Hi @flyscoutryder, just wanted to reach out and say thanks so much for sharing another amazing tour with us. It is truly inspiring. I have been wondering, as I'm sure other aspiring travellers have also? Considering that a person has all the gear to start a tour... Bike, etc...what are your expenses for successfully completing a tour. Taking into account lodging, food and maintenance/equipment repair. Is there anything else I might be overlooking? I truly look forward to hearing from you regarding this info. Your inspiration has provided me the spark to do my own cross country tour. It's within a couple of years, but want to start gathering all pertinent info.sooner than later. I figured you would be the best person to ask. Thanks again for everything!! Have a great one!!!Best, Rob
Hi Rob. This is an excellent question regarding budgeting a cross country tour. This topic has been brought up in the past by many other folks looking to plan a bike tour here in the United States. The best answer would be that it is totally relative to how much effort the rider puts into cutting expenses. For starters I would say that the biggest expense is obviously the time taken off work to do it. After that, you are having to decide a route that has the best options for camping. That is assuming the desire to keep costs down. Campgrounds do charge so there would be a cost there. I would say $25/night average but sometimes more. The Pacific Coast Bike Route is an exception with tons of hike bike campgrounds for $10 averages. But KOAs for instance are the most expensive I've seen at $50 at times. There are many routes that will not have camping so they demand budgeting other accommodations like Motels and such. Using Warmshowers is often an option and it does help in cutting costs a bunch. Most Warmshowers hosts also share a dinner and often times even a breakfast. These folks are filled with kindness and I have never had but a wonderful experiences with Warmshowers. Using Adventure Cycling Association maps help out a lot in cutting costs because they allow you to plan ahead and offer information on where to stay. Stealth camping is way more possible on the western half of the country. Most National Forest and BLMs (Bureau of Land Management) land will allow camping for free. Lots of touring folks will camp on rail trails. I recommend doing this late in the day and get going early in the morning. Another option for finding a place to spend the night is calling ahead to Sheriff Offices, Fire Stations, and Churches. You'd be amazed how good this works. As for food, well, there again it depends on how you want to go about it. You can go to restaurants and cafes or hit up the grocery stores and keep the essentials with you. So it all really depends on how you want to go about it and what you can afford. I've met folks touring that have kept their expenses to $10 per day. That's pretty much working hard at where to stay for free and eating the essentials. What I try to do is to be frugal most of the time with food and camp as often as possible and splurge here and there such as when I stay in a hotel. That allows me to wash clothes, fix gear, charge my batteries, and so on before going frugal again. My biggest challenge when it comes to my budget, for instance, is needing to constantly be charging my batteries so I can keep recording the content. It's not just the finding the outlets but the time it takes for the batteries to fully charge. Other things to also consider is that you have to eat anyways and you will likely not have expenses you normally would have such as gasoline for your vehicle. I know this is not a straight answer to your question but I hope it puts some light on what to expect. It really comes down to your needs, and how much time and effort you are willing to put into figuring out the logistics behind every day. Let me know if I can explain further.
Thanks for taking the time to reach out. I really appreciate it!!! Thanks for sharing some tips and things to keep in mind while scouting out the route. Hope you are doing well. Take great care!!! Best, Rob
Thank you, David. I look to improve with each episode I edit. I learn a lot from the editing months to help apply to the coming tour and how I record it. I hope never to plateau. Thanks for watching.
Always a pleasure watching your vids first thing on Saturday morning! I just noticed that your bike is one of those that makes a lot of noise when coasting. For some reason that particular noise would drive me crazy! Hahaha Natchez-Trace is on my bike-it list. 🎉 Thanks again for a great video
The rear hub I am using is a DT Swiss 240 and even t hough it does make noise it is not as bad as others out there. I think the camera mic might pick up on it at times more than it really is. Thank you for watching the episode. Be safe out there.
And what am I doing before I go out on my Brewster this morning, watching the further adventures of Diego! What a way to start my day.. thanks for taking us on this awesome adventure!!
Once again Diego you have captured my attention with this spectacular video. Thanks for sharing your experience on this new adventure. I expect, one day to ride a portion of the Trace as you have again inspired me. 😅
Hi Verlin. The next episode is of the Parkway and I think it came out really good. Hopefully it will make you plan to visit it this year. A truly special place and for great reason.
