FAQ

Are you going alone?

No, I am going with a group of 15 people with an organization called Adventure Cycling Association.  They are a nonprofit organization with a mission is to inspire and empower people to travel by bicycle.  They have a trained and experienced leader who has done the route and a lot of the planning.

Is there a support van?

No, this is what is called a self-contained tour.  That means that we will carry all of our gear for camping and eating.  We have been asked to reserve about 25% of our total weight for group gear.  My gear weighs about 35 pounds.

What will you eat?

We will buy and cook food as we go along.  We will be formed into teams of 3 and rotate the responsibility for buying food and cooking.  I gather that the meals will focus on simple one pot meals with lots of calories to make up for the 3000-4000 extra calories burned while cycling.  We will have probably a cold breakfast each morning and make lunches to eat along the way.

How far will you cycle each day?

The tour will last 65 days.  The planned mileage is 3160 miles.  There are 9 rest days.  That gives us about 56 miles per day.  The high point is 8228’ in New Mexico.

What worries you about the adventure?

I am not a stranger to long distance events for a single day.  I have completed 6 running marathons and 5 ski marathons.  My biggest concern is that the route will challenge me right away, with a mountain range right outside San Diego.  Although I have trained a lot locally, there will be mountains and heat which I was not able to duplicate with the wonderful summer we have had in Wisconsin.

Also, I will miss my friends, family and especially Julie for the 9 weeks.  Fortunately, I have planned to start the trip seeing my brother Bill, who lives in San Diego.  My parents and sister Maureen will meet me on a layover day in Phoenix.  Julie is going to visit me outside of El Paso, outside New Orleans and then be there at the end of the trip.