A fun father and son bicycle adventure. Answers questions about the trip across America and shows a few pictures along the journey.

3. • Who?
Chris & David Culvern
• What?
Bicycle Tour of America
• When?
Right After Graduation, May 23, 2009
• Where?
• The Trans America Bicycle Trail
Start at the Atlantic Coast - Yorktown, VA
End at the Pacific Coast - Florence, OR
• Why?
Create Value, Explore America, Relax, Enjoy Life, Exercise,
Learn, Meet People, Celebrate, Father & Son Adventure

4. Mind, Body, and Spirit
“When I was a kid, I used to pray every
night for a new bicycle. Then I realized
that the Lord doesn’t work that way, so I
stole one and asked Him to forgive me.”
- Emo Philips

5. Mind, Body, and Spirit
• "Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair
for the future of mankind“ ~ H.G. Wells
• "Melancholy is incompatible with bicycling.“ ~ James E.
Starrs
• "Get a bicycle. You will not regret it if you live.“ ~ Mark
Twain, Taming the Bicycle
• "The bicycle is the most civilized conveyance known to man.
Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only
the bicycle remains pure in heart.“ ~ Iris Murdoch, The Red
and the Green
• "It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a
country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast
down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are,
while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you
have no such accurate remembrance of country you have
driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.“ ~ Ernest
Hemingway

6. Mind, Body, and Spirit
• Life is like riding a bicycle - in order to keep your
balance, you must keep moving. ~Albert Einstein
• A bicycle does get you there and more.... And there
is always the thin edge of danger to keep you alert
and comfortably apprehensive. Dogs become dogs
again and snap at your raincoat; potholes become
personal. And getting there is all the fun. ~Bill
Emerson, "On Bicycling," Saturday Evening Post, 29
July 1967
• Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike
ride. ~John F. Kennedy
• Cycle tracks will abound in Utopia. ~H.G. Wells

7. Q & A Touring 101
• How far is your trip?
We rode 3416 miles by bike, and about 900 by
car and U-Haul
• Where have you been?
Yorktown, VA to Eugene, OR…(We skipped KS,
and took a car up the Pacific Coast.)
• How did you plan your route?
We have maps purchased from Adventure
Cycling Association. The route and town
information is on each map.

8. Q & A Touring 101
• Why are you doing this?
Explore, Exercise, Enjoyment, Experience,
Enlighten, Education…(Mind, Body, Spirit)
• Are you going to ride back home?
What? Are you serious? No, we are flying
home. (Wings)
• How do you get your bike back home?
UPS… in a used bike box from a retail bike
shop

9. Q & A Touring 101
• Do you need a special bike for touring?
Yes, touring bikes are extra strong with pannier
racks, fenders, and lights, but you can ride most
anything. One guy rode a fixed gear.
• Have you ridden bikes for a long time?
Not really. We just got these bikes a couple of
weeks prior to the trip.
• Doesn't your “seat” hurt?
Yes, it takes a good saddle, and time to get
used to sitting all day on a bike.

10. Q & A Touring 101
• Are people/motorists nice to you?
Yes, only a few times did we experience
any rude people. One “car” threw money
at us.
• How many miles did you ride in a day?
We tried to average at least 60 miles per day.
• Isn't it hard to ride up hills?
Long gradual mountains are not difficult, but
steep grades can be tough. The east is the
hardest.

11. Q & A Touring 101
• How fast do your bikes go?
We averaged between 12 - 14 mph. Down hill
max for Chris 47. A few days we averaged 16+
• What kind of bike do you have?
We have steel touring bikes. Chris has a heavy
touring/off-road Fargo by Salsa. I have a
medium weight NorWester Tour by CoMotion
• How much weight did you carry?
I don't know, but a good guess is between 40-
50 pounds. It could be more with extra water.

12. Q & A Touring 101
• How does one pack gear on a bike?
We pack in 4 panniers, one on either side of the
wheels, and long stuff on the top rear rack.
• What about all the traffic?
We look in our rear mirror constantly. Cars and
trucks pass sometimes too close, and too fast
for safety.
• What part of the highway does one ride?
We stay on the side of the road as much as
possible…on the shoulder or near the white
outside line.

13. Q & A Touring 101
• Did you train to get into physical
condition for the ride?
No, but for the first few weeks we were sore.
• How long did you ride each day?
We rest when we want and take long lunch
breaks. Riding time is about 6 hours.
• Where did you sleep?
We decide ahead of time where we need to
stop for the night. We mix camping and hotels.

14. Q & A Touring 101
• What about your work?
I took accrued vacation combined with an unpaid
sabbatical. I spent 2 full days in a hotel dedicated
to work. I took a net-book to control my office
computer via cell phone web access, and solar
charger.
• Did you have any wrecks?
No, but we rode only a few inches from the edge
of the road, and Chris would sometimes put on his
jacket or do something while riding, and run off the
road. No harm done, but he sometimes scared
me when traffic is only inches away.

