Bike Tour F.A.Q.

Q: So...cross-country bike tour. Um, are you insane?

A: Little bit, yeah.

Q. Seriously, though. Why do you want to do this?

A: It's been a longstanding dream of mine to bike across the U.S. To be honest, I wasn't sure whether this might be more fun to plan than to execute, and--since I'm only one day into it--I'm still not sure. But I know I crave adventure through travel, and when I was laid off from my job in late April, I suddenly found myself with means, motive and opportunity to realize my dream. I spent the next two months poring over maps, interviewing petsitters (to care for my obese, behaviorally-challenged cat), devouring online touring journals and training, training, training for a July 1st departure.

Q: What route will you travel?

A: Given the time of year, a southern route seemed unthinkable. The trip is challenging enough without enduring desert temps in New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. The Northern Tier states are quite a bit milder.

Next, the issue of direction. Some swear that traveling east-to-west subjects riders to ungodly, unrelenting headwinds. I'm not a meteorologist and have read passionate arguments on both sides. Ultimately I was persuaded to ride east-to-west because I love the idea of leaving the familiar for the unfamiliar and enjoying progressively more beautiful scenery. Also, if I'm going to tackle the Rockies on a recumbent bike, I'd rather do so with a few months of riding under my belt than during week three.

On a significantly dorkier note, I always conceived the trip to start in Oceanside, New York and end in Oceanside, California. Big fan of symmetry, me. I used to live with my father in the former town, where I first discovered cycling and where Dad biked for pure, uncomplicated recreation until the very end of his life. Setting out from Oceanside seemed a fitting, loving nod to him.

Two small wrinkles in this plan. First, cross-country bike trips typically run from sea to shining sea, and there's actually no ocean to be found in the town of Oceanside--much as I learned it's impossible to repair a demolished car in Mechanicsburg, PA. (For this trip I was content to start in Oceanside, NY and do the traditional rear-tire-dip-in-the-Atlantic in Long Beach, just 3-4 miles south.)

Second wrinkle: the eastern Oceanside is significantly more northerly than the western one, which, for a northern-tier route, would add several hundred miles to an already ambitious trip. Fortunately, I soon discovered that Oceanside, OREGON is not only true to its name (immediately ocean-adjacent) but also much closer, thus honoring both my drive for symmetry and pain avoidance.

Q: You mentioned you're riding a recumbent bike. What sort of odd human-powered conveyance is this?

Simply put, recumbent bikes put the rider in a laid-back, reclining position. The main advantage is comfort, since these bikes distribute weight over a larger area than traditional upright bikes, which over long distances are a pain in the butt, lower back, hands and neck and are especially unkind to males. I love that I can ride a recumbent bike for hours with no orthopedic complaints, and have embraced the exceedingly high Dork Factor.

See my profile view for a picture of my Vision R40 bike.

Q: So this is the meaning of your blog title?

A: When naming my blog, I consulted my longtime friend and superior wordsmith, Chris Edom. True to form, he produced this pun, which references my riding style. "As I Lay Dying," a 1930 novel written by the American author Williams Faulkner, is "consistently ranked among the best novels of 20th century literature." It's also the name of a metalcore band based in San Diego.

Chris obviously had the latter in mind. I mean, those guys rock.

Q: Where will you sleep at night? How will you honor basic rules of hygiene?

A: In the pursuit of economy and fun, I'll mostly camp (at times with access to hot water and electricity) and depend on the kindness of strangers through couchsurfing.com and warmshowers.com. The aforementioned websites connect travelers with places to stay in fellow travelers' homes in exchange for a promise to host other travelers as needed. It's a great way to meet new people and to network and an amazing resource I wish I had discovered 17 countries ago.

I hope this provides a reasonable thumbnail sketch of my cross-country bike tour. All questions and comments are welcome!