Route advice
05-23-06, 09:44 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 54
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Route advice
This is not exactly a "touring" question, but I have a feeling you all will have an answer. I'm thinking about riding my bike from the Maryland Washington suburbs (Laurel to be exact), to Bethlehem PA for a family event. I'd appreciate any advice you can give me on roads/route to follow. I'd obviously like to stay away from major highways or bike unfriendly roads. Also, what's the scoop on hills in this route? Anything that will be too overwhelming on a regular road bike with 3x chainring?
05-23-06, 11:40 AM
#2
Member
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Back home in Warm and sunny Canada
Posts: 37
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
The commuting forum might be a better place to pose this question. I'm in Argentina so I can't be of much help.
05-23-06, 01:05 PM
#3
Banned.
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: ny
Posts: 1,764
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 36 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I rode from DC to Lancaster PA, by riding through Eldersburg and Reistertown MD over to Cockeysville where I picked up the North Central rail trail to Yorktown PA from there to Lancaster I rode PA route 462 which was a little busy in places but nobody crowded me.
A google turned up this website which has links to area routes and bike clubs that should help get you the rest of the way. https://www.swarthmore.edu/NatSci/ech...BikeRides.html
A google turned up this website which has links to area routes and bike clubs that should help get you the rest of the way. https://www.swarthmore.edu/NatSci/ech...BikeRides.html
05-23-06, 01:52 PM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 7,143
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 261 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 11 Times
in
10 Posts
Originally Posted by velonomad
I rode from DC to Lancaster PA, by riding through Eldersburg and Reistertown MD over to Cockeysville where I picked up the North Central rail trail to Yorktown PA from there to Lancaster I rode PA route 462 which was a little busy in places but nobody crowded me.
A google turned up this website which has links to area routes and bike clubs that should help get you the rest of the way. https://www.swarthmore.edu/NatSci/ech...BikeRides.html
A google turned up this website which has links to area routes and bike clubs that should help get you the rest of the way. https://www.swarthmore.edu/NatSci/ech...BikeRides.html
I think this route would be a piece of cake with a GPS. All the turns are there and a simple route would store all of them. I was reading CrazyGuyOnABike and it amazes me the fast highways cyclists use when touring. Quite scary.
05-23-06, 02:13 PM
#5
Walmart bike rider
Cabrales,
www.bikewashington.org has plenty of routes leading out of DC going up that way. They have a route that goes through Laurel that will take you right into Baltimore and points north. If you want to try something different during your ride, hop on the light rail with your bike and it will almost take you right to the southern terminus of the North Central/York County heritage trail.
Dahon.Steve,
If a busy highway has a nice shoulder on it, it is quite often the best route to take in my opinion. Usually flatter, more services, more direct and such. But if you want some peace & quiet, it isn't the best choice. I don't know if it is more dangerous or not, I've heard stories about bicyclist getting nailed on rural roads and bicyclist getting nailed on busy highways. In some states like Arizona, Nevada, and Utah, you really have no choice but to take busy highways or interstates. Where I do not like busy highways is by shopping areas and strip malls. It's not the traffic on the highway but the traffic coming out of the shops that is the problem.
--
Have fun people
www.bikewashington.org has plenty of routes leading out of DC going up that way. They have a route that goes through Laurel that will take you right into Baltimore and points north. If you want to try something different during your ride, hop on the light rail with your bike and it will almost take you right to the southern terminus of the North Central/York County heritage trail.
Dahon.Steve,
If a busy highway has a nice shoulder on it, it is quite often the best route to take in my opinion. Usually flatter, more services, more direct and such. But if you want some peace & quiet, it isn't the best choice. I don't know if it is more dangerous or not, I've heard stories about bicyclist getting nailed on rural roads and bicyclist getting nailed on busy highways. In some states like Arizona, Nevada, and Utah, you really have no choice but to take busy highways or interstates. Where I do not like busy highways is by shopping areas and strip malls. It's not the traffic on the highway but the traffic coming out of the shops that is the problem.
--
Have fun people
