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2014 Trans America route advice

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2014 Trans America route advice

Old 10-24-13, 12:43 PM
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Originally Posted by mgreen3691


So here is my question, for the legs on this proposed route, does anyone have comments on some of the choices Google made?

https://goo.gl/maps/GqLsF
The Flint Hills Nature Trail sections from Herington, KS to Council Grove, KS and from Perry, KS to Ottawa, KS are not complete and are only suitable for mountains bikes. The other completed sections of this trail are a little rough for a road bike.

Katy Trail would be well worth going out of the way for.

Don
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Old 10-24-13, 12:52 PM
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Indyfabz,

Thanks again for your informative replies. I will have to look into all this after work tonight to see exactly what trails you are talking about. I was interested in this Google Bike approach because of the positive experience I had locally. Cross county is another matter of course but the main impetus behind this latest approach is that the route Google selected from Kansas to New York cut nearly 600 miles off the ACA Trans Am and Atlantic Coast approach that I describe elsewhere in this tread. I just cannot ignore that.

I really appreciate you taking the time to respond to this. I may need to PM you with some more specific questions if that is OK. I will need a few days to research all your input before I do.
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Old 10-24-13, 01:03 PM
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Originally Posted by Kansas Don
The Flint Hills Nature Trail sections from Herington, KS to Council Grove, KS and from Perry, KS to Ottawa, KS are not complete and are only suitable for mountains bikes. The other completed sections of this trail are a little rough for a road bike.
Kansas Don,

I did a little reading on the Flint Hills trail website just the other day and did find some mention supporting your comments. I will be switching to 32 or 35 tires after my Western Segment is complete (ignore the Kansas section) so I can handle some dirt but I am a road guy at heart and crushed limestone is about as ‘off road’ as I would like to get on this trip. Would it be too presumptuous of me to ask if you have a recommendation around these sections? Not specific turn by turn but general comments regarding shortest/safest possibilities.

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Old 10-24-13, 02:47 PM
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Take 56 Hwy from Herington, KS to Council Grove, KS. Nice two lane highway not too heavily traveled. Has about 2' of paved shoulder most places.

I said Perry, but I meant Pomona Lake to Ottawa, (got my lakes mixed up). You can use 68 Hwy as an alternate. It also has a narrow paved shoulder.
If you zoom completely in on Google Maps you finally get to a street view and you can see the road conditions.

Keep us posted of your travel plans, if your in my neck of the woods on a weekend I'll ride with you and show you the routes.

Google shows riding on 13 Highway going into Clinton, MO. I've driven that way lots, but seems like an awful busy highway to bike. Maybe the Missouri bike riders can offer comments and suggestions. The Katy trail would be the best route across Missouri which is hilly, with very few straight roads, and the worst drivers .

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Old 10-25-13, 12:26 PM
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Originally Posted by mgreen3691
Indyfabz,

Thanks again for your informative replies. I will have to look into all this after work tonight to see exactly what trails you are talking about. I was interested in this Google Bike approach because of the positive experience I had locally. Cross county is another matter of course but the main impetus behind this latest approach is that the route Google selected from Kansas to New York cut nearly 600 miles off the ACA Trans Am and Atlantic Coast approach that I describe elsewhere in this tread. I just cannot ignore that.
No problem. What I suggested from Cumberland seems like it would cut off mileage between the end of the GAP and the Philadelphia compared to what you last posted because your route winds in a southeasterly direction before heading northeast, whereas U.S. 220 goes directly northeast from Cumberland to Bedford where Route S then heads east.

Looking at it again, there is a hybird option. The latest route you posted goes through Fayetteville, PA. So does PA Bike Route S. You could go up to Beford from Cumberland, take Route S to Fayetteville and then pick up your route again. Two perks of that approach are: 1. You would get to ride the abandoned PA Turnpike right of way. It's a segment of about 8.5 miles of old former highway the features two tunnels. One is about 3,800'. The other is about 5,500'. Niether is lit, so you need a good light and/or camping headlamp. Very cool ride (Literally, as the air inside the tunnels is quite cool) are through a usually empty area. It starts right off of Route S in Breezewood, PA. The surface is doable assuming you don't have skinny tires. From the end, it's less than a mile to get back on Route S. Taking it avoids a big climb out of Breezewood. 2. Cowan's Gap State Park, further east, is a very pretty place to camp with a lake and campground.

