When you choose the dates for a tour, thinking only about the weather on the first day isn't enough. As you ride, both where you are and the season keep changing.
Why did we choose September?
Philip and I left Vancouver on 24 September 2011. Our thinking was simple: the further south we went, the warmer the regions we would reach, while autumn moved on as the days went by. That way we hoped for a trip that would be neither too hot nor too cold.
That idea was the basis of our plan. It was not a deal we had made with the weather. Sure enough, at the start of the tour we ran into four days of rain; even the ferries were cancelled.
A date that looks good on the calendar is no substitute for a rain jacket.
Think about the weeks after the start, too
On a long tour it's easy to assume that the temperature on day one will last for weeks. But a month later you will be hundreds of kilometres away. You need to consider the seasonal conditions both at the start and on the later stages.
In the earlier version of this post I quite firmly recommended September for heading south and May for heading north. These shouldn't be read as rules for every route. On our Pacific Coast trip, September was simply the start time we preferred.
Five questions I'd put on the table when choosing dates
- Which direction am I riding? Consider the start and end points and the difference in climate between them.
- How many weeks will I be on the road? Plan for the last weeks of the tour, not just the week you leave.
- What's my plan for rain? Think about keeping your gear dry, where you'll sleep and, if needed, options for waiting it out.
- Are the places to stay open? Campground seasons, how full they are and ferry timetables are all part of the preparation.
- Is there slack in the schedule? Leave room to rest, to wait out the weather, or to stay one more night somewhere you love.
Our schedule stretched on the road
Our 40-day plan stretched to about 45 days with extra nights in San Francisco and Los Angeles and whatever else the road brought. At some stops we stayed a night or two and rode around the area. To me, those weren't days outside the tour; they were the tour itself.
When you work or study, you can't always set off whenever you like. Preparing for the conditions of the dates you can choose, and not cramming the whole schedule right up to the day you go home, works better than waiting for the “perfect month”.
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