I love how unpretentious your bike and setup was here. I certainly fall into the trappings of bike snobbery and get a little too into gear, but this is an excellent example of how someone can do an ambitious undertaking like this on an ordinary bike.
@@matt-hike-bike-camp Great job, but how did you eat and sleep ? Did you buy food every night ? Did you camp outside of those first few nights and if so how did you deicde where to and fit this gear on ur bike?
Hey Joshua, I ate out every night for dinner, mostly at fast food places or bars, which wasn't the healthiest choice haha. During the day I mostly ate snacks that I bought from grocery stores, dollar stores or gas stations. For lodging I always stayed at hotels/motels/airbnbs so I didn't have to worry about bringing camping supplies however camping would of saved a lot on the trip costs.
Loved the story congratulations. I biked across USA at 70 and again at 75. I had similar mind games but the satisfaction of completing is unbelievably gratifying. At 80 I biked 80 km per day for 80 days. Things are getting tougher at 80 so keep biking now.
Wow. Now this is the TH-cam posting I would like to see. I just had my 78th birthday, and feel my bicycle world slowly slipping away. Still my day isn't complete without some two wheel time. I am impressed... beyond impressed.
Hi Paul, you should consider recording some videos or taking pictures of the things you see on your rides, I know myself and many others would love to see someone at your age crushing it on cross country cycling rides. Most young men in their prime couldn't do such a feat!
Wow. What an incredible journey! And a great synopsis. 4k miles in 9 minutes!? Very tastefully edited. Love that bit at the end too… “I gotta get a job now” 😂😂😂
@@Roboprogs With all the time you have left on this Earth, I'm sure there is some way you could do this. Don't tell me or yourself or anyone all the reasons you think you can't. Just think of how you could...
Probably the one thing keeping me from doing something like this - a job. Something about a mortgage payment and 2 kids in college keep me motivated to show up to work each day.
Ummm I’m from the US, but I’ve been all over Europe and America.Your landscapes over there are INCREDIBLE. Switzerland alone blows everything out of the water here, and I’ve been to 48 of the 50 states here.
@@ZwergDesignI think you replied to the wrong person. The commenter you replied to is specifically saying that Europe *is* more interesting than the US.
So many shots of you riding on a shoulderless road as an 18-wheeler passes! Thanks for telling it like it is. My tolerance for that kind of riding fizzled to zero by the time I was 30 years old. Too bad there are so few car-free routes in this country. Congrats on completing the trip!
Thanks! Yes some roads felt more dangerous than others. If I saw a semi-truck coming and was worried I usually got off the road. Just the force of the wind alone while they passed pushed me forward then back on my bike.
I think it's great that people travel low-key with ordinary bikes that don't set you back a couple of K's in Dollars of Euro's. That's the real spirit of travelling! It's so cheap to get the best gear available. With cheap, I mean easy and unadventurous. Good you covered the whole in 9 minutes instead of 90. Enough to get into the experience. Watching you cycling on 'car roads' I feel blessed to have a lot of safe and carefree bike routes in Europe.
lols. My first cross country ride was for laughs too. I've done three now. And both coasts a few times. Started doing 2000 mile rides for jokes. I've seen the world's largest ball of twine made by one man. The world's largest Holstein cow, brown river otter, Prarie chicken, sand crane, alligator and ditch. When I noticed id ridden through 25 states I figured I'd finish em all. 43 states down now. Be careful everyone. Bicycle touring is a dangerous and addictive activity.
Well Done! A life lesson in getting burned out and reinventing yourself. Stayed the course and finished the task at hand. Solo and 3 speed. All Bad Ass.
@@Borderman47Ebike really is the answer! You will get twice as far on a day or at least have a lot of help up those hills. No need to get off and walk with a heavy bike. In tour mode, a battery will normally last you 60 miles or 100 kms.
LOVED IT!! I appreciate the well thought out narration. No fumbling for words. I think your photography is stellar. Just a pure joy to experience. Hope you’re planning your next adventure.
1:37 my house is right at the top of that road and I have to bike up it every time I get back from a ride. I'm glad someone else can feel my pain! That's such a wild coincidence.
I often have flights of fancy about the PCT, long haul kayaking trips, etc. I watch a lot of TH-cam videos like yours that document these kinds of trips. I really liked this video. I really appreciated how you did not try and force feed us some kind of narrative or lesson along with your journey. I’m sure you learned plenty during your 60+ day journey, but it’s very grounding to leave all that for yourself and end with “now I need to get a job” Well done!
