DIY

Where can I get info?

Adventurecycling.org :: maps, FAQ, official info, find a group
crazyguyonabike.com :: inspiring stories, photos, advice to be taken with a grain of salt

I'm still confused and scared and I want my Mommy!
read on, sucker....

3 BIGGEST MISTAKES TransAm Riders make

1. Taking too much stuff (more info below)
   
2. Taking too litle time
3. Doing it for the wrong reasons. Bikes are a great way to experience the country, not see every bit of it. If you want to see every national park and see every city on the way, you will be sorely dissapointed, and prolly won't make it. If you're not doing it because you want to pedal it to the other side, you will probably find yourself miserable.
   

Are those Adventure Cycling Maps worth it?
Absolutely. I'm a stingy SOB, but those maps are awesome. They tell you where there's food, camping, how to avoid death on roads of doom, where the hospitality secrets are, etc. Buy em.

Do I have to go West to East cuz of the winds?
Absolutely not. Like the Adventure Cycling site says, the winds on the flats come mostly out of the South, making it suck equally for both Eastbound and Westbound riders. We actually got more headwinds than tailwinds in Kansas and Nevada, but more crosswinds than anything.

20 mph crosswinds suck. The only way to avoid em is to get up at 3 in the morning when it's usually calm. A staggered paceline also works to a degree.


Are the Appalachains really harder than the Rockies?
I didn't believe it when I was told, but they really are due to the steepness. Other stuff that you might notta known:

• Nevada is not flat. Not the part we went through, anyways. It goes like this: 10 miles uphill, 10 miles downhill, 5 miles flat, repeat. All day.
• There are mountains everywhere. Except for Kansas. Appalachains, Ozarks, Sierras, Rockies, and a bunch of other ones. If anybody says "I think it's going to be mostly flat tomorrow" PEE ON THEIR TENT AND TELL EM TO SHUT IT. No seriously, there are uphills everywhere, embrace that fact or die.
• Guess what? Utah isn't flat either. Our longest climb was in Utah, not Colorado.
• LOCALS DON'T GIVE GOOD DIRECTIONS Not when it comes to bike routes anyways. We only got good directions TWICE in 2 months. Every other time, they led us down dangerous roads. People will try to give you directions. Just nod and smile.

How much water do I bring?
Bring at least 2 water bottles and some way to carry 2 more liters. In the long stretches between service in Utah and Nevada, I would STRONGLY recommend you bring AT LEAST 7 water bottles worth (5 liters/ 1.5 gallons). You can probably flag down someone for water, but me, being the jerk that I am, prefer to play it safe.

Don't bring a water filter. Bring some tablets for emergencies. Oh, by the way, there's nothing to purify in Nevada.

How do I train?
Ha! You silly silly individual. The training is the first week of riding. It's very unlikely that you, with your job and social life and all that jazz, can adequately prepare for the mileage you'll be doing.

However, it's a really good idea to go on an overnight trip and test out all your jazz before you leave. I didn't do that. My only training was riding to work and back and everywhere in between every day for a month (20 miles a day, maybe? 25 max).

Oh my gosh, you musta gone through like 50 tires!
No, I wore out my back tire after 3000 miles. I'm still riding my front tire, it must have 5500 miles on it. I replaced my chain after 3000. Never replaced brake pads or anything, though I would recommend carrying some spare. You will wear out stuff a lot faster if you don't properly inflate your tires, lube your chain, etc.

How long you take? How many miles a day?

Everybody asks this question and I just sigh. It varies, and you're largely at the mercy of the landscape and the distance between towns. If you're in good shape, and you've got an 70 pound bike (like I did at the end) expect to average no more than 70 miles a day. You want a rest day once a week, or you and butt will be miserable. A rest day does wonders for the soul. If you're traveling light (50-60 pound rig) you could likely do 80-90 mile days.

I look exactly 2 months to ride 4000 miles (TransAm+Western Express). Averaging around 66.6 miles a day. We actually started out doing 40-60 mile days and ended with 70-80s because we had to play catch-up. I would not recommend taking any less than 2 months. 3 would have been sweet and would have allowed for some side trips and tomfoolery.

What kinda bike do I need?
You can do it on an old 10 speed if you're a good mechanic and a strong rider. You can do it on a mountain bike if you're willing to work a lot harder. A standard road bike will work if you're prepared for broken rear spokes and maybe an aching back.

