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From East to West

Old 03-01-14, 09:14 AM
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It's March 1 - -- oh noooo!
And you are going to have a great trip.
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Old 03-01-14, 07:45 PM
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Hey all, just wanted some advice on a front rack and Panniers. I ordered a Jandd Expedition with Ortlieb classics for the rear. In front I was looking at the Old Man Mountain Sherpa? Any thoughts on this? I could also go cheaper. I just wanted something solid for the rear because I know I'm bring camera equipment, 15" MBP, HD's, Solar Panel, small tripod. I thought the Old Man Mountain Sherpa would hold up an additional load in the event I need to add more things on. I thought about bringing my 80mm Slider Dolly as well.
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Old 03-02-14, 06:55 AM
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Again, the Trans Am does not pass through the "deep south." And as someone with darker skin in the summer, I agree with what pd says. Just ride yer bike and don't laud PETA, vegetarianism, ObamaCare and gun control anywhere along the route and you should be fine.

Heading up the river from L'ville, there is camping in Upper Black Eddy, PA (across the river from Milford, NJ) and at Worthington State Forest. The Great Divide is mostly off road. You probably don't want to go there.

For strength and looks, look at the Nitto Big front rack Rivendell.
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Old 03-02-14, 07:18 AM
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>>>However, due to my background I think I might feel a bit more comfortable skipping the deep south and going further north such as this route...<<<<

By the way, man. I apologize that so many places are still "that way." As a "whiteguy" rider, I get the same uncomfortable vibe when I ride through certain places here in the Northeast, but I'm sure my experience (pardon the pun) pales by comparison.
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Old 03-02-14, 07:47 AM
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Originally Posted by Blackguyrides
In front I was looking at the Old Man Mountain Sherpa?
The Sherpa is nicely overbuilt, just what you need for all that hardware you'll be lugging
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Old 03-02-14, 09:47 AM
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Hey dude--I'm going E-W this summer too. Hope to see you out there
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Old 03-02-14, 04:29 PM
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[QUOTE=indyfabz;16540503]Again, the Trans Am does not pass through the "deep south." And as someone with darker skin in the summer, I agree with what pd says. Just ride yer bike and don't laud PETA, vegetarianism, ObamaCare and gun control anywhere along the route and you should be fine.

QUOTE]

So, going up the Underground RR from Mobile I may have problems as a vegan/ACA supporter?
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Old 03-02-14, 06:31 PM
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Originally Posted by rwpshaw
So, going up the Underground RR from Mobile I may have problems as a vegan/ACA supporter?
Honeychile - you just might starve in a lot of Southern cafes.
For these folks "vegetarian" is a bowl of green beans with a hunk of fatback in the middle.
I swear - it's happened more than once - and they don't even see an issue.

With that in mind, may I make a suggestion?
Serving guests is still very important in the rural South.
You should consider what might happen if you accept hospitality.
The green beans above - or cornbread with butter - are likely.
You might consider whether you are willing to make accommodations.

I don't think they'll care whether or not you support the Adventure Cycling Association. ;-)
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Old 03-03-14, 07:24 AM
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So, going up the Underground RR from Mobile I may have problems as a vegan/ACA supporter?
If you are packing they might let the vegan thing slide.

Seriousy....

1. I don't think most people will care one way or another about your personal choice to be a vegan. It's the person who cops an attitude like "I'm vegan and you it's wrong for people to eat animal products!" that can annoy locals. I don't think most people look kindly upon strangers who come through and "preach."

