[bluebeard]

Originally Posted by Reactionary

Regarding bikes - I'm not aware of bike rentals (except for some beach areas). I don't know how you'd ride the Natchez Trace without bringing your own bike from Oz or maybe borrowing a bike from bluebeard.

You could indeed bring your own. I also genuinely have a bike you could borrow if you like.
If you are planning on a longish-term ride, it would probably make the most sense to buy one then sell it, rather than rent. I know people who have bought cars to travel across US or Australia. Why not bikes?
A quick google search should turn up where to rent any. Eg:
RentaBikeNow.com: North America's only online, coast-to-coast, bike rental network that helps cyclists rent bikes when they travel
You would have to call to ask about whether they do long-term rentals.
Hell, if you come to Birmingham I can rent a good one from our Rec Center.
I'm also serious about meeting you. If you are staying a short time, you are welcome to come by.

[Threestep]

The hostel system dates back to the German student movements of the
1800s. Travelling mostly on foot, taking the sights in the company of fellow students was a prerequisit of political movements. Considering the distances and the finances of most of the participants very basic hostels were a market niche which turned into an active international system of cheap lodging.

Please correct me - particullarly in "The South" there was and is no need. Family ties run very deep and there is always a fourth-cousin of a friend with a spare bedroom and a washmashine.

Unfortunately OP does not seem to be familiar with distances, customs and habits of the US. He will miss out on a lot of fun, interesting places and people. I hope he will not run into problems because of his intended means of transportation.

[Threestep]

Originally Posted by bluebeard

You could indeed bring your own. I also genuinely have a bike you could borrow if you like.
If you are planning on a longish-term ride, it would probably make the most sense to buy one then sell it, rather than rent. I know people who have bought cars to travel across US or Australia. Why not bikes?
A quick google search should turn up where to rent any. Eg:
RentaBikeNow.com: North America's only online, coast-to-coast, bike rental network that helps cyclists rent bikes when they travel
You would have to call to ask about whether they do long-term rentals.
Hell, if you come to Birmingham I can rent a good one from our Rec Center.
I'm also serious about meeting you. If you are staying a short time, you are welcome to come by.

Thump!!! You are talking about bicycles!!! He will be on the road a while until he hits LA.
Bringing his own will limit his luggage to one additional suitcase and a carry-on. Then he will have to dragg it along for the duration.

[bluebeard]

Originally Posted by Threestep

Thump!!! You are talking about bicycles!!! He will be on the road a while until he hits LA.
Bringing his own will limit his luggage to one additional suitcase and a carry-on. Then he will have to dragg it along for the duration.

I'm not sure what Thump meant but:
Since he already has transportation lined up, he can fly to somewhere in the South to use as a home base, obtain a bike, and if he has excessive luggage, can store it somewhere for the meanwhile of his trip. I've done it numerous times.
Or since he's going to NC, he can just use that as a home base, leave from there and return back to NC to get to his next destination.
It's really not that hard. The hardest part, as previously stated, would be to get a hold of a bike.
Bringing a bike is indeed a pain. But I'm used to it, so the only crappy part is that it cost extra for the oversize luggage.
As for the amount of luggage, since he's backpacking it, I don't think thats much of a problem.

[Threestep]

@@@Bluebeard
I think I will stick to motorcycles. My last attempt to ride a bicycle entertained most of my neighbors.
Prices for non-racers are rather low (at least what I have seen in Birmingham) compared to Europe.
We will see what OP has to say.

[absurd_planet]

I hate to be so minimal but maybe you should just go somewhere more cosmopolitan.
Wouldn't it make this type of excursion more enjoyable.
With more time one your hands the possibilities are expanded.
Food for thought mate.

[bluebeard]

Originally Posted by absurd_planet

I hate to be so minimal but maybe you should just go somewhere more cosmopolitan.
Wouldn't it make this type of excursion more enjoyable.
With more time one your hands the possibilities are expanded.
Food for thought mate.

