Thank You! I am leaving Seattle in a week and a half to bike this route and I have the adventure cycling maps but this is my first long bike tour and all the tips are great and thanks for the tip about ear plugs and for making a rad pride sticker and supporting The Trevor Project! I totally love and appreciate that.
I’m planning on cycling from sand Diego to Vancouver this coming march. Thanks so much for all the tips! I’m not too excited about the headwinds but that’s all part of the fun.
Regarding High-Visibility: We found that in both bright sunlight and foggy conditions RED stands out the best. Neon green doesn't seem to be as good except near darkness. One big peeve: Ortlieb and all of the knock-offs are black front and back. They may be bright colors on the sides but not the direction exposed to approaching cars.
Another reason to ride north to south is safety. When you're on the ocean side of the road you're more visible to the cars and is not riding up against the cliff side, and kinda hidden in the turns
Between 2004 and 2016 on the roughly 173 miles of the PCH covering San Diego, Orange County and LA there were 1821 collisions with bicyclists involved, 30 riders died, over 1700 were injured. Over 200 of the accidents were hit and runs, which tells you the type of guys driving next to you. Just so you have an idea of what to expect. Everything is a risk in life, but cycling the PCH is quite more risky than other things you do in life and while I do find the idea of cycling there romantic, hardly any place in the US and Cali in particular is bicycle friendly, or friendly towards anything but cars really.
Great info here. Those Adventure Cycling Maps are fantastic. A lot of handlebar bags have built-in map holders, or you can get a separate map holder. I rode SF to LA in the summer, and while it was busy, being on the bike made it a breeze! I never had to worry about finding parking or campsites. Most state parks are prohibited from turning away cyclists, so even if the sites are full, you can usually find a spot if you ask nicely.
We went north to south and used the Adventure Cycling maps. We went in November and had very good weather. We stayed in hotels and one hostel. If we’d been camping the hiker-biker sites would’ve been our choice. Agree with all that you suggested.
You could volunteer with a local Cub Scout or Boy Scout organization. Great people and you have a lot of useful experience to share. A Cub Scout bicycle “rodeo” was one of my first memorable bike experiences.
I noticed that except in the winter when storm systems can change the directions of the winds, mostly the winds on the west coast come from the north west blowing to the south east.
Yes! Have the ACA paper maps with you. Even if you are following the route on a Wahoo or Garmin. Peace of mind and nice for previewing the next day’s ride.
Today there are so many ways to map a trip. Paper is old school and is tactile , You get out your marker and mark the route, you put notes on the map, etc. Phones are nice but kind of small a screen. A few years ago Touring with my son and nephew I discovered out how nice an IPad was for route planning. They would use their phone as a hot spot and we could blow the maps up on the IPad and we could zoom in and out, or switch from road maps to terrain maps. At one point in the ride by checking out the terrain map we found a less than single track trail that connected two roads and were able to shorten our day. I have taken screen shots at home where I have WiFi for places were I knew WiFi might be iffy. Every item I take on a trip has to serve more that one function. My IPad is also a back up camera, And Travel guide.
Great video exactly what I’m looking for!!!!!!! I’m training for this route in 2023 Oregon / California border to Big Sur. Can’t wait till my stickers show up!!!! Keep the videos coming they are all fantastic and help plan my trip. Kyle from Canada 🍁🇨🇦🛶
Just watched this again. Nice! Also enjoyed the debut of the Pride Rad sticker. You doing the wheelie becomes so clear in hindsight! By the way, 3M Scotchlite tape comes in many colours and shines like a beacon when lit at night.
I'm going to ride the coast from fort Stevens State Park by Astoria to Mexico starting in about three and a half months! This will be my fourth time riding the coast, the first time I rode it Ventura California to Seattle Washington in 30 days 29 days of headwind!! The other two times were obviously Seattle to Ventura!! I agree with you 100% ride north south!!!💨🚴 I use the book bicycling the Pacific coast to complete trip guide Canada to Mexico by Tom kirkendale and Vicky spring!! their latest addition, which was really good but probably out of date!!
Hi, I love your videos..Would you consider doing a video on teaching beginners how to shift gears and brakes? There are some of us out here that do not have the skills to properly use the basics. I am a senior woman that is scared of flipping my bike. Any tips would greatly be appreciated.
