Western USA bike tour - feasibility of this route weather wise?
Hey everyone!
My first post here. I’m in the early stages of planning out a big tour in western USA, a large part of the Pacific Coast route from Oregon (prob Portland) to Los Angeles, and then inland following Route 66 bike route towards Flagstaff/Grand Canyon and further into Utah to see some of the national parks, or else maybe down to Phoenix.
See here for a rough idea of my route (currently up to Flagstaff, AZ): https://www.komoot.com/tour/1479473027?share_token=a6oiGEO19fdDcfYblGUAchanagf5tWPwgyrFzgntHzAik1joHv&ref=wtd
I have a timeframe in my head for this route which is March-June 2025. Planning on taking it fairly slow, with a lot of free time to see sights and cities along the way.
Any feedback on the feasibility of this route weather wise that time of year?
- How is Oregon in March? Will it be too cold/wet to cycle and camp out?
- Will it be already hot in the desert end of May/June? I have a good amount of experience cycling and bikepacking tours of multiple weeks through Europe during summer, it can sometimes be up to +40°C, so I’m used to some heat, but I can imagine it being something else cycling long stretches of desert.
- How are the winds on the coast? I read that the chances are high of having tail wind when riding from north to south, is this the case that time of year?
- Any tips on (wild) camping along the route? Is it feasible to do let’s say 70% camping and 30% last minute staying in motels/hostels to keep the budget somewhat low?
All feedback and route ideas appreciated, thanks so much!
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Planning on creating the same post in r/bicycletouring but can imagine there being quite the overlap in members with this feed :)
For those curious, this is my current setup. Planning on swapping out the seat pack with a rear rack, some small panniers and big dry bag or water bag on top for longer tours.