I also think Route S between Fayetteville and the SRT in Phoenixville would be a more direct route over yours. So you can compare, Route S pases through Aredndtsville (beautiful ride through big apple growing country), Bigglerville, E. Berlin, York, Columbia, Lancaster and Morgantown on the way to Phoenixville. Your route passes through Phoenixville but first goes northeast to Harrisburgh and Reading before dropping back southeast to get there. I am sure it does that because Google bike directions logic often sends you out of the way in order to route you on as many trail miles as possible.

BTW...Route S is perfectly signed. I did not find one missing sign east of Bedford last month. You can also print the maps for backup.
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Old 10-25-13, 04:32 PM
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indyfabz,

I am unable to send PMs until I have 50 posts so I tried the email option. Hopefully it gets to you.
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Old 11-02-13, 04:04 PM
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I am looking for opinions of the New Jersey segment of my trip posted here. I created this using Google Maps Bike option and did some tweaking of a few sections. It starts at the terminus of Pennsylvania Bike Route V in Portland, PA and heads to Manhattan via the George Washington Bridge. This is the only state that has me concerned in terms of safety and it would be interesting to hear from experienced NJ cyclists regarding this route.

How can you people live there?


https://www.bikemap.net/en/route/2371...rsey-segement/
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Old 11-02-13, 05:18 PM
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What are your goals while riding on this trip? Are you trying to get across country as fast and easy as possible? Or do you want scenic and interesting routes, with more complicated navigation and perhaps more hill climbing?

For instance, the section from Indianapolis to Columbus OH is mostly flat farming country. It does pick up some bike trails around Dayton, though.

A more interesting route is down to Louisville KY, then across KY near Lexington, and cross to Ohio at Maysville KY and northeast to Chillicothe OH. You'd see historic Ohio River towns, bluegrass horse farms, and many, many 300 foot climbs and descents along the way.

Almost anywhere in the SW Ohio area, try to take nearby local roads instead of US highways. They are just about all paved, and have very little traffic.
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Old 11-02-13, 10:29 PM
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Originally Posted by rm -rf
What are your goals while riding on this trip? Are you trying to get across country as fast and easy as possible? Or do you want scenic and interesting routes, with more complicated navigation and perhaps more hill climbing?

For instance, the section from Indianapolis to Columbus OH is mostly flat farming country. It does pick up some bike trails around Dayton, though.

A more interesting route is down to Louisville KY, then across KY near Lexington, and cross to Ohio at Maysville KY and northeast to Chillicothe OH. You'd see historic Ohio River towns, bluegrass horse farms, and many, many 300 foot climbs and descents along the way.

Almost anywhere in the SW Ohio area, try to take nearby local roads instead of US highways. They are just about all paved, and have very little traffic.
Rm-rf,

Thanks for your reply. Hopefully in this thread I have described what the criteria are for this trip. To save folks from having to read the whole thing, in a nutshell, this is a bucket list coast to coast credit card style trip. San Fran to NYC with the least amount of miles and climbing and no concessions for sightseeing. With that in mind I have been working on a route using advice from folks on forums, calling local bike shops as well as state issued D.O.T. bike route maps and heavy reliance on Google’s map tools. I have my route through California, Arizona and New Mexico pretty well nailed down. Kansas follows the KDOT suggested trans state bike route. Missouri will be done on the Katy Trail and from there to Pennsylvania’s Bike Route V I am using mostly Google Maps with the Bike option and some manual tweaking. I will rely on a full complement of paper maps, GPS and a smartphone to route around roads in real time that I deem unsafe or otherwise not suitable for my touring bike.

The only state where I am having major heartburn is New Jersey. I have posted my proposed route through NJ above and would appreciate some feedback from experienced NJ cyclists.
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Old 11-03-13, 09:26 AM
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Mike -

You seem to have explained your parameters/needs/limitations well.
I know it's frustrating when you say, "I'd like to do this."
And people end up saying, "You really should do that."

