Hitchhike shuttling

**bagtagley** · 10-07-2015, 11:38 AM

I've hitched a couple times, but only when I was riding with other people. Nobody here wants to shuttle, and riding a mountain bike up a paved road with open vehicular access sucks.

How does this work solo? Drive to the top, ride down and then hope for a ride up? Wait at the bottom until somebody is willing to take me and the bike to the top? The advantage of the first option is that I can stash/lock the bike and not have to deal with transporting the bike.

**joetron** · 10-07-2015, 11:47 AM

I've left cars at the top and hitched back up a fair amount on Teton Pass, Monarch Pass and Guardsman. Always had another rider to leave the bike with, but stashing a lock on the way up would not be out of the question if riding/traveling solo.

**Tye 1on** · 10-07-2015, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by flowtron's ghost

I've left cars at the top and hitched back up a fair amount on Teton Pass, Monarch Pass and Guardsman. Always had another rider to leave the bike with, but stashing a lock on the way up would not be out of the question if riding/traveling solo.

The lock plan opens up a lot more potential rides. I drive over the pass each evening but have no room for a bike, but have probably shuttled 30+ bikeless folks this summer...

**muted** · 10-08-2015, 09:49 AM

Always smile, make eye contact, and make the handjob motion and you will be picked up in no time.

**DasBlunt** · 10-08-2015, 04:46 PM

Growing up in the north bay, I used to go from Napa to Santa Rosa and back on my bike and get a ride one way......

I would always make sure to leave the passenger door open while putting the bike in the back.....or make them get out so as to "not scratch the paint".

**beaterdit** · 10-08-2015, 05:04 PM

I've done it on Teton Pass. Pretty easy from the Stagecoach, lots of people stop even if they're not shuttling themselves. My favorite was a subaru wagon with no rack.

Him: "Just throw it in the back."
Me: "There's children back there."
Him: "It's OK, they're used to it."

Stashing a lock at the bottom and driving up is definitely a good option where people aren't used to shuttling bikes. I've done that one before on Molas/Coalbank down by Durango.

**bagtagley** · 10-09-2015, 08:53 AM

Duh on the handy signal.

Gave it a shot yesterday. Left a lock at the bottom, drove to the top, got a great long descent in on fresh legs. Good shit. Found a good place to stash the bike, on the opposite side of the road from the turnout parking area. Something about the recently shot deer with its guts hanging out of a clean incision and its cleanly removed hind legs stacked behind its body didn't sit well with me.

In 30 minutes of standing there, only two cars passed going up the hill. The first guy gave me a wide enough berth that he went onto the opposite shoulder. I was getting into the second guy's truck when he pointed out that he was only going as far as the lake, about 1/3 of the way up. Got out and thanked him, then kicked myself for not offering him some cash to take me to the top. I waited another 10 minutes, but time was running out, so I begrudgingly put the bike together and started climbing.

Road climbs are even worse when you think you're not going to have to do them. It was a good decision to ride, though. Only two trucks passed during the climb. One was completely full, cab and bed. The other passed with less than a mile to the top, so I didn't even bother flagging him down. Turned out to be a Forest Service truck. Should have gotten the guy's number for next time.

Good ride, but failed solo shuttle. I did learn some things. Being muddy and sweaty probably isn't helpful, even if cars do pass. Might at least leave a towel at the bottom with the lock, or something to sit on. Attempting to hitchhike on a sparsely traveled road on a Thursday afternoon probably wasn't the best idea. Failure makes for an extremely tasty post-ride beer.