CYCLING THE PACIFIC COAST from CANADA to MEXICO on my Surly LHT- A Bike Tour of a LIFETIME!!!
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- Опубліковано 20 бер 2023
- In the summer of 2021, my dad and I went on the bike tour of a lifetime: riding our bikes from Canada to Mexico along the Pacific Coast. We had both rode the TransAmerica bike route- my dad rode it in 1981, and I rode it in 2023....so we decided it would be neat to do a bike tour together! The trip had its up and downs, but I would do it again in a heartbeat! If you are considering cycling the Pacific Coast, or even part of it, be sure to watch this video!
Your dad is awesome for going with you. I am sure he not only enjoyed the trip, but also knowing his daughter was safe.
He is awesome for going with me! And yes, I know he had some peace of mind knowing I was safe and I also had some peace of mine knowing my dad was with me! Ha! Thanks for watching!
@@aspenswanderings…You, Aspen, are the reason people have children!! Dad is a lucky “Camper”! 👍❤️
Thank you for posting your travels, I am a Canadian collecting an old age pension, yet still out there cycle touring and camping almost every night. I started as a teenager and have learned a few thinks along the way, and I to have a Long Haul Trucker. Three items that jumped out, your Dad is riding Schwalbe Marathon tires, you should change to these as well. They last twice as long and flats are almost a think of past memories. Both your chain rings are standard that came with the bike, change them out to a mountain bike triple 26/36/48. you are on a loaded tour you never need the big 52 tooth ring, yet you wish for that 26 granny gear on the hills. Or you can look forward to knee surgery latter in life. For, rain throw a light set of water prove garden gloves in handlebar bag, riding in the rain down big hills those fingers get cold quickly. As Mark Twain stated " I am never spent a colder winter than my summer in San Francisco ( in the rain). My San Francisco day was lovely and sunny a few days later I enjoyed a "Mark Twain summer". How was your navigation through San Francisco I turned and turned never missed a turn, yet that was a maze to get through. Loved those $5.00 a night campsites just for cycle tourist with peddles, or hikers.
I’m actually really big fans of my continental touring tires, as I’ve only had 3 flats in about 8,000 miles. With that being said, he only had one flat, so maybe I’ll look into those next time I’m due for some new tires! I have a pair of waterproof gloves. Navigating through San Fran was ok. We ended up getting a hotel there and then it took us through a nice park with no traffic. We got a little lost but it wasn’t too bad.
Thanks so much for watching!!! 💚
Love the Marathons, A little slow but NO flats. I guess I'm a little masochistic, I spend a lot of time touring in my 52.
Let’s see, what did I like about this video? Hmmmmm. EVERYTHING!
•videography and editing
•unobtrusive music
• narration
•use of stills, video, and time lapse
•the father/daughter thing
•your sweet southern accent
Glad you enjoyed my home state of California!
Awww!! You win best comment!! Thank you so much for watching and for your kind words!! We loved California! ❤️
What a wonderful dad you have. It's not common that dads spent their time in such a way with their kids. All the best for you both and thanks for sharing your experiences.
He really is wonderful!! Thank you for watching!!
That was an awesome watch. As a new dad of a baby girl I hope that when she's your age shell be willing to go on a grand adventure with her old man
For sure!! I grew up with my parents always taking me to do things- riding, hiking, climbing, etc. from a very young age. I’m also an only child, so I’m very close with my parents. I’m sure you will have many adventures with her in the future! Congrats!
What a wonderful opportunity to make such a ride with your Dad. Wish I could have done similar with mine. He died 6 years ago from poor health. I miss him so much.
I’m definitely not taking it for granted, that’s for sure! I’m so sorry about your dad. 😞 Sending lots of love! 💚
Every bodies already said it, but I'll add one too..
"You got the coolest old man" with a heart of gold, and your a great gal too.
Stay safe out there and loved the trip..
I couldn’t agree more with you- love my dad!! I’m really lucky to have him! Thank you for watching!! ❤️❤️
What a great video. Couple of Huell Howser moments in video, he would love this story of traveling through California gold.
Thank you ☺️
Thank you for sharing your story. Spending that time with your Dad will be with you forever.
