Touring - Top Ten Cycling Tours in the USA

Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa is listed as number 1.

Any other tours that should be on this list?

Top Ten Tours in the USA
http://www.americasbestonline.net/index.php/pages/americabiketours.html

I've done Wisconsin's version of the MS 150: The Best Dam Bike Tour 6 times over the last 15 years. It's always very well organized, with a great volunteer base, fantastic food, and an awesome vibe. I'd highly recommend it if you live in the midwest.

Can I say this jokingly? The top ten tours for me have been the last ten I've been able to pull off.... Cheers - Thanks for the Link!

Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa is listed as number 1.

Any other tours that should be on this list?

Top Ten Tours in the USA
http://www.americasbestonline.net/index.php/pages/americabiketours.html

Sorry but the rolling parties don't even make my bottom ten:D Too many people thinking that 'de France' is part of touring.

My top ten (some of which I've done and others that I'd like to do) in no particular order:

Lewis and Clark

Trans America

Great Parks

Around Lake Champlain in October

Ohio River Valley

C&O to Philly

Natchez Trace

Underground Railroad

Sherman's March to the Sea

Central Colorado...either mountain bike or road.

Honorable mentions:

Santa Fe National Historic Trail

Oregon Trail National Historic Trail

Blue Ridge

Northern Tier

and too many others to list.

West Coast highway (WA, OR, CA)
San Juan Islands (WA)

I'd start with them,but I'd be riding in the opposite direction.

Sorry but the rolling parties don't even make my bottom ten:D Too many people thinking that 'de France' is part of touring.

My top ten (some of which I've done and others that I'd like to do) in no particular order:

Lewis and Clark

Trans America

Great Parks

Around Lake Champlain in October

Ohio River Valley

C&O to Philly

Natchez Trace

Underground Railroad

Sherman's March to the Sea

Central Colorado...either mountain bike or road.

Honorable mentions:

Santa Fe National Historic Trail

Oregon Trail National Historic Trail

Blue Ridge

Northern Tier

and too many others to list.

Nice List! I'm curious what route you mean for "Ohio River Valley".

Thanks,

monk

Yeah, none of those are what I consider good touring. They might be fun if that is what you want, but they a an entirely different experience than touring.

I don't have a top 10 list, but if I did none of those would be on it. Stuart's list looks a thousand times better, and if I had a list it would overlap his a good bit. It would include at least a few from his list. Certainly the TA, PCH, Colorado Rockies, Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline drive would be on my list.

"Tour" means different things to different people.

For some it is an organized event with hundreds of people.
That does not, however, include jamawani.
I would have to agree with cyccommute.
I prefer the exploration and quiet to the big partee.

For the newer rider -
US 89 from Glacier to Yellowstone is fabulous.
Makes a gorgeous 400-mile, weeklong tour.

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j270/JohnnyGunn/Cottonwood_Reservoir_And_Bridger_Mt.jpg

Only for the experience rider -
The Great Basin - Nevada/western Utah.
Either US 50 - part of ACA's Western Express -
Or better, US 6 from BIshop/Mono Lake.

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j270/JohnnyGunn/Stone_Cabin_Valley.jpg

dowab, you started an almost identical thread with the same link less than 3 weeks ago. And you previously started similar threads which also had links to the same website. In fact, every thread you've started has had links to that website. Do you have any association with that website?

Keen eye.
Thanks.

I haven't been on many, but Lake Champlain last October was nice.

RAGBRAI is what you make of it. Some people do it and love it and others hate it. It all depends on what you call fun. Here is a couple of photos of some of the heavy touring riders on the route that have fun carrying some strange things. Maybe they could be a underground tour bike ride testers:roflmao2:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b148/struggle_/DCP_2503.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b148/struggle_/DCP_2501.jpg

My set up for RAGBRAI. This was my first year going self-contained
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b148/struggle_/newbike001.jpg

Nice List! I'm curious what route you mean for "Ohio River Valley".

Thanks,

monk

I've been toying with a ride starting in Pittsburgh that would follow the Ohio River to the Mississippi along the scenic byways routes. I could pick up 7 states that way;)

I've been toying with a ride starting in Pittsburgh that would follow the Ohio River to the Mississippi along the scenic byways routes. I could pick up 7 states that way;)

I can speak for the route from East Liverpool, OH to Marrieta, OH and the Ohio side of the river is flanked by Route 7. That is no place to be riding a bike. Lots of fast traffic (lots of trucks) and it's more like an interstate than a scenic byway. On the Other side of the river is WV Route 2. Which is a little better but, I wouldn't ride to long on that road. Not much shoulder. Lots of trucks coming in and out of the steel mills.


monkd

I would always love to take the pacific tour from washington state down to southern california... with spectacular views of the pacific from the mountains. woaahhhh.... it will be a great experience

I don't consider the RAGBRAI as a tour at all. It's a rolling party! However, it was one of the most fun things I ever did, and I'd love to do it again. I see from the pictures that Team Bad Boy is still in existence. When I did RAGBRAI XXI there were some pretty outrageous teams, and Team Bad Boy was one of the most outrageous of them all. It was amazing to see the bizarre stuff they carried on their bikes. Huge ice chests was a recurring theme.

"Tour" means ...

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j270/JohnnyGunn/Cottonwood_Reservoir_And_Bridger_Mt.jpg

...

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j270/JohnnyGunn/Stone_Cabin_Valley.jpg

Sheesh, have some pity. Here I am, sitting at my office which, if it had windows, would look out on a NYC city street. I've been trying to work, and now I stupidly open this thread, and you show me these pictures? How am I supposed to get any work done? They're gonna take away my internet connection....

I sorry.

I've got the windows, but not the job.
I guess you can't ever have it all.

C&O to Philly


Explain? I'm looking to do a from my home (north of Philly) to my parents' (near mile 45 on the C&O), and I also want to do a C&O tour, but had not considered the possibility of combining them. Philly isn't very near the C&O.

Explain? I'm looking to do a from my home (north of Philly) to my parents' (near mile 45 on the C&O), and I also want to do a C&O tour, but had not considered the possibility of combining them. Philly isn't very near the C&O.

You could ride from Philly to DC and then ride the C&O and maybe the GAP to Pittsburgh. Possibly he meant C&O to Pittsburgh via the GAP though?

Explain? I'm looking to do a from my home (north of Philly) to my parents' (near mile 45 on the C&O), and I also want to do a C&O tour, but had not considered the possibility of combining them. Philly isn't very near the C&O.

Here's a Williamsport, MD, to Gettysburg, PA, route. North of Gettysburg is the PA "S" bicycle route, which runs to north of Philadelphia.

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Williamsport-Gettysburg

Didn't Adventure Cycling publish an article on "Ten Top Touring Routes" recently?

You could ride from Philly to DC and then ride the C&O and maybe the GAP to Pittsburgh. Possibly he meant C&O to Pittsburgh via the GAP though?

Yea. That one. You know us Westerners. We don't know anything about the U.S. east of Salina:D