He is. He wants to go to a variety of different places though. If I went to Europe I'd sooner do more than just Paris and Rome then jet off back home. Places, regions, and cultures are complex. It's nice to interact with a variety of types.
BTW, outside of certain areas (Chapel Hill, etc...), I believe North CArolina would be considered to have retained a more traditional South I believe.
I actually would suggest Charleston, South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia since those are nearish to North Carolina. Or even closer, go up in the Appalachians in the western part of the state. THere's an Cherokee reservation there too that might be of interest (although that area would likely require a car). Then maybe you could just fly to LA.
Another one of my faves, one that kind of matches the countryside US you see on TV, was a bike ride around the Louisville, Lexington area in Kentucky. It's beautiful rolling green hills, horse country, and we toured many of the bourbon distilleries there. Easy riding.
Just be careful.. It is indeed more dangerous and less accommodating here for bikes.

[t0mmy]

I think a lot of you are being overly negative and seem to be afraid of stepping out of your comfort zone. Most of you seem to think I expect a comfortable and cozy trip staying in Manhattan, hanging around a bunch of Aussies and doing things I normally do here like go to a club or a bar.

You are probably not aware of it, but Australia is a very urbanised country, up there with Hong Kong. All I see are cities, beaches, clubs and pubs. When I go into the outback, I rely on my feet. Even when I go to tourist destinations like the Gold Coast, I don't go parasailing or to the theme parks anymore because I've grown tired of it.

Anyway, with regard to my upcoming trip, I want to KNOW I am in the US, if you know what I mean. That means stepping out of my comfort zone. If I wanted it to be easy 1) I wouldn't be going by myself. 2) I wouldn't be going in winter. 3) I wouldn't be staying for three months. 4) I wouldn't be backpacking. Since you don't have hostels in the south, you are probably not aware that staying at a hostel is how you meet people. You don't stay at the Sofitel to meet people.

What I want to do? Like someone here said: Civil War battlefields, Coastal forts, Indian sites, Nature, Beaches, Cities, Sports, Diners, Bars etc.

And believe me, coming from the far outer northern suburbs of Melbourne, I know about dodgy and inadequate transport.

If I haven't addressed anyone's questions please repost it as you guys asked/stated a lot of negativity.

[Houston3]

Originally Posted by t0mmy

I think a lot of you are being overly negative and seem to be afraid of stepping out of your comfort zone. Most of you seem to think I expect a comfortable and cozy trip staying in Manhattan, hanging around a bunch of Aussies and doing things I normally do here like go to a club or a bar.

You are probably not aware of it, but Australia is a very urbanised country, up there with Hong Kong. All I see are cities, beaches, clubs and pubs. When I go into the outback, I rely on my feet. Even when I go to tourist destinations like the Gold Coast, I don't go parasailing or to the theme parks anymore because I've grown tired of it.

Anyway, with regard to my upcoming trip, I want to KNOW I am in the US, if you know what I mean. That means stepping out of my comfort zone. If I wanted it to be easy 1) I wouldn't be going by myself. 2) I wouldn't be going in winter. 3) I wouldn't be staying for three months. 4) I wouldn't be backpacking. Since you don't have hostels in the south, you are probably not aware that staying at a hostel is how you meet people. You don't stay at the Sofitel to meet people.

What I want to do? Like someone here said: Civil War battlefields, Coastal forts, Indian sites, Nature, Beaches, Cities, Sports, Diners, Bars etc.

And believe me, coming from the far outer northern suburbs of Melbourne, I know about dodgy and inadequate transport.

If I haven't addressed anyone's questions please repost it as you guys asked/stated a lot of negativity.

Back when I was a teenager (wont say how long ago that was .. LOL) I toured the western United States from Texas all the way to the state of Washington, It was a good way to see America back then,
you could take your time to see everything...If you wanted to stay somewhere you just stayed and caught a later bus...I don't know what it would be like doing it today, but if it is the same as when I did it I would do it again..

I would never tour America by air....

[Threestep]

Negativity? Just the opposite. Been there done that, Walked the trail from Hamburg to Venice on a dare ..., did not care for Brisbane, lived in seven US states from West Coast to The South and tend to mingle with the natives.

Got picked-up for streetwalking in MD while walking the family dog along a rural road outside of Indianhead as my Better Half asked me to stay out of the woods because of critters - ferral dogs and snakes. I did learn about them
in our own yard shortly thereafter. It made no sense to the cops that I was walking which is an unusual mode of transportation there:>) Thank God it was resolved with good humor in the end:>) Would have looked nice on my I130.