Has anyone ridden coast to coast?

Weenie

Just kidding. Using a MB for a commute that long takes a good amount of stamina.

South Carolina now has one of my favorite stretches, north from Seneca, to Pickens, to Daccusville then up toward Tigersville, and all along that Cherokee Foothills Parkway. Plenty of the spandex croud were on the portion about 20 miles north of Greensville.

But the Daccusville part of the ride is in my top 5 30-50 mile stretches.


You know, from Charleston SC to San Diego CA is between 2,800-2,900 miles.

So if you pick a point 1,500 miles from your house (I'm thinking about the uppermost part of the Missisippi River/Iron Mountains of Minnesota), then loop on another route for the return, that could be considered the equivalent to a cross-country trek, without the hassle of Texas sitting in the middle of your considerations.

So a New Englander could run south to Savannah, then turn around. Or a Kansan could reach Virginia, then head back. I have a new bike owner, who bought a trailer, and is doing Louisiana as a warm up, then Taos as a target on a 3,000 mile "merit badge".



Just pick a point and go.

2008 Race Across AMerica Route is not a bad one and covers some great parts of the country.!!

NAME TS(mi)/(km) So Far(mi)/(km) Elev(Ft)/(M)
TS 01: Lake Henshaw, CA 54.7/87.9 54.7/87.9 2757.0/840.3
TS 02: Brawley, CA 88.6/142.6 143.3/230.5 -101.7/-31.0
TS 03: Blythe, CA 89.6/144.2 232.9/374.7 269.0/82.0
TS 04: Salome, AZ 61.1/98.2 293.9/472.9 1864.0/568.1
TS 05: Congress, AZ 52.6/84.6 346.5/557.6 3049.7/929.5
TS 06: Prescott, AZ 50.4/81.1 396.9/638.6 5458.8/1663.8
TS 07: Cottonwood, AZ 41.2/66.4 438.2/705.0 3346.8/1020.1
TS 08: Flagstaff, AZ 53.3/85.7 491.4/790.7 6840.1/2084.9
TS 09: Tuba City, AZ 72.0/115.8 563.4/906.5 4825.1/1470.7
TS 10: Kayenta, AZ 71.8/115.6 635.2/1022.1 5712.8/1741.3
TS 11: Mexican Hat, UT 44.6/71.8 679.8/1093.9 4181.0/1274.4
TS 12: Montezuma Creek, UT 39.6/63.7 719.4/1157.6 4462.2/1360.1
TS 13: Cortez, CO 50.1/80.7 769.6/1238.3 6166.4/1879.5
TS 14: Durango, CO 44.7/72.0 814.3/1310.2 6474.9/1973.5
TS 15: Pagosa Springs, CO 70.1/112.8 884.4/1423.0 7619.1/2322.3
TS 16: Chama, NM 50.1/80.6 934.5/1503.6 7782.0/2372.0
TS 17: Antonito, CO 49.0/78.8 983.5/1582.5 7900.4/2408.0
TS 18: Taos, NM 60.9/97.9 1044.4/1680.4 6975.2/2126.0
TS 19: Eagle Nest, NM 53.1/85.5 1097.5/1765.9 8205.1/2500.9
TS 20: Springer, NM 43.2/69.4 1140.7/1835.3 5971.3/1820.1
TS 21: Clayton,NM 88.8/142.8 1229.4/1978.1 5055.8/1541.0
TS 22: Elkhart, KS 82.3/132.5 1311.8/2110.6 3628.5/1106.0
TS 23: Plains, KS 82.4/132.5 1394.1/2243.1 2759.1/841.0
TS 24: Greensburg, KS 77.7/125.0 1471.8/2368.1 2234.1/681.0
TS 25: Pratt, KS 31.9/51.4 1503.7/2419.5 1865.6/568.6
TS 26: Colwich, KS 72.9/117.3 1576.6/2536.8 1383.6/421.7
TS 27: El Dorado, KS 38.1/61.4 1614.8/2598.1 1351.7/412.0
TS 28: Yates Center, KS 64.5/103.8 1679.3/2701.9 1105.8/337.0
TS 29: Ft Scott, KS 59.0/95.0 1738.3/2796.9 796.5/242.8
TS 30: Weaubleau, MO 66.3/106.6 1804.5/2903.5 980.5/298.9
TS 31: Camdenton, MO 49.1/78.9 1853.6/2982.4 1023.8/312.1
TS 32: Jefferson City, MO 58.5/94.1 1912.1/3076.5 617.1/188.1
TS 33: Washington, MO 75.7/121.8 1987.8/3198.3 546.9/166.7
TS 34: Mississippi River 72.2/116.1 2059.9/3314.4 416.2/126.9
TS 35: Greenville, IL 46.0/74.0 2105.9/3388.5 527.4/160.8
TS 36: Effingham, IL 50.2/80.8 2156.2/3469.2 593.8/181.0
TS 37: Sullivan, IN 74.2/119.4 2230.3/3588.6 457.5/139.4
TS 38: Bloomington, IN 65.1/104.7 2295.4/3693.3 790.7/241.0
TS 39: Greensburg, IN 63.2/101.6 2358.5/3794.9 946.5/288.5
TS 40: Oxford, OH 49.7/80.0 2408.3/3874.9 895.6/273.0
TS 41: Blanchester, OH 50.3/81.0 2458.6/3955.9 964.6/294.0
TS 42: Chillicothe, OH 58.1/93.5 2516.7/4049.4 604.4/184.2
TS 43: Athens, OH 59.1/95.1 2575.8/4144.5 613.9/187.1
TS 44: Ellenboro, WV 66.6/107.1 2642.4/4251.7 802.9/244.7
TS 45: Grafton, WV 64.8/104.3 2707.3/4356.0 1191.1/363.0
TS 46: Gormania, WV 44.5/71.6 2751.8/4427.6 2321.2/707.5
TS 47: La Vale, MD 46.0/74.0 2797.8/4501.6 974.4/297.0
TS 48: Hancock, MD 43.8/70.5 2841.6/4572.1 424.6/129.4
TS 49: Rouzerville, PA 48.8/78.6 2890.4/4650.7 732.1/223.1
TS 50: Hanover, PA 38.5/61.9 2928.9/4712.6 666.0/203.0
TS 51: Mt Airy, MD 38.3/61.7 2967.2/4774.3 788.7/240.4
TS 52: Odenton, MD 39.4/63.4 3006.6/4837.7 172.3/52.5
TS 53: Annapolis. MD 15.2/24.5 3021.9/4862.2 10.1/3.1

