on the trail and how well it treats you. Have fun, hope you find it as enjoyable as we do.

Doug64

I met two women this summer that were riding solo across Canada, and they were completely comfortable. Maybe that tells us something about the differences between Canada an the U.S.

Doug64

About a week ago, I saw the Novara Randonee on sale for $799 at REI.