It Will Be Okay Again (Pandemic) Tour

[vajrabond]

Another part of the Western Express route on YouTube!

 

[Jimmy Beans]

This is one of my very favorite threads to follow on STP. The amount of inspiration it's given me to bike tour is through the roof. I have a dog that weighs about a hundred pounds and an ill mother I'm caring for right now. Once these factors change in my life, I'm hitting the road on a bike. I might even consider it with the dog, though that'll be a real difficult task. 100+ pound dog bike trailer or.. side car? I love the imagery that conjures but it doesn't seem feasible. It would be really cool to have her on the road with me. She's great company and protection but I just don't think any dog would want to be in a trailer for 60-80 miles a day.

Anyway, just wanted to say thank you for this thread, the pictures, videos and updates. I feel a part of me is on tour with you vicariously. If you find yourself heading up through central California, Kaya and I are here in Fresno with your drinks of choice and meals of choice on my dime. Stay safe BikePunky.

 

[vajrabond]

This is one of my very favorite threads to follow on STP. The amount of inspiration it's given me to bike tour is through the roof. I have a dog that weighs about a hundred pounds and an ill mother I'm caring for right now. Once these factors change in my life, I'm hitting the road on a bike. I might even consider it with the dog, though that'll be a real difficult task. 100+ pound dog bike trailer or.. side car? I love the imagery that conjures but it doesn't seem feasible. It would be really cool to have her on the road with me. She's great company and protection but I just don't think any dog would want to be in a trailer for 60-80 miles a day.

Anyway, just wanted to say thank you for this thread, the pictures, videos and updates. I feel a part of me is on tour with you vicariously. If you find yourself heading up through central California, Kaya and I are here in Fresno with your drinks of choice and meals of choice on my dime. Stay safe BikePunky.

Appreciate the post and offer. I'll be in SoCal for a few months hopefully. I've known people who travel with big dogs. Seems to be a matter of getting them to walk up on climbs. It does seem like a sacrifice of amenities is required to take a dog though. Seems so many Warmshowers hosts and motels would be off the table as a option. I'm hoping to start a video based q&a series about bike touring over the fall/winter. Probably start a different thread for it and make it the basis of a later more refined zine and/or self-published book.

 

[vajrabond]

Edited for no longer accurate information.

 

[Jimmy Beans]

Oh, might possibly catch up with you in Slabs then. I'll be popping in there at some point over the next couple months. I got clean off that Facebook stuff last year. I should probably make an account just for useful shit like the group you mentioned and then just avoid adding friends and such. I'm not interested in the politics that tends to bring. If I do join again I'll be sure to request to join that group.

 

[vajrabond]

Oh, might possibly catch up with you in Slabs then. I'll be popping in there at some point over the next couple months. I got clean off that Facebook stuff last year. I should probably make an account just for useful shit like the group you mentioned and then just avoid adding friends and such. I'm not interested in the politics that tends to bring. If I do join again I'll be sure to request to join that group.

Nice. I'm honestly probably going to the library, because it has been the only Slab place I've been a crew member of. But I'm interested in other camps possibly, if other folks know of good ones. It's going to be interesting being 1.5 years sober from booze and cigs there. That's basically how I use Facebook. The marketplace is also super handy and people use it more than Craigslist these days. Without it I would have never found my four Ortlieb panniers for $100. But yeah Facebook sucks and it's crappy they are now also Instagram. There's some good groups and I've gotten more kickdowns sharing stories on Insta than spanging though.

 

[G0PN1KB0T]

Great adventure indeed! You've got some drive to keep pushing up those California mountains! This one got me thinking!

 

[vajrabond]

Great adventure indeed! You've got some drive to keep pushing up those California mountains! This one got me thinking!

Yeah, definitely the sierras aren't a joke. Even the foothills before the actual mountain are up and down. Exhausting you before you even reach the real climb. Especially on a 100+ pound bike. Way easier to be going west on the Western Express route than east.

 

[vajrabond]

"

Got all 5 of the videos for the Western Express/ Grand Canyon Connector route up on YouTube.

 

[souslespaves]

this trail looks amazing. thanks for sharing!

 

[SilverBird]

Hey y'all.

A couple weeks ago, I hit the road again after being evicted from my spot for quarantine. Figured I'd start a new picture/ story thread for this one.

View attachment 56633
First road photo of the tour with the new smiley.
View attachment 56634 My panniers just gain more character.
View attachment 56635 Laying in the rain on the Natchez Trace on a hot day.
View attachment 56636 Amazing little view on the 50 miles of the Great Rivers South route I did.
View attachment 56637 Great lakefront camping I stayed in at Land Between Lakes on the Tennessee side.
View attachment 56638 Mandatory state line crossing photo.
View attachment 56639
Got to love a good bridge shot in the morning.
View attachment 56640 Got to throw in a tent selfie or two.
View attachment 56641 Old pirate murder cave at Cave In State Park.
View attachment 56642 A date with the Ohio River for lunch.
View attachment 56643 Third state of this trip so far.
View attachment 56644 This hill really sucked and I walked up half of it.
View attachment 56645 In a sea of Confederate flags and Trump stickers, there's good people. View attachment 56646 The TransAmerica Trail took me to the Tunnel Hill State Trail and I had to take a whole day to ride it.
View attachment 56647 The famous tunnel.
View attachment 56648
Bridge crossing on the Tunnel Hill State Trail.
View attachment 56649 Crabtree Lake in the morning.
View attachment 56651

Pretty fun tour so far!

I've done a few hundred miles again, but I'm going real slow. Staying in a lot of state parks and doing small mileage days. This ride might be life for a good while and it's a global pandemic, so taking time is the focus. I'm hoping to get to Missouri and do the Katy Trail as a second famous rail Trail of this trip and then I'll likely head north to get away from humidity.

You can follow me as I go on Instagram!

If you're housed up for the pandemic and want to donate to my journey:

Paypal.me/bikepunky
Patreon.com/bikepunky

I'll come back with more photos every couple weeks.

This is so cool! Does this cost anything past the dues for the survival materials? Also how did you get food?

 

[vajrabond]

This is so cool! Does this cost anything past the dues for the survival materials? Also how did you get food?

Definitely was a lot cheaper before covid. As you could find parts and do repairs at bike co-ops. More WarmShowers hosts were available for free. I spent a lot more on new parts and the occasional motel this trip.

 

[vajrabond]

Thread for the 2021 touring season.

 

[ali]

Seems I've rolled right into the middle of Oregon's biggest natural disaster.
View attachment 57472
Nearest evacuation order is 10 miles away. Wish me luck!

Hey, i was wondering if you had any tips for cycling through these conditions? I am planning to get started in a few weeks and right now there is pretty heavy smoke covering my area of interior BC and pretty much everywhere within reasonable cycling distance. I have a couple of bandanas and plenty of those disposable surgical masks, but i'm guessing an N95 would be better for this. Can you cycle with one, though? Or did you just tough it out and go shorter distances each day?

 

[vajrabond]

Probably n95 or a pollution mask are your only good bets. If it’s as toxic as it was last year, maybe not riding in it at all.