cross country bike tour with a fancy carbon bike?

[jemdet]

Ha! You're going to sleep on park benches without any gear and jump in rivers with your clothes on. Can't make it up.

To pick one of the many, many things that you should consider - There are 24 hours in a day, think about how you'll pass the remainder once you're done riding. Are you going to sit in a park for 14 hours? What if it rains?

Basically, reread everything you've written. Really think about it, and ask yourself whether your plan sounds like any fun.

In my opinion, you are going on a credit-card tour. The park benches thing leads me to believe that you don't want to rent hotel rooms, but I fear that that's what you'll end up doing.

[pobrien]

I would buy a used bike there and second the idea of getting a simple one-wheel trailer to carry a tent and clothes and water and whatnot.

Washing in creeks sounds ... like a bad idea. Sleeping in parks may get you in trouble with the law.

Perhaps do day trips using your brother's place as a base? Just an idea.
Do keep us posted! Sounds like a grand adventure!

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by zmalwo

Ok just adding more details so you guys can help me with more details advice!

1. I have family in Japan so I always have a place to go back to. my brother's place is located in the middle of japan so the most I would spend on each direction is probably 5 - 10 days. then reset once i circle back to where he is.

2. won't be cooking outside carrying food etc, Japan is pretty populated and there is no rural area there. I can find restaurants even in their most "rural" areas.

3. thinking about carrying a bottle of deet and put a fk tons of them on at night and just sleep on a park bench or some, so won't be carrying a tent either. (someone please confirm if this is a good idea)

4. maybe 1 set of spear clothing or not at all, planning to dip myself in a creek or some whenever I need to and wash myself + my clothing all at once while looking like an idiot.

5. the same apply to Taiwan where i'm heading to the first few months.

6. Japan is so crowded so stuff like tire change, spare tubes sourcing won't be a problem at all.

7. considering the conditions above, as of right now things i'm planning to carry in a waist bag are: basic hygiene stuff, a few spare tubes, a co2 inflater, a tire lever, a few hex wrenches, some cash and card, my phone, a bottle of deet, a cable lock that's it!

Give it a whirl, it's your journey.

Eyes wide open.

[ravdg316]

Sounds like you’ve got the resources to do a “supported” bike tour. In this case, my friend rode two days down the California coast with me on his Canyon with discs and 25c tires, but we ate at bomb restaurants and stayed in a hotel w a hot tub one night and an Air BNB the second night. Since you’re committing to staying with family and eating at restaurants, if you can commit to a supported style tour without going off grid, you can pack super light and have no need for a dedicated tourer.

When you start getting into unsupported touring, you may want a bike that can carry more gear. However, if it’s your first tour going unsupported may be particularly challenging, just because you’ll be relying on the advice of other well-meaning people at bike shops and the internet to guide you rather than in your own experience. A supported tour will be a nice way to ease into everything.

Roads seemed pretty nice in Japan when I was there so I don’t anticipate you’ll need tires bigger than 28s unless you’re actively searching for dirt and gravel. There’s so much to see on standard roadways, though, that bikes with huge tires may feel like overkill. On my short tour, I wished I had tires bigger than 25c for one 20-minute stretch of my entire trip. The rest of the time I appreciated the nimble feeling of skinnier tires.

[Blown Reek]

There's a show on PBS (and on demand) called Cycle Around Japan. If that guy can do it on a "fancy carbon bike" (a Chapter 2), you can do it too.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/vod/cycle/

[Blue Jays]

The first thing I contemplated when reading this was:
"What about when it rains at night while he is sleeping on the park bench?"

Based on what you have described, my suggestion would be to do a series of day tours that start and end at your brother’s residence. This will enable you to "travel light" while maximizing safety and comfort. If the area is entirely new to you the places you will find via bicycle will undoubtedly be unique and less touristy in nature. Enjoy your trip!

p.s. Opting for day trips will reduce wear and tear on your racebikes.
As others have suggested, obtaining a battle-scarred touring bicycle would provide you with peace-of-mind when "loading it down" with treasures you find along the way that you might purchase. Good luck.

[zmalwo]

Originally Posted by Blue Jays

The first thing I contemplated when reading this was:
"What about when it rains at night while he is sleeping on the park bench?"

Based on what you have described, my suggestion would be to do a series of day tours that start and end at your brother’s residence. This will enable you to "travel light" while maximizing safety and comfort. If the area is entirely new to you the places you will find via bicycle will undoubtedly be unique and less touristy in nature. Enjoy your trip!

p.s. Opting for day trips will reduce wear and tear on your racebikes.
As others have suggested, obtaining a battle-scarred touring bicycle would provide you with peace-of-mind when "loading it down" with treasures you find along the way that you might purchase. Good luck.

