- Day 1 / San Francisco to Davis, CA
April 28th, 2019 / (110km/68 miles, 660m elevation gain, 6hrs ride) Got it started. I left San Francisco around noon with the ferry to Vallejo which is a nice one hour cruise giving you a great view on the … Read more - Day 2 / Davis, CA to Plymouth, CA
April 29th, 2019 / (115km/70miles, 670m elevation gain, roughly 7hrs ride) While assuming that today would be stop and go thru Sacramento’s streets with traffic lights cutting the ride into bits and pieces, it turned out that the route … Read more - Day 3 / Plymouth, CA to Kirkwood, CA
April 30th, 2019 / (95km/60miles, 2700m/8900 feet elevation gain, 7hrs) The day started out foggy as we left the motel shortly after 7am. Klaus and I spent the rest of the day, almost until 4pm, in fog and clouds … Read more - Day 4 / Kirkwood, CA to Carson City, NV
May 1st, 2019 / (88km/55 miles) The day started all sunny which was a welcome change over yesterday’s fog and clouds. Still, it was only 2°C outside, so the rides downhill made it quite chilly with the cold air … Read more - Day 5 / Carson City, NV to Fallon, NV
May 2nd, 2019 / (100km/62miles) I started shortly after 7am at -2°C and followed US-50 all day long while it got warmer and warmer. The whole route led along the shoulder of the highway and there was quite some … Read more - Day 6 / Fallon, NV to Cold Springs Station, NV
May 3rd, 2019 / (100km/62miles) Most notably, there was US-50. Seriously, I leave Fallon early again and happen to ride through the downtown area that I had missed yesterday. Actually, I think I haven’t missed anything. After a few … Read more - Day 7 / Cold Springs Station, NV to Austin, NV
May 4th, 2019 / (80km/48miles) US-50 again. Straight. One slight bend. Straight again. Arrived. More or less that was the day. I decide to have a rest day today in buzzing Austin, Nevada, with a stunning population of 120, … Read more - Day 8 / Austin, NV to Eureka, NV
May 5th, 2019 / (112km/70miles, 811hm) I plan to start early today — and leave the Motel at shortly past 6am. First stop is the Toiyabe Cafe which opens at 6am and got recommended for breakfast. I have just … Read more - Day 9 / Eureka, NV to Ely, NV
May 6th, 2019 / (124km/77miles, 1300hm) This morning during breakfast at the motel I run into Daniel, another German bicyclist who’s crossing America — in his case from NYC to San Francisco. He’s already 40 days on the road … Read more - Day 10 / Ely, NV to Baker, NV
May 7th, 2019 / (100km/67miles, 1200hm) Woke up at 5:15am this morning, got myself ready, packed and left Ely for one of the medium-length legs of the tour: 100km to Baker, NV, the last stop before entering Utah. It’s … Read more - Day 11 / Baker, NV to Milford, UT
May 8th, 2019 / (133km/83miles, 1300hm, 8hrs) The day starts with a sunny sky, very few clouds, the rainy weather from yesterday afternoon is gone. I start at 6am as today I’ve one of the longest stretches to tackle: … Read more - Day 12 / Milford, UT to Cedar City, UT
May 9th, 2019 / (89km/53miles, 750hm, 4:30hrs) The day starts late. I’m not used to having “lost” an hour to MDT timezone yet, I’m still tired from yesterday and there’s no rush this morning as today won’t be a … Read more - Day 13 / Cedar City, UT
May 10th, 2019 / (0km / 0 miles, 0 hm) As I had already decided yesterday, based on the cold and rain, and the terrible weather forecast for today, I declared day #13 to be a forced rest day. … Read more - Day 14 / Cedar City, UT to Bryce Canyon, UT
May 11th, 2019 / (150km/93miles, 2300hm) Since today is going to be a rather challenging day — expecting to take on a pass at 3000m elevation (10.000ft) — I wanted to start relatively early at 6am. As usual, packing … Read more - Day 15 / Bryce Canyon, UT