15. Q & A Touring 101
Any lasting health effects from the ride?
• Well I did get into good shape, but now my pants
are a little loose. Susan is feeding me too much,
so I won’t buy a new wardrobe.
• Three of my fingers on my right hand went numb
for most of the trip. I am better now. This is a
common problem, caused by supporting too much
weight on your hands, and all the road vibration. I
fixed most of that by changing the way I rode (use
aero bars more), plus double wrapped tape, and
gel pads on the handlebars.
• My super biker tan is now faded. Chris had dark
tiger stripes on his feet from the Keen sandals he
wore.

16. Q & A Touring 101
• Any health issues on the road?
I got a very slight case of food poisoning that
lasted about 6 hours. We had to adjust to
riding in the altitude, and dry air out west.
Insect bites were not too bad, but they took a
while to heal.

17. Q & A Touring 101
What state did you like the best?
• The west as a whole was more interesting.
(different for us)
• We had a very good time in Montana, so we
really liked it. Oregon was also very
interesting. HOT and DRY in the eastern
section, and green in the west.
• Idaho was beautiful…some spots were very
hot though. CO and WY were both great.
• VA was by far the best eastern state.

18. Miles
Bum
100
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
0
pass Will
, beh
ind a Williamsburg
band iams
one burg
Char d store
lo
Cook ttesville
ie La
Lexindy’s
New Dalegt on
Rive ville
r Tra
il camRadfo
pgou rd
nd
Rose Dama
dale scus
ch
Bard Elkh urch
stow orn
n/me Hind city
Buffa ad, L Boon man
Rouglo, Linco incoln h
ome evill
h Riv ln bir
er D th st Be e
am s place h ead s.rea
.p., F ist oric p.
alls o s
f Rouite
gh
Sebr
e
Farm Marioe
ingto Ches n
n (cit
y pater
Ellin rk)
g
Hou t on
Mars ston
Cano hfield
nC
Fairp ity
Hot S lay
ulph F
ur Sp risco
rings
Wa
Saralden
Swe to
etwa Lam ga
Colte ter S ont
r Bay tatio
Land n
Gran Village,
t Villa Gran e
ge, dT Dubo r
is
Distance Traveled
BLMMadison Yellows eton n.p.
cam . Yell to
psite owsto ne, n.p.
on M n
adisoe, n.p.
Place Rested for the Night
Twin n river
Bridg
Jack es
son
S
My Statistics
Ever Slate C Pow
gree reek ell ca Misso ula
n Ca mpg ula
roun
mpgCampgro
roun d
d, paund, nea Stit
Copp st Ne r Luc es
erf ie w Me ile
ld Pa ado
rk, O w
x
Bake bow
r City
S Mou Sumte
Deltauttle Lak nt Ve r
Cam e Cam rn
pgro Mitchon
und pground
near P e
near rinev ll
McK Sisteille
enzie rs
bridg
e
Euge
ne

19. My Statistics:
Parts Worn Out
2 sets of pedals (1 broken, 1 upgraded)
2 chains
2 sets of tires
1 seat (broke, replacement ups from home)
2 sets brakes
2 bar wraps (cushion gone)
Flat Tires
2 puncture flats David
3 pinch flats due to rotating Chris's tires
1 pinch flat early in the trip Chris

20. My Statistics:
Number of Nights for each
Accommodation Type
29 Camping
24 Hotel/Motel
4 Hostel
3 B&B
2 church
4 Hotel touring by car
62 Nights while biking
66 Nights away

21. My Statistics:
Miles Per Day
46.4 Average of < 60 mile day
69.0 Average of > 60 mile day
54.9 Average of < 60 mile day & No half days or 0 days
77.5 Average of 15 days over 70 miles
92 Highest mileage: Powell to Stites, ID
12 Lowest mileage: Yorktown to Williamsburg, VA
58 Most mileage in a half day: Missoula, MT to Powell

22. My Statistics:
Trip Mileage and # of Days Data
3113 mileage total for a full day
48 no. of full days
64.9 average miles per full day's ride
303 mileage for part days
10 partial days
30.3 average mileage per partial day ride
58 days on the trail riding
4 "zero" days while riding
5 "zero" days car & plane
67 Total trip days

23. • Information
• Routes and Mapping
• Tours
• Bicycle Gear
• Programs

24. Trans-America Route

25. Adventure Cycling Route Network – 38,158 Mapped Miles

27. Map Detail

125. 140 ft high Salahie Falls on the McKenzie River

126. McKenzie River Oregon

128. Willamette National Forest, Delta
Campground near Eugene, OR

129. Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area near Florence

134. Astoria, OR on the mouth of the
Columbia River

135. Cape Disappointment State Park in Washington

140. Any Questions?
Thank You