# Vancouver, BC to San Diego, CA



## D-man (May 7, 2004)

i'm thinking of great ways to spend my summer and a tour down the west coast seems like a pretty outstanding time...anybody ever done this, or any portion of this trip? any idea how long this would take? I'm thinking of starting the trip in July...i've never done any LONG touring, so i'm open to any words of wisdom, thoughts, etc...


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

*I envy you*

I would go the other way and finish in BC. A friend of mine and I had a trip planned from SD to Seattle. We were going to ride up the coast and pick up 101 in N California. The trip was based on a bet with the Commanding Officer of our sub that we could beat the ship back to Bremerton from San Diego. We had just done the Seattle to Portland ride in under 10 hours total and were pretty cocky. At the last minute we had to make the voyage and never go to do it. We had planned on riding the STP route backwards after picking it up in Longview, WA. The predominate wind that time of year is from the South and a little push would be nice after that long of a ride. I know that 101 is full of tourists and has lots of places to stop. I wish I could give more advice, but I think that you will have a blast. BTW, we had planned on credit card touring with our Quix bags each taking only a pair of running shorts, long sleeve t-shirt and flip flops to wear in the evening while our bike stuff was hanging up to dry in the hotel room. I used to do three day trips like that in the southeast averaging 100-150 miles a day. If I had 2-3 weeks to make the west coast trip, I would go full blown with a Bruce Gordon frame with panniers and do about 80-90 miles a day based on the terrain and camp under the stars every night.


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## ukiahb (Jan 26, 2003)

*did it over two summers.....*

and had a great time...Vancouver to S.F. in 4 weeks the first year, and S.F. to San Diego in 3 weeks the following summer...could be done in much less time, but had time to sightsee and for rest days. Some streches of Hwy. 101 and 1 in California are really dangerous as the lanes are narrow and there is no shoulder, but got through OK. The Oregon coast was an especially nice stretch as there is a bike lane most of the way, a tailwind many days, and hiker-biker campgrounds where you meet a lot of other cyclists. Adventure Cycling sells high quality maps of the entire route....





D-man said:



> i'm thinking of great ways to spend my summer and a tour down the west coast seems like a pretty outstanding time...anybody ever done this, or any portion of this trip? any idea how long this would take? I'm thinking of starting the trip in July...i've never done any LONG touring, so i'm open to any words of wisdom, thoughts, etc...


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## D-man (May 7, 2004)

*that's great to hear*



ukiahb said:


> and had a great time...Vancouver to S.F. in 4 weeks the first year, and S.F. to San Diego in 3 weeks the following summer...could be done in much less time, but had time to sightsee and for rest days. Some streches of Hwy. 101 and 1 in California are really dangerous as the lanes are narrow and there is no shoulder, but got through OK. The Oregon coast was an especially nice stretch as there is a bike lane most of the way, a tailwind many days, and hiker-biker campgrounds where you meet a lot of other cyclists. Adventure Cycling sells high quality maps of the entire route....


i was figuring on ballpark of 6 weeks for the trip...how was the weather when you went? what was your bike setup? did you camp a lot or crash with people/stay at motels? -i'm hoping to do a mix of all of that. and also, panniers or trailer?


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## theBreeze (Jan 7, 2002)

Adventure Cycling Association publishes complete route maps along the Pacific Coast. Vancouver to Imperial Beach CA. Go to http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/pacificcoast.cfm

you can order maps direct from them. Thye regularly provide guided tours along this route so they have worked out ways around urban areas, can recommend places to stay etc.


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## ukiahb (Jan 26, 2003)

*six weeks should work fine.....*

that is enough time to enjoy the ride and be able to take a day off the bike once a week or so. Had a day or two of heavy rain in WA, otherwise good weather. Used a traditional touring bike w/ front and rear panniers and that worked well....have never used a trailer so I don't have an opinion on what works best. Mostly camped along the way but also stayed in a few hostels, there are some really nice ones on the route....especially liked the one in San Pedro (LA area), and a few are near old lighthouses. I did both trips self supported with a group (no sag), Bikecentennial (AKA Adventure Cycling) the first year, and AYH the second about 15 years ago. No one seems to run intermediate length self supported tours anymore (1 month or so)....most of what I've seen is 1 week supported or Trans-Am...but maybe there are some out there. Group tours are unpredictable anyway though, had a great time on these two, but tried a 3rd one w/ Bikecentennial that was a disaster (long story).






D-man said:


> i was figuring on ballpark of 6 weeks for the trip...how was the weather when you went? what was your bike setup? did you camp a lot or crash with people/stay at motels? -i'm hoping to do a mix of all of that. and also, panniers or trailer?


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## wasfast (Feb 3, 2004)

bigbill said:


> I would go the other way and finish in BC. A friend of mine and I had a trip planned from SD to Seattle. We were going to ride up the coast and pick up 101 in N California.
> 
> The predominate wind that time of year is from the South and a little push would be nice after that long of a ride.


In Oregon at least, the wind in the summertime is ALWAYS from the North. When it's raining and crappy, it's from the SW. Because of this, just about everyone goes from the north coast and heads south.