Great video Diego! Super drone footage and fascinating seeing all these places. I like the glimpses of what’s to come to, too. One of these days you must do a video just on your new bike and it’s set-up!! Looks like a cool machine. Looking forward to more episodes. 👍👌
Thanks Christopher. The time shifting in the episodes is fun but Im facing out of it for the next two episodes. I might come back to it later on. It is fun to do and I think it helps with the story telling. Thanks for saying that. The next one is my favorite yet so look forward to sharing...
@@FlyscoutRyder look forward to it Diego! And please do one on your bike sometime! Looks like a great machine and I think there’s a global audience in bike kit. It might help your channel a lot?
I agree with you and I will do it when I have the time. It would be a project because I don't want to put a video together without making it really good. Right now Im struggling to keep up with the editing and start of my guiding season. Thank you for saying this. I know you have asked before. I will do one and it will be good. @@christopherhugh-jones3673
Waz up brother, excited to find your vid, they make my day to watch.. hope you are well and i finially finished the yuba mundo cargo bikes parts list today buying go getter rear bags for it. $300🤯
Nice! Sounds like you are well on your way. I checked out the Yuba Mundo, holly shit I want one. They look super fun. $300 seems right for panniers. I looked them up as well. They seem super functional.
Hi Pat. You are going to dig the next episode. It's of the Natchez Trace Parkway's southern half and it came out really good, I think. Look forward to sharing it and getting the feedback.
Making good progress, my friend! And with those temperatures. I rather climb in cool temperatures than cycling with the heat, I had a bad experience in the past where I had to give up and go home riding through the south of Portugal. Two words I love at the end of a tough day: free campground 👌 *College football is crazy in the south, what a beautiful stadium!
Hi Mario. Wait until next episode, the heat wave I ride into on this episode is only the beginning of a burning inferno in the days to come. Im psyched about the next one. Maybe one of my favorites so far. Take care and thank you for watching.
Great ride. How often you're taking off-days, once a week? I think August is just too hot that far south in the middle of the summer but tree shades really help. 👍
That's funny you say that about the heat and the tree shade. On the next episode I talk about that and it ends up getting even hotter. About the days off, I took ten days off on this last tour to hang with friends in Oklahoma and I try take a day off every week to ten days. What I do is look at the weather and figure when best to do it. That way I maximize potential. For instance, when I got to Amarillo, TX, a 40+ mph west wind was forecasted so I hurried to get there so I could borrow a friend's truck and go visit Palo Duro State Park. So I try take time off when it looks right, weather wise. Sometimes I ride two weeks or more straight if it all looks good. No reason to really stop unless it's a specific place to visit like New Orleans. Actually, during the first month I purposely look for the opportunity to rest my legs because they are on fire until they get conditioned. That takes about a month. Looking forward to meeting you. See you soon.
@@FlyscoutRyder That's a good strategy. I do the same chasing the best weather and wind conditions. Since I do a monthly 4-6 day bike rides year around, my legs are always in riding condition. Looking forward to meeting you. Thank you for accommodating us I really appreciate that. 😊
What beautiful and that campus was amazing. Free campgrounds. That doesn't happen to often. What are you drinking for coffee these days? Looking for something different. Thanks for the video and take care, Al
Hi Al. I mainly drink tea. I like Earl Gray best but will drink about any. I do make coffee at times and like the powder kind. It's pretty good and easy to make. Thanks for watching this episode.
A day and a half on US 82??? In the middle of summer??? Nooooooooo!!!!! Next time, hang a left on 86 near Gordo, then head directly west, crossing the Tombigbee River after you pass through Carrollton. Then continue on the Mississippi backroads to Starkville (home of Mississippi State University), have a good meal and spend the night. Quiet roads, no traffic, beautiful scenery, and a nicer and more interesting place to spend an evening than Columbus. And the route is even more direct than 82. Even better, if you have time to do a little zigzagging, would be to make a left off 82 a little earlier at Coker, then head to Ralph, Alabama for some BBQ at Robertson’s, before heading towards Carrollton. At least you made it to the Natchez Trace. It doesn’t get any better than that.
Thanks for sharing another tour Diego. Equipment question: Do you run tubes and sealant instead of a tubeless setup because you're comfortable using the Mondials (not tubeless ready) or is there something else? Thanks again.