2. What jamawani says. Shoot. I remember doing an organized tour in N. Dakota. Lots of farming. Breakfasts and dinners prepared by local civic associations. Should be plenty of non-animal things to eat, right? Nope. Ice berg lettuce salad was usually about it. One night there was a nice vegetable medley to go along with the three different meat-infused dishes, including some sort of hash made with ham. The GF and I went back for seconds of veggies and they were long gone. A nice woman who was serving told us that they had made that much because they didn't think cyclists ate that sort of thing. Unless you look for sustinance in larger towns, you may have to compromise.
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Old 03-03-14, 07:53 AM
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Originally Posted by Blackguyrides
Yea I'm just not to sure about going through the deep south in comparison to the north. However, I am interested in passing through PA and the Delaware Water Gap. Camping sites i'm sure? I can catch the Northern Tier in Erie, PA.
Here are the maps for PA Route Y

ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/pdf...state_mapY.pdf

If you click on map 29b you will see that U.S. 206 goes from NJ into PA. The ACA route crosses U.S. 206 just as you leave the DWGNRA on the upper portion of Old Mine Rd. Make a left on U.S. 206 from Old Mine Rd. to get to Milford and then follow maps 29b and 29a to get to the main Route Y. I am 99.99% certain there is a bike/ped walkway on the U.S. 206 bridge. If there is not, you can continue on CR 521/River Rd. into NY, make a left on U.S. 6, cross the river on that and continue on it until Milford.

The ride through the DWGNRA on the NJ side is splendid. From Delaware Water Gap, PA, you cross over the river via the bike/pedestrian walkway along I-80 and off you go up Old Mine Rd./NPS 615 and Old Mine again. Keep your eyes peeled for bears. Worthington State Forest is about 3 miles up Old Mine after you cross the river. It has a group site with a bear locker. One thing to keep in mind is that some private campgrounds may not open until early May.
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Old 03-03-14, 09:26 AM
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Thanks for the help on this. I'll be leaving the second week in May and will be the Hazelton, PA area. I can find a route that can take me to marker #24 on that route. Looks like its out of Wyoming, PA.


Any tips on how to catch the TransAm from the Northern Tier? I mentioned the great divide and another member said it was a bit rough. Has anyone traveled the Northern Tier to the Great Divide into the TransAm? Im assuming the weather conditions on the Northern Tier will be rainy and still snow.

Originally Posted by indyfabz
Here are the maps for PA Route Y

ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/pdf...state_mapY.pdf

If you click on map 29b you will see that U.S. 206 goes from NJ into PA. The ACA route crosses U.S. 206 just as you leave the DWGNRA on the upper portion of Old Mine Rd. Make a left on U.S. 206 from Old Mine Rd. to get to Milford and then follow maps 29b and 29a to get to the main Route Y. I am 99.99% certain there is a bike/ped walkway on the U.S. 206 bridge. If there is not, you can continue on CR 521/River Rd. into NY, make a left on U.S. 6, cross the river on that and continue on it until Milford.

The ride through the DWGNRA on the NJ side is splendid. From Delaware Water Gap, PA, you cross over the river via the bike/pedestrian walkway along I-80 and off you go up Old Mine Rd./NPS 615 and Old Mine again. Keep your eyes peeled for bears. Worthington State Forest is about 3 miles up Old Mine after you cross the river. It has a group site with a bear locker. One thing to keep in mind is that some private campgrounds may not open until early May.
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Old 03-03-14, 09:27 AM
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Thanks for the help on this. I'll be leaving the second week in May and will be the Hazelton, PA area. I can find a route that can take me to marker #24 on that route. Looks like its out of Wyoming, PA.


Any tips on how to catch the TransAm from the Northern Tier? I mentioned the great divide and another member said it was a bit rough. Has anyone traveled the Northern Tier to the Great Divide into the TransAm? Im assuming the weather conditions on the Northern Tier will be rainy and still snow.

Originally Posted by indyfabz
Here are the maps for PA Route Y

ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/pdf...state_mapY.pdf

If you click on map 29b you will see that U.S. 206 goes from NJ into PA. The ACA route crosses U.S. 206 just as you leave the DWGNRA on the upper portion of Old Mine Rd. Make a left on U.S. 206 from Old Mine Rd. to get to Milford and then follow maps 29b and 29a to get to the main Route Y. I am 99.99% certain there is a bike/ped walkway on the U.S. 206 bridge. If there is not, you can continue on CR 521/River Rd. into NY, make a left on U.S. 6, cross the river on that and continue on it until Milford.