That was an incredible biking story. I very much appreciate that you did not make this an hour long video. I found it to be extremely interesting as a shorter video. Congratulations on finishing this amazing journey.
This is a perfect story. Perfect pacing, great video, just perfection. Especially loved the abrupt ending. I’m not sure what you’re going to do next, but good luck in what ever it is
Woah, I expected this video to have like atleast a couple hundred thousand views. You could’ve easily turned this into a multi-month long series but somehow compressed it into nine minutes. Awesome trip!
I did something similar...Vancouver, BC to Portland, ME - 10 days on an antique (1966) Italian motor scooter about 15 years ago. I was averaging 350 miles a day. It was exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. I remember feeling similarly about 1/2 through my trip. Kudos for finishing your journey. Great video, BTW. Cheers!
“I gotta get a job now” at the tail end 😂. I’ve considered doing this on a 7 speed custom build..17” aluminum MTB frame, 26” wheels, front suspension that I keep relatively stiff..I swap between slicks and off road tires depending on the season..whole bike is around 27 lbs. Watching this has made me feel like it could be more practical than I first thought. Glad you had fun/finished!
Thank you for your great video! And furthermore: Thank you for your honesty in 4:28. Exactly my problem on such long tours. And congrats for overcoming it.
This feels like one of those videos from the old era of youtube, where people posted videos just to record their life and save some memories rather than try to monetize and be a youtuber
I absolutely love this video. As a resident of Portland, Maine, it’s so cool to see the familiar streets, trails, and landmarks as you set off on this epic journey. Inspiring!!
Congrats and fulling your dream. When things get tough for me while riding, I ask myself these questions, "Is my bike broken? No--then keep pedaling. Do I have an injury preventing me from riding? No---then keep moving forward." I hope you found a worthy job after your incredible journey.
You should consider creating a longer video explaining the trip, I know some people might like the short format, but I would love an extensive video diving into the trip. 🙂
Thanks! I've made daily vlogs in my playlist section but this video was enough for me. TH-camrs make editing videos look easy but this took me forever haha
This is a video I needed to see. Sometimes I think racing bikes just makes me want to get the ride over with but this video reminded me how much fun can be had if you view it as a journey as opposed to training or a race.
Wonderful accomplishment. That halfway through you questioned why you were doing this and lost some perspective for awhile is a normal feeling among people who take on big journeys as you did. Happy that you worked your way through it. Congrats!
Sir, you are my hero. If I ever do anything like that, I'll consider it the highlight of my life. Thank you for sharing your experience. How about doing Florida to Alaska? Now, that would be something!
Northern Tier veteran here (2002). Great job persevering to reach your goal. It takes a lot of mental toughness to go solo for thousands of miles. I'd like to hear more about how your 3-speed setup worked for you; that's pretty bold. I hope you met some of the locals along the way. That's one of the best parts of riding across America, which is not the America you see on the news.
Thank you! I can't imagine doing the trip in 2002. I had the luxury of an iphone, google maps, and nearly 100% cell service. Totally agree meeting people along the way is one of the major highlights! I've never had a better bike so things that would frustrate others never even cross my mind. I didn't have any major issues with it except for one spoke.
Enjoyed the video!! I have always wanted to ride across this country on the southern route. Thanks for more motivation. Your last words were funny, but realistic! Haha!
Amazing journey. I really enjoyed your video and the simplicity of your philosophy on touring. Like you said "the hardest part was getting started." Amazing bike that you have. It seems to have held up very well. It carried you over 4000 miles safely. I have an older Raleigh 7 speed steel hybrid bike similar to the bike you have. It's been an amazingly comfortable and fun bike to ride over the years. I've always wonered if it could hold up on such a journey. I've only used it on a couple of overnight mini-tours. I've since bought a new Trek hybrid bike a couple of years ago. I'm older now with bad knees so I needed more gearing. Good luck in your future endeavors...🚴♂️🚴♂️🚴♂️
Internal gear hub is much less troublesome; you can get a Shimano Alfine 8 very reasonably priced. I had a Raleigh Super Course with the Alfine 8 that I rode from Central Texas all the way to Merida, Mexico. I've since upgraded to another hybrid from REI; I refuse to pay $3000 for a touring bike.
This is so cool, It especially resonates with me as my recently passed grandfather did the same thing for one of the first times in the 70's to 80's era
wow you are a beast, i cycle a lot but cant imagine doing this on bike like that. Inspirational, glad you made it through safely. Thumbs up from Czech Rep!
