Southeast - Raleigh to Durham (and back again?)

Just wondering if any Triangle, NC folks have Raleigh-Durham route they like. I was thinking of attempting a trip this weekend, but the most direct route has me on route 70 for a good ways, which I wouldn't ride on if I could avoid it, and I don't know that I'd dare to ride on it after dark, and my return trip would probably take me into the early evening at least.

I'm right near Crabtree, with fairly easy access to Umstead, which I was thinking of using for part of the trip, but then I don't know if that's a viable option for the return in the PM.

I would look at the maps and try to find a route other than 70. Perhaps stay to the North of 70 for a while?

Yeah, it almost has to be north of 70 since the airport makes a pretty big barrier on the south side. I'd have to drop south of 40 to get around it, I think, and that's a little out of my way. I'm just wondering if anyone has a route that they like, since I'm really only familiar with 70 and 40, given that I usually drive. I'm thinking maybe Leesville to get me past the 540/Brier Creek area, and then Angier after Leesville comes back and hits 70, but I've only ridden a small stretch of Leesville before and I don't know that I've ever been on Angier, so I don't know how bicycle-friendly that route is. Also I was thinking of going through Umstead via Gralyn Trail, which I've never done before, so I have no idea how bike-friendly it is, although the map seems to indicate that an acceptable bike trail.

No experience in that particular area, but you might be careful if Umstead closes at sunset. Don't know trail condition either. Ebenezer Church looks like a viable alternative which skirts the park.

Good point. But then as of yesterday I think I'm starting to come down with something, so a 50 mile RT bike ride may not be a smart plan for the weekend. If not, though, perhaps I'll drive the route and see if looks bike-friendly for future trips. I wish there was some effort to link up Durham's trail system with Raleigh's.

Hwy 54 is the best route I have used and it is easy to pick up the American Tobacco Trail from 54 and ride into downtown Durham. 54 isn't a bad bike route on Sunday mornings when I usually ride it although it can get busy later in the day. The Umstead trails are closed after sundown although this isn't strictly enforced. The ATT is open later for commuters, at least part of the way. I hope you get to feeling better.

Hwy 54 is the best route I have used and it is easy to pick up the American Tobacco Trail from 54 and ride into downtown Durham. 54 isn't a bad bike route on Sunday mornings when I usually ride it although it can get busy later in the day. The Umstead trails are closed after sundown although this isn't strictly enforced. The ATT is open later for commuters, at least part of the way. I hope you get to feeling better.

Good to know. I may try that some time. I've been looking for an excuse to check the ATT. I took a short jaunt down once when I happened to be downtown, but I haven't really used it to go anywhere. I may consider the 54 route as part of a long loop some times, since I like loops rather than up and back by the same route, but it does look like taking 54 is longer than sticking close to 70, but only by 4 miles, I guess. I love how Google maps now lets you drag your route around, and even lets you route through Umstead, but it doesn't recognize the Greenways yet..

straight down 70 17.8
Leesville/Angier 26.0
54 to ATT 30.3

ATT from Southpoint north is paved, but full of pedestrians/rollerbladers/strollers/training wheels if the weather is nice. South of Southpoint it is pea gravel, and doesn't go very far before there is a missing trestle over a river too big to cross. It does pick up again south of that, still pea gravel, and goes for a ways into Apex / New Hill / whatever that is...

Good to know. If I were to go from 54, it looks like I'd be on pavement the whole way.
Triangle Trials has a nice copy of the New & Observer page showing what's done, what's not done, and what's paved:
http://www.triangletrails.org/images/OBSERVERMAP.PDF

I don't know how up to date it is, but it seems to agree what's just been said.

U mentioned Leesville Rd, so:

Leesville Rd
R @ Doc Nichols Rd
L @ Olive Branch
L @ NC-98
R @ Patterson
L @ Cheek
viola, you are in Durham. Pick your desination: DAP, East Campus, downtown, etc..

For the return:
If you don't want to retrace your route, try the website for the AIDS Ride for a cue sheet from Durham back to Raleigh. Lots of traffic lights, prob lots of traffic, prob too much traffic.

If you are in Raleigh - Durham (i.e., Triangle) area and haven't heard of, or seen, or read about Adrian Hands, then you ain't been looking on the local club web-sites.

The link below is from his website:

http://cycling.ahands.org/helios_to_durham_bike_coop.html

Thanks for the route and the link. Given the weather and my health, this trip won't be happening until I find some other excuse to go to Durham some other weekend, but I mapped all the routes out as best I could, on my Sanoodi page (http://www.sanoodi.com/profile/rob-e/). In case anyone else wants to compare routes.

I found your mapping of the route with my suggestions from Leesville Rd to Durham.

If you are starting at Crabtree Mall, try going the other way on the MUP, that is, take it to Shelley Lake, and then the extension north from there that dumps you onto Longstreet Rd/Dr. Then

L onto Longstreet,
L @ Sawmill,
R @ Lead Mine,
L @ Baileywick (you'll have to look at the map to find the name the road has at the intersection 'cause they have screwed up the roads over there in the last few years, I know where I'm going so don't pay attention to the actual road name,
R @ Strickland,
immed R @ Ray,
L @ Norwood,
and technically, R @ Farless,
R @ Leesville to join the route you mapped.

I think the above would be shorter, and perhaps less traffic.