The Magic Mountain

Any trip to Europe for work gives me a good excuse to take an extra day and get something closer to a pure cycling experience. Cycling around RI is okay, but it doesn't quite hold a candle to the European experience. So last Saturday, I rented a road bike in Barcelona and went cycling north towards the magic mountain.

It was surprisingly simple to find a place that provided high quality road bikes. Cuesta Cycling, operated by a Dutch expat, not only provided an excellent carbon road bike but also a guide to lead me through the in and outs of the cities and towns north of Barcelona. Of course, the guide cost me 150 euros, but all things considered, seemed like the most efficient way to get in a true cycling experience.

Looking up at Monserrat

My guide, a wiry Colombian named Johnny showed up to my hotel at 7 AM ready to go. Immediately, I was a bit intimidated by this svelt cyclist who I could've mistaken for Nario Quintana. Needless to say, I was sure I was gonna be slowing this guy down going up the climbs (and down and on the flat parts, for that matter).

On the climb to Monserrat

Our main objective for the day was Monserrat - a Category 1 climb nicknamed the magic mountain about 35 miles north of Barcelona. The trip out to the start of the climb was through the suburbs and industrial areas north of Barcelona - not terribly memorable, but we did see a lot of cyclists. The climb itself was about 9 kilometers at a grade of 6% baking in the sun. It wasn't the toughest climb I've ever done (that was Gran Colombier in 2016), but I definitely needed to conserve energy for a several more climbs on the rest of the ride.

Johnny the guide (waiting for me)

The rest of the day was a hot ride through the windy canyons north of Barcelona and then through the suburbs back into the city. My failure to put on any sunscreen gave me a mean farmer's tan, and I think my Columbian guide was getting impatient near the end as I slowly cranked the pedals up the bluffs overlooking Barcelona. All in all 80 miles with 7000+ ft of vertical elevation - not a bad days work. I promptly undid all the good work with churros, tapas, and white wine in the evening!

Overlooking Barcelona

Click here for stage map and elevation profile.

Your Turn: What to Carry?

Figuring out what to carry on a cross-country trip may seem daunting, but it is probably the easiest thing to figure out and adjust as you go along. Every cross-country cyclist faces the tradeoff of carrying more gear and being better prepared for different situations or carrying less gear and traveling lighter and faster. Your personal budget and tolerance for roughing it will dictate that tradeoff.

Camping versus motels:
Unlike most cross-country cyclists, I did not carry any camping gear on my trip. In retrospect, carrying some rudimentary camping gear might not have been a bad idea; it allows you more flexibility to adjust your mileage. I made motel reservations in advance - usually by several weeks - and therefore had a schedule to keep. The distances between lodgings in the West will often dictate riding longer or shorter distances than you might otherwise want to. Moteling is significantly more expensive than camping, but does offer some comforts at the end of the day: a bed, air conditioned room, shower, and TV/wifi. However, given that you can always opt for a motel, the only reason not to carry camping gear is to reduce weight.

Equipment:
A good road bike is a prerequisite for any cross-country trip. Your bike will cover a lot of miles and take a beating; do not attempt a cross-country trip on $50 bike from Walmart. A decent bike shop will carry touring bikes designed for long-distance riding. These bikes are engineered to attach both front and rear panniers, use cantilever brakes which are stronger than caliper brakes on a road bike, and sport the gearing for climbing comfortably while carrying 40-50 pounds of gear.

However, instead of buying a touring bike, I purchased a road bike: Specialized Secteur Elite. With a carbon fork and stem, this bike is somewhat lighter than a touring bike but has attachment points for a rear rack. Road bikes are perfectly fine for a cross-country ride so long as you do not overweight the bike; the wheels are not designed for heavy duty touring. I carried all my gear in two waterproof Ortlieb rear panniers attached to a Topeak rear rack and rear trunk bag on top.

One thing to be aware of if using a road bike is that the gearing may not be right for getting up the various climbs you encounter. My rear cassette was originally a SRAM 12-26 and even in the lowest gear, I had a lot of trouble getting up the steep grades in Pennsylvania. In Bozeman, MT, I switched the cassette to a Shimano 12-30; the larger cog (30) in the back made it considerably easier to climb. Do something I did not do: ride your bike fully loaded several times before departing.

