Biking

January 31st, 2010

Plans

It's been a while since I've posted about the grand cycling tour. But that doesn't mean it hasn't still slowly been in the works. I've brought the idea up with people here and there at friends' houses and such, and it seems that every time I mention our plan to ride our bikes south, down the west coast, someone else has a story about someone they knew who did a similar thing. Last weekend, though, a friend's roommate told me her brother had done exactly the route we're planning on doing. Highway 101, down the coast. It turns out 101 is a pretty popular destination for bicycle touring, with scenic ocean views to the west, and national parks lining the road to the east. These parks are even set up to receive bikers, with some of them having sections designated for bikers where the cost for camping is just $4 a night. Highway 101 hugs the coast all the way through Washington and Oregon and part of California. But around Humbolt county, it veers inland, because I guess the terrain is too severe to build a proper road. There is one though, that experienced bikers and hikers sometimes follow, but I guess it's in pretty poor shape, and is pretty isolated. Could we do that? Would we want to?

As romantic as it sounds to start off in Vancouver, I think we might just start at the tip top of Washington, because it'd be so much easier, logistically. We'll see. My dad's got a cousin in Seattle, and he and my brother stayed with him a few years ago. I wonder if we could fly there and make that city our launching off point. Maybe take a bus to the beginning of 101 and start rolling. We'll mostly camp, which will mean more gear and extra weight, and fewer showers, but it will be more fun that way. We've got Pete, the drummer from Lyon's old band the Amity Front, in Portland. I wonder if we could make a pit stop there. Then Paul, a friend I met in Barcelona, lives in Santa Cruz, and finally, Hina, my best friend from college, lives in L.A., so that will be our final destination. We were thinking we might take a bus from L.A. to Austin. It'd be kinda cool to complete the circle with Greyhound. Plane, bike, bus. Plus, we figure that will give us more flexibility for when we have to head out, rather than being locked into a return flight.

More research to do. Still have to look into gear, (including bikes!), budgeting, estimating how long this might take, safety, and other details. We've been "working out," though-which is funny. I've always been a dance and yoga person, and Lyon's a musician with asthma. We are truly starting from scratch here. We have a shared google calendar going, and we mark it every time we go to the gym with how many miles we did on the stationary bike in how many minutes. It is actually getting easier. For now we're not pushing ourselves. Just getting fit is key. The real training will come when the Massachusetts winter begins to lift and we can do some mini tours around the east coast.