Have you checked around you for resources? Bike co-ops, bike shops, bike advocacy groups, one or more might have classes or at least be able to point you towards someone who does. Heck, if you have a senior center, *they* might have beginning cycling classes; if they don't, try suggesting it. Good luck and have fun!
I'm going to be riding northbound from weho in May up to SF to then do this years aids ride in june back to LA. Plus I'm riding a recumbent trike...though I'm now looking into getting a kona sutra for longer touring but need to get some weight loss going to make riding a 2 wheel more comfortable....currently at 270lbs.
I think that of all the tips that you just provided, VISIBILITY is the most important one. There are sections of that route that are unforgiving when it comes to shoulder width. Thanks for posting this video. It may save some folks from unnecessary headaches and harm. ;)
I used a dynamo hub for lights and used bright yellow knee covers or socks. An RV owner related to me they spotted the movement of these items LONG BEFORE they saw my lights.
Currently on this trip. I messed up tip one, because I'm doing a summer trip. I use both the Adventure maps and Google maps. I hope to see you on the road when I'm in San Diego.
I noticed that you have the scout badge. Are you a scout? (Actually you answered my question in the video). I was a scout (in Finland we do not have boy/girl scouts - just scouts). Furthermore, I was a scout without religion. I bought couple of your awesome pride stickers. My personal reason for supporting the Pride movement 100% is that I have friends and family members that are part of LGBTQ+ community. U guys rock!
We rode from SF to San Diego 2019 (pre-covid) and we had both versions of the map. Mike loves the map and I had the digital version. I really like the "current" wind direction and being able to link to the bike shops (hours and services). Oh, and we're going to ride north to SF, thinking of spring of next year but the fall might be worth a try. Thanks so much for this vid and look forward to more in-depth talk when it comes out!
@@radbikeadventure Mid October. I had just gotten over a nasty flu two weeks before. It was a tough ride and we did it in 10 days so Mike could get to his conference in time. I'd like to do it again for happier memories ;P
Some good advice but the cycling with other cyclists the train experience doesn’t work for me. As I see the your point but you don’t see what going on behind you in the eyes of the driver seeing many cyclists to pass and seeing the cars, trucks approaching from other directions. Both see you , brake, all meet at the same point beside you. This back up the cars behind you, if there two , three four or more cyclists you get the leap frog effect, it’s better for two cycles to ride about 100 feet apart or together. California Hwy 1 and Hwy 101 can get get very narrow in many places I’ve ridden the coast many times, both north and south. There are a lot of tourists. Please be careful doing sleep ride. That happens when your body keeps peddling but your so exhausted your head goes down you so of rest your mind suddenly thing happens your surprised back awake.
Hello...you mentioned that you were going to make a "tour guide" video for the Pacific Coast. Did you? Couldn't find it in your library... Great tips BTW. Thanks.
Thank you for the info. I'm planning to ride down from San Francisco to LA in January. Is that the worst time to go? That's the only time I have off, coming from Toronto, Canada.
Depends on the year cause usually it’s pretty dry out in these parts but this year has been RAIN and more rain. Of course yes colder and less light but I do love winter . Down south it’s usually perfect weather
Any recommendations for the best way to get to your starting point up north? Did you take a train or fly up to Canada? I’m thinking by train since it’s probably easier with a bike vs having to break a bike down for a flight.
We had flown into Vancouver from New Zealand. A train could be easier for the bike but depending on where you are coming from it can be a LONG ride. Trains in the U.S. are sadly very slow (and often include bus sections which would be a pain to shuffle the bike on and off of). So a flight in is probably the easiest method
@@radbikeadventure Wow thanks for the quick response! Probably drive from my home in Bakersfield to SLO and ride Amtrak to Seattle. That’s two and half states worth of tailwind cycling.
Many bicycle shops will have packing material, including fork spacers, bubble wrap, and the boxes left over from the assembly of new inventory. The shop I work at recycles the boxes with the remaining items going in the trash. Check with the shop manager at your local REI for availability, we're currently putting boxes out daily. Find a shop at your starting point that's willing to accept your bike via UPS and viola.
Some Amtrak trains have spaces for bicycles and the train goes to Vancouver from Seattle with several stops between depending on where someone wanted to start. I have heard of people renting a car or van and dropping it off at the starting point.
