Originally Posted by
Nick The Beard
So, I have my origin, my destination, and a bunch of points of interest(mostly along the AT) I'd like to hit up figured out. I don't mind help but I don't want someone else to plan it for me; I want to know how you would normally figure out a route for something like this. How do you avoid bad roads and busy highways? What about steep inclines, unfriendly towns, etc?
You're set.
Now just hop on the bicycle, with a map you picked up from your local tourist information centre in your handlebar bag, and start riding.
Not kidding ... that's about the level of effort I put into planning a route.
Bad roads and busy highways -- If I end up on a road I don't like, I check my tourist information map for an alternate route.
Steep inclines -- Almost invariably there will be at least one on a tour. If I can't cycle up it, I walk. But if you look closely at your tourist information map, you should be able to spot the rivers. If a road follows a river, there's a chance it might be flatter. If a road is really squiggly, there's a chance it is going up and over a mountain. And when you're out there, you might be able to see if you're heading for some climbs.
Unfriendly towns -- I haven't cycled much in the area where you're going so I don't know what the towns are like, but I have cycled in many towns in various parts of the world, and I've never come across an entirely unfriendly town. Some might have some bad sections or the occasional unfriendly person ... and if I encounter that, I just keep moving. And I tend to avoid most big cities, unless they've got a particular attraction.