Route image from cycleoflifeadventures.com
We will follow a similar route to this image from Cycle of Life Adventures, with some exceptions. It is close to 3000 miles over 45 days, with a rest day every five or six days. Doug Wayne, Steve Leibovic and I will dip our rear tires in the Pacific Ocean in San Diego on March 12th, and hopefully dip our front wheels in the Atlantic Ocean in St. Augustine Beach, Florida on April 25th.
Doug has already planned every daily map route (RideMyGPS), and we have already reserved all hotel lodging (no camping required). Doug has targeted 70ish mile days, but because of the availability of lodging in rural locations of the South, the daily mileage will vary from 51 miles to 120 (ugh!), with 6 days near or over a century (100 plus miles). Along the way we will visit Tucson, the hill country of Texas, Austin, Baton Rouge, and we will traverse the entire panhandle of Florida.
Doug’s and Steve Leibo’s Super Wives, Carol and Julie, will provide SAG support, and we have hotel stays the entire way. This should match the best outfitter companies’ luxury cross country packages.
The risk is that we fall off the daily plan because of medical, equipment, cumulative fatigue or extreme weather events; in which case we will need to make minor adjustments to daily mileage and hotel reservations. It is not an option simply to fall behind our pace, nor to simply skip a leg of the trip. Yes, we will ride in the rain.