Bicycle touring -- need advice

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’ve bicycle toured before, but they were organized rides though a company. You pay them a bunch of money and they rent the motel rooms and provide all the food and have a sag wagon if you need it. Now I want to do it by myself.

OK, I live in the Portland OR area and think a trip to Spokane would be nice. I have family up there I should visit. I could just drive up, it only takes about 6 or 7 hours driving, but I’d like to use my bicycle instead. If it works out, maybe I’ll spend some of my retirement cycling around the country.

Anyway, I’d like some advice about planning this trip:

Route: I’m not sure what route is the best. Driving there is pretty much all on freeways which I do not want to take (it’s actually legal to cycle on freeways here in Oregon, but that doesn’t make it a good idea to do so. I once cycled about 5 miles on one – it was ugly to say the least). So a route planner would be a good idea. Google maps will let you specify a bike trip, although I have not yet asked it about this one. Is there any other site that lets you plan bike trips?

Accomodations: It’s going to take several days (I figure at least 4) to get there. I’d like to save money by camping out rather than staying in motels. Is there a good website that’ll show me places I can camp?

What to take and not take: A couple changes in clothes, toiletries, cellphone and recharger, and a bunch of Clif Bars. Also Cytomax for my drinking water. What should I bring along for camping? A blanket or two? I do have a sleeping bag which I’ve never used, but it’s kind of bulky for taking along on a bike. If I do this, it’ll probably be in August, so a sleeping bag is probably overkill, anyway. Anything else I’m forgetting? (Don’t suggest a laptop; I don’t own one.)

Is this trip too ambitious for getting started? Should I first try an overnight trip to the coast or something?

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For route, you may want to look at http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/ you can look at journals by area.

The Adventure Cycling Association is a good resource - they have routes and maps with cmaping and other info (whethjer there any routes that go where you want is a different issue)

Another website is http://travellingtwo.com/ Friedel is a doper but I haven’t seen a post lately.

If you have done supported rides I don’t think a 4 day trip is too bad (well 8, I assume you would bike back). Though carrying your own stuff will slow you down. I’d consider a sleeping bagliner packs small.

I’ve only done an overnight, and a loaded bike to the start of a supported ride so am not an expert myself.

Brian

3

I have done self-supported bike tours a few times and I really enjoy it. I have not done a tour company activity so I cannot compare, other than the cost, which appears to be considerably less expensive when you go on your own. I have ridden from Astoria to SF, and from Monterey to Santa Barbara, and other shorter variants of those.

I would suggest you do take a one-nighter somewhere to shake-out any issues with your gear and mileage expectations. You will be going much slower than you think.

I use a small, lightweight tent, compact sleeping bag, light inflatable sleeping pad - you are going to want a few comforts as you will want to sleep well. Think backpacking gear - light and compact.

If you plan on buying your meals you can dispense with all the kitchen gear, but if you plan on cooking, you will need a compact stove and backpacking cooking gear set.

Your bike can be a standard hard-tail mountain bike with no front suspension, with road tires, or “slicks”. Make sure the wheels are in good condition as they will be handling a lot of extra weight, and you have low gearing for any climbing. The bike should be able to accommodate a standard rear rack to hold your panniers, which also come in a variety of sizes and shapes. When loading up, I use panniers, and then bungee my sleeping bag and tent to the top of the rack. A handlebar bag can be good for snacks and maps - more convenient than rummaging thru your other bags.

Check out the links N9IWP provided. You can also map out your own route and get an idea of what towns, campgrounds, and services may be available along the way - look for state highways, scenic byways, etc. You need to be mindful of water availability. The Oregon coast has wonderful parks set up for the cycle-tourists, I am not so sure about the inland areas and inland Washington. There may be local cycling clubs in Spokane or other places along the way that can give you advice. Perhaps you can follow the Columbia river most of the way on non-freeways.

Anyway, good luck and let us know how it goes! Touring by bicycle is great freedom as long as you have the time.

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Is there a way to get from Portland to Spokane without using the Interstate or going way out of your way? I brief look at the map doesn’t reveal one…

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Not bad on the way there, but a real bastard coming back. The winds coming in from the coast get funneled through the gorge. Great for windsurfing; on a bike, not so much.

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warmshowers.org
It’s fantastic. I have hosted several times, and met great people. It’s like couchsurfing, but just for bike tourers.

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Second on Adventure Cycling.

