Santaria

I intend to ride with my wife from Brownsville, TX to Copperas Cove, TX. 462 miles. We are looking at a June 2012 time frame.

As far as rider experience, she has very limited current riding. She rode around Germany growing up. But hasn't set foot on a bike since around 1996.

I already have her a LHT frame, and am in the process of building up her bike.

She will be training up her base mileage starting next month. So we have that as her first step in training for this ride.

I am a experienced rider. I have been riding to commute, mountain bike, club ride, centuries, etc. for the last 15 or so years. I grew up in the BMX scene in Southern California. So basically I can't really think of a time where I haven't been in the saddle.

I'm building up a second LHT to my own specs for me.

My training at the moment includes
Monday: 30 miles
Tuesday: 40 miles
Wednesday: 20 miles
Thursday: 26 mile mountain biking on single track
Friday: 20 miles
Saturday: off/100 miler (ever other weekend)
Sunday: 48-52 mile B group club rides (18-22 MPH paceline)

I also commute exclusively by bike. My usual daily mileage from this is around 10 extra miles.


It's a lot of information, but I give it because several people on the threads have indicated that pushing my wife through next year's ride might not be possible.

Currently we're looking at a pretty brutal pace. But one that builds in some downtime in the middle of the week.
Monday: 135 miles
Tuesday: 115 miles
Wednesday: 115 miles
Thursday 100ish miles
Friday: 50 miles

This is light/credit card-style touring.

My theory is that I can split the ride into two each day. So since I'm accustom to getting up at 5 a.m. and doing my rides, this would be the start time. So if we ride until 9-10 a.m. that means we can relax for a portion of the day and then get back out on the road again from say 3-7 p.m.

Problems: This isn't "fun" areas on Monday. Long stretch of road between Harlingen TX and Kingsville is Kings Ranch region. There isn't anything there. There is no stop and smell the roses. It's 135 miles of just suck-it-up and get it done. There is a Border Patrol checkpoint midway, but otherwise, nothing.

So this leads to my question, of many.

I'm being told to not look for anything beyond 50 miles per day. Based on that scenario, that would put me slap dab in the middle of extremely hostile territory overnight and give me 8 hours or more of nothing. No civilization, no "happy happy joy joy" places to hang out. Hell, it might even put me in a position where coyotes with undocumented immigrants, drug dealers or the like very well may pass through.

Would you just push through to Kingsville?

Thanks in advance. Like I said, this is in the planning stages at this point.

scroca

That schedule sounds like a good way to turn her off of touring forever.

Cyclesafe

Can't speak for you or your wife, I can only speak for me and my wife. So I'm talking about me and not you. I want to make that clear.

There is no way; not maybe, not perhaps, not on the off-chance. There is no way that my otherwise extremely fit non-cycling wife could get herself mentally, much less physically, prepared for the gruelling schedule you have laid out. And that's if she were 20 years old. (She's not.)

I think your first question should be whether this is something she wants to do or something you want her to do. If it's the latter, scrap this idea immediately and beg her forgiveness for having the temerity to suggest it. And buy her a day in a spa as penitence.

Like I said, that's for me, not necessarily for you. But I think you should reconsider.

vik 

I plan for 100K's per day on tours by myself. My GF can't ride that distance on her own bike yet so I'd likely shoot for 50K with her or more likely we'd ride the tandem and shoot for 100K. Asking your wife to ride 160kms+ a day off the bat is a sure way to ensure she never wants to tour with you again and despite your planning you may well find yourself deep in the middle of hostile territory when she gives up and throws her bike into the bushes.

My advice is to err on the side of days that are too short for the first few tours. If this tour doesn't work with short days due to the spacing of services maybe this isn't the route to take her on?

seenloitering

If you're not sure if it's too many miles, then it's too many miles. On a single day event you can push farther than you're comfortable with, but not day after day.

Get her out riding with you to figure out what distances work for her. When you go out for training rides, have her bring along the equivalent of whatever you're going to be traveling with. Whatever she can do on a training ride without discomfort is the maximum distance you want to aim for.

You might want to consider a different route, or cab it halfway on days where there are necessarily long stretches. If you cab the second half of the day, you can always just go as far as you can before calling a cab - if you can get a cab out there.

Santaria

Yeah, there isn't a cab option there. Nor a train. What I am thinking, however, is having her parents leave her in Kingsville. That would eat that 130 mile day. The problem still remains for her (I asked): what do you do with the other 8-10 hours in small towns that have nothing in them? I'm talking gas-station and city hall plus the 10 or so people that comprise of a "town" towns.

The idea, however, was her dads. He convinced her that instead of being on the sidelines watching me ride and do all the bike oriented things I do, that she be an active participant. At this point, she's stoked. I can't tell her she can't come now

Northwestrider

No real suggestions from me on this one, as I'm not familiar with the area, except to say camping out can be a lot of fun. Well if there are any camp sites along the way that is.

staehpj1

You could choose to do a more recreational pace. You might even pick a route that is more conducive to "smelling the roses".

If she really understands what riding back to back 100+ mile days means and is doing the necessary training, then maybe. Even then it is probably a bad idea to start her off with such an ambitious trip.