These kinds of trips are more mental than folks can imagine.... Me... I've got a bit over 8,600 miles of self-supported touring behind me... lots of camping but as I've aged the notion of getting a room has become more attractive! I tend to wing the trips starting with a general idea of what I want to do and then doing the planning and updates on a daily basis. It takes a lot of on the fly logistical work but the flexibility of changing course to see something that I hadn't considered seeing before is great. Love the 3 speed... a tribute to some of the earliest long distance tourists! I've got about a 2,000 mile trip in mind and will hit my goal of 10,000 miles of self supported touring during it!
"I gotta get a job now." All that glory of completing this incredible ride, and then you go and spoil it all with thoughts about work. Argh... LOL! Great job on this ride, Matt!
Retold in the book Full Tilt, Dervla Murphy rode from Dublin to Delhi in 1963 on such a bike. It's a classic in the genre, a pistol packing lone woman racking up a ton a day across Asia. Get a copy and revel in the audacity of it.
Loved your posting... good for you. I would have never gone with that bike, but happy that you did, it made everything more reachable. No camping, was different... no tents, sleeping bags, or cooking gear.... Still a great adventure, one, you will never forget. Happy for your memories.
I love your video! I've driven from Virginia to California alone back in 2001, and see the vast expanse of the United States felt so incredible. I would love to do what you did though one day! Incredible.
Awesome video and experience! I've driven from ME to CA, and back again 9 years later. Just driving that distance is not easy. But there are a lot of beautiful parts like Colorado and Utah.
Very cool, I love these bike adventures. My friend's and I used to take longish trips on our 10 speeds on the east coast of South Africa where I lived for 10+ years. This developed into a lifelong interest in cycling. I'm in the Philippines now and it's mayhem here, but I can see myself getting another bike. A cool upgrade for your bike would have been a Shimano internal hub 7 or 8spd vs the 3spd. The bike would keep it's original vibe but be better on the up hills.
Hello Matt. I just watched your video about your ride from coast to coast and it brought back memories of my C2C 10 years ago at age 62. I really enjoyed your videography and your comments, especially the part about getting discouraged in Iowa. But you were right. Wyoming was my point of wanting to stop. But fortunately I have a wife that said, "Fine. I'll come get you but it'll take a month to find the keys to the camper." (Love that woman!) You could always come back and finish in another year, but it wouldn't have been the same. Congratulations on finishing the journey! And welcome to the brother/sisterhood of the coast to coasters!
You are a beast, my friend. Solo ride, on a three speed. Incredible achievement. Fantastic Video. I love it. Congratulations!!! Many people dream of doing this. You did it, with humbleness.
Wish this video was longer like u talking about the day while eating and getting ready for bed and starting day but, overall really cool video Matt can’t wait for the next
What a ride! I thought I'd be fairly down to earth with my gear, but I've never taken my single-speed bike to long distance trips. But maybe I'll try to complete the 100 miles of Finnish Winter solstice ride with it this December, now that you've shown us it's about attitude and pace, not the bike.
Awesome and thanks for sharing. You might give wider handlebars a try - gives your chest more room to breath, as your arms aren't pointed in ward. I did the Katy Trail carrying all my stuff, the tent, sleeping bag, etc. Not having to deal with all that certain helps. Surprising how much harder an additional 40 lbs is to lug uphill.
Just great. Good for you to plan it and then do it. I know the route form PDX to Seaside, Route 30, as I have driven it often. But you did it on a bike, the great proletarian and dependable 3-speed. And you stayed in rented accommodations. A great plan well executed. Take a bow.
I love that you did this on a three speed. Congratulations on completing such a large undertaking. It is inspiring. Your final comment is the iceing on the cake 🎉
I'm almost a month into my bike packing trip and I'm feeling a bit burnt out for multiple reasons. So I need to dig down deep and keep riding. Failure is not an option. Your video was encouraging and for that I thank you. I literally LOL at the end when you said now I got ro get a job. I'm gonna have to find work in a month or so cause my funds are gonna run out before I know it. My bike is way overloaded complete with my tool belt and hammer so I'm slow rolling. Congrats on taking on your dream and completing your journey.
It would be great if you could post your map someplace. You may be already have and I just don’t know about it. I’m intrigued by all the back roads that you managed to find to travel. Great job. I’m 76 and really have great respect for what you were doing. The memories were all always be with you.
