† Explanation of BAC Ride Fee – This fee is not included in the Estimated Cost and is non-refundable once submitted. The Ride Fee for US and Canada is $50 and $100 for all other countries, both are per participant.
SUMMARY: A remarkable trek across the USA, starting in Seattle ending in New York City. Total mileage will be about 4,000 with an average of 63 miles per day and 1,800 feet of elevation gain. Approximately one rest day a week or so. Our path will first take us from Seattle along the Pacific Coast to Astoria, OR before heading east. We cycle along many different rivers (Columbia, Clearwater, Lochsa, Yellowstone, Missouri, Iowa, Hudson and many others), cross mountain ranges and rivers, through (and stay in) some National Parks, pedal in state and national forests, along Lake Erie, as well as small, medium and big cities. We pedal along the Oregon and Washington border (Columbia River Gorge) then to Kennewick, WA, before Idaho (Kamiah and Powell), Montana (Missoula, Helena, Bozeman), Wyoming (Yellowstone, Cody, Hulett), South Dakota (Mt. Rushmore, Badlands), Nebraska (Omaha), Iowa (Des Moines and the Field of Dreams), Illinois (Ronald Reagan birthplace, and the south side of Chicago), Indiana (South Bend), a small piece of Michigan, Ohio (Toledo, Cleveland), a bit of Pennsylvania and along the southern tier of upper New York State before heading south along the Hudson River to NYC. A participant will be on every type of road, but nothing an experienced cyclist has not done before. Overnights will be in mostly Best Western / Holiday Inn type places, with a fair amount of family run motels / lodges. Some will be in the center of town, while others are on the outskirts of town and still some others can be described as in the middle of nowhere which are just amazing. There will be incredible views all across America.
While the scenery is beautiful, the length of this tour is the real test. This is an epic journey for experienced cyclists with a sense of adventure and the mental toughness to be on the road for more then two months. There will be hard days where the mileage and elevation gain will test your stamina and endurance, however they are not the hardest part of the tour. The hardest aspect is the day after day (for two months plus) feature. Those looking to sign up will have to contact the Ride Director to discuss this challenge and to get more details about the tour. Also feel free to contact other BAC members who have pedaled cross country (either with me or with commercial tour groups) to get an assessment from them regarding these type (long duration) of tours.
Besides having the mental toughness to withstand being on the road for so long, some of the route on some of the days will be in areas where services are in short supply, so it is highly recommended that you have the capability to carry supplies – backpack, rear trunk or handlebar bag. In addition it is recommended to have rear and front lights for visibility. Single riders willing to share a room are encouraged to participate, and we will assist with finding a roommate. Solo supplement may be available but due to the length of this tour and its cost we are also willing to arrange “on and off” solos as long as other same sex participants are willing to be part of that rotation.
RIDE RATING: The quick look rating for the 62 days of pedaling is a 2C (daily averages: mileage 63 = C; gain 1,800’ = 2). However, as mentioned above, the difficulty lies in the length of the tour and there is no rating for that. The cumulative difficulty of week after weeks after weeks can push a persons’ envelope while the actual physical aspect of any one (or 2-3) days is usually not an issue. Of the 62 days of pedaling, 30 days are in the D mileage rating (which is over 65 miles per day). Of these 62 days, 15 are above an elevation rating of 2: there are 10 days with elevation ratings in the 3 rating and 5 days with a 4 rating. For comparison, the 2011 cross country tour had 31 days with a D mileage rating and 19 days with 3 or 4 elevation ratings. There will be short climbs that are over 8% grades and several extended climbs with more reasonable grades. In all towns and cities there can be urban traffic (although in most big cities we will be on bicycle paths for the vast majority of our time; i.e.,97% of the pedaling in NYC is on bicycle paths). Leaders have not made any arrangements for bicycle rentals and E-Bikes are strongly discouraged. Those with tandems should contact the Ride Leader since these will be considered on a case by case basis.
WEATHER: During the mornings you will probably need arm warmers, wind vest and other items for warmth (especially at the start). During the afternoons of July you will probably want different apparel such as sun protective arm screens. Therefore we have arranged mail drops in Montana and Illinois for participants; items can be sent beforehand and be waiting for your arrival. Anyone interested will get a better understanding once contact is make with the Ride Director.
