bike touring in the usa: practical information

overview

Get ready for the ride of your life. The USA has got some excellent cycling, loads of friendly people and landscapes and climates to suit any cyclist's tastes. Head to Colorado, Utah and Montana for a taste of the Rockies, or get your desert fix in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, for awesome coastal views hit Highway One and zoom down the Pacific through Oregon and California. And if you've got some time on your hands, bike coast to coast following the popular TransAmerica trail.

cycling routes and roads in the usa

The best place to start for route planning across the USA is the Adventure Cycling Association. Adventure Cycling has created 38,158 miles of prime cycling routes in the US. You can purchase detailed maps and set out on a self-contained ride or join guided tours following Adventure Cycling routes.

The longest Adventure Cycling route is the 4,253 mile TransAmerica Trail. It begins on the East Coast at Yorktown, Virgina and cuts across America to the Pacific Ocean, ending on the Oregon Coast.

Another popular cycling route in the US is the Pacific Coast Route which follows Highway One for 1,854 miles all the way to the border with Mexico.

If you're planning to cycle the US in the winter months, your best bet might be to follow the Southern Tier route, which takes you through some amazing desert scenery in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas and continues on for 3,122 miles through the southern states all the way to Florida.

The advantage of using maps from Adventure Cycling Association is that you have detailed information about campsites, accommodation food stops and places to visit along the way. The routes are planned to take in the best scenery following roads with light traffic.

Of course you can follow the routes without actually buying the maps, since basic route descriptions are available on the Adventure Cycling web site. But by purchasing maps you'll be helping the Adventure Cycling Association develop even more bike routes across America and you won't end up lost in some farmer's field when you take a wrong turn.

Bike routes are certainly not as developed in the US as in most Western European countries. Attitudes among drivers vary greatly depending on which part of the country you're cycling. In general, bicycles are much more common in the Western US and drivers are more apt to ´share the road´ with a smile.

Cycling is forbidden on many Interstates in the congested Eastern States and the Highway Patrol will stop you and insist that you ride elsewhere. In the West, cyclists are allowed to bike on Interstates unless otherwise stated (but really, we can't recommend Interstate riding, there's usually a better way).

Highway riding can be dangerous due to the number of large semis plying the routes. Shoulders are often in poor condition and littered with rubbish. Secondary roads are often narrow and without a hard shoulder.

Overall, we found roads in the Western US to be much better for riding than in Central or Eastern States.

maps

The US has an excellent system of tourist information centers where you can get free state highway maps. The state of Oregon also publishes an excellent map of the Pacific Coast Bike Route. It's also free, so be sure to pick up a copy. We biked all across the US with these free highway maps and rarely had problems navigating.

finding a safe place to sleep during your bike tour

Camping while bike touring in the United States is obviously your best bet if you're trying to stick to a budget. The US has a well developed network of campgrounds in National Parks, State Parks and Recreation Areas. These campgrounds are generally run on the honesty system, whereby campers are expected to put payment in a box at the campground entrance. Regular sites cost around $20.

In Oregon and California, Hiker-Biker campgrounds are common along the coast. As the name implies, these sites are restricted to folks on foot or traveling by bicycle. These sites are a bargain at just $3 or $4 per person.

There are also plenty of private campgrounds, such as KOA, and RV Parks. These tend to be pricey and are not really set up for people in tents--lots of concrete and gravel and precious little shade.

If you bike the TransAmerica Trail, finding a place to sleep should be quite easy. Many small towns (particularly in Kansas, Missouri and Colorado) allow cyclists to camp in city parks for free. Plus you can usually use the adjoining swimming pool without cost. This is a great way to meet other cyclists.

Churches and Fire Stations along the TransAmerica route also regularly allow cyclists in to spend the night. The best way to find out about good places to stop is to purchase the route maps from Adventure Cycling Association or just to chat with cyclists headed the other direction--you'll meet plenty during the busy summer months!

If you're not on the TransAmerica, don't be shy about asking at churches, fire stations or checking with the local police. Americans are very friendly towards cyclists and we always found someone who sorted out a place for us to camp for the night, be it the sheriff, the local minister or just the guy behind the counter at the corner store.

You can also ask at farms for a spot to pitch your tent--you are unlikely to be turned down.

Be careful about camping on land without asking permission. Americans are famous for their ubiquitous 'No Trespassing' signs and you wouldn't want to be woken up with someone waving a shotgun in your face. ASK FIRST!

Internet access

Most public libraries across the US have free internet access available to anyone, not just members. If you stop by after hours and you've got a laptop, you'll still be able to use the Wi Fi connection. Some town centers, parks and other public areas also have free WiFi access. Keeping connected is really quite easy in the US.

visas

Western Europeans and Australians do not need a visa for a stay up to 90 days under the visa waiver program. The visa waiver program used to mean you could enter just by showing your passport at the border upon entry, but things have gotten more complicated recently. Now you must obtain pre-approval on-line and print a code that you must show with your passport. More information about the visa waiver program is available on travel.state.com.

A visitor visa is needed when the requirements for the visa waiver program are not met, typically a stay longer than 90 days or entering on a one way flight ticket. Note that a short trip to Canada, Mexico or any adjacent island will not grant you another 90 days when you re-enter the US. Your total 90 days is from the date you first enter the US and the time keeps on ticking even if you spend time in Mexico or Canada and then return to the US.

With this visitor visa you can enter the US multiple times over ten years. Each stay is for a period of up to six months, but the immigration officials will decide how much time they will grant you on each individual visit. Complete information on how to obtain a visitors visa is found on the US State Department website. You'll need to fill out a few forms, assemble various documents including bank statements and probably go for a personal interview in order to get the visa allowing you to stay in the US for more than 90 days. It's a hassle, but your only option for visits of more than 90 days or for a visit on a one-way ticket.

cost of bike touring in the USA

Cycling in the USA can be surprisingly cheap. After spending nearly 6 months biking more than 10,000 kilometers through 20 states, we spent on average only $8 per person per day.

What's the secret? Finding free places to camp (fire stations, city parks, churches), staying with people from Warm Showers and Couchsurfing and self-catering.

Food in the USA is reasonably priced as long as you stick to buying generic brands or shopping at discount supermarkets like Wal-Mart (for the politically incorrect), Grocery Outlet or Aldi. Even restaurants won't break the budget, if you look for lunch specials, pizza deals or stick to small town cafés.

Cycling the US is a great way to visit the country-- you'll discover a whole new side to America, get fit and meet all sorts of crazy characters that make up this multi-dimensional nation.

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