Thanks for the nice words! As far as my map, it isn't 100% accurate with the roads I took. If I recall correctly, the line connects the towns I stayed in. I mostly used Adventure Cycling routes but not sure if you can see those roads without buying their maps. I do have a Short titled "Bicycle across America: What route did I take?" which gives slightly more details on my Adventure Cycling route though. In my playlist I do have daily vlogs but those might be painful to watch haha.
Thank you! I tried to average around 60 miles a day. That way if anything went wrong I still had plenty of daylight to deal with problems. I met another cyclist who said they averaged 40 miles a day. It's great that people can go their own pace!
![How I Biked Across the U.S. [COMPLETE GUIDE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QmynR8N8lNE/mqdefault.jpg)
I love:
- That you kept it down to 9 minutes
- That you didn't go overboard about your gear.
- The ending with no preaching.
the guy did it with a 3-speed of course he kept his youtube video short and sweet
Yes, not doing the "I am an expert narration" is enjoyable.
- That you didn't die at video marker 0:16
Only thing I didn't like was the cut away from that smoking fire thing whatever it was. wish it would have had a longer segment. rest was great!
i wish he would use a bike designed for this type of trip
I love how unpretentious your bike and setup was here. I certainly fall into the trappings of bike snobbery and get a little too into gear, but this is an excellent example of how someone can do an ambitious undertaking like this on an ordinary bike.
Thanks!
@@matt-hike-bike-camp Great job, but how did you eat and sleep ? Did you buy food every night ? Did you camp outside of those first few nights and if so how did you deicde where to and fit this gear on ur bike?
Hey Joshua, I ate out every night for dinner, mostly at fast food places or bars, which wasn't the healthiest choice haha. During the day I mostly ate snacks that I bought from grocery stores, dollar stores or gas stations. For lodging I always stayed at hotels/motels/airbnbs so I didn't have to worry about bringing camping supplies however camping would of saved a lot on the trip costs.
This easily could have been a 9 hour multi part documentary, but the 9 minute version is great.
Loved the story congratulations. I biked across USA at 70 and again at 75. I had similar mind games but the satisfaction of completing is unbelievably gratifying. At 80 I biked 80 km per day for 80 days. Things are getting tougher at 80 so keep biking now.
Thank you! And wow, biking America at 70 and 75, that's impressive! I hope I'm in that good of shape at 80. Nice!
Wow. Now this is the TH-cam posting I would like to see. I just had my 78th birthday, and feel my bicycle world slowly slipping away. Still my day isn't complete without some two wheel time. I am impressed... beyond impressed.
I admire you so much to where I'm on the same page as in "On the road again" just keeps going nevertheless.
Hi Paul, you should consider recording some videos or taking pictures of the things you see on your rides, I know myself and many others would love to see someone at your age crushing it on cross country cycling rides. Most young men in their prime couldn't do such a feat!
I'm 60 this year, so I should try 60 km per day for 60 days? ;-)
"Somewhere in Iowa, a month into my trip, I was beginning to feel burnt out."
Oh, that's just how it feels to be in Iowa.
now that was funny
Missouri did it to me.
Wow. What an incredible journey! And a great synopsis. 4k miles in 9 minutes!? Very tastefully edited. Love that bit at the end too…
“I gotta get a job now” 😂😂😂
Brilliant!
I thought that was the perfect ending, acknowledging those of us who can’t do something crazy wonderful like this, even if we were physically able.
@@Roboprogs With all the time you have left on this Earth, I'm sure there is some way you could do this. Don't tell me or yourself or anyone all the reasons you think you can't. Just think of how you could...
Absolutely love that ending- "I gotta get a job now 😕"
Awesome video!
Thank you!
Probably the one thing keeping me from doing something like this - a job. Something about a mortgage payment and 2 kids in college keep me motivated to show up to work each day.
For me as a European, the endless expanses of the landscape are mind blowing😮
Great trip
Ummm I’m from the US, but I’ve been all over Europe and America.Your landscapes over there are INCREDIBLE. Switzerland alone blows everything out of the water here, and I’ve been to 48 of the 50 states here.
@goforbroke2 I'd recommend you to cycle Europe from north to south, it offers far more than you think.
@@ZwergDesignI think you replied to the wrong person. The commenter you replied to is specifically saying that Europe *is* more interesting than the US.
So many shots of you riding on a shoulderless road as an 18-wheeler passes! Thanks for telling it like it is. My tolerance for that kind of riding fizzled to zero by the time I was 30 years old. Too bad there are so few car-free routes in this country. Congrats on completing the trip!
Thanks! Yes some roads felt more dangerous than others. If I saw a semi-truck coming and was worried I usually got off the road. Just the force of the wind alone while they passed pushed me forward then back on my bike.