Maybe a b roll problem in the beginning of the edit but I think you should leave it. Don't fix it and re upload it. This might be a really cool route for me in some what of a near future.
Another reason to ride North to South: on the average you are riding on better shoulder. For sure in Oregon ODOT is making sure the shoulder is more generous on the ocean side of the highway.
Yup, there's a blip at the beginning of the vid but after that, smooth sailing!
Hey, no worries, it’s all good 👍🏻
...so meta.
I try to plan a rest day for every three days of riding. It makes any bike tour so much more pleasant.
Thank You! I am leaving Seattle in a week and a half to bike this route and I have the adventure cycling maps but this is my first long bike tour and all the tips are great and thanks for the tip about ear plugs and for making a rad pride sticker and supporting The Trevor Project! I totally love and appreciate that.
Use your Covid mask as your sleep mask and for smoky days.
I’m planning on cycling from sand Diego to Vancouver this coming march. Thanks so much for all the tips! I’m not too excited about the headwinds but that’s all part of the fun.
Sooo, how's it going??
Thanks for this. Another bucket list item to add :)
Regarding High-Visibility: We found that in both bright sunlight and foggy conditions RED stands out the best. Neon green doesn't seem to be as good except near darkness. One big peeve: Ortlieb and all of the knock-offs are black front and back. They may be bright colors on the sides but not the direction exposed to approaching cars.
Headed out for this in a couple weeks! thanks for the tips~
Thank you. Great content!
Another reason to ride north to south is safety. When you're on the ocean side of the road you're more visible to the cars and is not riding up against the cliff side, and kinda hidden in the turns
Between 2004 and 2016 on the roughly 173 miles of the PCH covering San Diego, Orange County and LA there were 1821 collisions with bicyclists involved, 30 riders died, over 1700 were injured. Over 200 of the accidents were hit and runs, which tells you the type of guys driving next to you. Just so you have an idea of what to expect. Everything is a risk in life, but cycling the PCH is quite more risky than other things you do in life and while I do find the idea of cycling there romantic, hardly any place in the US and Cali in particular is bicycle friendly, or friendly towards anything but cars really.
Great info here. Those Adventure Cycling Maps are fantastic. A lot of handlebar bags have built-in map holders, or you can get a separate map holder.
I rode SF to LA in the summer, and while it was busy, being on the bike made it a breeze! I never had to worry about finding parking or campsites.
Most state parks are prohibited from turning away cyclists, so even if the sites are full, you can usually find a spot if you ask nicely.
Thank you my friend :)
We went north to south and used the Adventure Cycling maps. We went in November and had very good weather. We stayed in hotels and one hostel. If we’d been camping the hiker-biker sites would’ve been our choice. Agree with all that you suggested.
thanks for uploading...short, informative and to the point. Some good info...I'll b looking at doing this some point in the future...south to noth
You could volunteer with a local Cub Scout or Boy Scout organization. Great people and you have a lot of useful experience to share. A Cub Scout bicycle “rodeo” was one of my first memorable bike experiences.
That's cool your first memorable bike experience was with Scouts : ) I'd really like to start volunteering at a bike coop again actually.
Only people who have used a paper map can truly appreciate their usefulness. The digital/analog option is worth every penny.
Helpful tips- thanks a bunch. Your trail biking friend from Iloilo, Philippines❤
I noticed that except in the winter when storm systems can change the directions of the winds, mostly the winds on the west coast come from the north west blowing to the south east.
Yes! Have the ACA paper maps with you. Even if you are following the route on a Wahoo or Garmin. Peace of mind and nice for previewing the next day’s ride.
Yep exactly!!
I recognize that site at 6:55, that's Nehalem Bay. I stayed there when I started the transam! Wonderful site with phone charging which was cool
Today there are so many ways to map a trip. Paper is old school and is tactile , You get out your marker and mark the route, you put notes on the map, etc. Phones are nice but kind of small a screen. A few years ago Touring with my son and nephew I discovered out how nice an IPad was for route planning. They would use their phone as a hot spot and we could blow the maps up on the IPad and we could zoom in and out, or switch from road maps to terrain maps. At one point in the ride by checking out the terrain map we found a less than single track trail that connected two roads and were able to shorten our day. I have taken screen shots at home where I have WiFi for places were I knew WiFi might be iffy. Every item I take on a trip has to serve more that one function. My IPad is also a back up camera, And Travel guide.
