UniTyler said:-Here's another fantasy that I would like to come true in the next 5
years:- Would anybody here be willing to do a *R*ide *A*cross
*W*ashington in the foreseeable future? I just need an 'OK' that at
least 5+ people would do it. Here are some questions:
- How many miles per day is reasonabe?
- How many of you could/would go?
- Is it reasonable?
- How many days is good for novice distance riders like most of us?
- How many support cars do we need?
- Would anybody here volunteer to be a support car?
- Any other tips?
It's an interesting idea, and provided you mean what you say when you
toss out a "sometime in the next 5 years" timeframe, I'd be willing to
give it some more thought and discussion around route, logistics, etc.
That said, it's not something I'd see happening at least for me in the
next year or two. And on the list of tours I'd like to do, I'm not yet
sure WA is at the top. For example, if I was going to invest 10 days
riding a particular US state, I think I'd like to Ride Around Hawaii
(RAH!!!) more. Or west to east across the southern part of Utah. But
I'll keep an open mind...especially if wait until you have a driver's
license and can help out with the support chores 🙂.
To your other questions...
-How many miles per day is reasonabe?- Disregard Evan's LVA post. The
uni tours have some strong collective wisdom on how much daily riding
makes for a fun and interesting tour. While I could envision a day or
two in the 70 mile range, that wouldn't make for a fun tour. Anything
over 50 in a day and it's only about the ride, and not about the places
you're riding through. I'd rather shoot for an average of 40 and have
some time to stop and pick the apples, smell the onions.
-How many of you could/would go?- As mentioned, I'll discuss, but not
sure if I'd prioritize WA as the state I'd invest 10 days in. Would
have to be a pretty interesting route.
-Is it reasonable?- Totally...especially if you REALLY LIKE WA.
-How many days is good for novice distance riders like most of us?- If
you're serious about riding across the state, you will no longer be a
novice distance rider by the time you're ready to head off. I'd say 10
at least, but a lot would depend on the route. To me, it would be
interesting to re-trace Lars Clausen's route across the state, starting
in Neah Bay, maybe timing the trip through Sultan to coincide with
their uni jamboree, etc. In any case, if it's going to be truly across
the state, it will be minimum of 400 miles, likely more.
-How many support cars do we need?- One.
-Would anybody here volunteer to be a support car?- Something would
work out...not sure that's a detail to sweat yet.
-Any other tips?- Don't obsess about this...set your sights on some
interim steps instead to increase your distance. For example, what
about riding the 'MS 150' (http://tinyurl.com/c4gsw) next year? That
would give you something to train for, a chance to raise funds for a
great cause, and the opportunity to ride back-to-back 50 or 75 mile
days and see what you think. I did it this summer and it was a 'great
experience' (http://www.unicyclist.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41954).
If that's not your style, there are plenty of other events organized
through WA biking organizations that you could participate in. The
'Chilly Hilly' (http://www.cascade.org/EandR/chilly/index.cfm) being
just one example.
--
tomblackwood
Tailgate at your own risk...
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