May 12th, 2019 / (0km/0mi) As planned, today is a hiking and sightseeing day in Bryce Canyon. I couldn’t just cycle past it and since yesterday was an exhausting bike day anyways, the timing of Bryce Canyon popping up … Read more - Day 16 / Bryce Canyon, UT to Torrey, UT
May 13th, 2019 / (170km/106miles, 2600hm/8530ft elevation gain, 10hrs) I start around 6:30am again and re-join UT-12 towards Escalante. It’s a beautiful part of the highway leading thru green fields that nicely contrasts with the red stone that is … Read more - Day 17 / Torrey, UT to Green River, UT
May 14th, 2019 / (170km/105mi, 1540hm/5050ft elev gain) The day starts with riding along Capitol Reef thru green canyons enclosed by steep red and beige sandstone mountains towering left and right. The road winds its way thru the canyon. … Read more - Day 18 / Green River, UT to Moab, UT
May 15th, 2019 / (107km/66mi) Today sucked. When I leave Green River, Google Maps first sends me for 19km onto an old state highway which turns into a gravel road after a while. When I make it to the … Read more - Day 19 / Moab, UT to Telluride, CO
May 16th, 2019 / (0km/0mi) It’s extremely windy today outside and wind gusts of up to 55mph have been forecasted. With the negative impressions of yesterday still present on my mind and having checked the weather forecast for the … Read more - Day 20 / Telluride, CO to Pueblo, CO
May 17th, 2019 / (0km/0mi) When I wake up this morning it’s raining outside. The dark clouds stick around the mountains one can see from the windows and all in all it looks like weather one doesn’t want to … Read more - Day 21 / Pueblo, CO to Eads, CO
May 18th, 2019 / (182km/113mi) I get up relatively late – the car rental only opens at 8:30am. I pack my stuff as usual, decide to have “breakfast” at Dunkin’ Donuts next door. That one takes forever — people … Read more - Day 22 / Eads, CO to Scott City, KS
May 19th, 2019 / (168km/104mi) Today was an eventless day along CO-96, later KS-96. Weather was just fine, wind was low even though the forecast had predicted heavy winds in the afternoon. But it was calm, at least where … Read more - Day 23 / Scott City, KS
May 20th, 2019 / (0km/0mi) A bad storm front is hitting the Great Plains and Kansas is impacted as well. Today it’s raining since the morning hours and wind is very strong outside. There’s more bad weather forecasted, with … Read more - Day 24 / Scott City, KS
May 21st, 2019 / (0km/0mi) Still waiting in Scott City for the weather to clear up. Today it still rained heavily, but towards the later afternoon the rain stopped and the wind calmed down. Since I couldn’t sit in … Read more - Day 25 / Scott City, KS to Dodge City, KS
May 22nd, 2019 / (140km/87mi) Like a miracle after the last two days, the sun is out this morning and there’s no clouds in the sky. Still, I am only on the road shortly past 8am. I decided yesterday … Read more - Day 26 / Dodge City, KS to Pittsburg, KS
May 23rd, 2019 / (0km/0mi ride) I woke up at 5am this morning and looked outside. Still dark, but all cloudy sky. For the next 4 hours I am undecided what to do. I check all available sources for … Read more - Day 27 / Pittsburg, KS to Houston, MO
May 24th, 2019 / (148km/92mi, 1027hm) When I get out of the motel this morning in Pittsburg, KS, it is already 20°C warm. What a difference to the days so far – normally I would rather freeze than sweat. … Read more - Day 28 / Houston, MO to Ellington, MO
May 25th, 2019 / (134km/83mi, 670hm) After some last minute confusion about my motel next night – and it’s Memorial Day weekend here in the US, so places are pretty booked out – I start late, i.e. at almost … Read more - Day 29 / Ellington, MO to Farmington, MO