@@FlyscoutRyder, the real flat part is what I'm trying to figure out because I haven't experienced that. I've been running tubeless for about 7 years (lots of miles). Had a number of small pictures that get sealed quickly and don't even notice. The worst I've had occurred a few months ago when the sealant wouldn't do the job (not sure if it was hole size or low (
The ride by shots are my favorite of all the different angles of footage I take. They take time to collect but the whole project for these last four years is way more involved than the ride b's by a long shot. For instance, I record about 1 to 1.5 hours daily and end up with 5 to 7.5 minutes of that in each episode. Thank you for watching and reaching out.
That works with me but you might find some places you'd like to ride ion you watch enough of my channel. I love rail trails, for instance, and do showcase them. Have you watched the Silver Comet/Chief Ladiga episode? It's the fourth of this series.
Thank you for subscribing. What I eat is diverse depending on where I am at. I carry two days worth of food at all times though. Mostly two packs of ramen, one pasta or rice pack, 1 pound bag of beef jerky, gummy bears and cookies. The rest I get from cafes or grocery stores as I go. Subway for instance. I don't count calories I just eat when I can and sometimes I actually don't eat much. When you ride all day your appetite tends to slack off. At times I force myself to eat.
@@FlyscoutRyder I took up biking during Covid after 45 years not biking. My goal is to go 100 miles in one day. I have gotten 84 miles and boinked last year. Food resource planning seems to be the key. I’m 66 this year and living in central WI it is still snowing in late March. Time is physically running out for me. I think this year or next have to be the year!
@@mattmacpherson1033 Hi Matt. I studied Exercise Physiology for my bachelors and I remember being taught that age is not much of a factor to get the muscles to grow and strengthen. I studied about extreme cases of adults who transformed their physical output tremendously. With that said, I don't know enough about your health so I would take what I am saying with a grain of salt. If you did 84 miles I would say you totally have it. Touring across the country doing 45 miles a day is very doable if planned correctly. Adventure Cycling Association's Trans Am Route is a good option.
I have 6 states to document on the channel but I've been to them all except three of them in the Northeast. But there are so many places I have yet to visit here in the United States with my bike. The issue that arrises when you start seeing so much of the country is that you start realizing how much more there actually is. N national Parks are a huge draw for me, for instance, and there about 35 or so that I would love to visit before I die. My dream with the channel is to go document as much of the nation by bicycle as I can.
Great question. I have tried all the ways to get the best sleeping system and what I have found out is that using the foam mat with the inflatable one on top is the way to go. The two layers do a great job. The foam hides any imperfections on the ground and protects the inflatable mat. They also do a great job of insulating from the ground's temperature. The foam mat is so light that it's tough not to bring along. If you want to read about my gear please check out the episodes description box. It's all there. Thank you for watching.
Another question unrelated to first, to do this as long as you do it how do you take care of health insurance? Do you pay out pocket when needed when on leave from work or are you retired and have that taken care of by Medicare?
Hi @flyscoutryder, just wanted to reach out and say thanks so much for sharing another amazing tour with us. It is truly inspiring. I have been wondering, as I'm sure other aspiring travellers have also? Considering that a person has all the gear to start a tour... Bike, etc...what are your expenses for successfully completing a tour. Taking into account lodging, food and maintenance/equipment repair. Is there anything else I might be overlooking? I truly look forward to hearing from you regarding this info. Your inspiration has provided me the spark to do my own cross country tour. It's within a couple of years, but want to start gathering all pertinent info.sooner than later. I figured you would be the best person to ask. Thanks again for everything!! Have a great one!!!Best, Rob
Hi Rob. This is an excellent question regarding budgeting a cross country tour. This topic has been brought up in the past by many other folks looking to plan a bike tour here in the United States. The best answer would be that it is totally relative to how much effort the rider puts into cutting expenses. For starters I would say that the biggest expense is obviously the time taken off work to do it. After that, you are having to decide a route that has the best options for camping. That is assuming the desire to keep costs down. Campgrounds do charge so there would be a cost there. I would say $25/night average but sometimes more. The Pacific Coast Bike Route is an exception with tons of hike bike campgrounds for $10 averages. But KOAs for instance are the most expensive I've seen at $50 at