# Vancouver BC to Los Angeles--the pacific coast



## chicken fart (Jul 26, 2007)

hello all--i been thinking of doing a ride from border to border along the pacific coast for awhile. well, i have 3 weeks off from school in a few weeks, and i have decided to go for it. i dont think i can spare a few extra days to get to the mexico line, so im going to just stop in Los Angeles--it be my residence.

so here is my specs of the tour:

Vancouver BC - Los Angeles

1700 miles---i think.

hoping to ride 100 miles a day average--its a bit much, but i only have 21 days to do it.


questions:::::

bike:
mountain bike or road bike? i have a mountain bike, which have ridden pretty hard on, but have not touched it in years. i know i can do a century in day np with it--but i dont have much time to spare so i think i would rather have a more efficient ride. im not too experience with a road bike, so i wonder--is the efficiency of travel drastically better?

other riders:
has anyone here done it before? if so, any points, tips, suggestions, etc??

and is anyone else interested in possibly joining me?




i guess thats it for now!


----------



## Scot_Gore (Jan 25, 2002)

chicken fart said:


> hello all--i been thinking of doing a ride from border to border along the pacific coast for awhile. well, i have 3 weeks off from school in a few weeks, and i have decided to go for it. i dont think i can spare a few extra days to get to the mexico line, so im going to just stop in Los Angeles--it be my residence.
> 
> so here is my specs of the tour:
> 
> ...


questions:::::


chicken fart said:


> which have ridden pretty hard on, but have not touched it in years.


Not ridden in years but feel ready to pound out 17 consecutive century's? Your call I guess. If you've not ridden in years and plan to attempt this epic....ride the bike you are used to. 

Are you carrying gear? If so, how? Bob, Panniers, in a buddy's car?, something else?

Do you know a route and where to stay? Find that out here:
http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/pacificcoast.cfm

Good luck
Scot


----------



## chicken fart (Jul 26, 2007)

Scot_Gore said:


> questions:::::
> 
> Not ridden in years but feel ready to pound out 17 consecutive century's? Your call I guess. If you've not ridden in years and plan to attempt this epic....ride the bike you are used to.
> 
> ...


yeah, i have not ridden in years--i hope to either get my mountainbike tuned up and start riding it until the tour, or buy a road bike and do the same.

plus, i would like to think my 5days/week of running has helped me keep my legs ready enough for it. and i have done quite a few centuries in my life--just not back to back--but i would like to think i have an idea what my body will be going through on a daily basis.

i hope to take a day off every week to rest as well. 

i plan to pack everything on my bike or a small trailer. but i plan to ride light--i have friends living along the way, so i hope to send them packages i can pick up and drop stuff off along the way. if i can keep my all my pack weight to under 30 pounds, ill be happy with that. of course, i really dont know how heavy or light i need to pack for 1700 miles...

it will be hard, i know this--but i dont actually ship off to do it now, i dont know if i can do it anywhere else in my near future.


----------



## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

ur insane.

If you make it to L.A. I'll buy you a _____ade.


----------



## -pops- (Sep 23, 2005)

Not insane. Aggressive, yes.

Go for it. What's the worst case scenario? Taking the bus/train due to a sore a$$/legs? It will be an awesome adventure.

I was riding around Seattle earlier this year and started talking with a guy while climbing up out of the Pike Market area. He started out for a little trip down to Portland and wound up in Baja California a few weeks later. He said it just felt good, so he kept going and took Amtrak back up when he was done. No planning, really - just kept riding and figured everything out day by day.

Go for it. You'll probably wind up with great stories with a little basic prep work.


----------



## chicken fart (Jul 26, 2007)

-pops- said:


> Not insane. Aggressive, yes.
> 
> Go for it. What's the worst case scenario? Taking the bus/train due to a sore a$$/legs? It will be an awesome adventure.
> 
> ...


indeed. if i make it to LA, that would be awesome--but if for some reason i only end up seeing half, or a quarter, or even only a few hundred miles, i can at least say i tried it. if i make it to even the california border, i would be more than happy about that.

im getting excited!!!!!

im thinking of just going with my mountain bike with road tires. less money invested in equipment = probably a longer ride every day, but with the money i save, i can probably just get a few more nights in motels that way, giving me more time to ride. less stress that way...


----------



## undies (Oct 13, 2005)

I think your 100 miles per day plan is definitely too optimistic. 

That said, I'd still say go for it, you should still have some great adventures regardless of what happens. Lonely Planet sells a pretty good guide book to bicycling the west coast which includes day-by-day route maps and cue sheets for the entire Pacific Coast route. Adventure Cycling also has details Pacific Coast route maps, and the State of Oregon offers a free map of the cycling route in Oregon. 

One warning: The Lonely Planet guide shows to cross the Columbia River at Cathlamet, while the Oregon map shows you crossing the river at Astoria. DO NOT CROSS THE COLUMBIA AT ASTORIA. The Astoria bridge is about four miles long, has no shoulder or sidewalk, two lanes of highway-speed traffic, and sometimes wicked cross-winds. You are literally playing Russian roulette if you ride a bike across that bridge. 

If you decide on a more modest plan, you could take the train to Kelso, WA and then pick up the Lonely Planet route there. You'd miss Seattle and Puget Sound, but cycling from Kelso to LA in three weeks is probably a sane plan.


----------



## JohnnyTooBad (Apr 5, 2004)

I say get a road bike. The difference in efficiency is HUGE. Then figure out how you are going to carry your gear, and basically, all the logisitcs of it (as Scot Gore mentioned). What route you'll take, exactly where you'll stop, when, what gear you'll need, how you'll eat, etc.

Then, go out a nd do 2-3 consecutive 100 mile days to see how your body reacts to 7-10 hours in the saddle per day. It's not running. Sure, running is good for the legs and harder on the knees, but riding, you'll be leaning on your arms, getting a sore back, and you'll be sitting on a saddle the whole time. You gotta get those sit bones used to it and make sure you have a saddle that fits you well so you don't end up with saddle sores.

It sounds like a fun, epic ride, but you gotta be prepared for something like that.

Oh, and if you do it, take lots of pics and post them here.


----------

