You are reading a single comment by @The_Seldom_Killer and its replies.
Click here to read the full conversation.
London Fixed Gear and Single-Speed is a community of predominantly fixed gear and single-speed cyclists in and around London, UK.
This site is supported almost exclusively by donations. Please consider donating a small amount regularly.
@The_Seldom_Killer
One thing we kept being told when we were cycling across Canada was that there is nowhere to buy food and stuff. This is down to most highways bypassing towns and villages so people don't really register that they're there. You'll probably find that at most you'll be a whole day between towns but no more than that.
We started off carrying quite a bit in spare food but ultimately we weren't eating it because we were able to buy fresh along the way which is preferable. As long as you have a single, emergency meal in the form of something dried you should be safe. In a way this is good because it draws you into the small towns to top up supplies along the way. These little communities show a very different side of Canada and America and by cycling you'll be moving slow that you get the rare opportunity to see and experience this. Generally though, we found it was a good idea to pick up lunch before setting off in the morning because that meant if you found a great stopping place you could do that instead of having to push on in search of food. More realistically is the issue of water. Unlike the UK, where almost every tap is safe to drink from, the treatment infrastructure in the US can be patchy. One of the best things we took with us was a ceramic pump filter. Strips out almost all impurities except salt and, even though we only used it 5-6 times in the three months we were travelling, we were really glad of the times we did.
Certainly I'd support the recommendation of municipal and state park campgrounds. They tend to cater more to the outdoorsy people than commercial ones which focus more on being holiday camps. The latter weren't always that keen on people taking up a pitch for just a single night. If you do find yourself too far away from a campground, there are a couple of options available to you. First is tourist information centres. They usually keep a couple of parking spots available for RVers and as a consequence aren't too bothered if you camp on a handy patch of grass at the side. In small communities, toilets are often left open through the summer months for passing traffic. In the absence of this, you can usually get away with a night at a municipal park or secluded riverbank. Try and keep well away from children's play areas, dog parks, running tracks etc. If possible ask for local advice first. Tourist info and Police are the best bet for this and don't hesitate to play the "Bumbling European" card early on. If they think you're just stopping one night and are likely to drop a bit of money at a local diner/bar then they'll probably be free with advice on the best place where you a) won't cause any trouble and b) won't receive any trouble.