The ride through the DWGNRA on the NJ side is splendid. From Delaware Water Gap, PA, you cross over the river via the bike/pedestrian walkway along I-80 and off you go up Old Mine Rd./NPS 615 and Old Mine again. Keep your eyes peeled for bears. Worthington State Forest is about 3 miles up Old Mine after you cross the river. It has a group site with a bear locker. One thing to keep in mind is that some private campgrounds may not open until early May.
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Old 03-03-14, 09:47 AM
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Originally Posted by Blackguyrides
Any tips on how to catch the TransAm from the Northern Tier? I mentioned the great divide and another member said it was a bit rough. Has anyone traveled the Northern Tier to the Great Divide into the TransAm? Im assuming the weather conditions on the Northern Tier will be rainy and still snow.
Not quite the Great Divide, but Great Parks north includes a route from West Glacier down to Missoula that's all (lovely and quiet) roads, and is easily ridden in three days.
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Old 03-03-14, 10:08 AM
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Originally Posted by Blackguyrides
Any tips on how to catch the TransAm from the Northern Tier? I mentioned the great divide and another member said it was a bit rough. Has anyone traveled the Northern Tier to the Great Divide into the TransAm? Im assuming the weather conditions on the Northern Tier will be rainy and still snow.
In the west? Doubt you will have rain and snow by then.

I think you should forget unpaved portions f the Great Divide, especially if you don't have a front suspension.

As pdlamb notes, you can follow the NT all the way through Glacier National Park to Whitefish/Columbia Falls, where you can take the Great Parks North Route to Missoula to pick up the Trans Am. I did that back in '00. As noted, it can easily be done in 3 days. I left the west side of Glacier and camped in Bigfork. Spent the next night at Lake Alva Campground, which is a U.S.F.S. place. Day 3 I was in Missoula. Noen of the days was difficult.
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Old 03-03-14, 10:37 AM
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Summer begins on the 5th of July out here.., prior month is sometimes nicknamed "Juneuary".
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Old 03-03-14, 11:54 AM
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BGR - I'm not sure where you are going with your routing and timeframe.
If you plan on doing this in two months - late April to late June -
Then you will need a relatively direct route across the country.
It's 2900 miles across on I-80 -- probably 3000 on a bike. Straight line.
With a little wandering - 3200 miles or about 400 per week.
67 miles per day - 6 days per week - one day off for fun or weather or - - .
I wouldn't go much above 450 per week or 3600 miles total.

Speaking of weather - I must disagree with the poster above.
You WILL encounter some weather - esp. in the Great Plains.
The Plains get almost half their rain in May/June - peaking June 1.
Some of the storms can be doozies - as Dorothy well knows.
Many times they are in the afternoon - but it means half days.

Similarly, June is NOT summer in the Rockies. Two things.
Yes, there can be pretty good snowstorms in June - they don't last.
But, there's also the issue of all of the winter snow melting.
For ex. - in Yellowstone many campgrounds do not open until mid-June.

In your planning, consider starting with the Northern Tier segment from Monroeville to Muscatine.
In addition to the Old Lincoln Highway, there are other mapped Ohio routes.
And Pennsylvania has there E-W routes - - although Route Y may be cold/wet that early.