Technology and electronics:
A good smartphone will greatly enhance a cross-country journey. A smartphone is particularly useful for finding the distance to the next food/gas station options on the route, or finding an alternative route in suburban/urban settings. In some areas of the West, cell service becomes either spotty or unavailable. I went to the trouble (and expense) of renting a satellite phone, but, in retrospect, I would only carry a satellite phone if you are cycling in remote, untraveled areas like gravel trails out West or touring in remote areas like Alaska.

Another useful gadget is a GPS for mapping and navigation. I bought a Garmin Edge 800 and, before each day's ride, I loaded the course route. With the exception of bike trails, the route maps appeared up to date and easily directed me through residential roads and rural country roads.

Clothing and other gear:
On a cross-country journey, you will need to be prepared to cycle through all kinds of weather. A couple days in Pennsylvania had temperatures in the 40s while several days out West, temperatures peaked near 100 in the afternoon. Cold weather gear may be needed depending on when you leave, a waterproof rain jacket is a must, and sunscreen essential. I carried only sandals as footwear, shorts and a T-shirt to wear when not cycling to minimize weight. I also carried my MacBook Air cross country - a unnecessary but nice indulgence at minimal additional weight.

Getting chased down by a dog is something that most cyclists can attest to. Most of the time, owners would manage to stop their dogs from chasing after me, but I did encounter cross-country cyclists who had been either chased for awhile or had dogs try to bite them. Pepper spray is an option which I carried, but many cyclists just recommend using your water bottle to spray the dog or simply trying to outrun the dog.

Bike repair and maintenance:
Before leaving on my trip, I invested a fair amount of time learning how to address a variety of possible bike breakdowns. However, as it turned out, the only problem I encountered were a couple of flat tires. My friend Andrew got a flat on the open road, riding into Minneapolis, while my bike took a flat on a day off in Miles City, MT. Needless to say, knowing how to fix a flat is a must and very easy to learn and practice. My tires were puncture resistant hard case tires made by Bontrager or Specialized. I replaced my tires every 1200 miles, though this was probably overly conservative. A hand pump, tire levers, a multitool, and extra tubes are an absolute minimum for a cross-country ride.

Beyond flat tires, I also learned how to adjust the derailleurs (for smooth shifting), remove a cassette, replace broken spokes, and true a wheel. I carried extra spokes, a spoke wrench, and a cassette adaptor for replacing a broken spoke, but I did not carry a chain whip and wrench for removing the cassette on the rear wheel. You can continue to ride with a broken spoke though you risk permanently damaging the wheel.

Cross-country rides take their toll on the chain - regularly cleaning and lubricating the chain (especially after cycling in rain) will increase the chain life and reduce drag. However, it is probably prudent to replace the chain once during the trip. A chain tool and replacement pin should be part of your spare parts, especially for longer rides or rougher conditions.

Your Turn: Road Cycling Skills

Road cycling - especially on a cross-country journey - requires some comfort and experience with cycling on busy roads with fast-moving traffic. The most important preparations I made over the two years I planned this trip were getting used to cycling on roads in New York and its surroundings including a five-day trip from New York to Montreal.

Road conditions:
The truth is that a substantial fraction of a cross-country trip requires you to cycle on roads with fast-moving traffic. While intelligent routing can limit your exposure to high traffic areas, some 70% of your journey will require riding on two lane highways with a speed limit in excess of 60 mph. Rare will be extended periods on paved bike paths or residential streets.

The most important principle of road cycling is to treat your bike like a vehicle - never ride against traffic, obey lights and stop signs, and ride predictably as if you were driving a car. As a cyclist, you have full rights to use the highway (freeways and interstates are usually the exception where bikes are typically prohibited), but as a practical matter, you are expected to ride as far to the right as safe.

On highways, the vast majority of cars and trucks will pull over to the other lane to pass. However, the occasional driver will not, passing you quite closely. Holding a steady line will minimize any dangers from close passing traffic, though the experience may still be unnerving. Drivers deliberately running cyclists off the road is rare (and has never happened to me), but some other cross-country cyclists I met on this trip reported such incidents. In these cases, it's important to try to keep your bike straight on the grass or gravel off the road. A fully loaded bike is fairly stable, and unless you are traveling at high speed, you should be able to keep control.

Using the shoulder:
Roads with a generous shoulder are a cyclist's friend and form a de facto bike lane in many areas. Moreover,  the size of shoulder typically correlates with traffic volumes. Avoid riding too far to the right in the shoulder -  debris from the roadway including metal and glass pieces that cause flats accumulate there. On busy roads, rumble strips on the left side of the shoulder will naturally form a barrier between cars and cyclists.