times. There are many routes that will not have camping so they demand budgeting other accommodations like Motels and such. Using Warmshowers is often an option and it does help in cutting costs a bunch. Most Warmshowers hosts also share a dinner and often times even a breakfast. These folks are filled with kindness and I have never had but a wonderful experiences with Warmshowers. Using Adventure Cycling Association maps help out a lot in cutting costs because they allow you to plan ahead and offer information on where to stay. Stealth camping is way more possible on the western half of the country. Most National Forest and BLMs (Bureau of Land Management) land will allow camping for free. Lots of touring folks will camp on rail trails. I recommend doing this late in the day and get going early in the morning. Another option for finding a place to spend the night is calling ahead to Sheriff Offices, Fire Stations, and Churches. You'd be amazed how good this works. As for food, well, there again it depends on how you want to go about it. You can go to restaurants and cafes or hit up the grocery stores and keep the essentials with you. So it all really depends on how you want to go about it and what you can afford. I've met folks touring that have kept their expenses to $10 per day. That's pretty much working hard at where to stay for free and eating the essentials. What I try to do is to be frugal most of the time with food and camp as often as possible and splurge here and there such as when I stay in a hotel. That allows me to wash clothes, fix gear, charge my batteries, and so on before going frugal again. My biggest challenge when it comes to my budget, for instance, is needing to constantly be charging my batteries so I can keep recording the content. It's not just the finding the outlets but the time it takes for the batteries to fully charge. Other things to also consider is that you have to eat anyways and you will likely not have expenses you normally would have such as gasoline for your vehicle. I know this is not a straight answer to your question but I hope it puts some light on what to expect. It really comes down to your needs, and how much time and effort you are willing to put into figuring out the logistics behind every day. Let me know if I can explain further.
Thanks for taking the time to reach out. I really appreciate it!!! Thanks for sharing some tips and things to keep in mind while scouting out the route. Hope you are doing well. Take great care!!! Best, Rob
i grow Flowers near Columbus and ride/camp at little mountain as much as i can, the trace is the best part of MS. Great video and editing, cheers.
Thank you. It was a blast to ride.
My son and I just rode our bikes around the UA campus in April. We’ve seen the Crimson Tide win many games in that stadium! Enjoyed the video.
Hey, Scott. That's very cool to hear about your son and you ridding around the campus. It sure is a uniquely beautiful one. Roll Tide.
I guess I found a new bicycle touring CZcamsr to follow.
Thank you for subscribing. Hope you stick around.
Fantastic editing and great narration. You never fail to impress!
Thank you.
You have mastered production quality editing. All solo. Very impressive sir.
Thank you, David. I look to improve with each episode I edit. I learn a lot from the editing months to help apply to the coming tour and how I record it. I hope never to plateau. Thanks for watching.
Always a pleasure watching your vids first thing on Saturday morning!
I just noticed that your bike is one of those that makes a lot of noise when coasting. For some reason that particular noise would drive me crazy! Hahaha
Natchez-Trace is on my bike-it list. 🎉
Thanks again for a great video
The rear hub I am using is a DT Swiss 240 and even t hough it does make noise it is not as bad as others out there. I think the camera mic might pick up on it at times more than it really is. Thank you for watching the episode. Be safe out there.
Love your videos. I keep looking for the next one. Keep riding
Thank you.
And what am I doing before I go out on my Brewster this morning, watching the further adventures of Diego! What a way to start my day.. thanks for taking us on this awesome adventure!!
Agreed!
Hi Kelly. You are welcome and thank you for watching this episode. More on the way.
Once again Diego you have captured my attention with this spectacular video. Thanks for sharing your experience on this new adventure. I expect, one day to ride a portion of the Trace as you have again inspired me. 😅
Hi Verlin. The next episode is of the Parkway and I think it came out really good. Hopefully it will make you plan to visit it this year. A truly special place and for great reason.
Great video Diego! Super drone footage and fascinating seeing all these places. I like the glimpses of what’s to come to, too. One of these days you must do a video just on your new bike and it’s set-up!! Looks like a cool machine. Looking forward to more episodes. 👍👌
Thanks Christopher. The time shifting in the episodes is fun but Im facing out of it for the next two episodes. I might come back to it later on. It is fun to do and I think it helps with the story telling. Thanks for saying that. The next one is my favorite yet so look forward to sharing...
