The Route
The Pan-American Highway is a series of main roads and smaller optional sections that stretches approximately 30,000 kilometers (about 19,000 miles) from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, in the northernmost part of North America to Ushuaia, Argentina, at the southern tip of South America. The route stretches across 2 continents and countries. The Pan-American Highway traverses through a total of 14 countries. These countries are: Canada, the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, and Argentina. However the high altitude salt flats Bolivia and the coastal beaches and jungles of Brazil provide for many side bicycle adventures as well. Whether looking for pavement of dirt trails, the cycled route is sure to please. –Loretta Henderson
Resources
Starting in Alaska and pointing the pedals southbound finishing the whole ride in less than a year is very reasonable. A 9 month tour is common, however with all the possible side trips and the not to be missed salt flats of Bolivia an extended trip is often preferred and rarely regretted.
Budget
$15/day is possible but on the low end and camping 95% of the time.
$25-$30 will extend the options and include the occasional hotel room and fancier food.
Plane tickets to the start of the route in either Ushuia, Argentina or Prudhoe Bay, Alaska will obviously be an added expense.
Bicycle and gear, tent stove etc can range from $500-$5000
2 Great Blogs and a Book about the Alaska to Patagonia bicycle adventure
BLOG 1 Pedals and Puffins
The Pedals and Puffins blog is chocked full of information and describes the Panamerican highway ride as Alaska to Patagonia is one of the longest bicycle journeys in the world, crossing two continents. Of course, the length of the trip varies a lot depending on the route taken. The shortest, fastest path follows the Pan-American Highway, which is mostly paved and more-or-less a straight shot. At just 18,640 miles (30,000 km) the Pan-Am Highway can be covered by speed demons on bikes in approximately a year. On the other end of the spectrum, by choosing some interesting paths less taken, the route can easily be stretched to 30,000 miles (48,300 km). By comparison, one could cross the United States from east to west and reverse ten times, and still not travel that far.
Given all the options, we had to make some decisions about what type of journey we wanted for ourselves. We’ve never been inclined to rush a bicycle tour. Besides, there are so many amazing experiences to be had in the 14 countries along the way that it would be a shame to hurry through. Furthermore, our experience on the Western Wildlands Bikepacking Route in 2021 whetted our appetite for off-pavement bikepacking. So we ruled out a rushed ride down the Pan-American Highway pretty quickly.
It was important for us to aim for a good mix of quiet dirt roads and backcountry tracks in addition to some paved roads and highways. We finally settled on a tentative route (subject to change as we go, of course). It covers roughly 22,000 miles (35,400 km), which feels like a happy medium between the two extremes mentioned above.” Pedal and Puffins
BLOG 2 Bike Hike Safari
This amazing blog is a compilation of blog posts and described as a multi-year, multi-continental journey by bike, foot and canoe of the Americas. Bicycle Touring from Alaska to Argentina is one of the great overland journeys of the world.
To explore by human power makes the journey more rewarding. Join me and my bicycle as I cycle and hike the most amazing places on the planet.
BOOK – Adventure Cycling Handbook by Neil and Harriet Pike
‘…the definitive guide to how, where, why and what to do on a cycle expedition…’ Adventure Travel Magazine (UK)
Every cyclist dreams of making the Big Trip, the Grand Cycle Tour abroad. Whether that’s a two-week trip or a year-long journey, the Adventure Cycle-Touring Handbook is the comprehensive manual that will make that dream a reality. Riding across Asia, cycling in Africa or pedaling from Patagonia to Alaska, whether you’re planning your own Big Trip or just enjoy reading about other people’s adventures, the Handbook is guaranteed to illuminate, entertain and above all, inspire.
This fully revised 3rd edition includes:
❏ PART 1 – Practical information
- How to prepare for a long-distance trip
- What to look for in a new bike with reviews of some of the world’s best touring- and trekking-bikes
- Adapting a standard bike for the Big Ride
- Choosing components, equipment for the road and reviews of camping gear
- Health precautions, inoculations, visas, money and safety
❏ PART 2 – Worldwide route outlines
Across Europe, Asia, Australasia, North and South America and Africa; recommended routes within countries and overland. Everything from popular routes eg India’s Leh-Manali Highway to lesser-known cycle-touring areas such as Mongolia.
❏ PART 3 – Tales from the Saddle
Ten first-hand accounts of spoke-bending biking adventures worldwide.
Introduction
Why are so many people going bike touring these days? A minority pastime during the heyday of the car, cycling has once again become a popular choice for travelling―especially for long overseas trips.
The first cycle-touring craze began in the 1870s. Then, as now, the bicycle offered a revolutionary way of touring: you go exactly where you want, when you want, and all under your own steam. This was before the age of the car and walking or riding a horse were the only other options until the bicycle. In 1885 the Rover Safety Bicycle came along, and for all the innovation since then, most modern touring bicycles would be recognizable to a Victorian, as would their derailleur gears.
Bike touring is undergoing a boom at the moment but it is really one of many periodic rediscoveries. Bicycle design, components and gear are evolving to suit the changing needs and tastes of people. It’s a combination of experimentation and using tried and tested designs, such as the ‘diamond’ frame of the Rover Safety Bicycle. The Adventure Cycle-Touring Handbook is all about looking at what people are choosing and using: what kind of bikes, what gear and what destinations are being chosen by today’s bike tourers.
There are many reasons for taking a bike on your next long trip. My own guess as to why bike touring is back in fashion is that many travellers get burned out by backpacking, which really amounts to travelling by bus and train for most of the time. Buses are certainly fast but they go from one noisy town to another, leaving little possibility of exploring the spaces in between, the places where the bus doesn’t stop.
Others use bikes to go even further off the beaten track: they want to go where buses don’t go at all and perhaps where other vehicles cannot get to either. Paul Woloshansky built his own racks to carry extra gear after being told all too often: ‘There’s a prettier way to go but there’s nothing out there at all.’ Other adventurers, such as Sweden’s Janne Corax (see p122), have said the same thing: there were times when there was no other way of getting to where they wanted to go. You couldn’t get there on foot and you couldn’t get there in a truck. It was possible only on a bicycle.
Half the adventure, though, is in the riding itself. Being out in the fresh air and seeing much more than is possible from a bus or train window is always a good feeling, whether you are wandering around France or riding across India. A lot of today’s cycle tourists are interested in the riding but not that interested in bikes. It’s a means of transport and a way to carry bags comfortably, while sitting down and enjoying the view. Not everyone is drawn to the high passes of the Andes or the Himalaya but they are all enjoying that same sense of freedom and all that comes with it―unexpected discoveries, off-route detours or an impromptu day off when you find a great place to stay. Trips like these are not as arduous as some expeditions but they are every bit as satisfying―and they are still adventures, for they allow for spontaneity. And if you are carrying a tent and camping gear, you’re prepared for just about any eventuality because you’ve always got a place to spend the night.
This book looks at the possibilities out there, the different styles of traveling and the basic gear and know-how that you need. We also look at some of the more exciting cycling destinations around the world, complete with suggestions as to which routes to take and what you need to plan a trip in that region. The Adventure Cycle-Touring Handbook does not set out to tell you exactly where to go: it’s your adventure, after all. But it’s good to have a general idea of a destination and what you’re likely to find when you’re there and this is what this book aims to do.
In the final part of this book we include stories from all around the world, not just about the biking but also about the adventures cyclists had on their journeys. It’s the old idea that a bike ride isn’t just about the riding but also about the places you were able to get to and the people you got to meet―and all because you decided to travel by bicycle.