The type of tour you propose is not something I would do -
But then again, I'm not the one doing it.

60 days is enough to do a cross country trip. Tight, but doable.
If you average 80 miles per day for 5 out of 6 days -
That gives you 4000 miles to play with - and 10 flex days.

I've bicycled my own routes cross-country six times.
Plus I've ridden throughout the West more than a dozen.
The route you have posted is far from the best.
But you also have said "I'm done."
Which tends to tell people you are through with input.

You still have plenty of time to plan.
I would be glad to share info with you -
If you prefer private messages - - that will work, too.
Or jamawani (at) gmail (dot) com

Last edited by jamawani; 11-03-13 at 09:43 AM.
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Old 11-03-13, 10:02 AM
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I did grad work in Lawrence and spent a lot of time cycling in the Flint Hills.
Yes, the Flint Hills are lovely - especially in early May.
But the Flint Hills Nature Trail is NOT a good choice.
Much of it remains incomplete and where complete the surface is rough.

There are plenty of paved options (not US 54) in the Flint Hills
With low traffic and fantastic scenery.
https://www.traillink.com/trail/flint...ure-trail.aspx
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Old 11-03-13, 04:48 PM
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Originally Posted by jamawani
Mike -
The route you have posted is far from the best.
OK Jamawani, I’ve got to admit, you have my interest piqued with that one. I think it is your inclusion of the adverb far in there has me the most intrigued. If you have the experience that you claim you do I would be foolish to pass up your offer to discuss things in more detail.

Generally speaking what I have found is that I simply cannot post such a complex question as “how does this route look?” I was ignorant when I started this thread but have learned a great deal and I am grateful to those that took the time to respond and offer advice. (having said that I would still like some advice on my NJ route )


I cannot post PMs yet but I will reach out to you via email.
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Old 11-04-13, 07:11 AM
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Originally Posted by mgreen3691
I am looking for opinions of the New Jersey segment of my trip posted here. I created this using Google Maps Bike option and did some tweaking of a few sections. It starts at the terminus of Pennsylvania Bike Route V in Portland, PA and heads to Manhattan via the George Washington Bridge. This is the only state that has me concerned in terms of safety and it would be interesting to hear from experienced NJ cyclists regarding this route.

How can you people live there?


https://www.bikemap.net/en/route/2371...rsey-segement/
It would suck the further east you go. U.S. 46 from Columbia to Belvidere is o.k. at times. (The PA side from Portland to the bridge to Belvidere is far nicer and quieter.) But as you get further east it gets much busier and more developed. Just use Street View to see what you would be dealing with. Lots of commercial development. Motorists will be making right turns in front of you like you are invisible. That's what they do in places like that in NJ.

There are many beautiful and rural places to ride in NJ. However, NJ is the most densely populated state in America, and you want to ride into the most densely populated portion of NJ. You can't just pick a major U.S. Highway through highly developed areas and expect enjoyable and safe riding.

If you are going to find yourself in Portland, PA (birthplace of the man who penned the song "All I Want for Christmas are My Two Front Teeth"), you would be much better off riding through the Delaware Water Gap N.R.A. to Port Jervis, NY and thence to Middletown, NY (U.S. 6 would probably be the most direct route between PJ and Middletown), where you can pick up New York Bike Route 9, which will take you to the GW Bridge. I think I mentioned that the riding through the DWG is excellent. You can get there from Portland two ways. By crossing into NJ and taking NJ 94 to Mohican, Maple and Millbrook Rds. to Old Mine Rd at Old Millbrook Village. Or you can take PA 611 to Delaware Water Gap, PA. cross the pedestrian bridge along I-80 into NJ and then pick up Old Mine Rd. to Millbrook Village. From there, I would have to draw you a map as the road names can be somewhat confusing.

