mdadams1

Is there a way to find out if people are interested in bicycling across the US?

Mike Adams

timdow

When do you intend to go and what route?

Here is a resource where you can search posts or create a post for companions:
https://www.adventurecycling.org/adv...anions-wanted/

Here is a site dedicated to bike touring:
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/

dwmckee

Not many folks want to hook up with a total stranger on a month-long adventure, but there are several group tours that cross the US you may want to consider.

jamawani 

Mike -

There are many, many challenges - over and beyond the Covid-19 risk
On that issue - what would you do if you got seriously sick in Peoria?
How would you get back home? Not on a plane or train or bus.
And you would probably be too sick to drive yourself in a rental car.
Hopefully someone who cared about you would come pick you up.
But you have to think about this possibility.

On a more prosaic level - what about basic services?
Camping could present the most challenges.
Many private and public campgrounds remain closed.
Some states only permit in-state residents in their campgrounds.
With advance reservations - which is tough to pre-plan on a bike trip.
Some campgrounds only permit self-contained units - no tents.
Those are the ones that have all bathrooms/shower houses closed.
And local police will be far less understanding of stelth campers from far away.

If you do not have everything tightly nailed down already -
I would strongly suggest you do some shorter tours in your area.
Or drive to various places and do spoke tours - out-and-back.
This is not a good year to "wing it".

indyfabz

Agree with all of the above. There are enough challenges in “normal” times.

Earlier you asked about PA Bike Route S. I’d stick to something along those lines for now, but even then you should check things out. I wanted to do any overnighter a few weeks ago but discovered the campground was not accepting tenters, likely because the bathhouses were not open.

staehpj1

In a normal year my suggestion would be to ride one of the popular routes at a time and in a direction that was fairly popular. That way you would meet other cyclists along the way and could camp with and maybe ride with them some of the way. Finding strangers ahead of time to ride with and getting along well is a long shot, it happens, but have fairly often I run into folks who had split up with their riding partners. Even getting along well with friends can be a challenge on a 3000 mile tour.

This year I think is not typical so things are probably more challenging in a number of ways. I personally cancelled my touring plans for this year, others are going out, but I suspect you would find a different experience than in previous years. There would be more closed services, you would meet fewer touring cyclists, and I am not sure how it will affect how the local folks will accept you.

On any of the coast to coast routes services can be pretty widely spaced at times. In these pandemic times things will be worse in that regard. Businesses go out of business in a normal year an this isn't a normal year so there will be more things closed than usual, so if you go be careful of counting too much on things being open.

As Jama mentioned getting sick with covid is a risk this year. Don't underestimate how rural and remote a lot of any coast to coast route will be. Getting home in the event of getting ill may not be easy. The odds of a second spike in the first wave seems likely and it may well be more in smaller town and more rural parts of the US. I guess you can maintain social distancing when on tour, but winding up in the hospital in some small city/town is no fun. Trust me, that can be scary.

I am not saying you should or shouldn't go, but you should be aware of what you are up against. A coast to coast tour is a great experience that I usually highly recommend, but I personally wouldn't go this year. If you decide to go for it I hope you have a great trip, but the challenges are many this year.

mdadams1

Thank you to all who responded.

RH Clark

Personally, I'm going to keep on living to the best of my ability. I will take what I consider reasonable precautions, but I will not allow my actions to be dictated by fear of dying. I would rather die,than be afraid of living. If my goals were to protect my life as much as possible, I would never take a bicycle on a road with automobiles to begin with.

Happy Feet

Nice sentiment in general but not really noble in this case.

It's a temporary pause due to a global pandemic. It won't last forever, probably just for this year. By next season there will probably be a vaccine or at least far better means of treatment. Taking a sensible pause to recalibrate in order to cope with a health crisis need not be a breach of ones moral principles or challenge ones courage. Perhaps the better principle demonstrated could be concern for ones fellow man. Hence the sensible advice to reconsider winging it across a country that still hasn't come near to containing this illness.

If you can figure out your own reliable medical care and bailout transport that's one thing, though it may suck to ride through places where services are closed. If you are just winging it and expecting others to put themselves at risk its another.

FWIW, I had two weeks in early Nov set aside to return to Moab this fall but have just decided to rebook my dates to be able to do something more local. I had hoped but now accept I can't predict the logistics well enough this year.

staehpj1

The camaraderie of meeting other riders along the way won't be there or will be very minimal this year. You will likely face many closed resources. You certainly will face less open and welcoming local folks along the way and likely will even face hostility that isn't usually there. All of those are major disadvantages of going this year without even thinking of any personal risks. It definitely isn't the best year to be planning a coast to coast trip.

I guess some may choose to go anyway, perhaps because they are not working and it is the one time in their life that has been the case. If you go I hope you have a great trip, but if going in a year or maybe two is an option that would be my choice and that is definitely not something I'd have ever said in the past.

RH Clark

I'll just disagree with you and leave it at that.

Cowlitz

Talked to a guy who drove to Oregon from Iowa. He said that it was a great time to stay in motels--lots of vacancies and lower rates. It is a bad time to find restrooms whilst on the road. The usuals, like McDonalds are closed.

staehpj1

Good info for those who may be planning to travel. I would caution that the spacing between open services will be more of a problem for a cyclist when some places are closed and not be noticed as much by a driver who can easily just drive another 50 miles when the place they would have stopped is closed. In these times more than ever calling ahead is important if you will be relying on a business being open.

RH Clark

Or you could just to learn to crap in the woods.LOL Just a FWI but I would avoid any cities like the plague. At least that's my plan.

Happy Feet

Just make sure you know the rules of each area you are travelling through. Bending them could be costly:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calga...aska-1.5621452

IanCharles1969

Mike - I am also looking to tour across country but also concerned about current situation. Were you able to find out more information regarding travel.

I have seen a number of companies start to offer tours at the end of the summer but I am not interested in joining an organized tour.

Ian

jamawani 

Mike - A number of states that had reopened parks are shutting them back down.
Also,, stores, motels, and restaurants may face new limitations.
It's just impossible to say where things will be 2 - 3 - 4 months from now.
I would be very, very careful about any long tours this year.