May 26th. 2019 / (98km/61mi, 940hm) Trying to escape the heat of the day that hit me yesterday and trying to outrun some thunderstorm that is forecasted to kick in here in the Ellington area around 11am, I get … Read more - Day 30 / Farmington, MO to Carbondale, IL
May 27th, 2019 / (135km/84mi) I start at around 7:30am — late, but I didn’t get out of bed again – and am still undecided whether I take the short leg to Chester, IL, or extend today’s ride to … Read more - Day 31 / Carbondale, IL to Elizabethtown, IL
May 28th, 2019 / (118km/74mi, 1100hm) This morning I sleep long – I cancel the alarm several times and get up only by 7:30am finally, feeling the urge to head for breakfast. Today I want to stay in Carbondale … Read more - Day 32 / Elizabethtown, IL to Madisonville, KY
May 29th, 2019 / (98km/64mi, 930hm) As planned, I get up early from my alarm and check the weather outside: it looks good. Good enough at least to decide not to stay here and rather get moving further East … Read more - Day 33 / Madisonville, KY
May 30th, 2019 / (0km/0mi) Rain’s forecasted for today and when I check outside thru the window early in the morning, it indeed is raining strongly. So I stay in Madisonville today. Burning one of my slack days to … Read more - Day 34 / Madisonville, KY to Rough River Dam State, KY Resort
May 31st, 2019 / (120km/75mi, 930hm) While the forecast was fine and things looked good when I woke up, as I leave Madisonville dark rain clouds hang all over the sky in my back and follow me diligently for … Read more - Day 35 / Rough River Dam State Park, KY to Elizabethtown, KY
June 1st, 2019 / (78km/48mi) I start late today. There’s no need to rush out as it’s anyways just 78 kilometers to my next stop in Elizabethtown (Kentucky!). My ride again gets me thru rural areas with a few … Read more - Day 36 / Elizabethtown, KY to Springfield, KY
June 2nd, 2019 / (76km/47mi) Another easy cruising day today getting me from Elizabethtown to Springfield. It’s just 76 km / 47 miles and reasonably little up and down the hills. Once I’m out of Elizabethtown, Google Maps directs … Read more - Day 37 / Springfield, KY to Lexington, KY
June 3rd, 2019 / (98km/61mi) Made it to Lexington, passing thru historic Harrodsburg and crossing the Kentucky river. Nice scenery today. Easy ride. And today is the end of my solo trip. I will now pause for two days. … Read more - Day 40 / Lexington, KY to Berea, KY
June 6th, 2019 / (76km/47mi) The last two days were ‘rest’ and ‘get ready’ days: Tim, my oldest son, flew in from Germany two days ago to finally join the trip and ride with me the remaining 1000 miles … Read more - Day 41 / Berea, KY
June 7th, 2019 / (0km/0mi) Pouring rain. - Day 42 / Berea, KY to Hazard, KYJune 8th, 2019 / (0km/0mi) More rain and more bad weather forecasted. Again. We decide to get a rental car and to “jump” east to get around the wet. Getting the rental car turns out to be quite challenging … Read more
- Day 43 / Hazard, KY to Charlottesville, VA
June 9th, 2019 / (0km/0mi) We leave Hazard in the morning skipping breakfast and leaving a questionable motel behind. The drive is longer than I had anticipated, especially when taking the backroads. But I wanted to follow the official … Read more - Day 44 / Charlottesville, VA
June 10th, 2019 / (0km/0mi) We wake up late – Tim is super tired from we don’t know what exactly, actually. Perhaps late jet lag kicking in. We have to return the pickup at the rental car spot by … Read more - Day 45 / Charlottesville, VA to Ashland, VA
June 11th, 2019 / (135km/84mi) When we wake up from the alarm clock at 5:30am and I look outside, the sky is clear, the sun is up and it promises to be a perfect day. We get up and … Read more - Day 46 / Ashland, VA to Williamsburg, VA (plus roundtrip to Yorktown, VA)