❤️
Congratulations, did the routes multiple times both ways, Montana & Parts of Canada. Cycled from St. Augustine Fl - San Diego - San Francisco with detours to Mexico while cycling Texas solo. You need to experience your own journey. Before that adventure I spent 2 years in Europe cycling touring + lived in Sardinia for 7 months working on a farm. Life is not dress rehearsal y'all; get off your butts
I'm glad you guys enjoyed our beautiful state of California. You did a great job editing and narrating your video.✌️🇺🇸
Thank you so much for watching!!
Great trip and great video. My first bike tour started the day after I graduated high school in 1983. I rode from near Lake Tahoe to Ft. Bragg on the Mendocino coast, then down to LA. I was hooked! After not cycling for the last 20 years I'm getting back into it and really appreciate all the great UA-cam trip videos for inspiration.
Thank you for watching! What a way to end high school!!! I’ve always wanted to visit Lake Tahoe…and I totally know what you mean about being hooked! My first tour was 5 years ago and I feel like it’s my “thing” now. Good luck getting back into it!!!
Yes, you are so right “the best things in life are experiences, especially with those you love”. Thank you both for sharing such fun and beautiful moments. You are both an incredible inspiration. I am so looking forward to having such adventures with the people I love. Thank you ❤
Thank you so much for your kind words, and thanks for watching!! Good luck with your adventures!! ❤️
Great video and some wonderful photographs, what a wonderful way to share and make memories with your Dad. I'm planning to do this ride in September 2025.
Keep riding!
Thank you! So grateful I was able to do this trip with my dad! It’s a great route- hoping to ride it again one day!
I really enjoyed your video. You did a great job of editing, music, and commentary. It made me feel I was right there. Can't wait to do this ride!
Thanks for watching!! It's a great ride!! I plan to do it again sometime!
Great video Aspen! Love your personality coming through on the video. Congratulations! You will look back on this trip with your dad with fond memories for years. You both will! Thanks for making the video.
Thanks for watching!! 😄
Awesome, and made all the more special for sharing it with your Dad.
For sure! Thanks for watching!
I have watched a *lot* of bike videos, and I think this one is my favorite of all time. I admire your ability to trim so many amazing days down into a 30-minute video. And I appreciate how you still manage to give time to local sights, etc. You pack so much into this video, yet it still feels relaxing. Thanks!
What a nice compliment!! This made my day. Hoping to make more videos like this in the future! Thank you so much for watching! :)
OMG, I'm the dad, and have 2 daughters. I've done fun things with them, but nothing as big as this. You're an awesome daughter for going with your old man on such an epic trip! I've lived in the Santa Cruz area and hiked and biked from SF to Big Sur, and really enjoyed those pictures.
Thank you for your nice comment!! My dad is my best friend! I’m an only child, so we have always been very close. I’m hoping to ride part of this route again (sooner than later) and I think I would ride SF to Big Sur- I loved that section!!! Thanks for watching!!
So enjoyed your video. Thank you for sharing. Smiled the whole time. 😊👍👍
Awww awesome!! Thank you so much for watching!! 😃💚
What a great adventure! I first rode this route in 1995 then again in 2000. It looks exactly the same. Except the campgrounds didn't have USB charging back then😂 Hope to get back to America one day and do it again, thanks for the video brings back memories.
I’d love to ride it again! Hopefully they will get all the mud slides cleared in Big Sur. It seems like every time they get one fixed, another one wipes out the road. Thanks for watching!!
Reconnect. The core of our existence shines in this brilliant trek. A truly enjoyable adventure reminding us all the value of life. Thank you for sharing the journey ☺️
Yes!! Thank you for watching!!
Personal, epic, unassuming, good-natured, brilliant, transformative.
❤️❤️
Beautiful video. Just as beautiful a daughter and father journeying together
Thank you! It was amazing!
It was great that you will always have this memory of your father. He seems like quite the character. You put together a very impressive video of your journey. It was a pleasure to watch. May there be many more roads for you to travel! Bike on! 😊
Oh he is definitely quite the character! Haha! Thanks so much for your kind words! Thanks for watching! :)
One of the best cycling videos I’ve watched on UA-cam. Great job 🎉
What a compliment! Thanks so much for watching and making my day! ❤️
Hi there. A truly wonderful smile you have! Enjoy the time with your dad! Greetings from Canada.
