Still Pedaling

I know we can go practically anywhere across the country by bicycle, but for the most part we have to share the roads with automobile traffic. I remember the days of Route 66. Many today love to reminisce family road trips on that famous road way. Before I get off track, who would like to see dedicated roadways across our country for cyclists? Maybe its just a bout of daydreaming on my part, which I'm well known for, but imagine planning a vacation for a week or two on such road ways, with hotels, campgrounds, rest stops, restaurants and cafes etc along the way - all dedicated to the cyclist. Dream or not, but I would certainly love it. Making a trip such as this and not having to deal with a single car or truck long the way would be awesome. Anybody else out there like this idea?

Cheers
Wayne

hillyman

That's quite a dream. And I like it. May dream it myself

Machka 

My dream is to ride the extensive cycle routes in South Korea.

chasm54

I suggest you make time for a visit to the low countries. You can ride through pretty much all of Belgium and the Netherlands, and make forays into France and Germany, on the clearly-signposted and well-mapped cycle routes you're dreaming about.

Meanwhile, don't let the traffic put you off.

ironwood

Check out the Eurovelo routes in Europe, and the voie verte in France. Also Fahrradweg in Germany. Some day we might have the East Coast Greenway.

Jim from Boston

Mine is to cycle the perimeter of the USA.

In 1977 my wife and I rode from LA to Washington DC to start a new job and life in Boston, including on a segment of deserted Rte 66 in Arizona. We made our own way using a large USA paper map, and individual state maps. We had, as many others I imagine have our own individual itineraries, so need to blaze our own trails. In the previous year Bikecentennial began, and as I understand it, has developed into Adventure Cycling Association, with defined routes with amenities on the best roadways possible. Besides that, there are many specifically guided and supported tours all over the world.

One critique I have read of those defined routes, is that they become ho-hum to the adventurous since so many cyclists ride them. For me, time rather than routes and roadways limit (but doesn't deny) my Cycling Adventures.

Sounds like a MUP to me, and would there be enough traffic to support such facilities?

See this thread, What is your favorite Bicycling Trail? , where is it? and why??

Still Pedaling

You certainly have some bike travelling experience under your belt. You probably have enough good stories to write a book - or did you?

To support such facilities would of course be a problem for sure. Don't forget, anything that seems impossible in real life can be possible in dreams . How about another dream; If, and this really is a dream, this country didn't have to spend billions of dollars to support military actions around the world combating these religious fanatics, for example, (not wishing to go there in discussion) the impossible can be possible.

There are numerous supported groups around the world that offer guided tours like you mentioned, but for me, I'm not interested in following someone else's planned itinerary. I would prefer to plan my own trips and ride them at my own pace. To me, those guided bicycle tours are not much different than taking a road trip in a tour bus.

We all have dreams about how nice it would be if only things were different. When I was in high school, I loved cycling, but it was considered by most people as an activity for kids. I still remember, as a teen, when I saved up to purchase a 10 speed racer. I recall the day that I went to the sporting goods store to buy the bike I had been eyeing for quite some time. I wheeled the bike out of the store, and I didn't get more than five feet before a bunch of my friends walked by. I was barraged by jokes and laughter. I rode that bike home not deterred one bit by the ribbing I received. I had dreams of riding everywhere on that bike, and as decades passed, those dream became reality as more and more people started to discover the pleasure and benefits of riding. Perhaps these dreams I have today might just come true, like they did years ago when I started riding my first 10 speed bike. I just hope my dreams of today can be realized while I'm "Still Pedaling" .

fietsbob

Quote:

I remember the days of Route 66.

Rte 66 is broken up now .. Interstate* co opting the right of way. in a few places.

the levee roads on the Rhine and Danube are nice non challenging routes..


I, solo, flew across the Atlantic, a few times , then the 1st day there, I bought a Paper Map..
when I rode off the edge of that map, I bought another ..

so You going to run for the Arizona Legislature, Wayne? these things involve Politics, and public finance, to happen.

* the interstate was inspired by The Autobahn and funded as a 'Defense' project to move troops across the country.

linnefaulk

A network of bicycle paths is a good dream. They are working on one in Florida to go from the Gulf Coast to the Atlantic Ocean. It is amazing how much red tape and money is involved. Still, we hope, we dream.

fietsbob

An Obstacle heard ... Property owners dont want "those People" with easy access to their back yard.

there is a Fear based politics too ..

Jim from Boston

*Furthermore,

Still Pedaling

Do you have any details on the proposed route? My daughters live just north of Orlando. This would make for a nice family trip.

Cheers
Wayne

linnefaulk

FGTF Project: Coast to Coast Connector

Still Pedaling

That is awesome. Thanks for the link. I will send it to my daughters. Hopefully it will get them on bikes again.

Machka 

There are heaps of routes in Europe too. We've ridden several of them and enjoyed them.

unabowler

The Natchez Trace Parkway is not bicycle-exclusive but it's very bike friendly. I've thought of going but I haven't figured out the logistics; I guess it would have to be a credit-card tour for me if I ever were to do it.