You might also consider getting in touch with some of the local clubs like the Princeton Freewheelers, the Bicycle Touring Club of North Jersey and the Western Jersey Wheelman.
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Old 11-04-13, 11:33 AM
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Originally Posted by indyfabz
you would be much better off riding through the Delaware Water Gap N.R.A. to Port Jervis, NY and thence to Middletown, NY (U.S. 6 would probably be the most direct route between PJ and Middletown), where you can pick up New York Bike Route 9, which will take you to the GW Bridge. I think I mentioned that the riding through the DWG is excellent. You can get there from Portland two ways. By crossing into NJ and taking NJ 94 to Mohican, Maple and Millbrook Rds. to Old Mine Rd at Old Millbrook Village. Or you can take PA 611 to Delaware Water Gap, PA. cross the pedestrian bridge along I-80 into NJ and then pick up Old Mine Rd. to Millbrook Village.

Indyfabz,

This is excellent detail and great feedback. I appreciate the bicycle club contact information too. I will redo the NJ segment based on your suggestions and repost. Just one thing I have to comment on to save some face. You said “You can't just pick a major U.S. Highway through highly developed areas and expect enjoyable and safe riding.” I can assure you I spent hours on this. Clicking with street view the entire way and trying to route off of 46 as much as possible but I guess I failed. I appreciate you pointing out what a disaster that route was.
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Old 11-04-13, 01:17 PM
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Originally Posted by mgreen3691
Indyfabz,

This is excellent detail and great feedback.
If you emailed me it did not get through. I had to ditch my old account. Need to update my settings to include the new address. Will try to do that tonight.
Here are the two alternate routes from Portland to Millbrook Village, which is nothing but a historic site, but there are water and restroom:
https://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/portland-millbrook-via-blairstown
https://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/portland-millbrook-via-dwg
The former through Blairstown will take you by many more services until you leave NJ 94. However, the climbing is more severe. The latter route through the town of Delaware Water Gap takes you through Worthington State Forest, where there is a nice campground along the river with a bear box in at least one of the group sites. You can see the campground on the left as you follow the route north after crossing I-80. There is no grocery store in DWG, but there is a diner, a small convenience store at a gas station and a couple of other places to get prepared food on and around Broad St. (I didn’t bother mapping the walkway along I-80 proper, but you access it from Delaware Ave.)
This is the route from Millbrook Village to U.S. 6 in Port Jervis:
https://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/millbrook-port-jervis
Other than the water and bathrooms at Millbrook Village, there are no services once you leave Blairstown or Delaware Water Gap except the Walpack Inn, which may or may not be open for lunch, depending on the time of year. I don’t know if Bear Creek Campground accepts onenighters. It looks more like a place for seasonal people, but you could always call them. Terrain is not that hard except for stiff, mile-long climbs after Millbrook Village and Peters Valley Craft Center. After you descend to and cross Tuttle’s Corner, the terrain gets even easier until you hit some minor undulations on CR 521. Rockview Valley Campground just outside Port Jervis is a bit rough around the edges and might require a reservation during the height of summer.

Maybe some people from those clubs can suggest acceptable, more direct routes. I don't have any experience riding west-east in that part of the world. Only north-south.
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Old 11-04-13, 02:04 PM
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Awesome. I will pore over them tonight. Thanks!
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Old 11-04-13, 02:58 PM
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Here it is, nearly twice as long...
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Old 11-06-13, 08:54 AM
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I'm curious, Mike, why you are opting for such a roundabout route.
Is crossing the George Washington Bridge essential - have you considered the SeaStreak Ferry from Atlantic Highlands?
It drops you off either at the Battery (my choice) or the Wall St Pier only a few blocks south of Brooklyn Bridge.
I'm sensing that Brooklyn Bridge IS your endpoint. (You must have put in a purchase order.)

https://www.seastreak.com/

Indyfabz is da man - but wondering if a more southerly route would be shorter and easier.
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Old 11-06-13, 09:28 AM
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Jamawani,

I am keen to ride every foot of the 3600 miles.

Mike
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Old 11-06-13, 10:48 AM
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I would add one caveat - on my first X-USA tour I was adamant against getting any rides. At the old Hannibal, Missouri bridge, a filling station owner said that it was too dangerous to ride on a bicycle - that a woman had been recently killed on the bridge. (The old bridge was something like 24 feet wide with heavy traffic.) He offered to toss my bike in the back of his pickup and drive me across. I reluctantly agreed - - and when I saw the conditions - - was glad I did. I hope that if you are sick, have an accident, or a breakdown - that you will relent ever so slightly. Also, you may encounter road construction where they put your bike in the lead pickup whether you want to or not.