Thank you for watching!!
Warms my heart you took th time for the epic trip with your dad. I just lost my disabled mother whom I looked afterc13+ years.
I’m so sorry about your mother. The specialness of this trip is not lost on me- very grateful for that time with my dad! Thanks for watching!
Wow what an adventure, this has to be one of the best Bikepacking video's i have watched. I cycle just about everyday and bikepack in the UK, i loved your Camera work and Narration, but above all thanks for sharing your adventure with your Dad. Subscribed and look foreward to more Video's.
Thank you so much for your kind words! You made my day!
@@aspenswanderingsYou got some amazing pictures from that trip, what kind of a camera do you use? Do you use the same one for both the video and the stills?
What a delightful trip. Thanks for taking us along.
Thank you for watching!!
Enjoyed the video. Thank you 🌻
Thanks for watching!
My goodness, you and your dad are quite accomplished cyclists and it's so wonderful that you share a passion for the sport and have created such wonderful memories for yourselves! You did a super-great job at producing such an entertaining and enjoyable video and I'm glad you enjoyed your adventure down PCH in California. Yes, we have a gorgeous coastline and national forests, and my health permitting I plan to ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles this fall. Thank you again for a wonderful video! Cheers!
Thank you for watching!! I loved the California coast! I’m hoping to ride it again sometime soon!
That was such a great video and it looked like you and your dad had the best time and made so incredible memories, thanks for sharing that.
It was the best time and incredible memories were made, indeed! Thanks for watching!!
너무 아름답다.
나도 내 딸들과 함께 당신처럼 자전거 여행을 떠나야겠다고 생각한다.
이 아름다운 영상을 올려 주어서 감사하다.
What an amazing dad! Your video was so great and inspiring!
Right?! He is the absolute best! Thank you for watching!!
I biked the Pacific coast highway in '94 after my tour of Alaska. Thanks for the memories. ❤
Ohhh I would LOVE to tour in Alaska!!! I might need a different setup for that kind of trip.
Wonderful footage of your incredible experience‼️ Thank you for sharing and all the best to you and your father 🙂
Thank you for watching!!
Really enjoyed the video. And I must say, you are really lucky sharing such a beautiful journey with your dad! 👍🏾❤️✌🏾
I totally agree! ❤️❤️Thanks for watching
This video was wonderful. Thanks for sharing your time with you dad with us!
Thank you so much for watching!!
Wow, so awesome of your dad to experience this with you!! If we all had family like yours!!!🎉
Right?! He is pretty incredible!!
Great video, thanks for sharing 👍
Thanks for watching!
Congratulations on completing such a memorable journey. You and your Dad have something very special. Really appreciate you sharing your story. Wishing you and your Dad many more bike trips together.
Thanks so much for watching! We have another trip coming up soon!! I’m excited!
@@aspenswanderings
Can’t wait to watch the next trip! Also, I have some questions on bike packing in general. I have never done but have most the gear already. Was gonna start with a 2-3 day trip for first adventure. How much training do you and your Dad have for your adventures.? As well, I’m always curious on how people keep electronics charged, do you use electronic route guidance, or how do you keep tires properly inflated? Keeping hydrated and nutrient intake seems like it would be challenging as well. Do you ever feel like your safety is in jeopardy? Sorry to burden you with questions. Don’t fell obligated to answer. Thx for inspiring people to venture outdoors. God Bless
Watching this video brought back many fond memories from 1977, as I rode solo from Palo Alto to Victoria in a 12 day period. I would love to bikepack with any one of my kids even now, though we are now seniors. Wifey and I have a 2 week bikepacking trip planned in June and we look forward to it. Keep up the good work!
My dad was 68 when he did this trip with me! We are going on another tour this summer. It’s awesome that you and your wife bikepack together! Have a great trip and thanks for watching!!
@@aspenswanderings That sounds just great!! Have a very memorable ride!!
Greetings from Ireland. I enjoyed watching this so much. It looked like a wonderful adventure with your father!
Oh, it was fantastic! Thank you so much for watching! Maybe one day I will make it to Ireland! My maiden name is Carrigan and I’ve been told our family came to the US from Ireland, so I’ve always wanted to go there!!