June 12th, 2019 / (164km/104mi) We start at 7:30am today and our first stop is a Walmart nearby to restock on fruit and sweets. For whatever stupid reason I forget my backpack outside Walmart and recognize it 10 minutes … Read more - Day 47 / Williamsburg, VA to Yorktown, VA (and back)
June 13th, 2019 / (42km/21mi) Getting up late today. So late that we don’t even make it to the – admittedly always sparse – breakfast at our motel. So we decide to walk to the nearby Ihop and get … Read more - Day 48 / Williamsburg, VA to Suffolk, VA
June 14th, 2019 / (86km/54mi) We start after breakfast at around 8:30am and slowly make our way back out of Williamsburg, reversing the route almost that we took to get in. We’re heading South today on a three day … Read more - Day 49 / Suffolk, VA to Chesapeake, VA
June 15th, 2019 / (121km/75mi) Killing a day today. Heading south first, then continuing east and finally going back north again: Riding a huge circle around the Dismal Swamp Wildlife Preserve/State Park. Without even really seeing the swamp once. … Read more - Day 50 / Chesapeake, VA to Williamsburg, VA
June 16th, 2019 / (107km/64mi) We leave relatively late this morning – 9am almost – and when we get outside it’s already hot and muggy. That’ll stick with us for the next few days according to the forecast. Need … Read more - Day 51 / Williamsburg, VA to Tappahannock, VA
June 17th, 2019 / (105km/64mi) We start shortly after 7am today, but the first stop is only half a mile away at a supermarket to restock for today. Our supplies have been emptied completely over the past days. We … Read more - Day 52 / Tappahannock, VA to Stafford, VA
June 18th. 2019 / (121km/75mi, 880hm) We start at 7am today to avoid the heat of the afternoon a bit and avoid to be caught by a thunderstorm that may be possible in the afternoon. The GPS app first … Read more - Day 53 / Stafford, VA to Washington, D.C.
June 19th, 2019 / (90km/56mi) Again a 7am start. It’s a bit above 20°C outside and completely overcast. But no rain. And I guess it’ll stay that way today (it does actually). We leave Stafford on heavy traffic roads … Read more - Day 54 / Washington, D.C.
June 20th, 2019 / (0km/0mi) We get up late – that’s 9am – and leave the hotel by 10am to start our sightseeing day in Washington. We pass all the big monuments one usually knows as backdrops for political … Read more - Day 55 / Washington, D.C.
June 21st, 2019 / (0km/0mi) Another day in Washington, D.C.. - Day 56 / Washington, D.C. to Owings-Mills, MD
June 22nd, 2019 / (98km/61mi, 860hm) We get up early at 5:30am and pack our stuff to get out of Washington before traffic and the heat kick in. The hotel is only a few blocks away from the Atlantic … Read more - Day 57 / Owings Mills, MD to Lancaster, PA
June 23rd, 2019 / (129km/80mi, 770hm) We started early at 6:30am with 129km to go today. Roads are pretty quiet this morning still – it’s a Sunday – and we finish the first 30km in a good time. This … Read more - Day 58 / Lancaster, PA to Blue Bell, PA
June 24th, 2019 / (105km/65mi) After we managed to leave Lancaster traffic, we get onto country backroads rolling thru fields. Farms sprinkled around. Lots of Amish farms apparently. Hills are quite steep and stay with us for the whole … Read more - Day 59 / Blue Bell, PA to Somerset, NJ
June 25th, 2019 / (109km/68mi) Last “normal” day today. Strange. Happy we’re getting to the finish line finally. It’s been a long trip since I started in San Francisco two months ago. But also weird, because somehow it has … Read more - Day 60 / Somerset, NJ to Manhattan, NY
June 26th, 2019 / (56km/35mi) This is it. San Francisco to New York City. Pacific to Atlantic. 6800 kilometers or 4300 miles. More than 40.000 meters of elevation gain. Done. If there is one insight to share – I … Read more