Suggestions for a VERY long distance ride?

nathan · February 18, 2009, 2:15pm

This sounds like an awesome project. A friend and I were thinking of doing it some years ago although we were thinking of doing it in 2-3 sections to avoid the need for getting so much time off work.

I’ve done lots of unicycle touring but never self-supported. You’ll have to work hard to get the weight down to something manageable I bet. I did two 5 month bike tours and all the hard work reducing and eliminating really paid off. Everyone we met doing multi-month touring had more weight than we did.

I have ridden part of this route (Salinas to Santa Barbara) and based on what I saw, I would never attempt this ride south to north as you have planned. Others have given this advice, but if you ride north, you will likely be faced with depressing headwinds throughout Calif (and maybe beyond) and will not be able to go nearly as far per day as you might think.

Best of luck!

—Nathan

wickedbob · February 18, 2009, 2:38pm

Well, I figured there might just be some stretches where there may be no places, and would like to know what some good ideas where.

I have a feeling riding my uni across America is going to be a lot slower and harder than riding a motorcycle. I don’t want to be stuck without food.

petad · February 18, 2009, 2:43pm

Having biked from southern Washington to northern California along the Oregon coast, I would definitely recommend going north to south. We (my family and I) met multiple people along the way who were biking south to north, and they had miserable looks on their faces. On the other hand, we experienced some pretty friendly tailwinds. Also, I would definitely recommend going along the Oregon Coast, not going inland to avoid winds. It is very beautiful country and you will enjoy it a lot. However, take “back-country” roads when possible; the logging truck traffic is pretty bad along some parts of Highway 101 (along the OR coast). Some trucks even purposely crossed the shoulder, getting within a foot of us, as if just to annoy us. The shoulder is very narrow along some parts of 101, too. And like tholub said, use Adventure Cycling maps. They are very detailed and useful, and show just about everything that is important to someone on the road. And I’m not sure how the bivvy sack idea would work…I would imagine some wet, possibly buggy, miserable nights coming your way, though Here’s a tent I would recommend. But if you are going to go the bivvy route, this is what I’d use. I probably have some other advice, but I can’t think of it right now…I’ll reply if I think of anything else. It’ll be a really fun trip, just make sure you train a lot. Put in more miles in training than you will on the actual trip-that’s what we’ve done in this and other (successful) bike trips. Good luck!

wickedbob · February 18, 2009, 2:58pm

why not a bivy with a little room?

http://www.backcountry.com/store/TNF3813/The-North-Face-Backpacking-Bivy-3-Season.html

skilewis74 · February 18, 2009, 4:48pm

Sorry I haven’t read all the posts. Sorry if something like this has already bean mentioned.

I’ve heard theres more headwind when riding north, also I’d ride along the coast so the breeze can keep you cool.

I read an article a while ago about a guy who had done dozens of LONG distance b*ke rides, including Pacific to Atlantic & A-P. He started w/ the San Fransisco to San Diego ride.

It took him 4 attempts over 4 yrs for his first completion.
First trip: out of shape and poorly prepared
2nd: to avoid the hills on the coastal route he road inland but the heat ruined it.
3rd: started in San Diego. His pace was way down do to more head winds and ran out of time before he had to get back to work (a guy he rode w/ for a couple of days did it, I think he ended up in Idaho).
4th: Road south, along the coast and arived 2 days before his absolute deadline.

OneWheelLess · February 18, 2009, 5:13pm

Still a bivy, lol. My setup still gives more room and is lighter.