On highways with narrow shoulders or otherwise rough road, you may be forced to ride on the white line or even ride inside the lane itself. Moreover rumble strips may force you to ride in the lane even if the highway has a narrow shoulder. Several stretches of US-12 in South Dakota featured these conditions. As long as you maintain visibility and ride predictably, riding inside the lane should not be a problem. It may inconvenience traffic that is forced to slow down, but as a cyclist, you are within your rights to take the lane. Indeed, in high traffic situations - in suburbs or on bridges - it may be best to move to the center of the lane and control traffic behind you.

At faster speeds in a tailwind or during a descent, ride further away from the road edge towards the lane. You are more likely to lose control if you ride off the road and injuries would be more severe.

In the end, riding on the highway with traffic is an act of faith. The likelihood of a sober driver running into a cyclist from behind on a clear day is minimal, but injuries would probably be severe in case of an accident. The vast majority of cycling accidents occur in urban areas at intersections.

Maintaining visibility:
On the open road during daytime and good weather, a cyclist will be fairly visible to cars from a distance. However, on highways, it is generally advisable to take further precautions to maintain visibility to drivers. I always wore bright colored clothing and, on the busiest roads, I typically wore a reflective yellow safety vest. My rain jackets were also brightly colored, and, in the rain, I attached a blinking red light to the back of my bike to improve visibility. I did not have to ride in foggy conditions or through heavy rain - in those conditions, it is advisable to wait for conditions to improve.

Riding the interstate:
Cycling on the interstate is not permitted in most states outside of the West and is certainly not advisable in suburban or urban areas. However, in many western states, the interstate may be your best (or only) option. I traveled on the interstate several times in Montana and Oregon and generally found the interstate to be easier to ride on than many highways. Shoulders are nearly always in excess of five feet and multiple lanes allow traffic to pass comfortably. Moreover, with a divided highway, oncoming trucks do not buffet you with a gust of headwind as they pass by (in contrast to a two-lane highway).

However, pay attention at on ramps and off ramps - as a cyclist, you take several seconds to cross the entrance/exit lane and cars may misjudge your speed. Also, shoulders on the interstate can narrow or disappear on bridges.

NB: This post and previous posts is merely intended to provide advice and impressions gathered in my time road cycling and during my cross-country journey. It should not be construed as advocating for cross-country cycling or declaring that road cycling is a safe activity. Road cycling carries considerable risks that must be weighed by any prospective cyclist.

Your Turn: Researching a Route

During my cross-country trip, many people I came across expressed an interest in someday embarking on their own long distance bike ride. I spent the better part of two years thinking about my trip and preparing for it - thinking about routes, developing road cycling skills, and accumulating the gear I would need. Over the next three posts, I will offer some thoughts on preparing for a cross-country ride.

Mapping a route:

Studying and thinking about your route is key for any cross-country ride. The vast majority of cross-country cyclists follow the routes designed by the Adventure Cycling Association. Their maps are well-researched and frequently updated based on the feedback they receive from cyclists. However, their routes carry a couple of disadvantages: they typically avoid major cities and their cross-country routes are not the most direct adding hundreds of miles to a cross-country journey.

Primarily in order to create the most direct transcontinental route, I designed my own route from New York to Miles City, MT before picking up the Lewis and Clark trail. Even after, I followed my own route for a couple days from Three Forks, MT to Lincoln, MT. 

I mapped these routes using the bike routes feature on Google maps, and then manually adjusting these maps to avoid finding myself on gravel roads or spending excessive time on gravel bike trails. The street view feature is invaluable for giving you a sense of the road traffic and size of the shoulder, and it's best to avoid selecting routes without street view. Beware that out West, Google bike routes will put you on dirt fire trails or logging roads to keep you off the Interstate, so each route needs to be studied carefully. All my routes are available online by clicking on the "Stage Summary" link at the end of each post.

Using bike trails:

In the East and around many cities, Google maps frequently puts you on dedicated bike trails. The city trails are often paved, but longer trails are either gravel, dirt or crushed limestone. As a road cyclist, I was initially leery of spending much time on these trails - it is much easier to lose control of your bike in ruts on these trails and increases rolling resistance. However, typically these trails are well maintained and suitable for a road bike. Moreover, rail trails have gentler gradients and are quiet and scenic. Traillink.com is a great resource for getting feedback from riders on whether a given trail is suitable for a road bike.

Which direction?