The best option is a touring bike with a triple chainring. As long as it's in good mechanical condition (any good bike shop can verify for you), you have a decent mechanical knowledge, and it has adequate cargo-carrying capacity, it's hard to go wrong.

What you bring?

WELL, I'm really glad you asked. This is VERY IMPORTANT, so read carefully. The key is weight: I recommend no more than 70 pounds (bike and gear combined, minus what you're wearing). If you really try, you could get away with around 60 total, and if you put some serious cash into lightweight stuff, 40lbs. Lighter weight individuals should definitely CARRY LESS.
I started out with around 85 pounds, and ended up dropping 10 pounds in Ridgway, after the sage advice of an Eastbounder named Sky. I never dropped my heavy Canon DSLR, pots + stove, and stash o grocery store food. By dropping these items, I could have sent my front panniers home and saved another 8-ish.

I really had no problem with hauling all the weight up the hills. But my body did. If I hadn't dropped the weight, my achilles might have ended the trip early for me. Literally, as soon as I dropped the 10 lbs in the middle of CO, the tendinitis stabilized, my knees were happier, and everything slowly got better.

SO, stuff I brought:

Bike:

• Surly Long Haul Trucker
• rear panniers: Old used Topeak (thanks Dr. Lee!!).
  
• front panniers : Deuter: not as flashy as Ortleib, but prolly lighter, and cheaper, and worked great for me
  
• Mirricycle handlebar mounted mirror (actually designed for MTBs, worked great, gave me (relative) peace of mind on deathnasty roads
• Cute lil bell, a necessity
• Speedometer: Specialized Speedzone Sport Wireless- easy to remove for shady areas/ when you don't want to look at it, I would recommend taking a speedometer to make map reading easier (you'll have a better idea of when turns are coming up, and if you missed one)
• Seat: Specialized Avatar. Make sure you get one that YOU LIKE! Or you shall suffer.
• Racks: Rear Axiom Streamliner, Front Axiom Lowrider (for the front, put the bolts in backwards, nut the end, so you won't be semi-screwed like I was when the bolt broke and I couldn't get it out)
• Lights: Cateye blinkies front and rear- used frequently
  

Clothes:

• Cycling shorts: 2 pair (dropped my third in CO) Specialized Pro and Comp.
  
• Jersey: one. (dropped 3rd in CO)
• Socks: 1 pair King Kong, 1 pair Wool-E-Boolie (dropped 3rd pr. in CO)
• Shoes: Specialized Sport MTB w/ BG high-arch footbeds (got rid of toe numbness, arch hurties)
• Gloves: Spec. Ridge Longfingers, Garneau cold weather (only used cold ones once in CO, but I woulda SUFFFERED without em)
• Rain Jacket: cheapie thing made out of stuff they make Doctor's surgery scrubs outa- breathable, waterproof, packable, cool. Buy it at the Spin Cycle.
  
• Rainpants: packable hiking things
  
• Halo headband- keeps sweat outa eyes n glasses
• Cheap sunglasses
• Giro Xen helmet w/visor (visor is helpful for rain + riding into the sunset)
• Off-bike shirt: western button up shirt, I'd recommend lighter colors
• Cargo shorts: I'd recommend a lighter fabric than the khaki material I wore
  

Sleeping stuff:

• Sleeping bag, Deuter 50 degree bag. NOT warm enough. Bought a cheap wool blanket and my friend Katlyn sewed it into a liner (I shoulda put a zipper in the liner to make getting in easier) Thanks Katlyn!. It gets down to upper 30s at higher alts in July+Aug.
• Sleeping pad: Thermarest inflatable (Thanks Rents!!)
• Dr. Lee's tent. Sent home in CO to save weight (it was a 2-man). Replace with tarp. I would recommend taking a lightweight one-man if you can afford it. I had a couple miserable nights in Cali and Utah due to the mosquito+heat combo. Sweat+buzzing+biting=no sleep.
• 8x10 all purpose tarp (picked up in CO). Lightweight camping tarps are available.

Foodstuff

• MSR whisperlite stove, tank+ regulator (Thanks Lee!!)
  