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## D-man (May 7, 2004)

*adventure cycling looks really helpful...now for the bike?*



theBreeze said:


> Adventure Cycling Association publishes complete route maps along the Pacific Coast. Vancouver to Imperial Beach CA. Go to http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/pacificcoast.cfm
> 
> you can order maps direct from them. Thye regularly provide guided tours along this route so they have worked out ways around urban areas, can recommend places to stay etc.


thanks for the link...

i'm probably going to do the trip with one or two other people (self-supported), now the big decision is what to ride? -I've got an 04 allez comp cro-mo that's a pretty plush ride and i can just adjust the geometry for comfort, but as far as rack mounts and all that, it's sorely lacking (and not to mention the wheelset: cosmos-which are great for me for training (~145-150lbs), but they've seen about 5000 miles). 

so now it comes down to whether i take the plunge and get another bike? seeing as i ONLY have two, it's not so bad... I was kinda tossing around the idea of getting a surly cross-check, setting it up for touring, and then afterwards, switch it up and try my hand at cyclecross (something i've always wanted to do), or just use it as my commute (i've got a fixed right now, but it kinda sucks on long commutes). Any thoughts?


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## damon (Dec 24, 2001)

D-man said:


> Any thoughts?


Hello D-man,

Several years ago, i rode from Anchorage, Alaska, to Corvallis, Oregon, on a standard MTB with semi-slicks and a BOB trailer. This was specifically chosen for the rough roads we would encounter, and the relatively long distances between towns/stores. This is most certainly an adequate setup, but for when i was in the states, it was a bit overkill. A simpler bike like your specialized or a cross check would have been much appreciated. The washington/oregon coast is super well travelled, and is a relatively low risk tour.

As for the equipment, i enjoyed using the BOB, but i wouldn't hesitate to go with panniers should you happen to run across a good set for a good price. If you are absolutely looking for an excuse to get another bike... heck yeah, get one! If you feel that frugality may be the better part of valor, you have a couple main options:

1) P-clip rack adapters/something similar. Frames with insufficient braze-ons are common, and there are products to get around that. Not as good as the real thing, so they may not be the best if you are carrying a ton of weight. Racks are $35-$50 each, and a good set of bags will set you back another couple hundred easy.
2) BOB it. Versatile, Cavernous, and weird. I think this setup is running around $300(?) these days. I think it has a relatively small effect on bike handling, but you'll still want a little bar bag for easy access items.

Main advice is keep it simple - don't bring a ton of unnecessary junk.

Good luck, and have fun!

-Damon


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## D-man (May 7, 2004)

*thanks for the advice...*

I love that when i talk to non-cyclists about this trip, they all think i'm oughtta my head, but getting stories from the forum and other riders this seems like a 'normal' vacation...

I didn't know about the adaptors....that's good to hear. BOB you say? the handling is still cool with it? I know this sounds kinda snobbish, but i sorta feel like using a trailer is like using a camelback with my roadbike. -you know what i mean? there's nothing 'wrong' with it, it just don't seem right? 

-but then there is the fact that a trailer would hold EVERYTHING, but as it stands i'll probably have places to stay in the big cities i hit, so any advice on how much stuff i'll need?


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## robwh9 (Sep 2, 2004)

*Very popular route...*

I've done it 3 times. Lots of state parks with camp sites set apart for bicyclists. The "bible" is Bicycling the Pacific Coast by Kirkendal and Spring. It breaks the ride into segments of about 60 miles, starting and ending at a state park.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...f=sr_1_4/002-5542924-6709636?v=glance&s=books


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## damon (Dec 24, 2001)

D-man said:


> I didn't know about the adaptors....that's good to hear. BOB you say? the handling is still cool with it?
> ...
> -but then there is the fact that a trailer would hold EVERYTHING, but as it stands i'll probably have places to stay in the big cities i hit, so any advice on how much stuff i'll need?


BOB handling - some difference, but not a huge amount. You have to tone down the out of the saddle climbing (keep the bike still). It corners very much the same, etc... It seemed that people who run panniers feel that the bike gets twitchey after the bags come off. That does not happen with the BOB. I think since the weight is all down low, and supported by a third wheel (not to mention articulated), the net affect on bike handling is pretty minimal.

At least that was my experience.

How much stuff you'll need? Hrmm... totally depends on what kind of tour you want to do. Some do it with just a credit card. Mine was fully self-supported. Tent, bag, cooking gear, spare parts, tools, a couple sets of clothes, toiletries, food for three days at a time. There was nothing i did not use... a lot. Personally, part of the appeal of a bike tour is "getting away from it all", which includes cars, hotels, restaraunts, phones... roads... that sort of thing. Not for everyone, but it can be fun. You'll likely fall somewhere in between. Please just don't do what i saw this couple do in Alaska... Full matching Ortleib kit (front and rear panniers, front and rear rack top bags, and backpacks), radio communication between riders and all sorts of funky antennae and other relatively useless accessories sprouting from their bikes. Keep it simple and enjoy the experience, not the stuff.

-Damon

p.s. sorry for the somewhat preachy tone.


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## nilloc (Oct 23, 2004)

*how to mount a rack on your allez*

"as far as rack mounts and all that, it's sorely lacking "

if you don't want to buy a new bike, go to 
http://www.wallbike.com/accessories/pclamps.html
where you can buy some rubberized p-clamps that you can use to attach your rack. they have all kinds of sizes to fit different tube sizes.
have a great trip.


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