Holy moly batwoman; this is the most inspiring video on UA-cam! 🚴♀ I just went out and purchased a touring bike!
Haha this is the greatest comment! Bike touring is the best!
What a beautiful experience. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching
Such a great video of your journey. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much for watching!!
Well done video. It makes me all the more want to do this trip, even as an ex-Californian. Highway 1 has always been my all time favorite. Thanks for the beautiful pictures and videos.
Thank you for watching! It was amazing and I hope to do it again one day!
Really enjoyed watching your bike journey! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for watching!!!
You've got a terrific dad and he's got a pretty sharp daughter. Enjoy.
Thank you! He is pretty great! Thanks for watching!!!
Excellent video. Excellent trip.
Thank you!!
Loved this video! I have 3 teenage daughters and hope to have this kind of relationship with them when they get older. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for watching! I really cherish my relationship with my dad! I’m an only child, so I think that has contributed to how close I am with my parents- but the more, the merrier! How cool would it be for you all to tour together!! That would definitely call for a video!
Great video.... loved every minute, and thanks for the share!
Thank you so much for watching! ❤️
So rad.
I just did that tour almost two years.
I started December first so it was cold and wet but I moved to Seattle a few months ago just so I can do the Trip again when it warms up.
Cool video you guys rock.
I was on the surly cross-check.
I couldn't find the L-H-T
I still can't find one.
Thanks for the video.
Thank you for watching! They recently discontinued the LHT, so I bet they are in high demand. I occasionally look on Facebook Marketplace for them. I ride a 46 cm LHT, so I bet I’ll never be able to find a used one in that size, haha! Hopefully mine will last forever though- they seem bomb proof!
OMG y'all are precious! Safe journeys!
❤️❤️
Good to watch. Congratulations to both of you. All the best from Scotland.
Thank you so much!!
I'm living in FL and planning a bike trip back to my original home near Cannon Beach, OR. Great video, your Dad is lucky to have such a sweet daughter.
Thank you so much! Good luck on your trip!! ❤️❤️
Beautiful journey , love it ❤😊
Thank you!!
@@aspenswanderings uo like your journey.. beautiful and wish a lot of fun!
Wow! That's a nice addition for my "Bike it " list!
No doubt you both will treasure the memories for the rest of your life!
Love it!! Thank you for watching!! ❤️
¡sera imborrable!
Thanks for watching!!
I did that ride in two journeys one in 1980 from San Francisco to Vancouver Canada and SanDiego to Los Angeles six months later. In 1986 I did the bit from LA to San Francisco. Big Sur coast was a highlight for me too. Especially enjoyable as a landslide cut off most of the road traffic for a few days. We cyclists could lug our bikes up and down around it. Truly great scenery and wonderful encounters with other people.
Oh- I bet riding through Bug Sur with no traffic was amazing!! I’m hoping to ride the route again sometime soon! Thanks for watching!!
Wow. What a story. I hope I will be able to do a similar trip like this with my daughter. Thanks for sharing this fantastic video.
Thank you for watching! And yes- it was an incredible trip with my dad that I will always cherish. I hope you make it happen with your daughter one day!
Sooo cool!!! I hope I can ride like that one day!!! and maybe my dauther would come! Love the experience and yes, you will remember it for as long as you two live. Felicidades señorita! and to your dad too!
Aww thank you for your kind comment! Thank you for watching. I hope you get to do a ride like this with your daughter one day!❤️
I was excited to see a dad daughter video. Riding this route is sure a dream come true. I have driven it several times. Thank you for sharing this adventure. Im trying to get my hill legs in shape. Maybe it just takes doing a ride like this.
Bert - an old guy in southern oregon
Ha- I always get my hill legs in shape on a bike tour! Thank you so much for watching! ❤️
Such an amazing ride, an epic adventure !
Thanks for watching!! 😁
Great trip & a great video, thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching!!
A great video and it brought back some wonderful memories of my trip from San Diego to San Francisco on the PCH last year. I have a Surly Long Haul Trucker but I hope to do it n my Sury ECR instead. Thanks again for uploading. Jay
Thanks for watching, Jay! I hope to ride it again, as well! Great route!
