Riding a Bicycle Across the United States in Segments

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Over the years, I’ve completed many long-distance cycling tours. One ride I’ve always wanted to do is a full cross-country ride. However, completing it all in one trip has never been realistic due to family dynamics. My child has moderate disabilities that require either my wife or me to always be present for his safety. This impacts nearly everything we do, including my cycling ambitions.

Long-distance cycling is my passion, which is why I schedule my rides during the summer. Since my wife is a teacher (and I’m retired), she’s available to stay home with our son while I’m on the road. To be fair to her, I keep my rides between 5 to 15 days rather than being away for a month or more.

I’ve already completed several cross-state rides, including two crossings of Texas, as well as rides across New Mexico and Georgia. Riding across the entire country has always been on my bucket list, but reality has kept it out of reach—until recently, when I realized I’ve already covered a significant portion of the distance. In past years, I’ve cycled from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Lubbock, Texas, and then continued on to Pensacola, Florida. That means I only need two additional segments to complete a full cross-country ride: San Diego to Albuquerque and Pensacola to Jacksonville.

With my family’s needs in mind, I’ve put together a plan:

  • Spring 2025 – I’ll ride from San Diego to Phoenix, coinciding with Spring Break, when my wife can support the plan.
  • Late May 2025 – After the school year ends, I’ll continue from Phoenix to Albuquerque. Both of these segments can be completed in about six days each.
  • July 2025 or June 2026 – I’ll finish the journey by riding from Pensacola to Jacksonville, officially completing my coast-to-coast ride.

Over the next few months, I’ll be sharing updates on my training, including indoor preparation for an outdoor ride, my plans for support (a first for me, since I usually ride solo), and daily ride reports.

I’ll actually be starting Ocean Beach Park in San Diego, California, and finishing in Desert Hills, Arizona. This is the Adventure Cycling Southern Tier route with a few changes as I near the end of the ride.

Stay tuned for updates—I’ll be posting regularly!


Location: Lubbock, TX, USA

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