"Now I've heard it all," sniggered the girl at the travel agency.
"Someone who wants to ride a bike all the way across America!"
She shouldn't have been surprised because since 1976, some 12,000
people have done i i , riding Bikecentennial's 4,450-mile Trans-America
Trail from Oregon to Virginia.
Bikecentennial was dreamed up by four Americans who had cycled
from Alaska to Cape Horn. They thought a cross-America route would
encourage cycling; and their idea coincided with the 1976
Bikecentennial celebrations, when the US government was handing out
money for such worthy projects. The Trans-America Trail was bom.
Because the trail follows small roads and only goes through small
towns, "you see places and people you'd never see otherwise," said
Carol Coutts, an American teacher (and novice cyclist) who tackled the
trail. An English cyclist, Norman Hall, found that in Missouri their
group "ended up in someone's living room every evening."
The route was worked out with great care, and Bikecentennial's five
sectional booklets not only have incredibly detailed maps but also a
guide to camp sites and flora and fauna, for those who admire plants
and animals. There are 90-day 'package tours' for cyclists who want to
travel in a group. (They'll cost about $1200 next year.)
Bikecentennial's address is Claire Creswell, P0 Box 8308,
Missoula, MT 59807, USA (tel. 406 721 1776). A free information
leaflet is available to anyone who writes; their quite excellent booklets
contain advice on preparation for a long tour, as well as route details
(for the Trans-America Trail or the five shorter routes).
UK cyclists should be able to take their bikes free of charge on any
regular transatlantic flight, if it comes within their 20 kg. baggage
allowance (and if it doesn't, you probably have too much luggage for a
cycle tour); but always check with the airline first.
"Someone who wants to ride a bike all the way across America!"
She shouldn't have been surprised because since 1976, some 12,000
people have done i i , riding Bikecentennial's 4,450-mile Trans-America
Trail from Oregon to Virginia.
Bikecentennial was dreamed up by four Americans who had cycled
from Alaska to Cape Horn. They thought a cross-America route would
encourage cycling; and their idea coincided with the 1976
Bikecentennial celebrations, when the US government was handing out
money for such worthy projects. The Trans-America Trail was bom.
Because the trail follows small roads and only goes through small
towns, "you see places and people you'd never see otherwise," said
Carol Coutts, an American teacher (and novice cyclist) who tackled the
trail. An English cyclist, Norman Hall, found that in Missouri their
group "ended up in someone's living room every evening."
The route was worked out with great care, and Bikecentennial's five
sectional booklets not only have incredibly detailed maps but also a
guide to camp sites and flora and fauna, for those who admire plants
and animals. There are 90-day 'package tours' for cyclists who want to
travel in a group. (They'll cost about $1200 next year.)
Bikecentennial's address is Claire Creswell, P0 Box 8308,
Missoula, MT 59807, USA (tel. 406 721 1776). A free information
leaflet is available to anyone who writes; their quite excellent booklets
contain advice on preparation for a long tour, as well as route details
(for the Trans-America Trail or the five shorter routes).
UK cyclists should be able to take their bikes free of charge on any
regular transatlantic flight, if it comes within their 20 kg. baggage
allowance (and if it doesn't, you probably have too much luggage for a
cycle tour); but always check with the airline first.