Similarly, there are quite a few ways to cross Iowa/Nebraska/the Dakotas -
But I do not see how you can ride to Glacier NP and then to SFO within your timeframe.
As mapped the TransAm/WesternExpress is just less than 3800 miles.
You really should be considering something no long than that.
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Old 03-03-14, 12:08 PM
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Originally Posted by jamawani
BGR - I'm not sure where you are going with your routing and timeframe.
If you plan on doing this in two months - late April to late June -
Guess I am lost. I looked back through the thread and first saw late April start. Then I saw mid-May. And I see where he said his start date was two months away, but I didn't see that he planned to complete the trip in two months of riding. The target seems to be moving daily. Based on what I thought his latest timing was, I figured he'd be out west in July, so the chance of constant cold and wet weather would be less than in early June.
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Old 03-03-14, 07:01 PM
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Hey all, so part of me being a bit indecisive was due to going to Montreal, Canada for the first week in May. The second week I'll be heading to California. From either PA or from New York. Seondly, I was undecided weather or not to take the TranAm, Western Express or the Northern Tier. Definitely will be leaving second week in May, still undecided on my route. I'll be making that decision in a few days. In terms of the trip, id like to spend no more than two months.
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Old 03-07-14, 01:02 PM
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Hey guys,

So to keep the mileage down and complete my trip before July 4th possibly. I decided to take the TransAmerican route. I also agree that it is a more straight forward route and i'm very excited to take it on. So I believe I'll be leaving from Hazelton, PA to pick up the TransAm. I was thinking of possibly catching a ride to Charlottesville, VA where I can get the TransAm. If not, any better way of getting the TransAm? To my understanding I can get route L to take me to Lancaster, PA to bring me closer to VA.
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Old 03-10-14, 05:05 AM
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Originally Posted by Blackguyrides
So I believe I'll be leaving from Hazelton, PA to pick up the TransAm. I was thinking of possibly catching a ride to Charlottesville, VA where I can get the TransAm. If not, any better way of getting the TransAm? To my understanding I can get route L to take me to Lancaster, PA to bring me closer to VA.
Most people try to leave Hazelton. Make sure you go to the Blue Comet Diner while there. Booty's Place has decent, medium budget Italian.

I believe ACA's Atlantic Coast Route passes through Lancaster County and intersects with the Trans Am.
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Old 03-10-14, 08:38 AM
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Originally Posted by Blackguyrides
To my understanding I can get route L to take me to Lancaster, PA
Nope. PA Bike Route L heads north-south and passes east of Lancaster County. In Warwick, just east of Elverson, it intersects Route S. For some reason, the intersection between Route L and Route S is not marked on either map. If you ride Route S west, it will take you into Lancaster County and eventually to the city of Lancaster. I you continue west, you will hit Columbia, which is on ACA's Atlantic Coast Route. As I stated previously, I believe the Atlantic Coast route intersects with the Trans Am in VA.
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Old 03-12-14, 04:44 PM
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Booty's Place is awesome! I plan on making a blog for the trip so everyone can experience it with me. I'm a photographer and media producer and plan on showing how I live and work while being on this trip. When i get to California I plan on taking a Permaculture course then figure out what's next. I'm pretty psyched but still feel under prepared. I still have lots of work to do. That includes resigning from my job as a teaching artist : )
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Old 03-13-14, 10:35 AM
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Where will you record your trip? Have you seen crazyguyonabike.com: Bicycle Touring: A place for bicycle tourists and their journals
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Old 04-01-14, 08:56 PM
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Hey all,

I'm a little over a month away for my first tour from East to West riding the AC, TA, WE. I'm really excited about it and still working to make sure I have what I need to be out for just about two months during this trip. I appreciate all of you who've helped me out in leading me in the right direction for this. I hope to see some of you out their as well and excited to make new experiences along the way. I'll be recording my trip and posting content and media to the site I built Manual Pedal. There you'll be able to ride with me and see how I live and work during this trip.

Lately I've been fiddling with the GPS I picked up on a good deal (Etrex 30). Having a bit of trouble with the ACA maps. If anyone has experience with this chime in. i have several questions regarding Waypoints along the ACA routes I'll be riding.
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Old 04-01-14, 09:07 PM
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Hey blackguyrides! I don't know where your coming from but if you pass through St. Louis at all I have a almost new camelback that's all yours. )
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