<p>NJRes: how long is your son planning to take to do the Northern Tier? (My DH did that route, from west to east, though.) Is he riding alone or with friends? Carrying his gear or hoteling?</p>
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<p>Bike in the dark without lights? Why would you want to do that?</p>
<p>Those weight obsessed cyclists-- and there are a lot of them-- limit themselves to one particular kind of cycling. No riding at night, no riding in the rain, no carrying anything on the bike, no riding on fire roads, riding on badly paved roads only under duress with enormous amounts of complaints, no little sweater in the bag for if it gets cold, no picking up a few items at the farmers market on the way home, no room for a sandwich, no low gears for very long steep hills (which in practice means for many, skipping long steep hills), tiny lousy pump that barely works so they have to borrow my good one when they get a flat. Nothing wrong with that kind of riding, and nothing wrong with having ride-specific bikes either, but I can’t help thinking that a lot of people buying the superlight carbon fiber bikes would be happier with a more versatile steed.</p>
<p>I am almost 3,000 miles into my trip across the country this summer (following the ACA Trans-America / BikeCentennial Route). I hope my observations can be helpful.</p>
<p>1) There are lots of solo cyclists out there, if you choose to stay on-route. The opportunity to link up with others is possible, but I haven’t seen it work out that well for the people I’ve met who have done so. Best to go with a friend, or individually, I think.
2) Power has not been an issue at all for me. I had a cheap solar charger initially, but tossed it the night we stayed at the cookie lady’s house in VA. Except for one or two nights, I have been able to keep my various electronics (Garmin cyclocomputer, netbook, cell phone, digital camera, and Kindle) fully charged. Most of the campsites we have stayed at so far on the trip have pavillions with electricity, McDonalds also is a popular site (free wifi, refills, air-conditioning, and electricity!).
3) People have been (for the most part) unbelievably nice and welcoming, all over the country. We’ve had a lot of severe weather on the trip (tornadoes, floods, heat waves, severe thunderstorms, etc.) and the locals seem to be really looking out for us. Firemen and local police have also been super-helpful (one sheriff rescued us from the highway in Kansas – 80mph wind gusts were blowing us all over the road).
4) ACA Maps are invaluable. There is a ton of info. contained on them. Locations of bike shops, convenience stores, groceries, campsites, bike hostels, etc. Not to mention all of the additional info. about the history of the region you’re traveling through.
5) Reliable bike is a must. I took my rain bike (cyclocross frame with low-end parts), and it’s worked out pretty well, but I had major mechanical issues the first thousand miles or so (due to handlebar bag constantly knocking front derailleur out of adjustment). The mechanical issues were very frustrating, and if I were doing it again, I think I would have tested my bike out more thoroughly prior to leaving.
6) Packing light is pretty easy. I have: 3 pairs of riding shorts, tights, long underwear, one pair of mesh off-the-bike shorts, 3 shirts, 1 jersey, 3 pairs of shorts, arm warmers, booties, down jacket, high-visibility cycling jacket, and windbreaker. All clothes + toiletries + electronics fit in two Ortlieb (front) panniers, which I carry on my rear rack (along with 1-person tent and hydration bladder). It’s been plenty for me.</p>
<p>Oh, the Cookie Lady! Glad to know she’s still taking in cyclists!</p>
<p>CF: I’m with you on all the disadvantages to being weight obsessed. Fortunately, DH and I own a bike shop, so he’s not limited to one bike (he has 6, I think, possibly more). He carries a lot of stuff in his jersey pockets–and he LOVES to ride hills.</p>
<p>And he rides Tufo Tubulars and hasn’t had a flat in over a year, despite riding a few hundred miles a week.</p>
<p>zpmqzonw - thanks for weighing in! Where will you finish and how much farther is it?</p>
<p>dmd77 - My son has about 60 days. He is riding alone, by choice. We both (especially his mother) encouraged him to find others to ride with, but he is going solo. He has camping gear and plans to “stealth” camp a lot, but checked in to a Quality Inn tonight. 
I will feel better once he gets on the established Northern Tier route near Syracuse. He has all of the ACA maps, but won’t realize their benefit until he is actually on the route. I also told him to buy a new bicycle. He tried a few out, but decided to stick with my old Fuji 12 speed, circa 1976.</p>
<p>NJRes: you should tell your son about [Warmshowers.org</a> | Hospitality for touring cyclists](<a href=“http://www.warmshowers.org/]Warmshowers.org”>http://www.warmshowers.org/) which is an organization devoted to helping touring cyclists find a safe place to sleep and have a warm shower in the morning. My daughter used them extensively during her trip. Lots of people let cyclists camp in their yards and feed them dinner ;)</p>
<p>Nothing wrong with a 1976 Fuji 12-speed. Plenty of them crossed the US in 1976 when they first set up the Bikecentennial route. I wouldn’t bet money on his rear wheel making it to the Pacific intact, but there are plenty of bike shops on the Northern Tier.</p>
<p>Stealth bike campers bring along little trowels, right?</p>
<p>My son made it to Seattle last night, after 48 days, 3315 miles and 1 flat tire. (His investment in gatorskin puncture resistant tires and tubes paid off).
It did not! He had to replace the original rear wheel, and the replacement failed after 1300 miles. Neither repair slowed him significantly.</p>
<p>[LEVEL-V</a> - TRANSALP - SINGLETRAIL](<a href=“http://www.level-v.de/index.php/en.html]LEVEL-V”>http://www.level-v.de/index.php/en.html)</p>
<p>For those also interested in mountain biking, my son should have landed in Zurich in the last few hours to do this bike tour through the Alps. I don’t think he is near to being the level of rider this tour requires. We shall see.</p>
<p>NJRes–Bravo to your son! And delighted to hear the Gatorskins held up so well.</p>
<p>Sigh. I loved this thread. Nothing like a vicarious adventure.</p>
<p>Congratulations to NJres’s son. Does he feel that his trip changed his life?</p>
<p>I leave Monday for a twelve day tour in southwestern Colorado. Altitude, mountain passes, camping, self-supported. It’s going to be fantastic.</p>