But I agree - that if you want to ride into NYC via the George Washington Bridge - then that's the right choice.

PS - Are you going to start by riding over the Golden Gate Bridge from Marin County?
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Old 11-07-13, 09:36 AM
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Originally Posted by jamawani
I would add one caveat - on my first X-USA tour I was adamant against getting any rides. At the old Hannibal, Missouri bridge, a filling station owner said that it was too dangerous to ride on a bicycle - that a woman had been recently killed on the bridge. (The old bridge was something like 24 feet wide with heavy traffic.) He offered to toss my bike in the back of his pickup and drive me across. I reluctantly agreed - - and when I saw the conditions - - was glad I did. I hope that if you are sick, have an accident, or a breakdown - that you will relent ever so slightly. Also, you may encounter road construction where they put your bike in the lead pickup whether you want to or not.

But I agree - that if you want to ride into NYC via the George Washington Bridge - then that's the right choice.
I would certainly make concessions to this rule where safety was a concern. In fact, if I broke down to such a degree that I could not fix the issue myself on the roadside and needed a lift I’m not sure I would go so far as to retrace the miles back to the point of breakdown. Maybe if it was way over 100 or so but I cannot say until I am out there.

Originally Posted by jamawani
PS - Are you going to start by riding over the Golden Gate Bridge from Marin County?
I am staying near the Presidio so I will enter from the SF side.
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Old 02-25-15, 01:29 AM
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I thought I should revisit and update this thread for any other first timers planning a cross country trip that may be reading this. I started the trip in New York City mid august 2014 and finished up 40 or so days later in San Diego. Here is a link to my route that I created in ridewithgps.com ahead of time and for the most part I stuck to it with only minor deviations for lodging, food or the occasional bike shop visit. I loaded the individual routes for each state into my Samsung Galaxy S5 running the OsmAnd app which worked out great. I just followed the turn by turn directions and only had one or two minor glitches with the phone and none with the app.

Anyway, here are some things that I was most concerned with followed by some comments of how they panned out.

- Route planning. Forget about it. I routed state by state on roads that seemed interesting (original Lincoln Highway for ex.) or written about in forums like this one and some conversations with one trans am veteran. I also used Google Maps and state DOT resources (Pennsylvania Route V for ex.). I fretted about traffic and road conditions and the availability of food and lodging but in the end it just does not matter. This is the good ol' USA. You may have a tough day where you need to push a bit to get to a hotel but just pick roads to ride on until you get to your destination.

- Food, lodging, support. Mentioned above but worthy of its own comments. There are plenty. Bring a tent if you are worried about being stranded but there is no need (unless you plan to camp of course). I carried almost nothing on this trip, stayed in hotels exclusively and ate in restaurants and gas stations the entire way and it worked out fine. Absolutely zero issues with lodging and food.

- Physical stamina. I am 51 years old and 6'4" @ ~200 lbs. I trained lightly for about two months. Nothing major but I did manage to squeeze a couple 80 milers in. Otherwise most training was 3 to 5 30-50 mile rides per week. The adrenaline of the first few weeks of your actual trip will keep you going as you build your stamina. Unless you have some major physical ailment you will be fine. I was worried about some hip and knee pain that was bothering me but it never flared up.

- The bike and gear. Ride what you got. I was riding a bone stock 1992 steel touring bike that weighed about 45 pounds loaded and averaged 80 per day. I had several 100+ days and my best was 155. Don't take a bunch of spares, tools and other crap with you. You don't need it.

- Can I really do this. Yup! In fact it turns out it was ridiculously easy. If this is a dream of yours get it done this year. My only real issue during the entire trip was a bout of severe saddle rash that lasted for several weeks which I attributed to the only chamois cream I could find along the way (Paceline Butt Butter did NOT work for me). At its worst stage I rode two back to back 80 mile days entirely out of the saddle, not sitting down once on the seat for two straight days. I ended up adding Vaseline to the mix about 4 weeks in and it cleared me right up. Really, I ran into no unmanageable issues. A few hot days, a few really windy days, a few rainy days and a few long days between motels but you get through it and then just seem to forget about them.