The great debate over traveling from east to west or west to east is unlikely to be resolved. It is certainly true that near the coasts prevailing winds blow west to east, and it is also true that a stiff headwind is more frustrating and dispiriting than heat or rain or cold or climbing. That said, either direction you travel, you will encounter both days with headwinds and days with tailwinds.

It's also worth noting that heading east often involves hours of cycling into the sun. Over my entire trip, I never needed sunglasses since I was cycling west and was finished in the afternoon. The glare from a rising sun probably makes it harder for traffic to see you in the mornings if you are traveling east.

River crossings:
Roadways typically narrow on bridges and otherwise comfortable shoulders may disappear when crossing a major river. In most large cities, many but not all river crossings will have a dedicated bike route. However, major river crossings outside of cities can be quite long and fairly narrow (see Astoria-Megler Bridge) Again, the street view feature of Google maps is fairly useful in determining the size of the shoulder and figuring out traffic volumes on the roadway.

Bear Mountain

My weekend ride out to Bear Mountain marked a final long-distance tune-up ride before I begin my cross-country trip next week. I got a late start Saturday around noon, but I was able to complete the 100-mile ride before sunset.  The distance and elevation are great for training, and a downpour followed by a subsequent steady rain made the conditions a bit more challenging. 

Typically, the top of Bear Mountain offers great views of both New York City and the Hudson River Valley, but as I climbed to the top, all I got was the view from inside a cloud.  The steady rainfall made the descent a bit more tricky as I basically rode my brakes for the 4 miles down the mountain.  Riding in the rain also leaves your bike a mess afterwards.

For those of you in the New York area looking for a good day ride, I would definitely recommend a ride up to Bear Mountain.  In addition to great views from Bear Mountain, a more leisurely ride in sunny conditions offers segments riding along the Hudson River, excellent food stops in Nyack and Piermont, and Revolutionary War sites like Washington's encampment at Tappen and Stony Point battlefield.

A Route West

Preparations continue apace for my cross-country cycling trip starting in two weeks.  Over the past year, I have spent considerable time staring at Google maps and casting about for advice from other cross-country cyclists about the best route to cross the US.

My route will take me westward from New York City across the northern US culminating at the mouth of the Columbia River in Astoria, Oregon.  The first part of the journey takes me through Appalachia and the Great Lakes states, traveling from New York to Pittsburgh to points south of Cleveland and then to Chicago.

From Chicago, I turn north to Milwaukee and the west to Madison eventually following the Mississippi River to Minneapolis.  East of the Mississippi, population density is higher with numerous small towns along the route every 15-20 miles.

West of Minneapolis comes a daunting 800 mile stretch traversing the Great Plains through South Dakota and eastern Montana.  Population density thins out and the distances between towns lengthens.  My route here takes me along US-12 due west through Minnesota and then west northwest in the Dakotas.

From Billings, Montana westward, I follow the route taken by Lewis and Clark in 1804.  The Adventure Cycling Association provides routes for long-distance cycling tours.  I will follow their Lewis and Clark bike trail through western Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. Two mountain passes must be scaled in Montana before following the Snake and Columbia rivers to the Pacific.  It's a real life version of classic computer game, Oregon Trail.

One question is why travel westward instead of eastward given that winds typically blow from west to east.  Aside from a desire to follow the nation's westward expansion, it turns out that wind direction on any given day is just a matter of luck.  While coastal winds tend to blow west to east, in the middle of the country, winds typically blow from the south.  This US wind map provides a great visualization of wind patterns across the country, and a resource I will use frequently during my travels.

T-21 Days

So here goes nothing . . .

I'm 30 years old and (hopefully) completing my PhD in economics in the next couple weeks.  Anticipating an early mid-life crisis, I decided two years ago that this summer would be an excellent time for a getaway - chance to clear my head after the existential stresses of writing a dissertation and finding an academic position.

So two years ago, I decided that I was going to cycle across the United States.

The only problem with this plan: I had no experience road cycling.  My grand plan was greeted with guffaws and a healthy dose of skepticism from more seasoned cyclists.  But I figured I had two years to get ready.  I got a road bike and started riding, experiencing my share of accidents and mishaps in the beginning.

In May of 2012, I cycled from New York to Montreal - a five-day trip along the Hudson River and through the Adirondacks.  That tour was a tune-up and preparation for the big one.  Now with 21 days to go, I'm making preparations to venture out for a 50 day trek across the US.  In the coming posts, I'll keep you updated on preparations for the big trip.