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Sep 13, 2018 · The Pacific Coast Bicycle route spans from Vancouver in Canada to the Mexican Border, covering a total of 1,848 miles. If you are thinking of cycling the Pacific Coast bicycle route, you can expect endless coastline – from rugged rocky Oregon to clear blue LA beaches – ancient forests and a lot of fun sights to see along the way.
- What Is The Pacific Coast Bike Route (Pcbr)?
- Do You Need to Be An Athlete to Cycle The Pacific Coast?
- Pacific Coast Bike Route Camping
- Other Lodging Options on The Pacific Coast
- What to Eat on The Pacific Coast Bike Route
- Pacific Coast Bike Route Map
- Pacific Coast Bike Route Gear
- Pacific Coast Bike Route Packing List
- Traffic on The Pacific Coast Bike Route
- How Much Does It Cost to Cycle The Pacific Coast Bike route?
The PCBR is a cycling route that follows the entire West coast of the United States from Canada to Mexico. Most of the route takes you down the world famous Pacific Coast Highway, although the bike route does have several detours through beautiful forests, towns, and quiet roads. The PCBR begins at the US/Canada border in Vancouver, and runs to the...
One little known fact about the PCBR is that it is an AWESOME route for beginner cycle tourists (like me)! In fact, Tom and I didn’t pull our bicycles out of storage until just two weeks before our trip (I recommend getting your butt in the saddle at least a month before your cycle tour, but I’m proof that you can cut it closer). We were able to ge...
I highly recommend camping along the PCBR! Washington, Oregon, and California (especially Oregon) have made camping SO easy for bicycle tourists. All three states have “hiker/biker” campsites at many of their state parks. These cyclist-friendly sites are available for $5-$10 per person, and no reservation is needed. If you show up on your bicycle t...
Motels
There are plenty of motels along the PCBR, and with some advance planning you could certainly plan your entire tour hotel to hotel. Keep in mind that the Pacific Coast is a HUGE tourist destination, so it may be difficult (or impossible) to get a last minute room. We stopped at motels a few times on our trip, but we always booked a few days in advance. This was especially true for the time we traveled (June/July 2021), because summer is the most popular season on the coast.
Hotels
There are plenty of hotels along the PCBR, and, again, with advance planning you could certainly travel hotel to hotel for your tour. With this option you should expect to spend around $300/night for lodging.
Warm Showers
Warm Showers is an app that connects cyclists with people who can host cycle tourists in their home (or yard) for free. Most hosts are cyclists themselves, and this is a really cool way to connect with local cyclists along the route. However, there are not a lot of warm showers hosts on the PCBR compared to the number of cycle tourists riding it. This simply means you should not plan to rely on warm showers. We utilized it once on our first PCBR cycle tour, and had an amazing experience with...
One of the BEST parts of the PCBR is the easy access to TONS of good food! Fresh seafood, farm to table cafes, craft beer breweries, and a wide variety of restaurants are the norm along this route. Once you get into California you will also travel through San Francisco and Los Angeles, two major culinary destinations! Below we’ve included a few of ...
Since the PCBR is an Adventure Cycling route, the best maps for the PCBR are the ones sold by Adventure Cycling. These maps show elevation change, distance between stopping points, campgrounds, bike shops, and they give bits of advice for specific route sections as well. Also, these maps will route you off the highway in areas where the shoulder di...
Bikes
The most important piece of gear is, of course, going to be your bicycle! I highly recommend a touring bicycle for the PCBR. Tom rides a Surly Disc Trucker, and that is the bike I would recommend if you want the best, most comfortable touring bike. It is quite expensive, but well worth the money. I ride an REI brand touring bicycle, the Novara Safari, and I have been really, really happy with it. Unfortunately, REI no longer makes the Novara line of bicycles. However, their Co-op bicycle bran...
Panniers
You’re going to need panniers (saddlebags) for your tour! It is worth spending the money to get good panniers. There’s nothing worse than having a pivotal piece of gear fail in the middle of nowhere! I use Timbuk2 brand Tandem Panniers, and I really like them. I originally purchased these because they have a dedicated laptop compartment, and on our first tour I traveled with my computer. They’re also really affordable, and a great value. Nowadays I leave the computer home, but I still love th...
Packing Cubes
These are a must for organizing your clothes in your panniers. I use these Gonex compression cubes, and I love them! I’ve used these cubes to pack my backpack for Southeast Asia, for hiking trips, and for bicycle touring. You could even use these in a regular suitcase to keep things organized, so they’re a super useful purchase!
TentDown sleeping bagSleeping padInflatable pillowThe only major downside to the PCBR is the traffic. Since Highway 101 (the Pacific Coast Highway) is so popular, you will definitely encounter traffic on your ride. If you go in the summer (when the weather is the nicest) you will encounter heavy traffic. Like most people, we don’t enjoy cycling next to heavy traffic so we figured out a way to avoi...
The cost of bicycle touring the Pacific Coast varies widely person to person. It depends on how long your trip takes, whether you decide to camp, and what you decide to eat. I’ve shared four budgets below: Shoestring, Intermediate,High End, Luxury. These are per person daily budget estimates. We definitely fell in the Intermediate category with our...
Feb 18, 2021 · Considered one of the most scenic biking trails anywhere in the world, the Pacific Coast Bike Route is a must-do itinerary on any biker’s bucket list. Starting from Canada, just across the border from the United States, it spans over 1700 miles of stunning scenery on the Western Coast.
Jun 24, 2021 · A short ferry ride crosses the Columbia River into Oregon. Leaving Astoria, you’ll begin a magnificent ride down the coast. The route stays along the shoreline and headlands, passing mile after mile of spectacular scenery including lighthouses, craggy coastal pines, and rock formations in the water.
Our Pacific Coast Bike Route, stretching from the bustling city of Seattle to the sunny shores of San Diego, spans 1,852 miles. While our specific bike ride covers this remarkable distance, the full Pacific Coast Bike Route extends even further. The complete route begins in Vancouver, Canada, and continues all the way to the border of Mexico.
Feb 20, 2024 · The official Pacific Coast Bicycle Route is a 1,852-mile journey starting in Vancouver, British Columbia, and works its way down the West Coast ending at Imperial Beach, California, on the Mexico border.
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Cycling the Pacific Coast. A two-wheeled shortguide from Vancouver, Canada to the USA-Mexico Border (near Tijuana). By: AJ Johnson + Save to a List. In September of 2018, I decided I wanted to ride my bike across the United States. In June and July of 2019, I did that.
