Planning your cycling trip - a few tips!

Planning your cycling trip

To help inspire you, we have included some tips to help you if you are planning a cycling trip across the USA!  We have also included a few tips to make the most out of ACA's route maps.

We hired touring bikes from a bike shop in Fort Collins, CO as we both had trips planned afterwards that did not involve cycling (please see 'Monument Valley' and 'Rim to Rim').  In addition, it can get expensive when you take your own bikes as there additional charges on international and domestic flights.





Day one in Idaho Springs - getting the touring bikes set up for the trip.

Cycling clothes

Pack for all types of conditions as the weather can be extremely unpredictable and it can get very cold on the long descents.


Feeling the cold on the top of 'Loveland Pass', elevation 11,990 ft.

Standard gear:
* 2-3 x good quality padded shorts 
* 4-5 x quick drying cycling tops
* Cycling shoes - comfortable for cycling and walking short distances
* 3 x pairs of socks

Cold weather gear:
* Thermal trousers/long cycling trousers
* Waterproof jacket
* 2 long sleeve thermal tops
* Waterproof gloves
* Soft shell jacket
* Waterproof over-trousers
* Bandanna



We both travelled with a 2 man tent - sufficient room for ourselves and gear.

Camping gear

 

* Light weight tent

* Thermarest mattress

* Sleeping bag

* Small pillow

* Head torch + batteries

* Small towel

* Gas cooker, pot etc - optional

* Locks for your bike

We used the 'Force 10 - Helium 200' 2 man tent as it only weighed 1.3kg, with enough room for one person plus gear.






Panniers

 

* 2 x back panniers - waterproof

* 2 x front panniers - waterproof
* Rack bag - easy to remove

* Handlebar bag (easy access for camera)

* Lights – front, back and helmet

* Hi visibility covers for yourself and panniers - this is extremely important as it makes you visible to cars, trucks and bikers.

 

Miscellaneous

• Handlebar grips are fantastic and make the journey a lot more comfortable
• Take a small bag for when you are not on the bike (wallet and phone etc)
• Converter plug (plus spare)
• Waterproof sheet – if it rains, you can lay the sheet on picnic tables provided at the campgrounds to pack your stuff without getting everything wet
• Small hairdryer (very few campsites have warm hand dryers)
• Small light weight radio



Celebrating our first day on the road with dinner at 'Show Stop', Rollinsville.





Adventure Cycling Association map tips

Here are some tips to make the most of your Adventure Cycling Association maps. 

 

A tough 6 mile climb up Monarch Pass!

• Climbs and descents – Calculate the daily ascents and descents in miles or kilometres to help you stay motivated!

• Things to do - Research activities you can do in each town you are staying to make the most out of your down time not spent on your bike!
• Rest days – Using the information above, you can plan your rest days around the best places to stay, based on what you want to do.
• Routes – Do some research into finding routes that are away from the main highways. A lot of our trip was spent cycling on highways and it would have been wise to look for a few alternatives.

• Camp sites – Make a note of which campgrounds have shower and laundry facilities so you can plan better along the way, as not all campgrounds have shower or laundry facilities.
• Lunch – Look out for routes where there are long distances without any towns, so that you can buy breakfast, lunch or dinner before you go.