![]() ![]() You will have some hot weather when not at altitude. There is an alternate route if McKenzie is closed, however. I see that it opened on June 15 this year. As mentioned above, McKenzie Pass in Oregon could easily be closed. Starting earlier than that will likely put you into the western mountains while the snow is still on. If eastbound, start in early to mid June. The last big pass (McKenzie, in Oregon) had just been opened as I approached it. I did ride in snow flurries and cold rain a few days, but only had snow-slick roads one day. My western mountain weather was in between. People riding a week behind me had nice weather in the mountains. ![]() Also, there was a lot of discussion regarding whether key passes would be opened in time. People riding a week ahead of me fought snow in the western mountains. Also, I arrived at the Rocky Mountains a little too early. The eastern weather was a little too cold, and some eastern campgrounds weren’t fully open yet. I left Yorktown on April 16th, and I was just a touch too early. The snow should have mostly melted by then, and the temps won’t be too high most of the time. After Kansas, you are getting into the mountains and then coastal climate. Missouri and Kansas might be starting to heat up by the time you get there, but hopefully not in the 100s. This should give you nice temperatures in Virginia, Kentucky, and Illinois. If westbound, start at Yorktown around the end of April. (See the “What kinds of people” section later for more.)Īs far as weather, start dates depend upon which way you are traveling. For example, students and teachers will need to wait until their summer break starts. What time of year to start the tour?: Obviously it depends when you can organize the time away from your other worldly functions. Eastbounders could experience helping winds when descending from these passes. That’s what I experienced in Kansas too.ģ) I had some headwind while climbing some of the mountain passes in the west. Thus, it will be a true crosswind much of the time. There were a similar number of days when I felt like I had a significant tailwind.Ģ) Kansas has a ton of wind, but their prevailing winds are from the south. ![]() I could type a lot on this subject, but will distill it down to:ġ) Of my 69 days of riding westbound, I encountered strong headwinds on only six days (Walnut, KS, Nickerson, KS, Ordway, CO, Wind River Reservation, WY, Dillon, MT, Richland, OR). ![]() On my ride, I actually didn’t see much difference between riding eastbound or westbound. Thus, we are reluctant to ride westbound. Prevailing winds: Those of us who live in the Midwest are used to prevailing winds coming from the southwest. You can further build your fitness during this time as well. Time to tweak and adjust: Riding westbound may give a little more time to shake down your gear and see if any tweaks are needed before getting into lesser-populated areas. If you are a person who doesn’t mind heat, then by all means. More heat means carrying more liquids, more cramping, more difficult sleeping in the hot tent, more bugs, etc. If you read people’s travel writings, you will see a LOT of complaining about the crushing July & August heat they encounter in Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, and Virginia. The Sun: When riding westbound, the morning sun is not in your eyes, or in the eyes of drivers approaching you from behind.Īvoid the heat: If you start at the right time of year, traveling east to west will allow you to avoid the wilting heat that you can get into with an eastbound trip. I met one eastbound guy who had plans to ride RAGBRAI in Iowa on his way east, and he was excited to be heading that direction. The idea of their eastern homecoming/meeting kept them rolling happily along. However, riders who live on the east coast, or who were going to see friends/family in the east were very happy to be pedaling eastbound. Some of them mentioned that they wished they had ridden in the other direction (westbound) for that same reason. As I got a month or so into my ride, I began meeting TA riders going in the opposite direction as me. The idea of the amazing land ahead kept me pedaling. Here are some of the considerations, as I see them:Ī more dramatic finish going westbound: I’ve always loved the west, and liked the idea of starting in the comparatively sedate lands of the east and pushing westward into the dramatic mountain scenery, culminating in the coastal rainforests and scenic Pacific Ocean surf. Which direction to ride? I liked the idea of riding from east to west, and I am glad I did. ![]()
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