Inspiring and fun to see. Thanks
Thanks so much for watching!!
Aspen, just watched this. One of my favorite rides. So nice to see you two enjoying it. Thanks for making me smile. (:
Thanks so much for watching! It was an awesome ride and I’m hoping to ride it again one day!
Omg I love your accent! I'm from NC, and you get country accents when you get to the foothills. I'm from the coast. And what an awesome and amazing trip! And that's so awesome you can ride it with your dad. Safe travels!!!
Haha thank you!!! You can’t beat a good accent, that’s for sure!! I love it when I run into other people from the south while traveling- you immediately know when you hear their accent! ❤️ Thanks for watching!!
Congratulations on 🎉making it from the Canadian border all the way down to the Mexican border! This was definitely an adventure of a lifetime for you and your father! Happy travels!
Thank you so much, and thanks for watching!! 💚🚲
Memories of love
Realy special experience .
You did good job broth of you.
Thanks for watching!!
A very uplifting, light and breezy video, and you have a wonderful voice for narration. The only problem is now I want to bike from Canadian to Mexican border. Darn!!
Thanks for your kind comments!! You HAVE to do it!!! :) Thanks for watching!!
that is so awesome! Well done!!
Thanks for watching!!
Hi Aspen. I have to tell you how much I enjoyed your video and you did such a nice job of documenting your adventure. I recently enjoyed an overnighter with one of my daughters but they have never toured with me so watching you and your dad was wonderful. I subbed and hope to see more. Atb, Tony ✌
You definitely need to get one of your daughters on a tour with you! My dad and I will be going on another tour this summer! Thank you for watching!!
Thanks for the amazing video. This really makes me want to do this trip.
Thanks so much for watching! You definitely need to do this trip! It was amazing!
A great adventure, a beautiful movie and a great friend - dad! Keep riding, both of you. Together;) Greetings from Poland!
Thank you so much for watching! You’re right- a great friend!! We are doing another ride this summer- I’ll make a video for that one too!
@@aspenswanderings I'm sure I'm not the only one who's waiting for another adventure and a new video;) Keep recording and have a great fun!
That was refreshing. My favorite points along the journey were your beautiful spirit shining through. Did you have any difficulties along the way (Outside of Oregon’s rain cycle?) Very inspiring!!
Oh, thank you! Honestly, the only other trouble that we had was riding through the Sonoma Coast area. It’s beautiful and very touristy, and no shoulders. We had RVs passing us so close that we could probably bump them with our elbow! Not to mention people passing us on blind curves and hills. Dad and I had to take the lane just for our safety, and there were plenty of signs saying ‘cyclists may use full lane’, but it made people very angry and people would roll down their windows and yell at us. I was pretty disappointed in humanity that day.
Also- I had secured plans with a bike shop in Chula Vista who said they would ship our bikes home for us when we were done. We showed up at the shop on our last day and they said they were too busy to ship it (after giving us their word), so we ended up having to send them another way.
Well done love it you did more of the journey not just the destination..very kwel..Thanks
All about the journey!
Awesome!
Awesome journey!
Thank you for watching!!
Thank you for this beautiful bike trip video🙏 You are both very likeable, funny and always happy and smile :) I come from Germany and this route is a dream of mine, which I would like to drive in the next 1-2 years :)
Thank you so much for your kind comment! This route would be amazing to drive! I’m hoping to hear back out there again with both my mom and my dad so we can drive it together! I’d love for my mom to see it too!
Rich bike tour, nice.....
Thanks for watching!!
Great video!!
Thank you for watching!!
Your voice has a UA-cam presents for sure it has a place on UA-cam. Your videos are extraordinary and it’s great that you and your dad get a chance to do this. It was certainly a difficult video to watch lol who doesn’t want to do something like this with a parent? you my friend, you and your dad and talking about her amazing on UA-cam
Thanks so much for your kind words! Thanks for watching!
@@aspenswanderings I am in Maine beautiful as it is here. I do believe that this video shows that the west coast surpasses the East Coast lol. Anyways, looking forward to seeing more of your videos. Do you guys do any off-road riding on your long-haul truckers? If you do, Maine has some very nicely groomed ATV trails otherwise known as snowmobile trails 8000 miles of trails. It brings you to small towns and other breathtakingly beautiful off-road vistas here in Maine. It might be something you wanna research. There’s a company in New Hampshire I believe that actually has a GPS that you’re going to buy the whole unit though, and it has all the trails in Maine and New Hampshire on it. pretty cool device. Have a nice day.
