Circumnavigation Introduction

September 7, 2020

Just another Bike Ride

Me with my 1997 Schwinn Passage touring rig. Unloaded and outfitted with Ortlieb front and rear panniers.

Greetings everyone! In roughly 3 weeks I will be leaving on a 14 month solo bike touring trip circumnavigating the United States. The distance will be roughly 14000 miles. I will be leaving from my home in Michigan and intend to ride due south to escape the cold until I reach Gulf Shore, Alabama. From there I will make my way west across the southern United States. Right now, I intend to winter a couple months in Tucson or San Diego area. This will allow me to work and save additional money for the next leg of the journey. March 1 2021 I will be heading north from San Diego until I reach Seattle area. From there I will be riding east across across the northern United States. Again the hope is to return to Michigan July 1st and work for 2.5 months to fund the remaining portion of this trip. In late September 2021 I will embark again heading east through the northern United States until I reach Bar Harbor Maine. At which point I will go south to Key West Florida and ultimately finish back at Gulf Shore Alabama.

I intend to camp the entire way and spend as little time as possible in hotels. Along the way, I will see countless National Parks and Forests and other natural wonders.

Stay Tuned.

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Bob DistelbergLooking forward to following your adventure. Nice bike, by the way. I owned a Schwinn Traveler, 1980's vintage, which I rode for about 20 years. I love the old Schwinns.
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3 years ago

David AlbertTo Bob DistelbergThank you Bob! I am super excited. The 1997 Schwinn Passage was a chromoly (steel) frame bike with plenty of points of attachment for racks or fenders. So, the bike, while not officially a touring bike seems to lend itself well to touring. Though, a notable downside is the lack of space for wider wheels /tires between the fork and the brakes. I am running 28mm tires and these are the absolute widest this bike will safely accommodate. So, the tradeoff is that I'll go faster on the pavement due to less rolling resistance but will likely have to exercise extreme caution (or walk) over any dirt or gravel. - David
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3 years ago