Looking for central NJ route, around 100-120 miles

[neilfein]

I'm looking to stretch to a century route. I gravitate towards mixed trail and road cycling, any thouhgts on this? The cape may route is too long just now, and D&RC would be too long unless I met up with someone at the end to drive back. Any ideas?

[jessefive]

I can't find a good link at the moment, but I've done the Raritan river trail (Raritan River Rd), between Califon and High Bridge. Its a mix of road and dirt, and a really pretty route. If you started from Frenchtown or even Lambertville you could make it a nice long ride.

[nycphotography]

Any reason you can't pick start and end points that are around 51 miles apart and do an out and back?

Someone at work sent me the map, but I haven't ridden it yet.

http://www.dandrcanal.com/park_map03.html

[zowie]

I'm looking to stretch to a century route. I gravitate towards mixed trail and road cycling, any thoughts on this? The cape may route is too long just now, and D&RC would be too long unless I met up with someone at the end to drive back. Any ideas?

Take NJ Transit back.

[geo8rge]

Delaware Water Gap?

[neilfein]

http://www.dandrcanal.com/park_map03.html

I've a good chunk of that. The western leg is excellent, BTW.

[nycphotography]

I'd love to ride to frenchtown... but about the bike route...

Is it suitable for a fast pace, or is it typical crowded mup clogged with aimlessly wandering pedestrians and mountain bikes? How much traffic / people? How wide is it?

Is it like the West Side bike path, which is barely usable, or is it like most rural converted rail lines and almost deserted? How much glass and debris?

Can anyone fill in the blanks?

[Bacciagalupe]

The D&R route itself is gravel and a MUP. Not a lot of traffic, but lots of kids. I wouldn't barrel down it.

If you want to go fast, Canal Road is right across the D&R and is a regular asphalt road. No problems hammering there.

For a century plus, I'd probably start in New Brunswick, head out to Lambertville and New Hope, and pick a wandering route back to Princeton Junction. Or you could start out in Gladstone and work your way south.

http://www.njbikemap.com is your friend. I usually pick out a route in topo software for distance and elevation, stitch together the maps on that site, tweak the route for scenic roads and pit stops, then print 'em out for riding use.

[neilfein]

How much glass and debris?

Very little, it was pretty clean when I was there.

If you want to go fast, Canal Road is right across the D&R

It's a great road to book on, and there are some excellent long, gradual climbs. You can also switch back and forth from the road to the path if you feel like it.

[zowie]

I rode Newark to Washington Crossing last weekend and it was just a bit over 50 miles, so round trip would give you a century. Starting (or ending) at the GWB would make about an 80 mile ride one-way transverses the entire state. Add some miles along the Delaware and you've got a century.

[Jay H]

The D&R gets fairly crowded along Carnegie Lake near Princeton, which is a minus, but then is also a plus :)

Jay

[neilfein]

Something like this route (http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Home-to-D-RC-Milford-Trailhead) across NJ and back might work, mostly county highways an back roads, a little bit of towpaths. It goes by Round Valley state park/reservoir, which I've never seen. But the elevation profile is pretty nasty! ~3000' over 106 miles. Or is that not as bad as it sounds?

[wrxrider]

Something like this route (http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Home-to-D-RC-Milford-Trailhead) across NJ and back might work, mostly county highways an back roads, a little bit of towpaths. It goes by Round Valley state park/reservoir, which I've never seen. But the elevation profile is pretty nasty! ~3000' over 106 miles. Or is that not as bad as it sounds?

I've never seen that "bikely" site. Very cool. Is there a way to print out directions and not just the map?

[neilfein]

I've never seen that "bikely" site. Very cool. Is there a way to print out directions and not just the map?

If you put in details on enough of the connecting points on the map, you can do a cue sleet. This map (http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Rick-to-Kim-s-LBS-to-Home) has one, for example, but it's incomplete and I can't figure out why.

How do you print out the map? I can't see any detail if I just print the page.

[wrxrider]

How do you print out the map? I can't see any detail if I just print the page.

Try control + P.

[neilfein]

How do you print out the map? I can't see any detail if I just print the page.Try control + P.

No, no...when I do that. the map comes out teeny tiny when I do that and I can't see street names. Kinda useless. mapmyride.com has the same problem.

There's someone on the boards from mapmyride, actually. If you're reading this, any suggestions on how to print a multipage map showing closeups?

[nycphotography]

No, no...when I do that. the map comes out teeny tiny when I do that and I can't see street names. Kinda useless. mapmyride.com has the same problem.

There's someone on the boards from mapmyride, actually. If you're reading this, any suggestions on how to print a multipage map showing closeups?

I always use <ALT><PrintScn> then paste into photoshop and "scale to fit page" in landscape mode. Crude but effective.

I agree that there is no good web site for mapping that prints anything even reasonably useful. I never understood what the problem is. I can see what I want right here on the screen. Why can't they just print it as is?