Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Are you crazy?
A. Yes, we are.
Q. How long will the bike trip take you?
A. We anticipate being out for about 65 days. You can check our itinerary to follow our progress, and see the latest updates on where we will be and when we will be there.
Q. How many miles a day do you bike?
A. About 60-65 miles. Several variables effect this (elevation gain & loss, weather, our condition). We will start off a little slower, but desert conditions demand long bikes between water sources. Over the course of the trail (including zero days) we will average around 55 miles per day.
Q. How many others do this bike trail?
A. I have no idea. But I do know that there is a southbound bike "race" that occurs every year. I suspect we will see most of these racers along the way.
Q. Do you ever rest?
A. It would be insane not to rest. We cannot carry everything (and lack foraging the land skills), we have to resupply in towns. Usually town visits include rest days, called Zero Days, since you do zero trail miles.
Q. What are you bringing?
A. See my post on carried gear for the PCT, here
A. See my post on carried gear for the GDMBT here.
Q. Where do you sleep?
A. Where ever is convenient. Most of the time after a full days hike, you end up finding a location that is suitable for laying out a tent or a bag.
Q. What do you eat?
A. Unlike our PCT adventure, we did not get around to dehydrating food, so we will be surprised by different food resources along the way.
Q. How do you resupply?
A. Every two to three days, the trail will pass through a town. Typically, we will scavenge for food in town. Or at the very least, purchase some in town.
Q. Do you ever bathe?
A. Showers, we don' need no stinkin' showers. We do carry "baby wipes" to cleanse ourselves on the trail, and frequently we splash water from streams across our body. In trail towns, and the occasional camp grounds, we have the liberty to take a shower. In truth, we will seek out showers whenever possible.
Q. How do you know where to go?
A. An innate sense of the wilderness. No, we use a map & compass, but most of the time the trail is very obvious. Also, we have GPS tracks provided by Adventure Cycling.
Q. Are you independently wealthy?
A. Sadly, no. We have been planning for this for a couple years now, and somehow managed to save up a little bit. Is it enough? That remains to be seen. I will probably have posts that outline our gear and costs.