I'd suggest starting a tour with shorter days and increasing the daily mileage as she feel she wants to. An open ended schedule on a route with lots of options for stops is a great way to do this.

Cyclebum

This will all sort itself out in good time, of which there is plenty.

The daily mileage has to be left up to her, with a little bit of coaching from you. Just a little bit. If she becomes motivated to 100+ miles/day, and is physically able, she'll do it. Otherwise, forget it. Won't happen.

As you'll be heading north, the odds of a push from the wind are pretty good. But Texas chip seal will push back and summer heat/humidity will be brutal. I'd do this trip in fall or spring and have a day or two cushion for breakdowns and severe weather surprises.

Why a LHT? You don't need that for a credit card tour. Why not a racer, as this idea is more a race than a tour.

indyfabz

You say she's stoked. But that could be because she doesn't really know what the experience will be like. How about this: Sometime before the trip, the both of you simulate the first two days (same mileage, similar terrain, carrying the gear), even if that means riding loops from the house on consecutive days. Then remind her that there will be two more days in a row like that and one shorter day.

Cyclesafe

I don't think that this being her dad's idea gets you off the hook. They are your bikes and your plan.

Having a spouse who is enthusiastic about touring is a rare, precious, and at the beginning, fragile thing. Don't blow it.

mthayer

is there the optuon to add another day to the trip if you need to? The stretch fom harlingen to kingsville is something that I would try to avoind if possible. I don't even like driving that stretch in a car. What about starting in kingsville as your first day of the trip. You could then make the mileages shorter and not burn youraelf or your wife out.
what is your proposed route so far?

radumas

To me, this says you'll have company in the dog house.

Find a tour/route that has some roses to smell, daily totals that are in the comfortable range, and maybe optional extensions to each leg that you can do solo while she gets into the hot tub early.

msviolin57

I did a supported cross country trip in '08, and there was a week where we had no rest days and about four centuries in a row. It's doable (heck, I did it), but it leaves no time to do anything but sleep, eat, and try to get from point A to point B.

I understand the need to do the one 135 mile day, but I'd try to make the other days shorter and more fun. Take your time, see things along the way, and hope that she'll want to tour again with you!

xyzzy834

How committed are you about the Brownsville - Copperas Cove route? I was in the Harlingen and Brownsville area last month (in a car) and I didn't see many attractive roads for biking. I was headed more to the west toward McAllen, so I didn't see the route you're planning to the north, but most of what I saw was two-lane roads with no shoulder and lots of speeding cars with dusty windshields.

The ACA Southern Tier route passes through Texas, not too far from Copperas Cove.




If you could move your starting point to the east or west along that route, you'd be on a more bike-friendly route with good maps and amenities.

What you're describing would be categorized better as long distance endurance cycling than touring. There's a Bike Forum group for that where you may get better advice. I don't know any experienced bike tourists that cover that many miles on a daily basis, especially loaded on touring bikes. It's not that it can't be done, but so few people find it enjoyable.

skyzo

Unless you plan on losing her as your touring partner, that pace is WAY too much. I trained for 2-3 months before my first short tour like that, and I was a bit tired after only averaging ~60 miles a day. A bike tour is supposed to be fun, not a race. On my upcoming month long tour, I plan to ride only about 50 miles a day on average. Give you time too see cool stuff!
If you can stretch this tour out a few days, do it. If you included the weekends in front and behind your week as well, it moves it down to like 60 something miles a day, which is much more manageable.

spinnaker

I could not agree with this statement more. 115-135 miles a day is a lot of miles even for someone with a few years of experience. And experienced or not what is the hurry? Touring is supposed to be about more than getting from point A to point B in a hurry. You need to take time to appreciate the things you see and there is no better way to do that than from the seat of a bicycle.

Why no just do 115 -135 mile loops around your home? At least you will have a free place to sleep at night.

Don't get me wrong. If you want a challenge to get from point A to point B in X amount of days then go for it. But this is not touring IMHO. And you are certainly going to scare your wife off of touring with that kind of race.

Santaria

And allas, I finally figure out that this is more of a rando than a tour

KDC1956

I would not ask my wife to ride that far even if she could do it.Your trip will be NO FUN at all.I ride a lot my self and have done a few small trips.But I only go about 35 to 45 miles a day I want to have fun and see things not hurt my self with pain.Why are you in a hurry sounds like you have very little time to do a trip.So why not just go camping with her treat her well and don't try to kill her.Bicycle riding should be fun no matter what.My 2 cents.

fietsbob

If you don't get a tandem. ride behind your wife so it's a pace
she is comfortable riding,
because it's her choice.

2 60 mile days are more pleasant than 120 in one.

simplygib

I am in a similar situation. I am planning a tour with my gf, who has been on a bike maybe 5 times in her entire life. I have one primary goal for this tour: When it's all said and done, she will look back on it as one of the best adventures she has ever had. My motives are selfish - I want her to love touring so she will want to do more of them with me.

