The Pacific Coast Trip vs. My Ride Across the USA

Three years ago, I rode my bike across country—from San Francisco to Yorktown, Virginia. That ride took most of two months. To keep in touch with friends and family, I decided to blog the trip. I also knew that other people planning to ride across the country might find the blog helpful, as I had read many blogs myself when planning my own trip. From the comments I received, it appears that many people enjoyed following along.

So, when I decided to ride my bike along the Pacific Coast (see my previous post for an overview), many people asked if I’d keep a blog again. I decided I would. That said, this time Chris will be with me every day of the ride, and we’ll be taking time to tour, so I won’t be able to promise a regular posting schedule. Let’s just see how it goes.

Sunset at Cannon Beach, Oregon

That’s just one way this Pacific Coast trip will differ from my Ride Across the USA. In this post, I want to reflect on what will be the same—and what will be different. This matters most to those of you who followed my previous ride. (If you’re curious, scroll to the bottom of the blog homepage to find the earliest posts from that trip.)

What is the same about this trip? What will be different?

When I started writing my dissertation nearly 40 years ago, I struggled to get words on the page. My advisor Bill gave me a trick I still use: build a table of your plan or results, then write about each row. I still use this method to write academic papers and textbooks—and I’m using it again here.

So let’s start with a table. 

	Ride Across the USA	Pacific Coast Route
In-ride support?	Unsupported (a few exceptions)	Daily from Chris (not in-ride)
Transportation mode	Bike completely	Bike (mostly? with possible driving for safety)
Philosophy	Ride every mile	Ride every safe mile
Planning	Strict route, looser itinerary	Strict route and itinerary
Accommodations	Hotels	Hotels
Obligations/flexibility	No schedules, two months free	Appointments, still working
Number of days	51	34
Total miles	3760	1821 (or so)
Daily miles average	75-80	55-60
Elevation gain (climbs)	178,727	92,111
Daily elevation average	3443	3070
Spirit	Epic	Cinematic

 In-ride support

There are many ways to do a bike tour. While I’m not a backcountry or camping type, I’ve always admired unsupported riders. That’s what I did for the Ride Across the USA—mostly solo, carrying my gear, figuring it out as I went. That said, my ride was what is called "credit card" and I didn't camp at all (or carry a tent or sleeping bag). With a few exceptions, I was riding alone from town to town. I wrote about that in one of my blog posts from that ride (scroll down a bit).

This time, I’ll have SAG support—that’s “support and gear”—thanks to Chris. She’ll be driving our car and carrying my off-bike clothes, spare riding gear, a few bike parts, and other essentials I had to carry last time. It makes a huge difference.

Transportation, Philosophy & Planning

The Ride Across the USA was completed entirely on my bike. I didn’t want to get in a car to cross a bridge or get through a construction zone. I didn’t want to have to catch a ride because of a rainstorm. My clear philosophy was to “ride every mile.”  Consequently, while the route was set before the ride, I didn’t want a fixed itinerary. I wanted to ride longer days when I felt strong or the wind was at my back. I wanted to take days off if I was tired or there were storms. I had to have that flexibility to make sure I rode every mile

The Pacific Coast ride will be different. I have had a couple of friends tell me that there are some dangerous parts of this ride. Shoulders can be narrow. There are many narrow bridges; sometimes it is windy on those. Weather (including fog, wind, and rain) makes riding more hazardous, and it can also distract drivers of motor vehicles. Traffic can be busy—much of the coast is a tourist mecca. People who drive RVs two weeks a year are not always the best of drivers. And if I'm on my bike and get in the way of an RV, we know who wins that one.

For these reasons, I have to abandon my “ride every mile” philosophy. I promised Chris that if any part of this is dangerous, I will pick up the bike and put it on the back of the car. I plan to ride every safe mile, and that may mean not every mile of this trip will be on a bike.

Obligations and Flexibility (or Lack Thereof)

This trip has more scheduling constraints. Friends plan to meet us along the way. And we’ve got family obligations shortly after we return.

Plus—surprise twist—I may have to work during the ride. I’m officially retired from CSU, but I still write textbooks. This year’s revision is mostly done, but there are tasks that I have to complete in the coming weeks, and I may need to take a day or two to respond. Fortunately, Chris can haul my laptop.  

Bottom line: we’re on a schedule, and we’ve got to keep moving. If I fall behind for any reason, I’ll still have to drive ahead to the next stop.

Miles, Climbing & Time in the Saddle

Let’s talk stats.

• The Ride Across the USA was 3,760 miles, with 178,727 feet of climbing over 51 days.

• The Pacific Coast ride is about 1,821 miles with 92,111 feet of climbing over 34 days.

Last time, I averaged 75–80 miles/day, riding 6 hours/day (plus 1.5 hours of breaks). I went 23 days straight without a rest day to finish on time. I don’t want to repeat that.

This time, I’m aiming for 55–60 miles/day, with more time to relax and explore with Chris. Most days, I hope to be off the bike by lunchtime.

The climbing will be different, too:

• On the cross-country ride, nearly half the days had 4,000+ feet of gain.

• This time, every day will have climbing, but most days will fall between 2,000–4,000 feet—more rolling hills than epic mountain passes.

Let’s get this party started 

The roads may be shorter, the climbs a little gentler, the gear a bit lighter (thanks, Chris!), and sometimes, I might not even be on a bike. But don’t be fooled—there will be sweat, stories, and possibly snacks with a view. If the last trip was epic, this one might just be cinematic. Cue the seagulls and let the coastal adventure begin.

P.S. The first day of riding is scheduled for September 4.

P.S.S. If you guessed that ChatGPT read the blog post and suggested the final paragraph, two points for you. I wrote the rest of it.