Bassmanbob

I plan to retire in the spring of 2033, and my wife knows the first summer of retirement will be spent cycling the Trans America Bike Trail from Astoria, OR to Yorktown, VA. An extended tour like this has been a dream for me since I was in college. I'll be 68 years-old in 2033 and will hopefully do this with a friend of mine. But if I do this solo, I want to make sure I save enough so it doesn't cut into retirement funds. I want to make sure I have everything saved prior to the tour. I already have the bike, the camping/ cooking equipment, the panniers and the electronics. It's ten years away, so I'm sure I'll have to replace some things before the tour. I just want to make sure I have the funds already set aside for the actual tour, once it starts. Of course I don't know how much inflation will there be between now and 2033, but the estimates below factor in a very vague estimation. Also, my experience is very limited to two short tours that were both three days. I plan to do some more short tours the next ten years, but probably not longer than a few days.

I'm thinking I'd ride approximately 50- 60 miles/day, 5- 6 days a week. This would take me anywhere from 14- 17 weeks to complete the 4,300 mile route at 250 - 300 miles/week.
Cost Estimates:
Food: $50/day x 7days/w x 17w = $5,950 ~ $6,000

Lodging: Camping: $30/n x 5n/w = $150/w
Hotel: $200/n x 2n/w = $400/w
Total/w = $550/w
X 17w = $9,350 total ~ $10,000
Note: I've read there are a number of legal free camping options along the route, but I don't want to count on that. Also: Most inexpensive hotels are not that expensive now, but I don't think I should underestimate the cost for them in ten years.

Bike Maintenance: 1 Chain: $50
4 Tires: $400
4 Brake pads: $100
Miscellaneous : $500
Total: $1,100 ~ $1,100

Clothing: I plan to have family mail me prepackaged items that include new clothing to various locations, but I'm sure there will be some moments I'll have to purchase something not expected. I've allotted $500 for extra clothing. I could also purchase the bike equipment prior to the trip and have that mailed too, but I'll leave the bike expense estimation intact. ~$500

Entertainment: Movies, museums, park fees, etc...
$100/w x 17w = $1,700 ~ $1,700

Total cost during the four month trip ~ $19,300

So what am I forgetting? Are my estimates WAY OFF? Obviously, we can't predict inflation, but would you estimate this in a similar manner?

GhostRider62

I would not estimate that you will be capable of doing it at 68 and would do it now.

gauvins

Bring a stove, develop your taste for oatmeal and ramens and your food budget is cut in half.

Stealth camp every other night (or more) and save accordingly.

​​​​​​It may well be cheaper to tour than to play golf and share drinks with friends in your hometown.

Keep the dream alive


(Your maintenance budget is also on the very high side. Tires should last the whole trip, and return. Same for brake pads.)

downtube42

I would not begin to try estimating costs 10 years down the road.

Entertainment? That's the tour. Evenings and weekends are eating, sleeping, looking at stars. Maybe some side hikes.

The lodging scenario is hard to estimate 10 years down the road. The camp/hotel ratio is is a huge cost variable, and unpredictable. This variable typically has a huge impact on food cost, as well. If you're wanting to minimize cost, something to work on in the next 10 years is upping your camping game.

And here's another vote to not wait 10 years. Do it now, or you might never do it.

mev

Some general thoughts and comparisons with what I spend today:

1. Style difference: I would estimate in today's dollars and make a separate inflation estimate overall to everything rather than trying to make everything an inflation adjusted amount.

2. Style difference: for food - I would make the value how much extra I'm spending vs. staying home since I would also be paying for food there.