We are going to ride roughly 1,000 miles, loaded. The preliminary schedule is for an average of 30 miles/day, taking two days off per week. Edit: And we'll adjust that up or down according to her needs, up to and including packing it in and going off somewhere to do something else. If she's not having fun, I won't be either. And in that case, at least we tried, and I'll plan to ride alone on my future tours.

As far as what to do with our down time, we'll bring a couple of small games, a few books, work on our journal and explore the areas in which we find ourselves.

I'm fairly certain that a schedule such as you laid out would send her packing home within a day or two, and I'd probably join her.

It's not just about the riding.

Santaria

I actually have been eyeing tandems.

Here are the obstacles.

There is no optional route. I live at the southern-most point of the continental U.S. We don't want to drive somewhere to start. So this is a doorstep-to-doorstep ride.
I've told her this is going to be rough. I have discussed the option of splitting this into two 100 mile days, a day off and then two more, but she is pretty adamant, and frankly I would be a bad husband if I tried to steal her zeal. At this point, she's energized, she's willing to do what she needs to do to prepare for it and the best I can do is support it 100 percent.

Yes, the time is pretty limited. I'm not rich, so there isn't a lot of time I can just take. I'm in an industry where getting 7 days off will be "doable" but asking for an additional 7 is going to be pushing it.

My theory has been to leave on Monday and arrive in Cove on that Friday. Then drive a rental back in Sunday.

The problem with living here is that ANY trip outside of the Valley becomes a 5+ mile drive through sheer boring hell.

As far as scenic touring, unfortunately there isn't much to see. If you are familiar with the upper and lower valley here, you'll know that small towns don't cater well to strangers, English in many cases is NOT the primary language and the U.S. mentality does not prevail. While I am perfectly comfortable with Spanish, my German wife is not. She moved here knowing we were only going to be here for a few years and that once we were done, she demands we move to someplace with more outdoor offerings.

The Valley itself is a scrub brush wasteland. This is flatland cattle country.

On a high note, for me, personally, I'm just looking forward to seeing Hill Country again and really getting to get out of the saddle and climb.

Which is what creates such a odd dichotomy for us: she is doing this as a mental break from society, sees the challenge and wants to overcome it. This is a tool for confidence building that I endorse. She will see herself in a better light having accomplished the goal - even if that means taking an additional day. Hence my desire not to temper her desire, least I put out any desire to do this at all.

For me, I love to ride. This is just a break away from work where I get to see things like I like - from the saddle. I'd ride 72 hours straight and never worry about it. Biking is my second love behind my family. I'm finishing college strictly to work in the biking industry doing public relations work for cycling. So I have no concerns about my own ability to do this. I, frankly, believe I could do it in 48 hours solo with only a few hour naps in between 300-400k brevets. Not because I'm super human, but rather, because its just the way my mind works. I love running for the same reason - my body is merely a metronome for my brain to just sit and create stories, solve problems, talk to God. Etc. Etc.

Santaria

Downtime: We've got four kids. We know what to do with down time, the world needs us to find more productive things to do - I'm a reformed gaming addict. So gaming is off the table. As far as table top games, we play every Friday with our children. Which oddly kills the idea of just sitting down playing between ourselves. She doesn't know how to play chess, or checkers and has no ambition or patience to learn at this stage in her life. I currently design newspapers and write for a living. Being that we're both in university (still) we read a lot at this point - so much so that I think adding books for her would probably push her off reading too (sorta kidding).

As far as the exploring...dangerous at least, deadly at worst.

This is the crossroads of Texas/Mexico. There are no "sites" to see - because this is King Ranch. The largest ranch in the U.S. You tend to see 10-to-2 odds that the vehicle about to pass you is a CBP vehicle. Drugs and undocumented workers use the landscape to smuggle themselves, or their payloads into the interior of the United States from here. It's not Iraq dangerous, but it isn't simply forest and wonderful scenes. I wish it was to some extent, because that would be way better....

I miss my grandparents cabin in Crestline Village, Ca.

/homesick

simplygib

Well, good luck. Sounds like a challenge. If it were me, I think I'd do what I could to relocate the tour, but I understand that may not be possible. And if your wife is looking forward to the distances, then more power to her. Hope it all goes well.

valygrl

So to summarize:
Back to back to back days of >100 miles
Boring ugly scenery
Potentially dangerous human interactions
Un-welcoming towns with nothing to do
No services for many miles, sometimes all day
No options to shorten the distances or extend the timeframe in case someone gets sick, hurt or too tired
Midsummer in a hot part of the country
Not carrying camping gear so you *must* make it to the next town
You're going to train for a year and a half for a 5 day trip

I think you're setting yourself up for a disappointment at best, a deathmarch most likely. I think you should carefully reconsider your route, and whether your budget really constrains you to starting from home. You have a year and a half to plan it, you can do a couple of weekend trial runs before (maybe out and back on the first day of your proposed route?), you have a year and a half to save up some money for plane tickets somewhere nicer.

Maybe you could do a camping trip where you carry 95% of the gear, that could save some money, you could borrow or rent camping gear if you don't have it. California Coast from San Francisco to Santa Barbara would be a great first tour.

Also do you see the consensus on this thread, telling you it's a bad idea? That's pretty unusual, and should tell you something.