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Thank you for all the advice and links.

As far as going through the Columbia Gorge, Google maps says to take the I-205 Multi-use Path across the river to Washington route 14. I suppose that’s the best way, but it would be much nicer if they’d connect the segments of the Old Columbia River Highway with bike paths.

As far as winds in the Gorge, they’re usually not that bad in late summer. I lived in Hood River a couple years in the 90s, and from what I remember, they’re strongest in spring and early summer, when it would be much warmer on the east side of the mountains than on the west. It’s the temperature difference that drives those winds.

BTW, I would be doing this on my road bike. I don’t own a mtn bike and right now, can’t afford one.

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The most direct interstate (which you can’t do anyway) route is 352 miles, which would be 88 miles a day over 4 days, so you’ll need more than 4 days unless you’re a real hammerhead.

Besides going along the Columbia River and up, it looks like there are several ways you could go north and east off of route 14. Tracking along the interstate route once you get away from the Columbia River looks like one farming area after another. It might be easy riding, but might get boring after a while, plus all the farm-related traffic on the roads can be unnerving.

The biggest error I used to make packing-wise (I haven’t bike-toured in ages) was carrying way too much water. I would fill these collapsable bags and put them in the bottoms of my panniers and the bike would weigh a ton and be back-heavy and I’d end up pouring a lot out at the end. But hey, at least I never ran out!

Make sure you have a flashlight, headlamp, etc. and extra batteries since you’re not going to want to ‘push on through the night’ and will need light for the night hours.

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I got a buddy that did San Francisco to Huntington Beach last year with a group of whippets. They had so much fun they doing Medford Or. to San Francisco this year. If he is good with it be happy to forward you his email. They averaged 77 miles a day, he might be a decent resource for you.

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A group of whippets?

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Another thing you can consider is biking one-way, and getting a ride on Greyhound or Amtrak on the way back. Thay way you may be able to enjoy a more leisurely pace and not have to worry about headwinds in the gorge.

A couple of tours I have done involved either airplane or train for the out or return leg - this creates a lot more options. Most transport requires you to pack the bike in a bike box, which can be had for free from local bike shops (with advance notice). That is what we did last year in San Luis Obispo for the train back north after riding from Monterey along the coast - bike shop 2 blocks from the train station.

Looks like you could ride along WA state hwy 14 along the Columbia for a number of miles - you would be on the more scenic river side of the road, as opposed to the other side. You should keep this in mind when selecting roads. For example, the Pacific Coast Hwy in CA is more scenic, with a better shoulder, and tailwinds, going south.

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Whippet: A thin, light cyclist. Usually, these are people of small stature who wish they were Clydesdales but are genetically incapable of becoming one. They attract less women, make less money, and are in general not taken very seriously outside of the cycling world. In an effort to discredit their larger societal competitors, they invented the sport of cycling. In addition to small Napoleonics, there are tall, thin whippets. While not as disadvantaged in mating or money, they are not to be trusted. Would you trust the Schleck brothers with your sister? I don’t think so. See also Napoleonic. :smiley:
credit to superclydesdale.com

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I am so stealing this.
:slight_smile:

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Not sure I’m that much of a hammerhead, at least probably not for more than one day. But the most direct freeway route is a less than direct line (I assume you mean the I-84/I-82/US 395/I-90 route; the only other freeway route is longer). So by taking back roads, I may be able to shorten the ride. But note I said “at least 4 days”. Even with the back roads it will probably take 5 days.

Also, that distance is from Portland. I live on the west side, so the distance for me is longer. However, I’m planning on cheating by taking the light rail to the station closest to the I-205 Multi-use Path I mentioned above. That’ll shave about 30 miles off my distance.

Yes, although I don’t want to take US 97. That goes over Satus Pass (3100 ft). Not the highest pass, but I think going further east will involve less climbing.

There’s lots of hills in eastern Washington. Finding a really flat area there is difficult. I don’t think I’ll get bored.

Just bought a rechargable headlight. Got tired of buying batteries for the old one. It should do.

A thought occured to me that maybe I should see if there’s any bed&breakfasts along my route. They should be cheaper than a motel and more comfortable than camping out. The only times I’ve stayed in B&Bs was in New Zealand, where many of them were very reasonably priced.

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Aw, I hoped he was a human touring with a group of bicycling dogs, or maybe towing the dogs in a trailer.