3. Some of my preferences are different than mine so that adjusts things but here are where my spending choices are different than yours:

- I really haven't spent anything additional underway for clothing. I don't wear it out ( so I don't need new clothing or anything sent to me ) I wear a limited set for entire trip.
- I've been staying in motels more than your estimate but also spending less per night.
- My food spending is lower than yours. There are a lot of things I pick up from groceries along the way (e.g. apple, avocado, yogurt, salad, fish/chicken, oatmeal, etc). Even in motel I can use steamer bags.
- I spent money to get myself to start of my trip and will spend some to get home.
- My tires last longer than yours. In past 4 months I've ridden 4900 miles and only now worn out a Schwalbe Marathon Plus rear tire. There might be different miscellaneous bike costs e.g. I replaced pedals.
- I'm not really spending for entertainment anywhere close to your budget. I bought a parks pass ($80) and haven't been to many museums.

4. I have taken my longer bike trips along the way rather than waiting until retirement.

mev

Some general thoughts and comparisons with what I spend today:

1. Style difference: I would estimate in today's dollars and make a separate inflation estimate overall to everything rather than trying to make everything an inflation adjusted amount.

2. Style difference: for food - I would make the value how much extra I'm spending vs. staying home since I would also be paying for food there.

3. Some of my preferences are different than mine so that adjusts things but here are where my spending choices are different than yours:

- I really haven't spent anything additional underway for clothing. I don't wear it out ( so I don't need new clothing or anything sent to me ) I wear a limited set for entire trip.
- I've been staying in motels more than your estimate but also spending less per night.
- My food spending is lower than yours. There are a lot of things I pick up from groceries along the way (e.g. apple, avocado, yogurt, salad, fish/chicken, oatmeal, etc). Even in motel I can use steamer bags.
- I spent money to get myself to start of my trip and will spend some to get home.
- My tires last longer than yours. In past 4 months I've ridden 4900 miles and only now worn out a Schwalbe Marathon Plus rear tire. There might be different miscellaneous bike costs e.g. I replaced pedals.
- I'm not really spending for entertainment anywhere close to your budget. I bought a parks pass ($80) and haven't been to many museums.

4. I have taken my longer bike trips along the way rather than waiting until retirement.

flyingowl_

i am just wondering what the legal retire age is in U.S, 68?

john m flores 

That's a harsh but honest reality. At 55, I've done my fair share of traveling, but I am planning the big one in 5 years time. I'm anxious about waiting but am inspired by stories of older travelers. Can I be one of them? The only way to find out is to try...

saddlesores

your cost estimates are waaaaaaaaaaaaay off.
but if you can save $20K for the trip you're golden.
i bet you could do it today for $5K, and accounting for inflation in 10 years, $10K,

you can always find free camping between the appalachians and the california border..........blm land, town parks, churches and firehouses.

you'll find much cheaper hotels in flyover country. bonus, they'll have no problem with you taking your bike in your room for the night.

$50/day for food? $10/day should cover it if you're doing your own cooking.

it's good to have a maintenance/emergency fund, but you're won't be wearing out that much. it's only 3000 miles. tires and chain and brake pads shouldn't wear out. you'll need tubes and patches and chain oil.

agree with others. take a summer off next year.
no telling what health issues can come up over a decade.
you could be just fine, but your wife may need assistance.

10 Wheels

We did a Fully Supported 4200 mile tour in 2009
Roy was 74, I was 67.
Averaged 75 Mile a Day
GOOD LUCK!

Bassmanbob

I would love to, but my work situation will not allow it. I run my own small business, of which I am the sole, in-person and hands-on means of income. If I took 3- 4 months off, my business would die. The most I can take off is two weeks at a time. My usual big summer vacation is usually 10-12 days at a time. I also take a few long weekends too, maybe a week during Christmas too.

Bassmanbob

I plan to bring a stove, and love oatmeal. Ramen is fine too. I figured that I would mostly shop at grocery stores and cook, but I also wanted to factor in one restaurant meal, every other day, just to be on the safe side. I also don't have much of a problem with the idea of stealth camping except that I'm a bit timid about doing it and have never tried it yet. Perhaps once I try it and get comfortable with doing that, I should do it more throughout the trip.

