Riding my new mountain bike from California to Alaska

[annedonnelly]

This guy did it as part of his round the world trip - https://www.alastairhumphreys.com/roundtheworldbybike/
His bike wasn't anything special and he ended up having to fix it a few times. Actually I think he replaced it part way through.

 

[AndyRM]

That's a long way on what is likely a very poorly made and heavy bicycle. You will need plenty of time, planning and fitness as well as being a dab hand at repairs.

I have none of those things in particular abundance, but I do love the madness of the idea.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Prepare well. I think a trip to Seattle Washington, or Vancouver, would be quite epic from California in and of itself. Crossing into the huge expanse of BC and Alaska is another matter. And Alaska can get expensive in places where everything has to be flown in.

 

[Tigerbiten]

A nice idea and I'd love to do a trip like that.
But probably not as a first time tour.
It's little things like .............
In BC/Alaska, I'd want a sat phone not a cell phone.
If I'm forced to wild camp for 4-5 days straight can I keep everything charged up.

The closest I've got to that type of wilderness was northern Iceland.
And at one point I thought ........
The nearest house is probably 40-50 miles in any direction ......
The next cars will probably be sometime in the next 4-5 hours .........
Let's keep it to a sensible speed (sub-40mph) on the downhills just in case ..............

Another vote for a trip to Seattle Washington, or Vancouver traveling up the coast.
Then cut inland and go back as part of a big circular route.

Luck ...........

 

[MichaelW2]

You can tour on lower end bikes if they are simple but cheap full suspension designs have a lot of problems built in.
Can your bike fit a rear luggage rack that bolts to the frame, not the seatpost. You should fit some high quality commuting/ touring tyres for such a long tour, but use the ones it came with for now.

Get plenty of saddle time. Use the bike for commuting, errands, shopping.
Take your bike on day trips and weekend camping trips to figure out if it is suitable. Does it fit you. Are the saddle and handlebars a suitable shape for you.

On my longer tours I figure on 50 miles travel per day. Some days are longer but you also need rest days.

Learn how do basic bike maintenance and more advanced skills such as splitting and fixing a chain and replacing spokes.
Before you leave, but after you get a bit of experience in the saddle you will probably want to upgrade a few bits for improved reliability. Come back and ask for suggestions. The low end components are often very good and I would get 2 years hard use out of some transmission bits.

Long distance touring is something anyone can do if you start small and work up gradually.

 

[Grant Fondo]

Hi everyone,

My name is Christina Hart. I live in California. I’m new to this website. Today I bought myself a 29 inch mountain bike from a Wal-Mart store in my local area for somewhere around $200.00. I’m thinking about riding my mountain bike from my residential address in California to Denali National Park, Alaska and back during the summer months. My mom is not to sure if my mountain bike would survive a journey of me riding my mountain bike from California to Alaska. I’m looking for an expert on bicycles. What do you guys think? Do you guys think my mountain bike could be ridden by me from my residential address in California to Denali National Park, Alaska? I went on a trip to Alaska in 2010 where I visited Denali National Park, and a town called Seward. I look forward to hearing from you. Goodbye for now, have a wonderful day.

Sincerely,

Christina

Christina for a journey as epic as yours i would seriously consider Ebaying the bike and getting something better. It will be heavy with low spec gears, cheap wheels & tyres etc. you get the drift.
I would lend you my Cannondale if I wasn't in UK, you may find a charitable CCer in the U.S who would do the same?

 

[Crankarm]

Its not whether the bike will make it, but will she? She gives no information whatsoever on her cycling ability or experience or the type of cycling and distances she already rides if any. She just bought a £100-150 bike from Walmart ............. She wants to ride there and back. I think the likelihood of failure is considerable or this could just be a wind up.

 

[EltonFrog]

....or this could just be a wind up.

D’ya think? 🤔

 

[mudsticks]

Its not whether the bike will make it, but will she? She gives no information whatsoever on her cycling ability or experience or the type of cycling and distances she already rides if any. She just bought a £100-150 bike from Walmart ............. She wants to ride there and back. I think the likelihood of failure is considerable or this could just be a wind up.

I think it is just a wind up, or a fantasists' daydream.

But it has, however, reminded some of us, that we really should schedule in that much longer trip, before we get tooo old and k' nackered to make it

 

[HobbesOnTour]

... I think the likelihood of failure is considerable or this could just be a wind up.

D’ya think? 🤔

.... wind up, or a fantasists' daydream.

Is there any tour that didn't start out as a fantasy?
Or to put it another way, is there any tour worth doing that doesn't involve a bit of fantasy?

I thought this was the "Touring & Adventure" section. Silly me! I would have thought touring & adventure implied a certain openness to new people and situations.

The only info we have about the op is that she lives in California and has a mother.
The only info about the bike is the origin and price.
Yet that's enough for people to write off the idea and describe the op as a fantasist?

I tour on a bike that cost about the same as the one in the discussion.

Before that I toured on one that cost me nothing and was the equivalent of a Walmart bike.

How about we give the op the chance to come back and answer some of the questions asked of her before fantasist shaming her?

 

[mudsticks]

Who's is doing any 'shaming' though?

Nothing wrong with a bit of daydreaming.

Most of my touring has been done on deeply unimpressive bikes too.

Like I said in my post, most of it is to do with just keeping on pedalling..

And then stopping when you want to.
Which is why I said, if it doesn't work out..
do something else.

No one will mind

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Who's is doing any 'shaming' though?

Nothing wrong with a bit of daydreaming.

Most of my touring has been done on deeply unimpressive bikes too.

Like I said in my post, most of it is to do with just keeping on pedalling..

And then stopping when you want to.
Which is why I said, if it doesn't work out..
do something else.

No one will mind

I think the word "fantasist" has negative connotations.

I have fantasies but I don't think I'd like being described as a fantasist.

Perhaps the op will be put off from posting again, or perhaps others will never post for fear that their touring "fantasy" will get called out.

 

[mudsticks]

I think the word "fantasist" has negative connotations.

I have fantasies but I don't think I'd like being described as a fantasist.

Perhaps the op will be put off from posting again, or perhaps others will never post for fear that their touring "fantasy" will get called out.

OK

Well for the avoidance of doubt - we're all over the cycling fantasies on here OP

Come back and tell us more, if you can, we're all very nice really ..

But lorks.. If I got started on my cycling trip fantasies, I'd never stop

 

[EltonFrog]

I’ve no problem with dreams, and fantasies, I just don’t believe that the original post is genuine in that a troll has signed up to do wind up. And it’s worked very well. Of course I could be wrong.

 

[mudsticks]

I’ve no problem with dreams, and fantasies, I just don’t believe that the original post is genuine in that a troll has signed up to do wind up. And it’s worked very well. Of course I could be wrong.

I don't know how well its worked, in terms of actual 'winding up' though.

No one seems to be awfully het up yet, as far as i can make out.

We're all just wibbling on about our varying practical, and philosophical, approaches to touring as far as i can see...