• Small MSR stainless pot + lid (sent home 2nd pot in set home in CO)
• Random groceries
• Tough string to hang food in tree for bear country (bearboxes not always provided)
• Fork, Spoon, pocketknife (I used kept the knife in my jersey pocket and used it at least a dozen times a day)
• Military can opener (lost it and bought dollar store thing cuz I knew I'd just lose another)

Tools:

• Multi-tool w/hex + flathead screwdriver
  
• Chain breaker + a few extra SRAM links
• 8 + 10mm open ended wrenches for racks+fenders
• Spoke tool
• Tire levers (Pedros are the best, trust me)
• Frame pump (don't take a dinky little thing. you will be using the pump every couple days or your tires will be worn after a few weeks)
• Extra cables, spokes+nipples, rack bolts
• Touring cassette tool (allows removal without chain whip)
• Old school patch kit, NOT glueless! (I recommend packing 2 kits into one box)
  
• At least 2 extra tubes
• Extra folding-bead tire
  
• Rock N Roll chain lube
  

I used every tool I took, though I only needed the spoke tools and cassette tool to repair others' bikes. I had to borrow a leatherman to fix my mangled front fender. (Thanks Sean!!)

You'd be surprised as how few bike shops there are out there. Many bike shops won't have a touring tire or even a fatter 700c tube in stock, so call ahead if you're counting on it.


Hydration:

• 2 water bottles. (24oz standards: insulated bottles won't do you much good)
  
• 3 liter Deuter reservoir, very nice to have
• filled up 32 oz powerade bottle in UT and NV when we had not services for 60-plus miles. Drank everything.
  

Random Junk:

• Canon SD1000 camera, charger, cable (bought extra SD card in KS)
• Canon Rebel camera, charger, cable, polarizer filter + extra battery (sent home bat + filter in CO, never used either)
• iPod nano (put in wash, broke)
• mp3 player given to me by me aunt (thanks Auntie!!) (sent home cuz I figured I'd have plenty of music when I got back, so I'd see how I did without. Did pretty well.)
• MSR water filter (sent home, never used- in dry areas, there's almost nothing to filter)
• iodine water-filtration tablets (emergency backup, never used, but tiny and light)
• Gore-tex sack for food bear-proofing (sent home, used pannier instead)
• Needle and thread, used to repair panniers, clothes
• 3 bungees, did the trick. Woulda been nice to have one of them cargo nets
• Handkerchief- useful for all kindsa mess including napping, bread holding, pantleg tying, waving round your head like a helicopter, etc. (Thanks Anne!!)
• Pepper spray- for dogs and dog-like humans. Thankfully, never used.
• Shoelace- tied around seat tube- just in case. Used as belt when I lost mine.
• Electrical tape wrapped around seat tube, helpful. I should have brought some duct tape, too.
• Pen+paper for doodling, writing stuff, etc.
• Colored pencils (sent home in CO)
• Good book (On the Road, Unbearable Lightness of Being, etc.)
• SMALL lightweight cable lock. Most places are very low-key, no need for a giant chain or u-lock.
• Ziploc bags
  

WOW, I think that's it. As soon as we rolled over the Golden Gate, we were blasted with a nice freezing wall of air. I got some jeans, a hoodie, and a U-lock to protect me from the savage SF bike theives.



What the heck ya eat?

Grocery stores. They're sweet. Bring a lightweight camping stove that can run off of unleaded (there won't be much kerosene to be had) and you can eat like a king. When you go through town, pick up some goodies to cook. Just make sure you don't weigh yourself down with too many turkeys.

If you have multiple people, split the cooking equipment and food among you, to save weight and room. We invented something called the food fund. Everybody puts 10 bucks in, you buy communal meal foodstuffs with it, and you replenish it when necessary. No need to figure out how much each person owes and all that garbage.

Many people travel without stoves. Guess what? You can eat cold soup! Restaurants work too, they just get expensive fast.

Other revelations: Nutella, peanut butter, cheese (stays fresh for 2 or 3 days in the burning hot sun), jelly (good for a week), honey (NEVER GOES BAD)


Where the heck ya sleep?
Anywhere you can manage. If you're on the route, people around town will likely know where most of the cyclists sleep.