I think it's great that people travel low-key with ordinary bikes that don't set you back a couple of K's in Dollars of Euro's. That's the real spirit of travelling! It's so cheap to get the best gear available. With cheap, I mean easy and unadventurous. Good you covered the whole in 9 minutes instead of 90. Enough to get into the experience. Watching you cycling on 'car roads' I feel blessed to have a lot of safe and carefree bike routes in Europe.
lols. My first cross country ride was for laughs too. I've done three now. And both coasts a few times. Started doing 2000 mile rides for jokes. I've seen the world's largest ball of twine made by one man. The world's largest Holstein cow, brown river otter, Prarie chicken, sand crane, alligator and ditch. When I noticed id ridden through 25 states I figured I'd finish em all. 43 states down now. Be careful everyone. Bicycle touring is a dangerous and addictive activity.
Congrats on all your trips! Riding in 43 states is impressive, good luck with the rest!!
What do you do for work that you have the time? Sounds like a great life
Well Done! A life lesson in getting burned out and reinventing yourself. Stayed the course and finished the task at hand. Solo and 3 speed. All Bad Ass.
Man you are living the dream, I plan to cycle the country next summer
Good luck!
So inspiring! ❤ I’m 68 and I’ve wanted to bike across America since I was a bike riding teenager. Good for you!!! You did it!!! Yay! 🎉❤
you can do it!!!!!
@@Borderman47Ebike really is the answer! You will get twice as far on a day or at least have a lot of help up those hills. No need to get off and walk with a heavy bike. In tour mode, a battery will normally last you 60 miles or 100 kms.
I used a motorized bicycle 😊
I found that all the peddling kept ruining my adventures 😅
I designed my own build ,so simple a cave man could do it.🚴💨
LOVED IT!!
I appreciate the well thought out narration. No fumbling for words.
I think your photography is stellar.
Just a pure joy to experience. Hope you’re planning your next adventure.
Thank you for the nice words!!
1:37 my house is right at the top of that road and I have to bike up it every time I get back from a ride. I'm glad someone else can feel my pain! That's such a wild coincidence.
haha very cool!
Great that such a trek can still be done on such a basic bike. Congrats.
Trek????????? Pun intended?
I often have flights of fancy about the PCT, long haul kayaking trips, etc. I watch a lot of TH-cam videos like yours that document these kinds of trips. I really liked this video. I really appreciated how you did not try and force feed us some kind of narrative or lesson along with your journey. I’m sure you learned plenty during your 60+ day journey, but it’s very grounding to leave all that for yourself and end with “now I need to get a job”
Well done!
Thank you for the nice words!
That was an incredible biking story. I very much appreciate that you did not make this an hour long video. I found it to be extremely interesting as a shorter video. Congratulations on finishing this amazing journey.
Thank you!
This is a perfect story. Perfect pacing, great video, just perfection. Especially loved the abrupt ending. I’m not sure what you’re going to do next, but good luck in what ever it is
Thank you!
Woah, I expected this video to have like atleast a couple hundred thousand views. You could’ve easily turned this into a multi-month long series but somehow compressed it into nine minutes. Awesome trip!
Great and concise video! I love that you took a regular ol' 3-speed hybrid and also how honest you were about the mental hurdles you faced.
You passed through my small town at one point, I recognized the streets and thought holy crap!
Haha very cool I was able to get some video of it!
I did something similar...Vancouver, BC to Portland, ME - 10 days on an antique (1966) Italian motor scooter about 15 years ago. I was averaging 350 miles a day. It was exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. I remember feeling similarly about 1/2 through my trip. Kudos for finishing your journey. Great video, BTW. Cheers!
Thanks! Sounds like that was a great trip too!
The last line was really the entire kicker for the whole video. Good on you and congrats on your accomplishment!
“I gotta get a job now” at the tail end
😂.
I’ve considered doing this on a 7 speed custom build..17” aluminum MTB frame, 26” wheels, front suspension that I keep relatively stiff..I swap between slicks and off road tires depending on the season..whole bike is around 27 lbs. Watching this has made me feel like it could be more practical than I first thought. Glad you had fun/finished!
Thanks! And whatever you decide best of luck!
Thanks for giving the most concise recap of close to 70 days that I’m sure changed your life! Great trip-congrats!
Thank you for your great video! And furthermore: Thank you for your honesty in 4:28. Exactly my problem on such long tours. And congrats for overcoming it.
