Advice for cross-country ride through the South?

Hey all,

Heading off this week to bike from San Diego to Miami. Expect to do it in four months (gonna take it a little slow). Anyone have any recommendations for good bike-friendly sites to see and/or restaurants in Phoenix, Tucson, El Paso, San Antonio, Austin, Houston, New Orleans, Gulfport, Biloxi, Mobile, Tallahassee, Tampa, or Miami? I've never been to most of these places.

Thanks.

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Permalink Reply by Jaik S. on March 8, 2016 at 1:06pm

David! Congrats on the tour! Last year I rode from Seattle to Key West. I've got a daily blog from my trip that was also featured a few times on The Chainlink. Here's a few things people had mentioned to me.

  • Get pepper spray and mount it to your stem/handlebars. Some dogs in the south can go crazy and chase or attack you. I had this happen multiple times, but was never actually attacked(it did seem likely a few times though).
  • You may not have enough water. I ran out a few times. 
  • Warm Showers! Get in touch with other cyclists for places to stay. I spent about 1/4 of my time with people from Warm Showers.
  • Ship it back. If you don't use it in two days, send it back. You'll lose a lot of stuff you don't need. Don't send back your tools/tubes.
  • Sunscreen once an hour.
  • Mississippi and Alabama were pretty rough to ride in.

Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions.

Links:

jaiksmith.com

warmshowers.org

Permalink Reply by curt(is) locke on March 10, 2016 at 7:23am

What was specifically rough about MS and AL? I have a brother-in-law who lives in both Oxford, MS and Memphis, TN who rides all over the region.

Permalink Reply by Maurice on March 8, 2016 at 1:34pm

The scenery around Tucson is spectacular.  You'll see plenty of other people on bikes in the city, in Saguaro N.P., and in Tucson Mt. Park.  If you stop downtown, eat at Cup Café.

Permalink Reply by Brendan Kevenides on March 9, 2016 at 4:40am

Lots of awesomeness in Austin, but check out Mellow Johnny's, one of the best bike shops anywhere.

Permalink Reply by Kathleen Murphy on March 9, 2016 at 8:11am

Hi David,

I rode about half of this route (we did Albuquerque to New Orleans and rode through all those Texas cities) four years ago. I kept a small blog about it (http://bikekath.tumblr.com/) and would be more than happy to provide specific recommendations/advice if you'd like. Feel free to message me.

Kathleen

Permalink Reply by Mike Schwab on March 10, 2016 at 6:51am

All the way to Miami and not Key West for another 164 miles?

You can to ride back, take a small plane, or take a ferry to Fort Meyer.

http://www.keywestexpress.net/key-west-travel-experience#boarding-t...

Another part suggests renting a bicycle on Key West.  FAQ about Disability / scooter:

The ship is accessible by ramps to the main deck. Our crew is available to assist you if needed. There are no elevators to the upper decks so access to these areas is limited if you are not mobile. You may bring a standard sized, single person riding fixture aboard.

Permalink Reply by curt(is) locke on March 10, 2016 at 7:21am

Don't watch "Easy Rider" before the trip.

Permalink Reply by David on March 10, 2016 at 6:33pm

Thanks, all!!

I set out from San Diego yesterday and am now in El Centro, CA. The next stop will be Yuma, AZ. The first day, from San Diego to Jacumba Hot Springs, was absolutely brutal. The elevation climb (which I hadn't realized beforehand) was some 5,000 feet. I got about 50 miles under my belt before I just couldn't take the winding inclines anymore and had to hitch a ride the last 30 miles :-(. I'm really bummed about this. I hope my leg muscles will get into better shape, but also, the incline for the rest of the way won't be as bad.

Things I've learned:

  • There are other people out there riding cross-country, and they're probably just as crazy as me (you guys excluded, I'm sure ;-)).
  • The desert is brutal and unforgiving. Gas stations in the middle of nowhere are your best friend; a lack of shade is your worst enemy.
  • Shorter distances per day are preferable, but not always doable if there isn't a hotel/motel (I don't have camping gear).
  • Southeastern California, just north of the Mexican border, has beautiful, beautiful scenery, with foothills  and mountains in shades of light pink and blue.

Jaik, great website! Did you design it yourself? Very nice.

I got a WordPress blog, and I'm happy to share the URL with anyone who wants to private-message me.

Good to hear from you guys. I admit I'm feeling discouraged. I'm used to riding between cities in the same region, and I'm used to having gas stations/restaurants available for water. I think if I can survive until Houston, the terrain will level out from there.

That said, I've got a ticket for K.C. Royals-Cubs spring training outside Phoenix in a week-and-a-half, so I at least want to make it there :-)

Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on March 12, 2016 at 3:48am

Hey David,

How's it going? I'm very impressed with your first day. That's a lot of climbing and a pretty ambitious amount of miles. Don't be too hard on yourself. That would be a tough day with the bags you have on your bike. 

We'd love to see pictures as you ride if that's ok with you with. Always fun to see your progress. Sounds like the ride has been pretty - hopefully that makes all that climbing more bearable. Don't be discouraged - you are doing it and that's awesome. Keep it up! You got this!! :-)

Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on March 17, 2016 at 2:19am

Hi David! Has it been getting a little easier as you've been riding? Hope you're doing well! :-)

Permalink Reply by David on March 17, 2016 at 3:02pm

Thanks, Yasmeen! Yes, I'm encouraged now. Did 90 miles yesterday from Wellton to Gila Bend, AZ, in heat approaching 90˚. Just 70 miles from Phoenix now! :-)

Permalink Reply by Mark on March 18, 2016 at 4:45am

Keep it up!!  A cross-country ride is on my bucket list!

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