Sorry, it works for me and I’ve found it to be my best option for any weather

crazyjoe · February 18, 2009, 6:51pm

OneWheelLess:

Hammocks are quite easy to set up, and soo comfortable. My hammock weighs 8oz. and my huge tarp weighs 12 or 14 (can’t remember). A silnylon tarp would be considerably lighter. Currently I’m using a eno singlenest-style hammock w/ a ultralight rectangular tarp for ease of setup, and all-weather comfort. All I have to do is secure the ends of the hammock, secure the ends of my tarp, and stake it out. My tarp is 8x10 and is really a bit bigger than I need, but it could keep me bone-dry in a tropical storm, and warm in the winter. if I have to set up camp in a storm, I’ll put up the tarp first and stake out the middle tabs on the sides, giving me instant shelter, and allowing me to stay dry while setting up my hammock. The learning curve is in determining exactly how much sag to leave in the hammock. The folks at hammockforums are awesome, and I’ve been able to learn a lot from them. Great place to ask questions and they have a great section on making your own gear as well.

After multiple people telling me to get a hammock and a bit of browsing around, I am convinced a hammock is better. I’ll be looking around for one, but I’m not buying yet.

crazyjoe · February 18, 2009, 6:52pm

wickedbob:

I kind of have and I know, I have figured it will take me something like 3-5 grand for the food, and other junk. I plan on camping out every night pretty much, a few exceptions, but not many. I’ve already got 4 hundred, With my summer job I’ll save around 1500-2000, and if I get a job after school I should have enough. I barely spend any of the money I get anymore, just save save save.

I get what you mean with the Hammocks, would be nicer in my opinion, but as you said kind of annoying. When I do mine I’ll probably just take a bivy, easier and lighter.

What always got me was what kind of food to take? I’ll be doing some larger rides this summer, only 2 hundred or 4 hundred at the most, and have put thought into this. Other than obvious things like a few energy bars like cliff, I haven’t came up with much. Any tips from the kind of foods best for these kinds of trips would be nice to know, I don’t plan on taking a stove either.

I don’t have any tips for food, but I am going to be having a meeting with a friend who has biked from coast to coast and he will have some tips for me. I’ll pass them on when I get them.

crazyjoe · February 18, 2009, 6:59pm

feel the light:

I love reading John Foss’s history lessons.

Gore Tex rain suits are not to hot, I live in the tropics, I should know. If it is so hot you would rather ride in the rain without it, take it off ! Free shower and laundry time. I carry the parka part with me on all my winter trips down town, in a fanny pack. It is breathable, so it can be worn as a windbreaker to ward off chill. Otherwise, it stays in the fanny pack. Silnylon is great for tarps and bags. It is not breathable, so it is a poor choice for a rain suit. Condensation would be worse on a uni then a motorcycle, so do not skimp on this essential piece of gear.

I have never tried these new type camping hammocks. I really enjoyed having a large tent (cooler, less body heat ), to read and plot in after a long days ride on the motorcycle. It protected me from bugs and snakes. I slept on top of the sleeping bag in my swim suit in hot weather. Because I can’t carry a big tent on a uni, and tiny tents would be terribly hot, perhaps a hammock could be the best alternative.

I have slept on the ground with no tent many times. Usually with other people, and a fire, which tends to keep creepy stuff away. Do not think tents are just about keeping warm and dry. They can also be about keeping rattle snakes from biting your face in the dark !

Sleeping with just a bag, on the ground, will be impossible in many areas unless you are so drunk, the snakes and spiders crawling over your face do not awake you. The bug spray will wear off 3 hrs into a 6 hr sleep. Ticks will smell you from ten yards away and try to crawl down your neck.

In general, sleeping on the ground, no tent, is better up north, or high elevations, then in the south. Maybe consider a hammock in southern zones where nocturnal scorpions, snakes, spiders and fire ants, are a factor. The hammock would have you reposed above the fray , and in clear weather an open hammock sounds coolest. Being to hot at night is almost as bad as being to cold.

To clean up before bed, get a plastic kitchen scrub pad. I would pour a gallon of water over my head, while scrubbing myself from head to foot with the pad. Don’t use soap, it takes to much water to rinse off. A uni tourer could get by with a liter. Road grime and sweat will come off fine and life just feels so much more better when you don’t stick to everything.

I like John’s hub storage idea, I have a super wide. Weight stored there would be closest to the center, effect handling the least. A fanny pack, maybe kids size, that would do one loop around the hub, and velcro tight.