Bassmanbob

I figured that the tour would be the entertainment, but I didn't want to underestimate that. I can see myself getting distracted easily and wanting to go see this or that while also getting myself across the country. I agree that the lodging cost variable is unpredictable. It's just a wildly vague estimate.

Bassmanbob

1. I like this idea of looking at today's costs and adjusting for inflation overall.
2. Fair comment. I have to eat at home too.
3. --I didn't think I'd need clothing, but I wanted to budget it for unpredictable events like sudden poor weather, losing an article of clothing, something rips, etc...
--Food answer given above in another post reply.
-- I forgot the expense of getting me to and from the start/finish. Thank you.
-- I thought I was overestimating my bike maintenance costs.
-- Entertainment costs mentioned above in another post reply.

Thanks!

Bassmanbob

I'm not really sure what age most people retire in the US, but I think it's somewhere between 62- 67. I really enjoy what I do for a living, and my wife and I spend a fair amount of money on traveling. So that requires me working a little longer than most.

Bassmanbob

I answered most of your points in other (above) quote replies, but as to your last paragraph: I know this is true. I have no idea what health issues may emerge as my wife and I age. But my life and work are forcing me to wait until I am retired. If I don't get to do this trip, then so be it.

indyfabz

You can’t train a trusted person to run your business for 4 months?

I’m with others who say don’t wait. Ask me why. I got in my long tours in my mid-30s, and I’m glad I did. I’m planning to retire next March, at age 59. Slim chance I’ll be physically able to take a trip like the TA.

BTW…One option would be to go with ACA, assuming it’s still around. Their unsupported tours try to minimize expenses on the road (e.g., using free or cheap camping spots that are known to the leaders based on years of compiled notes), supply the cooking gear and enjoy economies of scale.

staehpj1

Budget depends on your spending habits on the road so it can vary widely with the individual. I think my total on the road expenses for the TA were about $1500 (in 2007) and that included some pre trip purchases and airfare to the start. That was for a 73 day TA.

I haven't been on a long tour since 2015 so my numbers would be a bit out of date with inflation, but I have always spent WAY less than that. I tend to camp for free more often than not on most long tours and for cheap on others. On the Trans America it was free a lot of the time I didn't keep track, but the average was under $10 per day, maybe closer to $5. We stayed in small town parks, church yards, and with various hosts. On the Pacific Coast it was cheap hiker biker sites. On some other tours it was a mixed bag.

You have to eat where ever you are. Eating grocery store food bought in small meal sized quantities may be a bit more expensive than shopping for the week at home, but isn't really a big additional expense. Diner food for breakfast and maybe lunch isn't bad either. Nice meals out can be a bigger ticket item, but how many of them will you splurge on compared to at home?

I take very little clothing and already own plenty of clothing. Most of what I wore on the TA was stuff that I owned for decades. I guess not everyone owns a ton of gear and clothing, but really what you need isn't much and a lot of it doesn't need to be bike specific.

Entertainment? I found that we spent way less on that than at home. Bike maintenance? Is a chain and a couple tires really an abnormal expense of just something that you'd spend at home popping up a bit sooner?

On at least one trip upon looking at the credit/debit card bills coming in, my wife commented that I was spending noticeably less on tour than I did at home. That was at a time when I was still working and would have been buying gas for a long commute if at home. Granted I am a bit of a cheapskate when on tour.

andrewclaus

This topic is a common one on long distance hiking forums. On the Appalachian Trail, for instance, costs vary from $1 to $5 per mile. And a huge unknown is rate of travel--a fast hike/ride is a cheaper one. An older traveler will probably spend more than a younger one, especially if the money is available. An inexperienced traveler will probably spend more than an experienced one.

My data point is like Pete's above--I'm a frugal, fast and light traveler, with a lot of long distance hiking experience. My last XC bike tour was over ten years ago (at age 55), 4400 miles on the ACA Northern Tier route, which cost a surprisingly low $1500, below my $2000 estimate. I probably would have spent nearly that if I'd spent that summer at home.

indyfabz

Re: Food: I definitely spend less on the road. That's because I shop and eat fresh most days. Things like fresh fish and meats that I cook every night. I rarely eat out of the freezer, and my microwave gets used only a couple of times/month.