- Safety. I was concerned about some of the roads I chose but they all seemed to work out. Again, this is the USA. The advantage of living in a first world county is that you can just hop on your bike and ride anywhere and it will be about as safe as you can reasonably expect. There were definitely some sketchy sections but I got through them and the majority were fine. I can almost guarantee that you will die of something other than being killed on your bike.

I know I sound somewhat caviler and nonchalant but really I found that this is easy to do. I put in way more planning and worrying than I needed to. Just ship the bike you have to a coastal town and ride it to a coastal town on the opposite coast. Deal with things as they come up and your days will be full and the challenges few. Its just that easy!

Last edited by mgreen3691; 05-18-15 at 10:47 PM.
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Old 02-25-15, 07:18 AM
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Thanks for the follow up letting us know how things went! Congratulations on your ride. And it's good to hear that with the mapping tools you were able to find routes that worked for the most part.

Edit: I just looked over your map, thanks for the link. What were some of your favorite segments? And what segments did you think were sketchy?

Last edited by OldZephyr; 02-25-15 at 07:26 AM.
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Old 02-25-15, 10:39 PM
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Hi OldZephyr, Thanks or asking. Let me try it state by state and see if this works. I hope it is not too long.


New York. New York City was fantastic. I got in a few days early to acclimate to the time zone and just chill out so I took the bike all around the city. I absolutely loved riding there. I was intimidated at the thought of riding in the big bad city but it has to be one of the most bike friendly urban areas I have ever ridden. Of course this is New York and there was so much to see and do.


New Jersey. This state went pretty quick and the western end was beautiful countryside. I was actually more nervous about NJ than NY because of comments I received about riding there and of course its legendary reputation of inconsiderate, dangerous drivers. Fort Lee and the surrounding metropolis proved to be pretty negotiable with decent bike lanes and the rest of the route through there was nothing out of the ordinary. I was quickly past the crush of humanity by the end of day two. Easy riding with decent roads and moderate traffic.


Pennsylvania. Super nice. Probably my favorite state to ride across. The DOT published Route V is a good route to traverse the state and it served me well. It was the only state however that I ran into road closures I had to route around. Pennsylvania was a treat because, although the DOT routes do not seem to be planned around sight seeing per se there is plenty to catch your eye and the countryside is awesome. I liked seeing houses that had plaques on the chimney dating back to the 1700's. Crazy. And of course the horse drawn buggies, trees and rolling hills were picture postcard perfect. I was all alone on the roads between the little towns I passed through.


Ohio. Of course things start to flatten out once you hit the Ohio border and it continues until western Kansas. I ran across a map of the original 1912 Lincoln Highway route across the US and thought it would be fun to follow the Ohio section. I was concerned that it would be busy but it proved to be a great bike route. There were several sections where the shoulder ran out and the white line had a rumble strip carved into it which forced you into traffic but they never lasted for more than five miles or so. I would just put my head down and crush the pedals. Not cool but nothing worth routing around either. There is lots to see along the Lincoln Highway and it would be fun to plan a trip some day along the original route, where it still exists, all the way across the country. One funny thing was when I hit some of the original red brick sections of the route I thought "how cool is this, riding on the original brick road from 1912" Well 10 minutes of that and I changed my tune to "dear god, when does this end?!" I think every bolt on my bike shook loose along with my dental work. I have no desire to do the Paris/Roubaix.


Indiana was flat, flat, flat with more corn and soybeans than seems possible. The roads are some kind of super compacted crushed gravel fused together with tar or something and smooth as velvet. I could average 16-20 mph for hours on end if the winds were light or favorable and simply gobble up the miles. Not much to see in Indiana but pretty and peaceful just the same. Probably the best roads overall on the trip with quite literally more horse drawn buggies than cars. No joke.


Illinois. This was more of the same at first. I used a DOT provided map that was one of the best any state had to offer. They color code all the roads for bicycling suitability based on traffic volume, shoulder width and road surface. The only mistake I made was poor route planning in the mid/southwestern section of the state and I had to deviate from my original route to find motels. One such last minute change was the section from Pana to Hillsboro on route 16. This was the scariest, hairiest section of certain death on the entire trip. I leveraged every cycling skill I have ever learned over the decades for this one. I was really shaken at the end and I credit my two Knog Roadblinders keeping me from being killed. Those from that area reading this are surely saying "Oh my god, you rode on that!" Otherwise the roads in Illinois are like Indiana for the most part. Since there is little traffic on the country back roads they are pristine and high mileage days just come with the scenery.