Thank you for the kind words. Yeah, when I first started the trip I didn't expect the mental challenge of it.
I can’t believe you skipped Minnesota! Understandable though. This is amazing, thank you for sharing your adventure, and including the low points. ❤
Wow!!! I didn’t even know this was possible. What an accomplishment!
This feels like one of those videos from the old era of youtube, where people posted videos just to record their life and save some memories rather than try to monetize and be a youtuber
Thanks! I tried to prioritize the experience of bicycling over filming
I absolutely love this video. As a resident of Portland, Maine, it’s so cool to see the familiar streets, trails, and landmarks as you set off on this epic journey. Inspiring!!
Congrats and fulling your dream. When things get tough for me while riding, I ask myself these questions, "Is my bike broken? No--then keep pedaling. Do I have an injury preventing me from riding? No---then keep moving forward." I hope you found a worthy job after your incredible journey.
Those are great questions!
On a three speed.. That’s hardcore ! Hats off to you.
Thank you!
You should consider creating a longer video explaining the trip, I know some people might like the short format, but I would love an extensive video diving into the trip. 🙂
Thanks! I've made daily vlogs in my playlist section but this video was enough for me. TH-camrs make editing videos look easy but this took me forever haha
@@matt-hike-bike-camp Oh I didn’t see that playlist, thank you
Congrats on an amazing accomplishment! Thanks for sharing it as well.
This is incredible. I live in Portland Maine. Love that you started here!
Awesome! Thank you!
This is a video I needed to see. Sometimes I think racing bikes just makes me want to get the ride over with but this video reminded me how much fun can be had if you view it as a journey as opposed to training or a race.
Wonderful accomplishment. That halfway through you questioned why you were doing this and lost some perspective for awhile is a normal feeling among people who take on big journeys as you did. Happy that you worked your way through it. Congrats!
Thank you!
Great editing, this was super entertaining.
great video! nice to meet you, look forward to seeing more of your adventures!
This is the most dude video and ride across USA I have seen!!!
Awesome
damn i bet it was interesting to see how fresh air smells different from state to state. nice work
Sir, you are my hero. If I ever do anything like that, I'll consider it the highlight of my life. Thank you for sharing your experience. How about doing Florida to Alaska? Now, that would be something!
Thank you! I don't think I have it in me to do FL to AK haha
I'm doing Florida to Washington next year
💥👊😎💥
All of that on that bike, that's amazing. Also love the ending
Thank you!
Awesome thank you for sharing your ride 🤩
Doing this on a 3 speed is badass!
Thanks!
Probably a 4th speed if you count the walking. LOL. Even with all the speeds, I've seen people walk once it hit 15% grade.
Northern Tier veteran here (2002). Great job persevering to reach your goal. It takes a lot of mental toughness to go solo for thousands of miles. I'd like to hear more about how your 3-speed setup worked for you; that's pretty bold. I hope you met some of the locals along the way. That's one of the best parts of riding across America, which is not the America you see on the news.
Thank you! I can't imagine doing the trip in 2002. I had the luxury of an iphone, google maps, and nearly 100% cell service. Totally agree meeting people along the way is one of the major highlights! I've never had a better bike so things that would frustrate others never even cross my mind. I didn't have any major issues with it except for one spoke.
Enjoyed the video!! I have always wanted to ride across this country on the southern route. Thanks for more motivation. Your last words were funny, but realistic! Haha!
Thank you!
I used a motorized bicycle to do the southern tier 🚴💨
More smiles per mile 😊
Totally respect! I rode my wife’s $300 bicycle from Boston to Key West! It was the perfect ride!
Very cool!!
Amazing journey. I really enjoyed your video and the simplicity of your philosophy on touring. Like you said "the hardest part was getting started." Amazing bike that you have. It seems to have held up very well. It carried you over 4000 miles safely. I have an older Raleigh 7 speed steel hybrid bike similar to the bike you have. It's been an amazingly comfortable and fun bike to ride over the years. I've always wonered if it could hold up on such a journey. I've only used it on a couple of overnight mini-tours. I've since bought a new Trek hybrid bike a couple of years ago. I'm older now with bad knees so I needed more gearing. Good luck in your future endeavors...🚴♂️🚴♂️🚴♂️
Internal gear hub is much less troublesome; you can get a Shimano Alfine 8 very reasonably priced. I had a Raleigh Super Course with the Alfine 8 that I rode from Central Texas all the way to Merida, Mexico. I've since upgraded to another hybrid from REI; I refuse to pay $3000 for a touring bike.
