Logistics of touring?

rnagaoka

Mike,

A little late to this thread, but you might want to check out this website:

http://www.outdoorsclub.org/

They sometimes have beginning overnight self-supported tours led by bikers who want to share their expertise. I've seen some rides go along the coast through South OC and San Diego Co. I'm not a member, but am thinking of joining for the comaraderie.

--Ron

Greyfox10025

Look here. www.TodMoore.net

Trekker2017

When I planned my cross country solo tour, I started out by choosing the points of interest I wanted to see and then connected the dots. From there I went to Adventure Cycling and they developed some maps for me. Then I picked up the Woodall Campground Directory (they have one dedicated to tenting) and checked for alternative campsites than the ones proposed by Adventure Cycling.

Once I had my tour planned, I was able to settle on the kinds and amount of clothing I would need to take with me. The clothes I rolled and put in quart freezer bags which kept them dry no matter how wet I got (and I rode through some great storms). I took some food with me, but ended up tossing most of it in favor of local diners where by asking a few questions, you learn just how to cycle through an area, what the drivers like and don't like and how to stay out of their way. If you stay out of people's way they will appreciate it.

Crossing Alabama, I came across a really bad intersection where several 18-wheelers loaded with logs were trying to get on to this two lane blacktop. I hung back and waited for them to work out their problem before following. While I was waiting, a semi pulled up next to me and the driver wondered why I was waiting. I told him the last thing they needed to worry about was me in front of them. A couple of miles down the road, I pulled off at a small roadside diner for lunch, when I went to pay, the waitress asked me if I was "that guy on a bicycle". When I said I was, she told me my lunch was already paid for. One of the truckers told her that if is stopped by to put it on his tab because I was smart enough to have stayed out of their way.

I did keep my mountain stove to make coffee with in the mornings or hot chocolate before turning in. Some times I would buy something like Dinty Moore stew from the campground store and cooked that up for dinner. But most of the time I let someone else do the cooking for me.