Machka 

One I've had in mind for years is Land's End to John O'Groats ... or perhaps the other way around.
Lands End to John O'Groats On-line Cycling Guide

If we started in John O'Groats and cycled down to Land's End, we could hook up with the Velodyssey Route, and cycle right down the west coast of France to Spain.
Velodyssey, the Atlantic cycling route ? The Velodyssey


We've done a portion of the Velodyssey Route from Bordeaux to La Rochelle, and we loved it ... I'd really like to go back and do the whole thing.

And the National Cycle Network in the UK is fairly decent ... at least the bits we've ridden have been pretty good.
National Cycle Network | Sustrans

Machka 

South Korea's bicycle routes ...

Beautiful Riverside Bicycle Routes in Korea

Cycling routes along the river in Korea | Stripes Korea

Machka 

Australia is developing a network of bicycle trails:
Rail Trails

Victoria, where we used to live, had a good collection of them:
Rail Trails - Victoria

We lived on the Great Victorian Rail Trail:
Great Victorian Rail Trail - Victoria

And our favourite was just north of us ... the Murray to the Mountains Rail Trail:
Murray to the Mountains Rail Trail - Victoria

Jim from Boston

Serendipitously, the day after this exchange I came upon an interview on my TuneIn Radio app on the I-Pad: Please Explain with Leonard Lopate of WNYC, with author Dan McNichol, of “The Roads that Built America: The incredible Story of the U. S. Interstate System.” He confirms the role of Dwight Eisenhower as described above. The book sounds like an interesting read about the Interstates.

bikinyurop

Eurovelo routes are bull**** in my opinion. Why? Because lazy European bureaucrats are behind the whole procedure. They could have realised everything in its entirety. Some roads are clearly signed but are listed as unrealised (parts of ev6) and most are not realised at all (ev4). I am not a Euro-sceptic. I am just fed up with slow bureaucrats that are taking years to realise something that has been planned for decades.

Now... I'd say that you should start in the Netherlands and go down to Belgium (this is easy as there are paths everywhere). From Belgium, look for long distance cycling routes on German websites that reach to the beginning of the Donau (or to Ulm, which is a bit further). From the Donau to the Austrian border, there is a huge bicycle path that reaches all the way to the black sea (Ulm-Regensburg-Passau-Linz-Vienna-Budapest-etc).

That would be a huge tour through Europe. Don't use the European routes. Use the national routes.

More info here:
Biking through Europe - Buying gear, booking tours and trips: How to plan your bicycle tour through Europe: Germany
Here I found an example tour for Germany.
Biking through Europe - Buying gear, booking tours and trips: How to plan your bicycle tour through Europe: The Netherlands (Holland)
Here for the Netherlands.

Here a cycling route website of Germany:
ADFC | Alle Routen aus Deutschland per Rad entdecken

A Dutch route-planning tool:
Fietsrouteplanner voor fietstochten via knooppunten en LF-routes | Nederland Fietsland

Dutch Long Distance routes:
Overzicht LF routes en LF thematochten | LF-Routes | Landelijke fietsroutes voor meerdaagse fietstochten, fietsvakanties en fietsreizen | Nederland Fietsland

DUTCH GPS TRACKS (nice!):
GPS tracks of long-distance cycle routes in the Netherlands | The Netherlands, a great destination for cycling holidays | Nederlandfietsland.nl, all about cycling in the Netherlands | Nederland Fietsland

bikinyurop

Oh and don't overplan things. Just look up national routes based on a plan you make using google maps. After doing that, look up national routes on Belgian/Dutch/German websites. In my last post you find 2 examples of routes from a website I have found. Pretty much explains how to plan a tour through Europe.


Forgot to mention a Belgian route site: Fietsrouteplanners - Vlaanderen - Nederland here you can click on 'knots' to make a route. You can export the route as GPS and you will know exactly where to go. Awesome tool.

ADFC | Rheinradweg
You can use the Rheinradweg to cycle to south of Germany.


ADFC | Donauradweg
Donauradweg 66. Using this national route (which is non-existant to ECF), you can get all the way to the austrian border.

rydabent

Amazing but things are heading in the way of cycle paths of long distance. When finished the Cowboy Trail across northern Nebr will stretch 2/3s the way across the state. Also there are trails from southern Iowa to Omaha, thru Lincoln and down to Beatrice. That trail will eventually go to Marysville Ks.

Mark Stone

Hi Everyone! A quick reminder to refrain from political or religious discussion here. Remember to post political and/or religious comments over in Politics & Religion - - Thanks!

bikinyurop

If it was meant for me because of
"Because lazy European bureaucrats are behind the whole procedure. They could have realised everything in its entirety. Some roads are clearly signed but are listed as unrealised (parts of ev6) and most are not realised at all (ev4). I am not a Euro-sceptic.", I was really not taking a position. It just takes a really long time to have these ev routes finished and there is a stereotype of the inefficient bureaucrat that seems to fit nicely.

Again, I'm not trying to make a political point or so.