Great video exactly what I’m looking for!!!!!!! I’m training for this route in 2023 Oregon / California border to Big Sur. Can’t wait till my stickers show up!!!! Keep the videos coming they are all fantastic and help plan my trip.
Kyle from Canada 🍁🇨🇦🛶
Hi Viz, blinky stuff and friends - nailed it. Good on you guys. Love the videos.
So bummed that i skipped leaving in mid-May and now I'll be leaving in July, and heading North... Wish me luck, or wish me a better route!
Just watched this again. Nice! Also enjoyed the debut of the Pride Rad sticker. You doing the wheelie becomes so clear in hindsight! By the way, 3M Scotchlite tape comes in many colours and shines like a beacon when lit at night.
I'm going to ride the coast from fort Stevens State Park by Astoria to Mexico starting in about three and a half months! This will be my fourth time riding the coast, the first time I rode it Ventura California to Seattle Washington in 30 days 29 days of headwind!! The other two times were obviously Seattle to Ventura!! I agree with you 100% ride north south!!!💨🚴 I use the book bicycling the Pacific coast to complete trip guide Canada to Mexico by Tom kirkendale and Vicky spring!! their latest addition, which was really good but probably out of date!!
Tires….road, gravel or hybrid? What did you use and what size?
Hi, I love your videos..Would you consider doing a video on teaching beginners how to shift gears and brakes? There are some of us out here that do not have the skills to properly use the basics. I am a senior woman that is scared of flipping my bike. Any tips would greatly be appreciated.
Have you checked around you for resources? Bike co-ops, bike shops, bike advocacy groups, one or more might have classes or at least be able to point you towards someone who does. Heck, if you have a senior center, *they* might have beginning cycling classes; if they don't, try suggesting it. Good luck and have fun!
I'm going to be riding northbound from weho in May up to SF to then do this years aids ride in june back to LA. Plus I'm riding a recumbent trike...though I'm now looking into getting a kona sutra for longer touring but need to get some weight loss going to make riding a 2 wheel more comfortable....currently at 270lbs.
I think that of all the tips that you just provided, VISIBILITY is the most important one. There are sections of that route that are unforgiving when it comes to shoulder width.
Thanks for posting this video. It may save some folks from unnecessary headaches and harm. ;)
Yes, definitely and people should know it's a very trafficked route.
I used a dynamo hub for lights and used bright yellow knee covers or socks.
An RV owner related to me they spotted the movement of these items LONG BEFORE they saw my lights.
Currently on this trip. I messed up tip one, because I'm doing a summer trip. I use both the Adventure maps and Google maps. I hope to see you on the road when I'm in San Diego.
Thanks for the tip! I plan to go pch this beginning of summer hope traffic is not to busy yet :)
Nice, enjoy the trip, sure it will be great!
Great info as usaul!! Love my stickers,very cool &high qaulity too!!🤗🤘
Thanks for getting some stickers Madison! Glad you enjoyed the vid too 😀
great advice :)
I have wanted to do this trip and I am going to plan for this fall! Any tips on the type of bike to use? Thanks.
I noticed that you have the scout badge. Are you a scout? (Actually you answered my question in the video). I was a scout (in Finland we do not have boy/girl scouts - just scouts). Furthermore, I was a scout without religion. I bought couple of your awesome pride stickers. My personal reason for supporting the Pride movement 100% is that I have friends and family members that are part of LGBTQ+ community. U guys rock!
Ree-ruh-ree-ree reeeeeeeemix mad love on the video and many thanks
🤪 Ya, that was a whoops Thanks!
Blue is Cub Scouts I believe.
Waiting for my awesome sticker!!👏😁
Should be there sooooon!
@@radbikeadventure I don’t know why I didn’t get other stickers, so I’m making another order today. 😁
We rode from SF to San Diego 2019 (pre-covid) and we had both versions of the map. Mike loves the map and I had the digital version. I really like the "current" wind direction and being able to link to the bike shops (hours and services). Oh, and we're going to ride north to SF, thinking of spring of next year but the fall might be worth a try. Thanks so much for this vid and look forward to more in-depth talk when it comes out!