LOGISTICS: The first meeting of our 73 day, 72 nights adventure is in Seattle (airport code: SEA) on May 27, 2021 – for an afternoon social hour followed by a group dinner. Those utilizing bike box(es) to bring their bike to the start, will have to ship the boxes home or to NYC (free storage there). We pedal into NYC (main airport codes: JFK, EWR, LGA) on August 5 and have a celebratory loop ride in the city on August 6 (lodging for this night is included). Departure is the morning of August 7th.
COST & ADMINISTRATION: The ride cost is estimated to be $7,965 per person, including the $239 credit card processing fees but not including the $50 BAC registration fee. This estimate includes lodging for May 27 to August 6 (72 nights, based on double occupancy) (although in some mountain lodges the rooms are not set up for double but triple and quadruple), leader / co-leader / driver / luggage transfer (large SUV and a trailer) costs, four group dinners, lunch supplies (includes various and numerous energy snacks), nightly social hours (beverages and food), maps, cue sheets, GPS files as well as a bicycle jersey to commemorate our journey. An initial payment of $1,815 ($50 BAC fee and deposit of $1,765) is due when you sign up. Two additional payments of $3,100 each will be due, the first on October 1, 2020 and the second on March 1, 2021.
SINGLES: Singles are welcome – and we will assist in matching – BAC recommends that singles seeking a roommate also try to find their own. After receipt of the initial deposit, a single will be placed on the ride. If they are unable to find a roommate they will have the options of getting a full refund (minus the BAC and credit card processing fee), pay the solo supplement or join the rotation of those wanting to go solo on a part time basis. If a single does pay the supplement (estimated at $4,700) they may continue to seek a roommate, but must plan to participate without a roommate if necessary.
CANCELLATION POLICY: The BAC ride registration fee and payment processing fee are not refundable unless the entire tour is cancelled. Refunds of tour payments will depend upon whether a replacement rider signs up and on costs that can be recouped. The amount refunded will be based on the principle that the tour’s remaining participants will not incur any additional costs as a result of cancellations. If the cancelling participant is replaced, a refund may be made at that time (minus the credit card processing fee). If the cancelling participant cannot be replaced, any refund will be determined after the ride and final expense report is completed. If a single participant cancels and another roommate cannot be found, in addition to other costs that cannot be recouped the cancelling roommate may also be liable for the single supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tours. BAC encourages members to purchase trip cancellation insurance.
RIDE PARTICIPANT RESPONSIBILITES: Please remember that BAC Ride Leaders are volunteers, and even though we will have an amazing support team and besides our luggage the SUV and trailer will have a wide array of bicycle tools, supplies and spare parts for us to use, successful tours depend on participants providing support of their own. Participants are expected to come to the ride well trained, in good health and ready to accomplish the required daily riding using well-maintained bicycles. With a tour of this length, participants will have to be prepared for mental as well as physical challenges. Due to the length of this tour, we will accommodate folks, up to 3 at a time, who occasionally need a short lift in the support vehicle. Those needing long periods of time off may have to rent a car. All participants should accept responsibility for a safe and enjoyable tour. We encourage you to read the ride description carefully as you will have to discuss it with the Ride Leader before your acceptance onto the tour. Also, you should respond to requests from Ride Leader. While on the ride, support your Ride Leader, Co-Ride Leader and Driver with offers to help with various tasks such as happy hour preparation and clean-up. Please do not interfere with the ride by inviting non-participants onto any portion of the ride or tour. Please keep the Ride Leader informed of any special request you may have and respect the Ride Leader’s decisions.
SIGN-UP: To submit a request to join this ride use the "links" displayed above this Ride Description. We will correspond to arrange a time we can speak to each other. After this you will be moved from the Waitlist to the Pending List. At this time, you will receive an auto-generated email notification from BAC to login to their website to sign the release of liability form and pay the non-refundable $50 ride registration and the initial deposit of $1,765 (total $1,815) using the online credit card process. When this payment is received, your status will be changed from wait list to participant. As mentioned in the Cost Paragraph above, a second payment will be due October 2020 and the final payment will be due March 2021. To contact the Ride Leader, "click" the name at the top of this Ride Description.
Bicycle Adventure Club
PO BOX 23998 San Diego, CA 92193
Telephone (858) 715-9510 office@bicycleadventureclub.org