Vancouver to Los Angeles

[solo-rider]

Hi, I'm planning to do a bike trip starting in the middle of September, looking for some people to ride with. I've done a few long bike tours in Canada and Australia but so far have done them alone, and I love it but its gotten a little boring by myself. Looking for people who want to ride between 100 and 180K's a day taking around 1 day off a week to rest. Send me an email if your interested!

 

[biketowork]

Hi, I'm planning to do a bike trip starting in the middle of September, looking for some people to ride with. I've done a few long bike tours in Canada and Australia but so far have done them alone, and I love it but its gotten a little boring by myself. Looking for people who want to ride between 100 and 180K's a day taking around 1 day off a week to rest. Send me an email if your interested!

not for going with you, but I did Oregon to a bit past San Fransisco many years ago (15) and even then, there were loads and loads of people doing that trip, I was on my own and ended up meeting a german fellow on his own too, only after about 3 or 4 days, and ended up doing the rest of the trip together. So even if you go alone, its a pop route.

to consider--I did Oregon (was flying to west coast from Montreal, so it wouldnt have made a diff) and not Vancouver, partly for time considerations, and also I had heard that Washington was kinda rainy and not as nice as Oregon. My german firend and others I met en route confirmed that, you may want to find out from other sources about this. Inthe end, I was glad I didnt do this section--probably saved a week of riding, the others said they wouldnt do it again too.

also, I had a book titled Bicycling down the west coast...or thereabouts, written by a couple, lent it to someone later and never got it back. It was very helpful for campsite, state park suggestions, as well as some routes to avoid (truck traffic etc) this was ages ago but some research should find you similiar good info, books etc .

like you, I did trips on my own, but this sort of book was helpful and took some guesswork out of things, plus was done by folks who had done this trip by bike a couple of times, so you can trust routes more than by non-bike tourers.

also, because of popularity of route, bike shops are around, if ever you need repairs etc.
very nice state parks here and there, thye used to have "bike and hike" sections , apart from the cars and rv's, very nice touch. cheap too.

watch out for Mtn lions (really, campgrounds handed out pamphlets)

beautiful trip actually, nice change of scenery as you go south.

** IMPORTANT--dont go late in sept, Oregon can be cold and windy, sea storms can be bad thereabouts, Oct etc, so do some research into this. San Fransico etc in sept is very nice, I went in june and the whole trip was often cool (high of low 20s, often in the teens, celcius)

I would consider rain booties etc a must, up to you, but wet shoes are a drag.

some sections in upper california were narrow and a bit dodgey with lumber trucks, research yhour route, not for inexperienced tourers I would say.

cheers

 

[Aussie_Al]

I have done some riding in Northern California and you are right about the narrow roads and lumber trucks

 

[biketowork]

I would add one more thing, along these lines of narrowness and vacationing RVs and/or trucks, I would highly recommend some kind of bar mirror--it gives you that extra bit of time and also you can see if some bugger isnt moving over and/or if the timing is wrong and you are in the situation where two oncoming cars, trucks whatever are meeting each other JUST when they will be both beside you----knowing this with 2 vehicles that cant really move over is a big plus,,,or even if one bozo isnt moving over for you, you can see it coming and at worse case, bail out onto the shoulder...

just my opinion, and not necessarily for this trip in particular. After I started using one of these, I was able to be more relaxed, especially in situations where you hear a big honking truck coming up behind, but you dont know if he is moving over at all--especially in those no paved shoulder situations. Once in a while you do get some mean SOB truck drivers who dont move, even if noone is oncoming. ditto for cars and or clueless RV drivers who are just clueless....end result is the same--we lose.

solo-rider....you may find that between 100-180k is asking a lot. I could do 100, often less if its hilly, but 180, thats a lot and I think that most regular people would find that a lot, with or without lots of baggage. I think I am pretty average in this regard. Its tough to find someone who is at the same ability as you, and then theres the personality thing.

 

[Pyt]

Hi, I'm planning to do a bike trip starting in the middle of September, looking for some people to ride with. I've done a few long bike tours in Canada and Australia but so far have done them alone, and I love it but its gotten a little boring by myself. Looking for people who want to ride between 100 and 180K's a day taking around 1 day off a week to rest. Send me an email if your interested!

Dear solo-rider

Sorry I will not bike together with you in september. I plan to bike next year from Vancouver to Los Angeles. Therefore I write this mail.
I never have done long bike tours in the US. Lots of them in Europe. I am afraid that I will have to cycle on heavy traffic roads in the US and I would be very glad if you could tell me a bit about your experiences after you made your trip in september.
Where can I get goood information about where to bike on low traffic roads. Where can I get good information about where to stay in low-cost hotels / B&B? What other tips could you give me for a good preparation for this trip?

Wish you a wonderful ride and hope to hear from you.
Pyt Boomsma, Germany

 

[InfinityMPG]

That's a great trip, solo-rider!

Did you make your September timeline? If you think you may be held back by waiting to tour with someone, like has been said, there are plenty of people of all different speeds on the West Coast route. I've done my share of featureless tours, but year-round the Highway 101 to 1 Coastal route is trafficked by adventure seekers. Summer especially, of course, but you'll pass people who are riding all the way from Alaska down to the tip of South America. That's all seasons. Even if you don't have someone right with you the entire time, these, "Where are you headed?" conversations can be really great.

On the mileage, for my Seattle to San Fran ride I was doing 150+ miles every day -- just saddlebags and no needless comfort items -- so unfortunately I wasn't running into anyone twice. It seemed like most people were doing 40-80 miles a day. If you're taking a break every six days or stopping at one of the many State Parks you'll have plenty of company. And seriously, you almost do not need to plan too far ahead when it comes to where you'll be sleeping. It seemed like there were campgrounds every 15 miles, sometimes more, sometimes less, but there really aren't any, "better stock up or die," situations.

And a note which I wish I had known: when you're coming off of Highway 1 (Shoreline Highway) and preparing to make the stretch into San Francisco, Highway 1 will meet Highway 101 again. Having entered Highway 1 at Leggett, previously Highway 101 had been bike-friendly all the way from Washington State, but when reached again before San Francisco it is suddenly a crazy, almost super-highway situation. So do not try to cross the Golden Gate with Highway 101! When the 1 meets the 101, there is a crossing under the 101 onto the "Bridgeway" road. It goes through Sausalito and meets back up with the bridge's bike and pedestrian crossings. The right side is bike only, the left side is shared with pedestrian priority. A minor hiccup, but I still wish I had known before I tried the shoulder for a mile.

 

[Simonn]

You really plan good.. I want to become the participant of your program..
Any terms and conditions to join your program..

 

[Omicat]

I had a friend do Seattle to San Fran last year, and she went alone, but wound up meeting many many people on route that she joined up with.

 

[Vancouver2LA]

hey man i would love to go
when were you thinking?
i could only go very early september, and probably go with you only to portland