Arrive in Portland, Oregon Saturday, July 4
30 riding days 3,484 miles 116 miles per day
Fly home Tuesday, August 4
$4,395 for 30 or more riders
$4,695 less than 30 riders
$1000 (total due) by April 1, 2009
Remainder due by May 4, 2009
Rider count taken on May 4th
Sign up before April 15, 2009 to guarantee your jersey
add $1250 for a single room
If space is available, half tour options will be offered. Registration for half tours will open February 1.
Follow the Oregon Trail across Oregon and Idaho then climb the steep mountain grades of Utah and Colorado. This route features over 1,600 miles of mountains before crossing the plains of Texas and Oklahoma. The Talimena Parkway in the Arkansas Ozarks could be the hilliest 50 miles in America. This tour is only for serious long distance riders who want the challenge of crossing the United States fast with full support.
The 2009 transcontinental route from Portland, Oregon to Tybee Island (Savannah) Georgia is the longest route ever for PAC Tour . We will cross the country in almost 3,500 miles. This route combines many of the back roads of American history that will make for good cycling and interesting landmarks.
Our first six days follow the western 800 miles of the Oregon Trail. While the pioneers traveled this route from east to west, we will begin our adventure from Portland and head east. There are many historical markers along the way sharing stories of wagon trains of settlers who made it this far west. During our tour we want everyone to be sure and learn about these events from 150 years ago. Our route has its share of hills and mountains which will make for challenging cycling days. It is amazing this route was traveled by oxen and wagons.
Our route across Idaho opens up to the rolling grasslands which will make our cycling miles easier. The winds should be favorable and we will make good time across the state. As we head south into Utah we continue to follow the path of history. Promontory, Utah is where the Golden Spike connected the first railroad from east to west across the country. Leaving Ogden, Utah is the long climb up to Monte Cristo Summit. This is the longest and steepest grade of the tour gaining almost 6,000 feet in 20 miles.
The next few days we continue through the mountains of Utah and Wyoming. The day from Evanston, Wyoming to Vernal, Utah is 147 miles with almost 9,000 feet of combined climbing. We have ridden this section during past tours and it is always remembered as one of the toughest days. Our route cuts diagonally across Colorado from the northwest to the southeast. We follow a path of valleys with a major climb each day. Tennessee Pass near Leadville, Colorado is the highest elevation of the tour at 10,424 feet.
We have traveled over 1,750 miles by the time we arrive at the halfway point of the tour near Amarillo, Texas. Most of the route has been in the mountains. The terrain will final change to high prairies has we head east into Texas. Our timetable of history will also change from stories of the pioneers to stories from the 1930's and dust bowl travelers on Route 66. We have several days planned to visit the museums and restaurants which cater to the modern Route 66 traveler across Oklahoma.
The terrain will dramatically change again as we get into eastern Oklahoma. There are more trees and the humidity of the south is leaves a shimmer of sweat on your skin. Our first miles in Arkansas are climbing the Talimena Parkway. This is one of the toughest 50 miles in the United States with continuous 10% and 15% up and down the Ozark Mountains. We cross Arkansas on a selection of small highways that pass through dense rolling forests before opening up to the flat rice fields near the Mississippi River.
We cross the Mississippi River on rural roads south of Memphis. Our route across Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia is rural traveling on many forest roads. This route follows road between catfish ponds and cotton fields. The terrain varies from flat farmland to steep rolling hills. We avoid most of the major towns during the day and return to a civilized hotel each night. Fortunately the navigation is fairly easy and our route will be marked with specific signs for our tour. We will see a good cross section of America during this tour. When we arrive at Tybee Island will have completed an challenging ride across America.
This tour is 30 days with several days near 150 miles long. You will need to be in great cycling shape from the start of this tour. You should start your training in March with several 50-75 mile rides. During April and May gradually increase your weekly mileage to 200-300 miles per week. Your final training should include eight weeks of weekend rides with back to back rides over 100 miles. Your weekly training should be over 300 miles per week during June and July. You should ride at least two days over 200 miles per day and complete this 200 mile distance in less than 14 hours.
| Fly into Portland July 4th, 2009 | ||||
| Day | Start | Destination | Miles | Climb |
| 1 Sun. 5 | Portland | The Dalles | 115 | 6,500' |
| 2 Mon. 6 | The Dalles | Pendleton, OR | 128 | 4,000' |
| 3 Tues. 7 | Pendleton | Baker City, OR | 115 | 3,800' |
| 4 Wed. 8 | Baker City | Ontario, OR | 80 | 2,500' |
| 5 Thur. 9 | Ontario | Mountain Home, ID | 137 | 2,560' |
| 6 Fri. 10 | Mountain Home | Burley, ID | 139 | 2,480' |
| 7 Sat. 11 | Burley | Bringham City, UT | 143 | 4,200' |
| 8 Sun. 12 | Bringham City | Evanston, WY | 102 | 6,200' |
| 9 Mon. 13 | Evanston | Vernal, UT | 147 | 8,700' |
| 10 Tues. 14 | Vernal | Craig, CO | 118 | 5,700' |
| 11 Wed. 15 | Craig | Minturn (Vail) CO | 130 | 6,500' |
| 12 Thur. 16 | Minturn | Salida, CO (Tennesee Pass) | 88 | 4,200' |
| 13 Fri. 17 | Salida | Trinidad, CO | 143 | 5,200' |
| 14 Sat. 18 | Trinidad | Clayton, NM | 117 | 2,800' |
| 15 Sun. 19 | Clayton | Amarillo, TX | 125 | 800' |
| 16 Mon. 20 | Amarillo | Shamrock, TX | 94 | 2,500' |
| 17 Tues. 21 | Shamrock | Weatherford, OK | 106 | 3,800' |
| 18 Wed. 22 | Weatherford | Purcell, OK | 113 | 5,000' |
| 19 Thur. 23 | Purcell | McAlester, OK | 112 | 4,000' |
| 20 Fri. 24 | McAlester | Mena, AR | 114 | 8,000' |
| 21 Sat. 25 | Mena | Arkadelphia, AR | 87 | 3,500' |
| 22 Sun. 26 | Arkadelphia | Pine Bluff, AR | 91 | 1,600' |
| 23 Mon. 27 | Pine Bluff | Clarksdale, MS | 134 | 1,500' |
| 24 Tues. 28 | Clarksdale | Kosciusko, MS | 144 | 3,000' |
| 25 Wed. 29 | Kosciusko | Livingston, AL | 116 | 3,000' |
| 26 Thur. 30 | Livingston | Greenville, AL | 126 | 3,700' |
| 27 Fri. 31 | Greenville | Eufaula, AL | 110 | 3,500' |
| 28 Sat. Aug. 1 | Eufaula | Perry, GA | 106 | 3,200' |
| 29 Sun. Aug. 2 | Perry | Metter, GA | 117 | 2,000' |
| 30 Mon. Aug. 3 | Metter | Tybee Island, GA | 87 | 1,000' |
| Fly home Tuesday, August 4 | ||||
| 3,484 Total miles | 116 miles per day | |||
| 115,440 feet of climbing | 3,840 feet of climbing per day | |||
We are limited to about 40-45 paid riders and 35 motel rooms. If space remains available on February 1, we will offer half tours.
Half Tour options (15 days)
Portland to Amarillo
or
Amarillo to Savannah
$2,995.00
Single supplement $625.00
There is a 50-50 chance you will be required to pay the single supplement (unless you sign up with your own roommate), as you will be one of the last riders signing up.
Half tour riders are not included in the 30 or over rider count.