Northeast - Ocean City, MD this extended weekend

I'm going to be heading down to Ocean City thursday evening and I'm bringing my bike. I'm pretty much going to be starting on Rt. 1/Coastal Highway and heading north, but if anybody has reccomendations about areas to possibly avoid (say, by driving to a particular parking lot) I'd appreciate that. I was planning on sticking to Rt 1, but if there are other roads off of this that are better, I'm open to suggestions. TIA.

How far do you want to ride?
For my money, the trip down 611 to Assateague is a better ride than rt 1.
You could hit Berlin from there if you're looking for more mileage.
When I do rt 1, I take a left in Bethany and go to rt 17 to Roxanna, then take rt 20 back to 54 into Fenwick island. Depending on where you start, you could eat up a metric century pretty easily.

How far do you want to ride?
For my money, the trip down 611 to Assateague is a better ride than rt 1.
You could hit Berlin from there if you're looking for more mileage.
When I do rt 1, I take a left in Bethany and go to rt 17 to Roxanna, then take rt 20 back to 54 into Fenwick island. Depending on where you start, you could eat up a metric century pretty easily.

Thanks G, those look like good ideas. I'll take a look at the mileage... it would be helpful if I knew where I was staying, but I'll figure that all out later.

for those interested, I mapped out a couple of rides based off of the previous posting:

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/md/ocean-city/454798753435

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/md/ocean-city/327823573529

I have a couple here, as well:

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/OCMD-to-Bethany-Beach-DE

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/OCMD-to-Assateague

My friend, G, who lives out that way, says that RT-26 out of Bethany Beach is a good riding road.


Here's the route I took to ride to OCMD for July the 4th, 2008:

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Essex-to-Ocean-City-Maryland-via-Delaware


I drove over for the Labor Day holiday and did these rides (recorded using GPS):

http://bimactive.com/ba/journal/post/10783/16891

http://bimactive.com/ba/journal/post/10783/16960

How far do you want to ride?
For my money, the trip down 611 to Assateague is a better ride than rt 1.
You could hit Berlin from there if you're looking for more mileage.
When I do rt 1, I take a left in Bethany and go to rt 17 to Roxanna, then take rt 20 back to 54 into Fenwick island. Depending on where you start, you could eat up a metric century pretty easily.

+ 1

There are some nice quiet rides once you get off the main roads in MD and DE.

How're the riding conditions around on rt 1 (north and south) and from rt 1 to 50?

How're the riding conditions around on rt 1 (north and south) and from rt 1 to 50?

There's a bike lane on RT1 both sides. Outside of OC, the speed limit is as high as 55 MPH. The shoulder is shared with walkers, joggers, runners, and skaters.

In OC, you share the bike lane with buses only, but some runners use it too--illegally.

Heading south through OC, you need to take a right turn from the main drag to stay on the bike lane. You can follow it up until you see signs for Assateague, at which point it brings you back up to the main drag and you follow it right to RT50, cross the drawbridge, then you have a wide shoulder to cycle on until you have to make the left on to RT611 to Assateague.

I've had no problem riding across the drawbridge, but there is a metal portion to it that if wet could be slick. When I cross it, I don't lollygag... I bust butt trying to stay with car traffic. Doing so, I've never had anyone ever blow their horn at me. I much rather cross this way instead of going on to the sidewalk and fighting my way past people fishing off the bridge.

I was there two weeks ago and road out to Assateague. It was 10 miles from 5th and the boardwalk to the top of the Assateague bridge. I road out the the end of the road in the federal park checking out the side roads and the beach. Total was 30 miles when I got back to the hotel. Nice ride and very little traffic. If you cross the rt 50 bridge follow the bike route, it's a little safer. Biggest problem I had was the huge bugs I ran in to, they leave marks.