27 days, no rest days, starting on September 8 in San Diego, CA, and arriving Tybee Island near Savannah, GA on October 4. It was an organized tour, operated by PACTOUR (Pacific Atlantic Cycle Tours). There were about 20 riders accompanied by a hugely experienced and supportive “crew” who make it possible to “just ride” while they organize all the logistics and support along the way.
We crossed 9 states: California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia.
As we rode, I made Climate Breadcrumb posts about the climate crisis in each region we rolled through, blogged about the experience, and captured animations of the ride.
Here’s a fun comparison of this ride with the Tour de France:
| PACTOUR | Tour de France | |
| Distance (miles) | 2,908 | 2,122 |
| Riding Days | 27 | 21 |
| Rest Days | 0 | 2 |
| Miles per day (avg) | 108 | 101 |
| Elevation Gain (feet) | 112,000 | 180,000 (approx) |
| Longest Day (miles) | 157 | 155 |
| Average Speed (mph) | 16 (goal) | 24.1-25.6 |
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Day 1: San Diego to Julian
Check out this animated version (it’s pretty cool!) of our ride Wednesday from San Diego, up and through the Laguna Mountains, to Julian CA. The shortest mileage of the…
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Day 2 – Julian to El Centro
Today’s ride went from from Julian CA in the mountains to El Centro CA in the desert plains. Still a relatively short day (about 85 miles) but seriously hot…
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Day 3 – El Centro to Blythe
Our first 100-mile day; many more to come, Still extremely hot (110F approx. Some help from a tail-wind through the afternoon–and ice collars! The Relive map again shows the…
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Day 4 – Blythe to Wickenberg
113 miles of barren, and still very hot, desert, riding from Blythe CA, to Wickenberg AZ, crossing the Colorado River as we did so. Climate breadcrumb in the works…
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Day 5 – Wickenburg to Cottonwood
Into the Arizona mountains, 103 miles, from Wickenburg to Cottonwood Arizona, including Mingus Mountain, topping out at about 7,000 feet. A long slow slog to the top. Fun descent.…
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Day 6 – Cottonwood to Winslow
In the Arizona mountains, specifically Coconino National Forest, riding 118 miles from Cottonwood to Winslow. Up high, we see the first bit of abundant natural greenery, and even standing…
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Day 7 – Winslow to Springerville
Just past the one-fourth mark, with about 725 miles covered through the vast expanses of Southern California and Arizona. The going has got tougher in the past couple of…
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Day 8 – Springerville to Socorro
The longest day of the tour; 154 miles from Springerville, Arizona, to Socorro, New Mexico. Now in the mountains and high plains; excessive heat is past, but it is…
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Day 9 – Socorro to Ruidoso
Day 9 of “A Climate Ride to Remember,” riding within New Mexico from Socorro to Ruidoso which sits at an elevation of about 7,000 feet. Today’s journey was about…
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Day 10 – Ruidoso to Roswell
This may turn out to be the best day of the tour. Another day in the New Mexico countryside from Ruidoso in the mountains to Roswell in the high…
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Day 11 – Roswell to Clovis
110 miles. The first picture tells the story of the day. On the shoulder of US-70. Almost flat; almost straight; almost (apparently) unused land. Just visible, with magnification, a…
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Day 12 – Clovis to Amarillo
Crossing the (for Texas modest) State Line from New Mexico to Texas. On our way to Amarillo, where things are often far from modest in scale! The terrain is…
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Day 13 – Amarillo to Shamrock
Our only full day in Texas, the Panhandle in the north-west of the state. A 94-mile ride from Amarillo to Shamrock. Cross-winds slowed progress. Along the way, reminders of…
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Day 14 – Shamrock to Weatherford
Reached half-way at lunch today! But today was tough, with 20-30 mph headwinds adding 2-3 hours to expected ride time. In 14 days we have covered just over 1,500…
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Days 15 & 16 – Weatherford to Purcell to McAlester
All OK for 2 days (that would be all Oklahoma), passing to the South of Oklahoma City: Weatherford to Purcell, and then today to McAlester. Wind turbines everywhere; front…
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Days 17 & 18 – McAlester to Arkadelphia
Now we are exactly two-thirds of the way through the ride. Friday we rode from the bustling town of McAlester to the serenity of the Queen Wilhelmina Lodge just…
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Day 19 – Arkadelphia to Monticello
I don’t know what I expected from Arkansas, but the pine forests were a surprise–hundreds of miles of them–and lakes (see yesterday). I guess it lives up to one…
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Days 20 & 21 – Monticello to Indianola to Kosciusko
Riding from Monticello, Arkansas to Indianola Mississippi and thence to Kosciusko (Oprah Winfrey’s birthplace). Crossed Ol’ Man River by the fairly new Greenville Bridge. About 150 miles of flat,…
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Days 22 & 23 – Kosciusko to Livingston to Greenville
Making our way from Kosciusko MS to Livingston AL and now to Greenville AL, 245 miles in two days; rolling alone! Our first rain in over three weeks…torrential for…
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Days 24 & 25 – Greenville to Eufala to Cordele
Just two days to the end of the ride! I feel as though I should be in reflective mood, but honestly it continues to be all about focus on…
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Day 26 – Cordele to Metter
Through rural Georgia…cotton, and other crops. Lots of trees. Just one more day till we arrive at the Atlantic, Tybee Island, near Savannah, Georgia. It all seems quite a…
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Day 27: Metter to Tybee Island
We did it! The last day’s ride of about 85 miles took us from Metter GA to Tybee Island near Savannah, GA. And inevitably down to the beach there…
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A Climate Ride to Remember 