Glad you enjoyed Oregon!😊
Haha even though we had bad weather, we still loved it! I can’t wait to go ride it again!!
Congratulations
Thank you!!
Awesome clear video 👍
Thanks for watching!!
@@aspenswanderings thanks touring is best!!!
Amazing ride a bike with family I wish I can do that with my daughter one day . She’s to young to do it , god bless you guys and be safe . ❤
You two have to ride this route one day! Thank you for watching!! 💚
Gr8 trip👍
For sure!!
Well done...cute
Thanks for watching!!
Great video and narration. What a great way to spend time with your dad. I’m a fan of the Moloko bars on your dads rig. I have them on two of mine. Also, where do I get one of those magic cook pots? 🤣 PedalOn!
🤣🤣 Thanks for watching!
This is amazing summary of your amazing bike packing trip.
I’d love to see a more detailed video:
Exactly how long did this trip take you?
Did you can’t more than staying overnight in hotels?
Any advice to others planning this trip?
When did you start & finish!
What did you pack that you did not use?
Did you send anything home?
Did you have to purchase anything big?
Thanks!!
Great idea for a video! I will get on that- not sure when it will be up but I’m thinking that will be y next video- thanks for the idea!! You’re right- I need a video more focused on details and logistics! Thanks for watching and keep checking back!!
Just shared with my daughter. Good stuff Aspen! I’m retiring on 11/22/23 and am going to visit my youngest son in SFO in early December. He suggested Redwood SP, and I’d really like to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge with him too. It was cool to see both in your video.
Y’all are going to have the BEST time! Those were two highlights of the trip!! Thank you for watching and have fun visiting your son!!
Great daddy daughter journey and a fantastic video and music
…..best thing for me was your accent Aspen
Subscribed from Manchester UK
Aww thank you so much! ❤️❤️
Great adventure ! you made me want to do it ! Cheers from France
You should definitely do it!! Thanks for watching!
Yep looking for that, ust few questions about west coast trip from if i do Seattle to l.A how much do you spend a day just to have a idea, i calculate around 50/60 dollars a day more or less, any idea suggestions ? Also do you have any recommendation on the best road to follow ? do you have a road trace done ? Thank you.@@aspenswanderings
Look at the TransAmerica bike route that the Adventure Cycling Association has published, the Pacific Coast Route, and also look at the Peaks, Parks, and Prairies route and see if you can somehow link those two routes up.
Starting in Seattle, ride over to the coast and get on HWY 101. Take that south to Florence, Oregon. From there, follow the TransAmerica route to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Then from there, follow the Parks, Peaks, and Prairies route through South Dakota and will end up somewhere close to Iowa.
I hope this helps! Some days I would spend $50-$60, sometimes less! Sometimes more if I got a hotel.
Good luck!
Thank you so much ! :)@@aspenswanderings
Very cool video and trip… well done…. Enjoy every minute you can with your parents while you can….
I definitely try to. Thanks so much for watching!
Would you think a trip like this could ever be possible with an E Bike with a few batteries @@aspenswanderings
67 here; 45 in Seattle....I've done Sea-Port 9x, but what you guys are doing....SHARING, is so MORE amazing- and motivating. #Kudos HOWEVER....longtime biker/still- and what I notice was: neither of you have any MIRRORS- be it off your helmet or handlebars. For me, that's driving almost half-blind....for the stuff BEHIND you. Stay SAFE.
Haha we actually both have mirrors on our handlebars! Perhaps you couldn’t see them. We don’t ride without them- and yes you’re totally right- it’s like riding half-blind!!! I feel super weird if I ever ride without one. I’m going to have to go back and watch to see if you can see our mirrors in this video- we 100% had them though! It would be amazing to live so close to the route and not have to take a plane across the country to ride it!!
Ok check out 23:53 in my video and you can see mine. Dads is similar!
Nice video, excellent editing......
Thank you very much!! 😌