What if nobody knows? Or they tell you something that sucks, like the expensive RV park down the road or a luxury hotel? Churchyards are good. Schools. Fire stations. Most of the times, it's good to ask. If there's nobody around, just set up. If it's shady, slip in after dark.

When we were off route in the beginning, and people weren't used to seeing cyclists come through, a lot of people let us camp out in there yards. Hospitality will surprise you. Just don't look like a creep.

$$$

After all the random expenses that came up (bike stuff that I already had but had to buy again, hotels, ferry rides,etc.) and 10 days in the extremely expensive San Fransisco, I thought I was way over my $3,075 budget, which included the bike, all purchased equipment, food, lodging, plane tickets, and $500 for 'random crap.'

Turns out I was right at budget, spending between $3000 and $3150. (Breakdown below.) Not any more expensive than living and going to NCSU full time. The way I look at it, I got a free bike and a lot of useful junk out of the deal, too, since I'll be commuting all over the place on the bike.

Approx Costs: Stuff Total 1412 Trans,Lodging Total 382 Food Total 1363 Actual Total Purchases 06/02-08/14 1860 Actual Purchases+Bike n Equipment 2999

(Stuff includes bike, equipment, repair stuff on the road, care package and shipping, U-lock and stuff purchased in SF, books)
(Trans includes tickets and FedEx for stuff back home)

State-by-State stereotypes

Virginia: is for lovers, and friendly people, and the Confederacy. Appalachains ouch, awesome swimming holes, never ending state, watch out for heat stroke due to humidity. Best descent of the trip, without question. Dagum racoons, where'd my bagels go?

Kentucky: unbridled spirit (and they really mean it), Hazard KY was a nightmare, watch out for coal trucks, still steep like VA.

Missouri: no, you can't just roll up the backside of every hill, but they are a little nicer than the Apps. Surprisingly pretty. Enjoy the green while it lasts.

Illinois: no, it's not flat, although it starts to get there. Um, that's about it.

Kansans: purty damn flat, though not a pancake. Crosswinds galore. Friendliest people ever. Nicest drivers anywhere- got so many waves we felt like celebrities. Ask nicely, and you can get into a ton of the pools for free, use showers in parks, camp for free, etc. City parks almost always have a park you can camp in for free. Enjoy.

Colorado: Goodbye flat, climb for hours, descend for a lil bit, amazing views, goobye friendliness and free stuff, hello terrible tourist drivers and tiny shoulders. Cold at high altitudes. Snow for Eastbound riders. Not just green mountains, desert-like stuff, too. The scenery made up for any shortcomings, which is saying a lot.

Utah: most varied terrain of all. Longest climbs, steepest descents, roller coaster roads, tons of motorcycles, expensive camping. Unbelievable terrain, lots of thorns, no toilet paper.

Nevada: most boring state ever. Huge sky, sleep under the stars, quitest roads ever, roads to nowhere. NOT FLAT. Winds suck. They don't go away at night, so don't even try. Last day in Nevada was beautiful. Supposedly, most westbounders that don't make it quit here.

California: Surreal beauty. Vineyards. 4000 ft descent (mostly). Watch out for bears. Second best descent of the trip. Not enought time in Cali. Davis, CA: bike heaven, my favorite town. San Fran, baby.


Random thoughts

• Make sure you'll have some way to get a care package out to you, wherever you may be. Just address it: "Your name, Care of Post Office XXX, Town, State, Zip" It's prolly a good idea to call the post office to make sure it's okay. Don't expect it to get there on time, so send it before you need it, and don't get there before it does.
• You're not soloing Everest. You don't need flint, flare guns, oxygen, etc.
  
• Know how to put your food, toothpaste, and cookware in a tree, for bear country.
• Pepper spray is more effective against angry grizzlies than firearms, no matter what the good ol boys say
  
• You don't need DEET. Never used it.
• Go nuts. Do something stupid. Talk to people. Ride and smile.
  

Final words
The TransAm is not a pleasure cruise. (It's not a race, either.) If you aren't 100% committed you probably shoudln't do it. It will suck sometimes. It will hurt. No matter how much you research and prepare, you will forget things, and things will go wrong. There will be times when you think you can't do it, no matter how much you want to.

If you want to do it, you will make it, and it will be more than you ever expected it to be. Send me some pictures, okay? I miss the road.



Love,
Steven Valenziano



Yeah