@@FlyscoutRyder look forward to it Diego! And please do one on your bike sometime! Looks like a great machine and I think there’s a global audience in bike kit. It might help your channel a lot?
I agree with you and I will do it when I have the time. It would be a project because I don't want to put a video together without making it really good. Right now Im struggling to keep up with the editing and start of my guiding season. Thank you for saying this. I know you have asked before. I will do one and it will be good. @@christopherhugh-jones3673
Waz up brother, excited to find your vid, they make my day to watch.. hope you are well and i finially finished the yuba mundo cargo bikes parts list today buying go getter rear bags for it. $300🤯
Nice! Sounds like you are well on your way. I checked out the Yuba Mundo, holly shit I want one. They look super fun. $300 seems right for panniers. I looked them up as well. They seem super functional.
Surprised at how few people are around. Beautiful landscapes.
Great episode! Natchez Trace is on my list....looks beautiful! Thanks for sharing your adventure!
Hi Pat. You are going to dig the next episode. It's of the Natchez Trace Parkway's southern half and it came out really good, I think. Look forward to sharing it and getting the feedback.
As always, superb. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
You got it. Glad to hear from you. Thank you for watching.
Making good progress, my friend! And with those temperatures. I rather climb in cool temperatures than cycling with the heat, I had a bad experience in the past where I had to give up and go home riding through the south of Portugal.
Two words I love at the end of a tough day: free campground 👌
*College football is crazy in the south, what a beautiful stadium!
Hi Mario. Wait until next episode, the heat wave I ride into on this episode is only the beginning of a burning inferno in the days to come. Im psyched about the next one. Maybe one of my favorites so far. Take care and thank you for watching.
Great ride. How often you're taking off-days, once a week? I think August is just too hot that far south in the middle of the summer but tree shades really help. 👍
That's funny you say that about the heat and the tree shade. On the next episode I talk about that and it ends up getting even hotter. About the days off, I took ten days off on this last tour to hang with friends in Oklahoma and I try take a day off every week to ten days. What I do is look at the weather and figure when best to do it. That way I maximize potential. For instance, when I got to Amarillo, TX, a 40+ mph west wind was forecasted so I hurried to get there so I could borrow a friend's truck and go visit Palo Duro State Park. So I try take time off when it looks right, weather wise. Sometimes I ride two weeks or more straight if it all looks good. No reason to really stop unless it's a specific place to visit like New Orleans. Actually, during the first month I purposely look for the opportunity to rest my legs because they are on fire until they get conditioned. That takes about a month. Looking forward to meeting you. See you soon.
@@FlyscoutRyder That's a good strategy. I do the same chasing the best weather and wind conditions. Since I do a monthly 4-6 day bike rides year around, my legs are always in riding condition. Looking forward to meeting you. Thank you for accommodating us I really appreciate that. 😊
Same here. Looking forward to it. @@FollowThomas
What beautiful and that campus was amazing. Free campgrounds. That doesn't happen to often. What are you drinking for coffee these days? Looking for something different. Thanks for the video and take care, Al
Hi Al. I mainly drink tea. I like Earl Gray best but will drink about any. I do make coffee at times and like the powder kind. It's pretty good and easy to make. Thanks for watching this episode.
A day and a half on US 82??? In the middle of summer??? Nooooooooo!!!!!
Next time, hang a left on 86 near Gordo, then head directly west, crossing the Tombigbee River after you pass through Carrollton. Then continue on the Mississippi backroads to Starkville (home of Mississippi State University), have a good meal and spend the night. Quiet roads, no traffic, beautiful scenery, and a nicer and more interesting place to spend an evening than Columbus. And the route is even more direct than 82.
Even better, if you have time to do a little zigzagging, would be to make a left off 82 a little earlier at Coker, then head to Ralph, Alabama for some BBQ at Robertson’s, before heading towards Carrollton.
At least you made it to the Natchez Trace. It doesn’t get any better than that.
I love these comments telling us where other better routes are. I will pin it so it's more visible, thank you Andrew. And thank you for watching.
Wonderfull! 👌
Thanks for sharing another tour Diego. Equipment question: Do you run tubes and sealant instead of a tubeless setup because you're comfortable using the Mondials (not tubeless ready) or is there something else? Thanks again.