Oh nice! When did you ride it? We were also cycling in 2019. We really like the app Windy for weather. You're welcome thanks for watching!
@@radbikeadventure Mid October. I had just gotten over a nasty flu two weeks before. It was a tough ride and we did it in 10 days so Mike could get to his conference in time. I'd like to do it again for happier memories ;P
Read most of the comments and can’t believe nobody mentioned the best reason to go North to South. It’s all downhill😉
Some good advice but the cycling with other cyclists the train experience doesn’t work for me. As I see the your point but you don’t see what going on behind you in the eyes of the driver seeing many cyclists to pass and seeing the cars, trucks approaching from other directions. Both see you , brake, all meet at the same point beside you. This back up the cars behind you, if there two , three four or more cyclists you get the leap frog effect, it’s better for two cycles to ride about 100 feet apart or together. California Hwy 1 and Hwy 101 can get get very narrow in many places I’ve ridden the coast many times, both north and south. There are a lot of tourists. Please be careful doing sleep ride. That happens when your body keeps peddling but your so exhausted your head goes down you so of rest your mind suddenly thing happens your surprised back awake.
🎉🎉
Hello...you mentioned that you were going to make a "tour guide" video for the Pacific Coast. Did you? Couldn't find it in your library... Great tips BTW. Thanks.
One more thing....how about a Rad Bike cycling cap?
Yes, would love to get some made. Stay tuned
@@radbikeadventure If it’s [Bike There.] I’m definitely in 🤘🏻
Thank you for the info. I'm planning to ride down from San Francisco to LA in January. Is that the worst time to go? That's the only time I have off, coming from Toronto, Canada.
Depends on the year cause usually it’s pretty dry out in these parts but this year has been RAIN and more rain. Of course yes colder and less light but I do love winter . Down south it’s usually perfect weather
OMG. You're a DK fan? Me too since about 1984 haha
YES. Love DK and most early punk rock, especially the CA bands i grew up listening to !
Any recommendations for the best way to get to your starting point up north? Did you take a train or fly up to Canada? I’m thinking by train since it’s probably easier with a bike vs having to break a bike down for a flight.
We had flown into Vancouver from New Zealand. A train could be easier for the bike but depending on where you are coming from it can be a LONG ride. Trains in the U.S. are sadly very slow (and often include bus sections which would be a pain to shuffle the bike on and off of). So a flight in is probably the easiest method
@@radbikeadventure Wow thanks for the quick response! Probably drive from my home in Bakersfield to SLO and ride Amtrak to Seattle. That’s two and half states worth of tailwind cycling.
Many bicycle shops will have packing material, including fork spacers, bubble wrap, and the boxes left over from the assembly of new inventory. The shop I work at recycles the boxes with the remaining items going in the trash. Check with the shop manager at your local REI for availability, we're currently putting boxes out daily. Find a shop at your starting point that's willing to accept your bike via UPS and viola.
@@geezers10 woahhh that's a protip
Some Amtrak trains have spaces for bicycles and the train goes to Vancouver from Seattle with several stops between depending on where someone wanted to start.
I have heard of people renting a car or van and dropping it off at the starting point.
Some interesting video editing at the start Ryan?
Oh shoot the upload got corrupted . I’m going to reupload
I was a Scout from 6 to 12 y/o
They call it the Pacific North WET for a reason 😛
Truth!
Maybe a b roll problem in the beginning of the edit but I think you should leave it. Don't fix it and re upload it. This might be a really cool route for me in some what of a near future.
You think? I feel like I should reupload
@@radbikeadventure Well do it now fast before you get too many views lost. Huges!
@@kamratdennis I just left it up oh well! 🤪
@@radbikeadventure Its genuine and perfect :)
Another reason to ride North to South: on the average you are riding on better shoulder. For sure in Oregon ODOT is making sure the shoulder is more generous on the ocean side of the highway.
That's a good point! Thanks for sharing that David
From one analog person to another.......never used digital maps.
tip #! - don't be the jerk using the phone as camera while riding your bike in traffic.
or even holding a phone while riding / PERIOD. bikers are widely disliked due to the dumb behavior of a few BAD examples.
She's only a puppy?
Big puppy haha. Teenager technically