Bike Across America – 2024

There are two things that I have never done: ride my bike across the entire United States and write a blog. I’m about to dive into both of these experiences over the next three months; honestly, they both make me equally anxious. Biking across America is something I’ve dreamed of for many years, but working and raising children prevented me from getting it done. Now that I’m retired and my kids are grown, I’m going to give it a try.

It’s an adventure that will not only allow me to see the country and meet a variety of people along the way, but it will also provide me with a generous amount of time to reflect and think about what my post-retirement life will look like.

I like to think of it as a pilgrimage.

This blog’s purpose is to stay connected with you, and I look forward to sharing photos and thoughts about my journey. I hope it benefits you on your own life journey in some way. I’m writing this first post at home to provide an overview of what is to come. Future posts, however, will be written from my cell phone and focus on the events of each individual day. I’m an engineer, not a writer, and I won’t have Elizabeth to edit the rest of these posts, so thank you in advance for your grace. I look forward to your comments and welcome any questions you may have.

The route starts at the Atlantic Ocean in Delaware and travels across the northern part of the country. It’s 3,825 miles and just under 100,000 feet of climbing. Here is what it looks like on the map:

I’m biking east to west and starting in May to avoid biking through the plain states in the summer heat. I had enough of 100+ degree days during last July’s RAGBRAI (bike ride across Iowa) ride. This plan should put me in the more hospitable mountains by July.

The route basically follows the Great American Rail Trail that is being put together by RailsToTrails.org. That means I’ll be biking on rail trails as much as possible—about half the total distance. The parts that aren’t on rail trails are in the plains and western states where the car traffic should be less.

I will deviate from the Great American Rail Trail route in order to visit family and friends along the way. The main deviation is to route myself through Wisconsin (still mostly on rail trails). You’ll also see two lines going through Iowa and Wyoming; these are where I have alternate routes I may decide to take. One of these would take me through Wyoming and Yellowstone National Park (if a campsite becomes available). A lot of people have asked me if I’m going to be camping at night. I will have camping equipment with me, and I plan to do a combination of camping and hotels.

I used a great planning app called Komoot to plan this adventure. You can follow me on Komoot to see all the route details using this link: https://www.komoot.com/user/1884029649611.  If you’re interested in my bike statistics, you can find those by following me on Komoot and Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/62427897.

I’m starting my ride on Tuesday, May 7, which should give me enough time to make it to Madison, WI, for my niece Kaitlyn’s high school graduation on June 8^th (that’s about 40 miles per day). Elizabeth and Bridget will be flying out for the event. I’ll be happy to see them, as well as my extended family. My bike ride will resume on June 11^th after Elizabeth and Bridget depart for home in NC.

A question people ask me a lot is how long I think this ride will take. While I’m not entirely sure, I am guessing that I’ll be finished by the end of July. Other than Kaitlyn’s graduation in Madison, I have no other fixed commitments and can go at my own pace. If the wind is behind me on a beautiful day, I might do more miles. I’ll take days off when I’m tired or when it’s raining. Basically, I’m just going with the flow.

WARNING: One paragraph of “bike geek” stuff:  If you know me, you know that I have a small stable of bikes at home.  For this adventure, I’m taking my Priority 600X bike.  Mostly for the reliability of the pinion gears and the belt drive – it’s a lot more durable/reliable than a bike with a chain and derailleur.  Having a reliable bike is super important on a trip like this.  I’m running tubeless tires (for the first time) to minimize flat tires along the way – stay tuned to see how that goes.  The most important feature of a bike for this type of trip is that it is comfortable to ride.  I have a Selle Royal saddle on this bike – I’ve ridden thousands of miles on these saddles and know that they are a great fit for me.  The front suspension on the bike will add to my comfort as well, since I’m riding a lot of gravel rail trails.  I’ve done a couple of shakedown trips with this set-up and have it pretty well dialed in.  Finally, I’m riding flat pedals and will be wearing tennis shoes.

Thank you for your support and encouragement!  Please post any questions/comments you have below and I’ll be happy to respond.

Jim.