Missouri. Missouri was done entirely on the Katy trail except for the extreme ends. I was looking forward to riding the Katy but it was kind of disappointing. I am glad I did it but I got really bored and sort of slipped into a funk. I am not slamming the Katy, it is a fantastic resource in great shape and the good folks of Missouri should be proud. It serves as a model of what can be done. I guess I am saying it was just not for me. The towns along the trail were great. I really liked Jefferson City. Oh, also, one of those tidbits they don't tell you about, if you are the first one on the trail in the morning (I always hit the road at 6 am or earlier) you get the honor of purging the trail of the spiders that set up shop in the middle of the trail overnight right at face level. I swear their webs are so strong they could knock you off your bike! I think I swallowed four and spit out three. The rest had to be combed out of my hair.


Kansas. Ah Kansas. What to say about Kansas. Well, it was for sure my least favorite. Sorry folks from Kansas. First off the roads suggested by the DOT's suggested Bicycle Routes Map were horrible and almost every little town was boarded up and abandoned. I think that once fully automated farming is perfected there will be no reason to actually live there. I am sure that New Holland and ADM will just fence the whole thing off with razor wire and declare it off limits to humans. It may have been a good idea to swap out to mountain tires and taken gravel farm roads but I don't know how viable this really would have been. I was supposed to take route 4 for a good portion of the trip but ended up swinging south to the parallel route 96 at La Crosse because I could not handle it anymore. Things did start to improve in terms of scenery and shoulder width towards the southwestern end of the state.


Oklahoma. I just nicked the corner of the state. Roads were fine and traffic was moderate.


New Mexico. This state had decent roads albeit very few choices. Things started getting further and further between and it was here that I had my biggest days to either beat weather fronts or get to the next motel. I like the high desert although the altitude did effect my stamina more than I had anticipated. There were some big climbs in New Mexico and my westerly direction paid off handsomely here as I was lighter and stronger by now and able to power up any grade that came my way. New Mexico was very zen like and I would like to return.


Arizona. Much like New Mexico but less climbing it seemed. All the major roads I took were quite rideable with the occasional no shoulder/light traffic scenario. More of the desert riding that I like and very mystical. As with most of the southwest, distances between services can be far on a bike and you have to have contingency plans. One day I had planned to stay in a small motel in Aguilla 90 miles away but when I got there they were full so I had to pull another 30 or so for Salome in 100+ degree heat and it was a bit scary. I dug deep and made it eventually and finished with a sense of pride and accomplishment. One last story from Arizona, I was humbled one day by a local woman of about 60 out of Prescott that came up behind me on a carbon Trek and proceeded to pull a horizon job on me that was so humiliating it brought shame not only to me but my entire family. This chick was a hammer.


California. Southern Cali was easy riding with reasonable roads. Drivers can be discourteous but they are used to seeing cyclists and will usually give some quarter but you need to take it before they lose patience. The stint on I-10 was actually fun as the shoulder is wide and the vacuum created by the trucks pulls you along at high speeds. The climb up Banner grade into Julian was the worst of the entire trip. I bonked in the 110 degree heat and 10+% grade and got very emotional. Just when I thought I would toss my bike off a cliff and hitch a ride I found a small country store in the middle of nowhere (Banner I think it was). I drank, ate and napped on the bench outside for two hours and regained my will to live. Riding to the small beach in Del Mar was exciting but as is always the case, like a dog that finally trees the cat, somewhat anticlimactic. I was spent and glad I was done.


Next trip is Canada to Mexico along the west coast.

Last edited by mgreen3691; 05-18-15 at 11:15 PM.
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Old 02-25-15, 11:00 PM
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If you are going to drop down into AZ, and are traveling so early perhaps you would want to look at the ACA Southern Tier route, and then swing North closer to the east coast. Just a thought.
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