__________________
LennyHarp of Lenny's Bikes & Things
http://lennyh.com
The true value of a man is not judged by what he has, but rather by what he can do without.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an action, but a habit." -- Aristotle

thats a hard core trip!
supposedly "Ernesto Che Guevara" had an MB and did fequent trips indise argentina on it, parcially as it broke down lol...theres a movey called "motorcycle diaries" based in part on a book he made during his MB trips, and a longer trip to venezuela on a motorcycle

I saw that movie. I don't know how accurate the movie was, but in the movie he was riding a 1939 Norton 500cc single.

Just curious, how many here who are thinking about this have even driven a car coast
to coast ?

I drove from here, where Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky merge, to Denver, Colorado.
The trip took two 17 hour days of driving where I was traveling at 65/70 mph to St. Louis
and from there 75/85 mph till I got there. I drove mostly thru the night. Stopped at a
Motel 6 to sleep for about 6 1/2 hours. I was beat when I met my friends there in Colorado.

I'm wondering if I could even get to Lexington, Ky from here in 17 hours if I had to abide
a 30 mph speed limit that is imposed on motorized bicycles.

Last week I checked a DVD out of the Library that was filmed by Ken Burns for PBS. It was
titled "Horatio's Drive" where Dr. Horatio N. Jackson in 1903 drove an Ohio build 1903 2 cyl
20 hp Winton motor carriage from San Fransisco to New York....the first trans continental drive.
He did it in a little under 60 days with a lot of help traveling at 30 mph where roads permitted.
The car is now in the Smithsonian Institute.

I think I could safely say that this would be the ride of a young man's lifetime if he attempted it
and made the whole trip. Remember, these are the memories of a lifetime made on such
adventures and are usually done by young single men or men who have a truly "special" wife
who would suffer her husbands absence for an extended period of time. Even 40 year old
divorced men may consider trying it, but may ask themselves on the trip what they were thinking
when they signed on.



Horatio's Drive . About the Film | PBS

If anyone looks thru the web site for Horatio's Drive.....it may give them some insights to
their own plans for a trans continental adventure. I think everyone here would enjoy watching
the movie.

Many years ago, I drove from Connecticut to Colorado and back in a VW beetle.
I don't think you can really make an analogy between a coast-to-coast motor vehicle trip made in 1903 and what we're talking about doing now. Back then, cars were generally considered a novelty, nothing more than a passing fad that people would soon tire of and go back to their much more reliable horses. The only paved roads in existence were in major cities. There were no gas stations, roadside convenience stores, fast food joints, auto parts stores, or motels. On such a trip, they would have been completely out of touch and on their own. There were no roadside pay phones and many rural areas did not yet even have electricity. I can't even imagine what the state of emergency medical services may have been.
Now, comparing the access we would have to all of these things today, it almost sounds as though we would be pampered along the way. With our cell phones, we would never be more than a phone call away from whatever help we needed. We are also bringing along a support van, which would be loaded with extra fuel, spare parts, drinking water, snacks, first aid equipment, and whatever else we think we might need. Of course, there will still be situations arising that we can not forsee. That's part of what keeps it interesting.
As far as this being a young man's pursuit; at 58 I'm not ready to start passing up on things that I'm probably capable of doing just because I think I'm not capable of doing them because I'm 58. You're right about having the right spouse. At 40, you'd need a spouse who would be supportive and understanding of your need to do such a thing and would agree to let you take the time off from your responsibilities. At 58, well, you're more likely to have a wife who would be just as happy to have you get out of her hair for awhile and go do something with the boys and go have a good time and send a postcard now and then, but don't feel like you have to hurry home.
The goal is not to deliver your body to the grave perfectly intact, and unscathed, without so much as a bruise, but to slide in sideways while yelling, "WOW, what a ride!"

brucemg51 has the spirit of things. If you don't want to do it there are others who do. I might have trouble getting the funds together to do this trip but have had some of this type adventure before. I had a supportive wife and am sure glad I went on a cross America Adventure as well as a cross France adventure and a few I don't talk about. Lets make it happen for at least a few if not all who want to do the TRIP. If my buddy Jim could ride 22 hours a day and cross the country, more than 3000 miles, in 10 1/2 days we can use our motor bikes and cross in 20 days.

__________________
LennyHarp of Lenny's Bikes & Things
http://lennyh.com
The true value of a man is not judged by what he has, but rather by what he can do without.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an action, but a habit." -- Aristotle

i guess you dont really need that much money to do it...you need 2 spare kits, 2 spair wheels and a nice tool box, you hardcore camping supplys...and the willingness to do such a crazy trip....i wonder what happened to the spooky tooth planned trip..


and yeah motorcycle diaries, is a mix between CHE's MB years and his big motorcycle trip.