I am surprised that anyone writes about food. This isn’t back packing, it’s an American road trip right ? I would suggest buying your favorite foods from some of the 15 000 options you will pass on your way.

I’ll remember that about the goretex, thanks.

I’m definitely looking at hammocks as my means of shelter for the entire ride. They now seem pretty easy to set up and they protect from just about everything.

I never even considered having a rack. They are just too bulky. Falls are really bad with them, too.

joemarshall:

In terms of bugs and stuff - the bivvy bag thing - will it be too hot in summer in the south?

I’ve used a hammock, and it is surprising how many places you can put it up. Pretty much anywhere there are trees to start with. I’ve never asked permission either - just make sure you’re a bit away from the road / off obvious trails. The bonus of a hammock (other than stopping bugs crawling over you), is that it is super comfy - in warm weather nothing is more comfy than a hammock. The downside is that in colder climates it can get way too cold with the wind blowing underneath you. It might perhaps be worth considering hammock for the south, bivvy for the north.

Okay, my goretex top is way way too hot on a unicycle in the UK. It is okay on a bike, because the wind speed cools you down a bit, I’m sure it’s great on a motorbike, because you’re going really fast and not doing any exercise. But on a unicycle, it is so boil in the bag hot that there is no point using it until about October / November. I’m sure it is a great motorbike thing, but that just doesn’t translate to unicycling long distances.

I’ve always found backpacks by far the best way to carry most of the load on a unicycle. Make sure you have something stable though, with good straps, so it doesn’t wobble when you move, and make sure you absolutely minimise the weight.

In terms of racks and putting stuff on the unicycle - where that is potentially useful is for very bulky but light things that would otherwise force you to have a great big rucksack. Like a sleeping bag. If you use a T7, you can just strap the sleeping bag underneath the back handle on the T7. If you don’t, you can strap the sleeping bag to the seat and the seatpost. Some people have stuck tents on the T7 too, again it’s something that’s bulky but not too heavy. I’d advise against using an extra rack - I always found that the ride sucked when I used one.

Also - there’s a guy in Australia who did a big ride like this last year I think who is probably worth contacting - he posted about it on here, but I can’t remember his name.

Joe

For storage I plan on using a decent backpack and my T7 with some thin rope. I can easity tie things like bivys, hammocks, shirts, or tools to my unicycle.

crazyjoe · February 18, 2009, 7:14pm

I’m now trying to decide North to south or south to north. I’m pretty used to the CA coast already. That’s where I usually do my distance rides.

nathan:

This sounds like an awesome project. A friend and I were thinking of doing it some years ago although we were thinking of doing it in 2-3 sections to avoid the need for getting so much time off work.

I’ve done lots of unicycle touring but never self-supported. You’ll have to work hard to get the weight down to something manageable I bet. I did two 5 month bike tours and all the hard work reducing and eliminating really paid off. Everyone we met doing multi-month touring had more weight than we did.

I have ridden part of this route (Salinas to Santa Barbara) and based on what I saw, I would never attempt this ride south to north as you have planned. Others have given this advice, but if you ride north, you will likely be faced with depressing headwinds throughout Calif (and maybe beyond) and will not be able to go nearly as far per day as you might think.

Best of luck!

—Nathan

Thank you for the advice on going north to south instead of south to north. I’m really considering it now.

Food can be a problem. When you’re in an area you can get a little booklet saying what’s edible in that region. Those can help when you get hungry and there’s no place for miles. Even if you still have food and you notice some edible berries or something, you can stop and eat those instead of using a meal in your pack.

petad:

Having biked from southern Washington to northern California along the Oregon coast, I would definitely recommend going north to south. We (my family and I) met multiple people along the way who were biking south to north, and they had miserable looks on their faces. On the other hand, we experienced some pretty friendly tailwinds. Also, I would definitely recommend going along the Oregon Coast, not going inland to avoid winds. It is very beautiful country and you will enjoy it a lot. However, take “back-country” roads when possible; the logging truck traffic is pretty bad along some parts of Highway 101 (along the OR coast). Some trucks even purposely crossed the shoulder, getting within a foot of us, as if just to annoy us. The shoulder is very narrow along some parts of 101, too. And like tholub said, use Adventure Cycling maps. They are very detailed and useful, and show just about everything that is important to someone on the road. And I’m not sure how the bivvy sack idea would work…I would imagine some wet, possibly buggy, miserable nights coming your way, though Here's a tent I would recommend. But if you are going to go the bivvy route, this is what I’d use. I probably have some other advice, but I can’t think of it right now…I’ll reply if I think of anything else. It’ll be a really fun trip, just make sure you train a lot. Put in more miles in training than you will on the actual trip-that’s what we’ve done in this and other (successful) bike trips. Good luck!

That tent and bivy both look really good, but I’m starting to lean towards hammocks. Still another person telling me north to south. I’m almost convinced.

Why not a small tent that has been given the name “bivy”.

skilewis74:

Sorry I haven’t read all the posts. Sorry if something like this has already bean mentioned.

I’ve heard theres more headwind when riding north, also I’d ride along the coast so the breeze can keep you cool.

I read an article a while ago about a guy who had done dozens of LONG distance b*ke rides, including Pacific to Atlantic & A-P. He started w/ the San Fransisco to San Diego ride.

It took him 4 attempts over 4 yrs for his first completion.
First trip: out of shape and poorly prepared
2nd: to avoid the hills on the coastal route he road inland but the heat ruined it.
3rd: started in San Diego. His pace was way down do to more head winds and ran out of time before he had to get back to work (a guy he rode w/ for a couple of days did it, I think he ended up in Idaho).
4th: Road south, along the coast and arived 2 days before his absolute deadline.

Good real-life examples there. I’m going to be deciding this weekend if I’m going N to S or S to N.

What is your setup?

Pseudonym · February 18, 2009, 7:38pm

+1 for hammocks. I got mine for my birthday (15th) and spent the last few days testing it out. I wasn’t uni-touring, but it is certainly light enought to wrap around a hub and set up is a breeze.
The first night was a little difficult as I didn’t know the correct distance or height, but it got easier every time. I used trees in the first night, a tree and a fence post on the second, the roof racks of two cars to make an impromptu seat on the third day, and finally, a hook on a wall and a railing on the last night. I’m now seeing the world as a series of hammock sites.
The temperature has been about +4 Celsius, and the wind did give me a chilly back, but I think a decent pad would have stopped that. I was using a sleeping bag with a 12.5C comfort rating and a “survival” mat (very thin closed cell foam with a foil back), but I slept much better than my friends who were tenting with good quality mats and bags.

I’ll try strapping it to my uni and riding out in a few days, but I’m sure it will meet the challange head on.

saskatchewanian · February 18, 2009, 9:03pm

I was going to post that hammocks are great until you don’t have trees to tie to but I think Pseudonym just blew that argument out of the water.

With some creative staking you could use your unicycle to hold up one side.

I thought that the hammocks from mec were overpriced at $140 ish but when I decided to make my own and priced out the materials it came to $160 in materials alone. Hammocks are lighter than tents and more comfortable than a bivy. It would be my choice for ultralight camping assuming there are places to string it up.

crazyjoe · February 18, 2009, 10:14pm

Pseudonym:

+1 for hammocks. I got mine for my birthday (15th) and spent the last few days testing it out. I wasn’t uni-touring, but it is certainly light enought to wrap around a hub and set up is a breeze.
The first night was a little difficult as I didn’t know the correct distance or height, but it got easier every time. I used trees in the first night, a tree and a fence post on the second, the roof racks of two cars to make an impromptu seat on the third day, and finally, a hook on a wall and a railing on the last night. I’m now seeing the world as a series of hammock sites.
The temperature has been about +4 Celsius, and the wind did give me a chilly back, but I think a decent pad would have stopped that. I was using a sleeping bag with a 12.5C comfort rating and a “survival” mat (very thin closed cell foam with a foil back), but I slept much better than my friends who were tenting with good quality mats and bags.