I would caution the OP to not come up with a budget that is dependent upon frequently eating things like Ramen and Mac-n-cheese from a box for dinner. Your body will likely need more substance riding that much. It's quite possible to prepare healthy, balanced yet economical meals out on the road.

Re: Clothing: I had trouble understanding that part. As you note, you don't need much, and it doesn't all have to be bike-specific. (I keep thinking about the guy several years ago who was planning to bring an off-bike shirt for every day of the week,)

Re: Entertainment: Yeah. I remember seeing a movie in Fargo during a rest day while riding the Northern Tier. I also saw a couple in Bar Harbor after the crossing was over and I was resting up for a few days before riding home. Took a boat ride on Lake Itasca during a rest day. Other than that, and maybe a few other diversions, any "entertainment" was things like free county museums and historical sites. Even went to a free county fair in Ohio. But usually, it is reading in the evening and enjoying my. durrooudings.

staehpj1

On the TA the ACA maps point out many places to camp for free without the need for stealth. We never stealth camped on the TA at all, but did camp for free in plain sight in places other than official campgrounds plenty. After riding the TA and seeing where they pointed you to places where the trail had been blazed by others I realized that in much of the country it was easy to stay in similar places. Ask for a cyclist discount. Starting with "I am riding across the country from..." helps. It works best when the "from" is far away.

On the TA if shy just use the maps and stay where they recommend. Later when you tour elsewhere or on the TA if you go off route or something you will learn to read where you can stay and not be bothered.. I have stayed in many small town park picnic area. I never ask permission, but do buy something at the local store and ask "Do you think anyone will bother me if I pitch a tent over there for the night?" Sometimes when there isn't an obvious place asking wait staff, store clerks, librarians, if they have seen others camp or know of a spot pans out. Librarians are especially helpful IME. A few have called around and found a spot or even a host for me.

pdlamb

Ever the contrarian, I think O.P.'s plan is a reasonable start, and his total projected cost isn't that unrealistic.

Projecting costs from 10 years ago to 10 years from now, as many of us seem to be doing, is not realistic.

I was expecting motel costs in the middle nowhere, MO or KS, to be much less than what I paid on business trips. They generally weren't (except in a couple places I was tempted to set up a tent in the room to keep the bugs out!). O.P. wants to motel it once or twice a week? It's his money, why not? And if a storm is moving in, I find comfort being inside when the rain starts pouring and the trees start falling. Lots of campgrounds' prices have skyrocketed, and I expect the flyover country will follow soon (if they haven't already).

Lunch in a diner or restaurant is a nice way to talk with some locals, and saves time on meal prep if you're tired of PB&J. And don't forget second breakfasts!

I do agree on riding younger, but if taking off three months isn't realistic, have you considered a "bike tour in sections?" A fair few Appalachian Trail hikers do a two week section on their vacation every year. You could do something similar on a cross-country ride in sections, though access to transportation may be spotty. Fly into Newport News and shuttle to Yorktown, ride to Roanoke (Troutville), fly home. Next year do a short leg, Roanoke to Damascus then ride off-route to Tri-Cities (Bristol). Following year head toward Lousiville or Cincinnati. Lather, rinse, and repeat. You'll get to see the country and experience bike touring, just in bite-size pieces.

Yan 

Legally it is 67 in the USA. That's when you can draw full social security retirement benefit. But the benefit is very low, not enough to live on. Retirement in the USA is about whether you have enough money. It has little to do with age.

Yan 

What he said.

saddlesores

kinda sorta what he said.
why bike coast to coast?
there's a whole lot of nothing you have to push through to get to the interesting bits.
why not cut out the boring sections and instead do a half dozen small circuits of 2-3 weeks each.
they don't have to connect.
do a short tour each summer, or every other summer.