I run tubes with sealant. it'e easier when you have a real flat on the road to deal with a tube then going tubeless all out.
@@FlyscoutRyder, the real flat part is what I'm trying to figure out because I haven't experienced that. I've been running tubeless for about 7 years (lots of miles). Had a number of small pictures that get sealed quickly and don't even notice. The worst I've had occurred a few months ago when the sealant wouldn't do the job (not sure if it was hole size or low (
Must take you forever to keep going back and collecting your camera! A fantastic end result though! Well done.
The ride by shots are my favorite of all the different angles of footage I take. They take time to collect but the whole project for these last four years is way more involved than the ride b's by a long shot. For instance, I record about 1 to 1.5 hours daily and end up with 5 to 7.5 minutes of that in each episode. Thank you for watching and reaching out.
@@FlyscoutRyder the amount of effort you put in really shows in the films 👍
Thank you @@maidbloke
Better you than me , I'd rather watch 😅
That works with me but you might find some places you'd like to ride ion you watch enough of my channel. I love rail trails, for instance, and do showcase them. Have you watched the Silver Comet/Chief Ladiga episode? It's the fourth of this series.
@@FlyscoutRyder I definitely want to ride more this spring summer, I have watched several videos and beautiful places to see 😁
@@FlyscoutRyder also I'm in Colorado so for me the elevation makes it harder..I would love to bike in lower elevation lol
So many places...@@FiftiesForward
Yeah the elevation definitely has a huge impact. @@FiftiesForward
I’ve watched three of your videos so far liked and subscribed. How many calories are you packing in? Do you carry your food ? Or get it enroute?
Thank you for subscribing. What I eat is diverse depending on where I am at. I carry two days worth of food at all times though. Mostly two packs of ramen, one pasta or rice pack, 1 pound bag of beef jerky, gummy bears and cookies. The rest I get from cafes or grocery stores as I go. Subway for instance. I don't count calories I just eat when I can and sometimes I actually don't eat much. When you ride all day your appetite tends to slack off. At times I force myself to eat.
@@FlyscoutRyder I took up biking during Covid after 45 years not biking. My goal is to go 100 miles in one day. I have gotten 84 miles and boinked last year. Food resource planning seems to be the key. I’m 66 this year and living in central WI it is still snowing in late March. Time is physically running out for me. I think this year or next have to be the year!
@@mattmacpherson1033 Hi Matt. I studied Exercise Physiology for my bachelors and I remember being taught that age is not much of a factor to get the muscles to grow and strengthen. I studied about extreme cases of adults who transformed their physical output tremendously. With that said, I don't know enough about your health so I would take what I am saying with a grain of salt. If you did 84 miles I would say you totally have it. Touring across the country doing 45 miles a day is very doable if planned correctly. Adventure Cycling Association's Trans Am Route is a good option.
Another great video. Is there any part of the US where you haven't been?
I have 6 states to document on the channel but I've been to them all except three of them in the Northeast. But there are so many places I have yet to visit here in the United States with my bike. The issue that arrises when you start seeing so much of the country is that you start realizing how much more there actually is. N national Parks are a huge draw for me, for instance, and there about 35 or so that I would love to visit before I die. My dream with the channel is to go document as much of the nation by bicycle as I can.
Is sleeping pad to protect your mat or do usually just use the pad only?
Great question. I have tried all the ways to get the best sleeping system and what I have found out is that using the foam mat with the inflatable one on top is the way to go. The two layers do a great job. The foam hides any imperfections on the ground and protects the inflatable mat. They also do a great job of insulating from the ground's temperature. The foam mat is so light that it's tough not to bring along. If you want to read about my gear please check out the episodes description box. It's all there. Thank you for watching.
Another question unrelated to first, to do this as long as you do it how do you take care of health insurance? Do you pay out pocket when needed when on leave from work or are you retired and have that taken care of by Medicare?
You ever have someone mess with you while riding, because I have…
I never have. Im sorry you have had a bad experience. Thank you for watching.
What road were you on crossing the La Sal Mtns?
From Naturist, CO I took 90 down Paradox Valley. 90 then turns into 46 after crossing into Utah to La Sal. Thanks for watching.
I know it's wrong but I associate dirty horrible shoulders with corruption. State padding their own pockets.
I hear you. Not sure why they wouldn't add a bit of room but likely to cut cost.