I slept in 17 degrees below zero Fahrenheit once before a little rain won't kill me

[djg]

Originally Posted by zmalwo

Ok just adding more details so you guys can help me with more details advice!

1. I have family in Japan so I always have a place to go back to. my brother's place is located in the middle of japan so the most I would spend on each direction is probably 5 - 10 days. then reset once i circle back to where he is.

2. won't be cooking outside carrying food etc, Japan is pretty populated and there is no rural area there. I can find restaurants even in their most "rural" areas.

3. thinking about carrying a bottle of deet and put a fk tons of them on at night and just sleep on a park bench or some, so won't be carrying a tent either. (someone please confirm if this is a good idea)

4. maybe 1 set of spear clothing or not at all, planning to dip myself in a creek or some whenever I need to and wash myself + my clothing all at once while looking like an idiot.

5. the same apply to Taiwan where i'm heading to the first few months.

6. Japan is so crowded so stuff like tire change, spare tubes sourcing won't be a problem at all.

7. considering the conditions above, as of right now things i'm planning to carry in a waist bag are: basic hygiene stuff, a few spare tubes, a co2 inflater, a tire lever, a few hex wrenches, some cash and card, my phone, a bottle of deet, a cable lock that's it!

I'm guessing from this that you're a fair bit younger than I am. Still . . .

I don't know what's acceptable (or legal) in Japan, much less what's comfortable (or tolerable) to you, but there's no way I'd sleep on park benches for 5 nights in a row, much less 10, if I could help it. I gladly did a 12-day mountain backpacking trip with the scouts in the summer of '17, and I'd do it again, but on hard ground or soft I wanted a pad between me and the ground, and benches don't seem more appealing to me. And you probably know that getting wet and cold is not actually safe. If you don't know for a fact that it's going to be mild AND dry, every day and night, I'd recommend a bivy sack, at least, and it's hard for me to picture this sort of trip without at least a lightweight sleeping bag or quilt. I'd also have a change of clothes -- at least a change of base layers.

If you are planning on riding through developed areas for much of the journey, do you plan to visit any sites of interest? You mention eating out -- can your family in Japan tell you what's required to be sort of basically/minimally presentable at places you mean to visit? How casual is casual in Japan? And what's the tolerance for downright filthy? I'm not trying to be contentious here -- just remembering how we came out of the mountains in NM -- we weren't really suitable for a diner in the American southwest without a shower and a change of clothes. Different trip, different place, and different conditions, but that's what I have in mind.

[pobrien]

Please do send updates. I expect you at least have medical coverage and can speak some Japanese. Not so sure how you will avoid meeting the Police if you don't take any of the kind advice given in this thread.

Some of our greatest experiences are learned by great disaster. It sounds like the worst that can happen is you meet nice Police. It is not like you are going to climb a mountain without proper gear. That would perhaps be unwise.

In any case, good luck and do keep us posted. There may be some good lessons that come to light that we can all benefit from.

[AngryScientist]

Originally Posted by zmalwo

I slept in 17 degrees below zero Fahrenheit once before a little rain won't kill me

i'm sure you realize that we're all just trying to help

it might kill you. if you're wet, even a little, and the temp drops sharply, and you have no dry clothes, no shelter of any sort and no fire - your situation is going to get desperate pretty fast.

[notsew]

This reminds me of the (in)famous thread on some other forum about a couple riding their fixies across the country?

This all sounds a little crazy, but it also sounds like you just want to wing it, so you should just do that. It'll be fun, or it won't. Either way, you'll have a good story.

You should definitely update the thread and let us know how it goes!

[Ozz]

Originally Posted by Blown Reek

There's a show on PBS (and on demand) called Cycle Around Japan. If that guy can do it on a "fancy carbon bike" (a Chapter 2), you can do it too.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/vod/cycle/

it's a pretty cool show....

I like stopping on the NHK channel whenever they have the cycling and food shows on.

[cmg]

no need to suffer if you don't have to. Have you considered signing up for a tour in Japan? and yes please keep the forum posted, sounds like an adventure.

[Blue Jays]

Originally Posted by zmalwo

"...I slept in 17 degrees below zero Fahrenheit once before a little rain won't kill me ..."

Awesome! It sounds like you are totally prepared for the journey.
Wrap several protein bars in a lightweight 3-oz mylar blanket.
That way you have both food and shelter in a consolidated pouch.

[Javaman]

It's fun cycling in Japan. Lived there for 6 years. Definitely need to have extra cash for emergency and know a little japanese. Enjoy and pls report back with pics!