Coast-to-Coast Cycling Challenge Begins Sunday in Astoria

For more than ten years, a dedicated group of ultra-endurance cyclists has gathered in the early morning hours of summer in Astoria, Oregon. This Sunday, June 7, approximately 50 cyclists will line up at 6 a.m. outside the Columbia River Maritime Museum to embark on the Trans Am Bike Nonstop Race, a grueling journey spanning over 4,200 miles. With little fanfare, these riders will set off before many locals have had their morning coffee.

The race, which lasts several months, follows the historic TransAmerica Bike Trail, the oldest cycling route in the United States, established by the Adventure Cycling Association. Starting at the Pacific Ocean in Astoria, the event concludes at the Atlantic Ocean in Yorktown, Virginia, drawing participants from around the globe.

Despite being labeled a "race," competitors navigate the course without support, carrying their own supplies and managing their own rest stops. Some riders may spend nearly 20 hours on their bikes each day, covering distances exceeding 250 miles.

According to Nathan Jones, the race's founder, the event requires extensive planning and effort. Jones, 44, who also organizes other endurance races and manages "Ride Yr Bike LLC" in Portland, explained, "On the surface, it shouldn’t take much. The reality is I spend most of the year toiling with it from one way or another." He makes the annual trip to Astoria to ensure everything runs smoothly and to send off the cyclists.

Monitoring the race is no small feat; Jones developed a custom app called the Ride Yr Bike App, which allows spectators to follow the racers' progress as they appear as dots on a map of the United States. Fans, affectionately known as "dot watchers," eagerly track the cyclists and celebrate their journeys, developing friendships along the way. “The dot watching trail angel community has developed naturally over the years with great results,” Jones noted.

The race's peak participation was in 2017, with 138 riders, but Jones has since streamlined the number to around 50 to maintain manageable oversight over the course, which lasts over 40 days.