I’ll try strapping it to my uni and riding out in a few days, but I’m sure it will meet the challange head on.

Please let me know how it does!

If I have the money or good enough sponsors I might have a hammock and a bivy. Always gotta be prepared!

siafirede · February 19, 2009, 9:23am

I would not go the hammock route if you sleep on your stomach or side. I can’t sleep comfortably on a hammock, which is why I went the Tarp Shelter route.

Here is a thread with some info when I was figuring out my gear:

OneWheelLess · February 19, 2009, 9:53am

My current setup is a ultralight nylon hammock (like an eno singlenest, but uncoated nylon to make it lighter) that weighs 8 oz and folds up into it’s own pocket (smaller than a nalgene), and a urethane coated nylon 8x10 tarp that weighs 14oz. I would suggest buying something with bug netting if you feel bugs will be a problem, and silcoated nylon to windproof it. This will add a few more ozs but using a silnylon tarp will bring the weight down more. Also, my tarp is huge for most needs (most people carry something a bit smaller), it is only really advantageous if you want more coverage and protection for storms or cold weather. With a superlight closed-cell foam mat (8-12 oz.) For added insulation I’ve used it down to about 20 degrees f with my zero deg. mummy bag and was amazingly comfy.
I often will sleep on my side, however I often move around a lot. You can acheive a flatter position by sleeping diagonally or using a bridge hammock. There are many hammocks and they each sleep a little differently. The best way to decide which setup works the best for you is to try it.

wickedbob · February 19, 2009, 12:54pm

I’ve heard US highways are illegal to bike one, is this true? Maybe something you need to do it legally?

tholub · February 19, 2009, 1:12pm

It depends on the highway and the location. Most US limited-access (on-ramp/off-ramp) highways are not legal for bikes or pedestrians, but there are exceptions, mostly in places where the highway is the only through route. Highways which are not limited-access, such as Highway 1 on the coast, generally are bike-legal, with the occasional exception of certain bridges and tunnels.

wickedbob · February 19, 2009, 1:24pm

Thanks.

MuniSano · February 20, 2009, 1:16pm

+1 for riding N to S. If for no other reason you’ll be getting closer to home each day! (You’re from LA area right?) Sure you’ll have to pass through your home town towards the end but that can be extra motivation to get you to the end. Just like I entertain thoughts to hiking/running the Appalachian trail one day. If I did I’d start in Maine and head South as my home is in Alabama so I’d be getting closer and closer to home each day. Just a thought… Good luck!

unicycle6869 · February 23, 2009, 9:43am

Just saw this thread now and thought I’d make some comments…
-I think N to S might be better due to winds not due to elevation because either spot you start you are nearly at sea level so just cause you go N to S doesn’t mean it’s more downhill…but apparantly the winds are better going N to S. Plus as you get closer to home you’ll probably have a ton of family and friends cheering you the last few days and maybe could get a bunch of them to meet you at the Mexico border!

-I definately recommend trying to use www.couchsurfing.com. It’s a great website that I have used for years now to stay for free at places all around the world. I have never had any problems and you meet some of the nicest coolest people. And of course you don’t have to waste money on a hotel and/or sleep outside somewhere. My guess is you could couchsurf for most of your trip. And if there house is out of the way, ask if they can pick you up from where you are and then drop you off the next day so you don’t add extra miles to the trip, I’m sure most of them would do that.

-I might be interested in joining you for this so keep me updated. Sounds like a fun adventure. It all depends on when it is, what I’m doing, how much extra money I have, etc.

-I have a TA Tire you can buy if you want it. Personally I think the nightrider tire is a good one as I used it for RTL and it worked out great. But it seems like lots of people like the TA so if you want to try one out, let me know and I’ll give you a nice discount on it.

That’s all for now.