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Congrats! It was super interesting to read about the western express, when I did this a few years ago I did the astoria route: https://blaise.bike/

Did you look into different tires? 8 flats seems like a lot. I got exactly one running schwalbe marathon plus tires.

Overall what was your favorite part of the trip?

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i didn't look into different tires. my hypothesis is that most of my flats can be attributed to all the weight being on the back tire.

favorite part was jumping into extended conversations with strangers. from a scenery perspective, coming down into Lake Tahoe from Eldorado was just absolutely stunning. same when I went past Bryce Canyon.

Route wise, did you deviate at all from the suggested route? Never felt the call of a fork in the road? I find value in small roads (less traffic) where feasible. Basically riding with wildlife rather than cars.

Rhythm wise, super surprised you did the whole thing without stopping! I used to do a half day (pre-dawn to late morning) then chillax at a place and explore. This gave time to recover, take in the area, balance cycling with walking, and time to maybe wash some clothes which means carrying less. Rest days can be best days. That's totally nuts you did the whole thing without stopping!

I'd be sketchy on those Utah areas too - no shade! Probably would have camped out at the lookout there, etc. Of course, not feasible if you're running out of water.

I'm getting old now (43) but have to mention one thing I never properly appreciated in my earlier travels and regret missing was the biology. iNaturalist is friggin' awesome. It has never been easier to get in to biology, and it adds a deeply fascinating dimension to travel. Looking at those instant pot meals, foraging would be one application!

Re. Diet, I was veg when I did most of my cycle trips too. Used to acquire bags of raw husked peanuts as easy protein. On later trips (Romania) deeply appreciated eating a steak!

So... any ideas for next trip? Europe? New Zealand? Around Australia? Back across Canada from "Europe"? https://maps.app.goo.gl/URwtvz9wxWHWYEb18

Good luck, don't be afraid to slow down, and keep it up. Once you have kids it becomes difficult to continue.

I was trying my best to finish quickly, initially in hopes of making the NYC Marathon. The "best" way to do the trip is probably to take everything in and have a few zero days, potentially bake in some time for wandering. I think part of me was worried that if I stopped, I wouldn't have the gumption to start up again.

Sounds like you had a great experience riding too! Did you go across the U.S.?

I think I'll pause the bike tour travel for the foreseeable future. I think I like running better :)

Gotcha. I've done bits of Australia, France, Laos, Romania, Taiwan, Thailand and Yunnan. Definitely Yunnan has been the highlight, although all had memorable sections. I think since you crossed the US already, New Zealand or Tasmania could be good future destinations for you to consider. They have manageable distances, spectacular nature, few large vehicles and friendly locals.

Not OP, but I also went across America along the Northern Tier in 2023 with Schwalbe Marathon Plus's. I think I got 9 flats total, 7 of which were in Montana for some reason. I always tried to investigate and eliminate the source of the flat, but sometimes you are just repeatedly unlucky (in my experience).

After getting 4 flats in 4 days on a bike trip, I had good luck with anti-puncture kevlar tire liner tape.

Ooh never heard of that. That's awesome! As mentioned in the last point in the document, often if you get repeat punctures it's because the causative element is still embedded in the outer tire. Once this happens you learn the real value of fixing a tire is not in the patching, which is a different challenge, but the analysis: 1. Locate the puncture. 2. Match the inner tube back to the rim using the air valve location. 3. Translate the puncture location from the inner tube to the tread. 4. Search like hell for the cause.

Tubeless can be a pain but it is exceedingly good at dealing with the small annoying punctures. Pretty typical to not notice a puncture at all before it seals. Caveats: for some reason pinch flats in the sidewall seal poorly, and the sealant must be kept somewhat fresh.

The one time I had it fail me entirely, it was in New Mexico where the goathead thorns are relentless. I had about a dozen thorns in each tire, and my half dried up sealant was no longer up to the task. Still hard to imagine going back to tubes, even though I carry lightweight TPU tubes as backups.

Make sure you carry tubes with stems of sufficient length. That was my last error. Oof.

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