"You used your 3 speed because that's what you had" That's a brilliant attitude. 3 speeds are great. Epic journey 🙏
Thank you!
This is so cool, It especially resonates with me as my recently passed grandfather did the same thing for one of the first times in the 70's to 80's era
Wow, I can't imagine doing this before google maps and cell phones, now that would be an adventure!
wow you are a beast, i cycle a lot but cant imagine doing this on bike like that. Inspirational, glad you made it through safely. Thumbs up from Czech Rep!
Thanks!
You make this old man jealous! Thanks so much!
Haha, thanks!
Simply the best biking video I've ever seen 🌻
Thank you!
Idaho does look amazing! Congrats on making all the way from coast to coast
Good trip, good determination, and goal achieved. Hopefully you found work and your other days became meangful as well. Cheers from Oregon.
Cheers from Oregon aswell
Great video. Nice change from all the other channels with so much focus on fancy gear.
I love this. You grabbed what gear you had and sent it! You made bike touring seem really accessible. Thank you
Wow, what an amazing journey, I hope you keep on biking man, 4k miles in 9 minutes is insane, I loved everything from the voice to the editing.
Thank you, appreciate it!
These kinds of trips are more mental than folks can imagine.... Me... I've got a bit over 8,600 miles of self-supported touring behind me... lots of camping but as I've aged the notion of getting a room has become more attractive! I tend to wing the trips starting with a general idea of what I want to do and then doing the planning and updates on a daily basis. It takes a lot of on the fly logistical work but the flexibility of changing course to see something that I hadn't considered seeing before is great. Love the 3 speed... a tribute to some of the earliest long distance tourists! I've got about a 2,000 mile trip in mind and will hit my goal of 10,000 miles of self supported touring during it!
That's some pressive milage, very cool! And yeah, well said. I didn't expect the mental aspect of the trip. Good luck on the 10k
"I gotta get a job now." All that glory of completing this incredible ride, and then you go and spoil it all with thoughts about work. Argh... LOL! Great job on this ride, Matt!
Thanks! Haha, I have learn how to enjoy the moment
What an accomplishment, well done!
Awesome! Thank you for sharing! "...I've got to get a job now." 😂 All the best to you Matt!
That's amazing incredible trip!!! Thanks fot sharing.
What an adventure! I've been looking to do a cross country trip myself, thanks for the inspiration.
Thanks, Best of luck!!
Retold in the book Full Tilt, Dervla Murphy rode from Dublin to Delhi in 1963 on such a bike. It's a classic in the genre, a pistol packing lone woman racking up a ton a day across Asia. Get a copy and revel in the audacity of it.
Loved your posting... good for you. I would have never gone with that bike, but happy that you did, it made everything more reachable. No camping, was different... no tents, sleeping bags, or cooking gear.... Still a great adventure, one, you will never forget. Happy for your memories.
Thanks!
Great job with the video! So many of these kinds of videos are boring, you have done a great job pacing and editing. Congratulations!
I love your video! I've driven from Virginia to California alone back in 2001, and see the vast expanse of the United States felt so incredible. I would love to do what you did though one day! Incredible.
Thank you! VA to CA road trip sounds like a blast too!
riding so near those trucks must've been terrifying. what a great accomplishment, glad you came out safe!
Thanks! And yeah, traffic could be extremely dangerous at certain points, I wouldn't recommend it
Awesome video and experience! I've driven from ME to CA, and back again 9 years later. Just driving that distance is not easy. But there are a lot of beautiful parts like Colorado and Utah.
I love how you biked to Portland Oregon of all places, your fellow bicyclers called you home hahaha!
Really impressed by your trip. It's something I can only dream of. To me, the great plains states were the most beautiful. Well done. 👍
Thank you!
You got guts.
You're the kind of rider that could do that on Any bike. Good Job.
I felt that last, “I gotta get a job now” 😂 very well done and congrats on the accomplishment!
Thank you!!
Very cool, I love these bike adventures. My friend's and I used to take longish trips on our 10 speeds on the east coast of South Africa where I lived for 10+ years. This developed into a lifelong interest in cycling. I'm in the Philippines now and it's mayhem here, but I can see myself getting another bike.
A cool upgrade for your bike would have been a Shimano internal hub 7 or 8spd vs the 3spd. The bike would keep it's original vibe but be better on the up hills.
Hello Matt. I just watched your video about your ride from coast to coast and it brought back memories of my C2C 10 years ago at age 62. I really enjoyed your videography and your comments, especially the part about getting discouraged in Iowa. But you were right. Wyoming was my point of wanting to stop. But fortunately I have a wife that said, "Fine. I'll come get you but it'll take a month to find the keys to the camper." (Love that woman!) You could always come back and finish in another year, but it wouldn't have been the same. Congratulations on finishing the journey! And welcome to the brother/sisterhood of the coast to coasters!
Thank you! Very impressive to do it at 62! Ha, glad you had a supportive wife.
5:13 WORST surface to ever ride on ! ! I also love how unceremonious the end of your trip was, I've had the same experience !
Yeah some of the dirt roads I found were spirit draining haha. Congrats on your ride!
I live in the west portland so this was pretty interesting!
You are a beast, my friend.
Solo ride, on a three speed. Incredible achievement. Fantastic Video. I love it.
Congratulations!!! Many people dream of doing this. You did it, with humbleness.
Thank you!
Congratulations on your trip. This looks like fun. The transitions to the music at 6:00 are so cool
That was extremely cool in my book, Cheers for making it all the way. 👍🏼
Wish this video was longer like u talking about the day while eating and getting ready for bed and starting day but, overall really cool video Matt can’t wait for the next
Thanks! I do have daily videos on the playlist section of my channel but not sure how informative/interesting they are.
What a ride! I thought I'd be fairly down to earth with my gear, but I've never taken my single-speed bike to long distance trips. But maybe I'll try to complete the 100 miles of Finnish Winter solstice ride with it this December, now that you've shown us it's about attitude and pace, not the bike.
Awesome and thanks for sharing. You might give wider handlebars a try - gives your chest more room to breath, as your arms aren't pointed in ward. I did the Katy Trail carrying all my stuff, the tent, sleeping bag, etc. Not having to deal with all that certain helps. Surprising how much harder an additional 40 lbs is to lug uphill.
Thank you, and good call outs!
Just great. Good for you to plan it and then do it. I know the route form PDX to Seaside, Route 30, as I have driven it often. But you did it on a bike, the great proletarian and dependable 3-speed. And you stayed in rented accommodations. A great plan well executed. Take a bow.
Thanks! Parts of Route 30 were a little too busy/narrow for my comfort but certainly a really scenic area!
That was something special, thank you for sharing!
I love that you did this on a three speed. Congratulations on completing such a large undertaking. It is inspiring. Your final comment is the iceing on the cake 🎉
Thanks!
Great video and a fantastic achievement, well done sir😊
You have amazing storytelling! Looking forward to more videos!
I'm almost a month into my bike packing trip and I'm feeling a bit burnt out for multiple reasons. So I need to dig down deep and keep riding. Failure is not an option. Your video was encouraging and for that I thank you.
I literally LOL at the end when you said now I got ro get a job. I'm gonna have to find work in a month or so cause my funds are gonna run out before I know it.
My bike is way overloaded complete with my tool belt and hammer so I'm slow rolling.
Congrats on taking on your dream and completing your journey.
Best of luck! I hope the burn out gets better. For me, it helped to slow down a little while feeling burn out.
@@matt-hike-bike-camp I'm traveling at Gods speed my friend. Sometimes that's fast, sometimes slow and sometimes still 🙏🏻☦
It would be great if you could post your map someplace. You may be already have and I just don’t know about it. I’m intrigued by all the back roads that you managed to find to travel. Great job. I’m 76 and really have great respect for what you were doing. The memories were all always be with you.
Thanks for the nice words! As far as my map, it isn't 100% accurate with the roads I took. If I recall correctly, the line connects the towns I stayed in. I mostly used Adventure Cycling routes but not sure if you can see those roads without buying their maps. I do have a Short titled "Bicycle across America: What route did I take?" which gives slightly more details on my Adventure Cycling route though. In my playlist I do have daily vlogs but those might be painful to watch haha.
I would have been hooked if you posted this in a whole series buy its nice to see a different kind of video. Congrats!
Nicely done. Having ridden the Pacific coast I can imagine those vast das in the plains must have been challenging.
Thx for sharing the spiral. Wow BIG miles. 76 first day!! I’m usually under 50. Good vid, and congrats 🎉
Thank you! I tried to average around 60 miles a day. That way if anything went wrong I still had plenty of daylight to deal with problems. I met another cyclist who said they averaged 40 miles a day. It's great that people can go their own pace!
Awesome video and adventure. Congrats on pushing through and completing your entire ride.
Good stuff. Amazing thing to have done in your life.
Thank you!
Good to see. I enjoyed watching. Congratulations!