Originally Posted by
zacster
Just remember that Pennsylvania is endless and boring. I've done route 80 too many times in recent years and it is just torture in a car. Also, be aware that there isn't much along the route, whether the interstate or the back roads that the bike route uses. Even less I would think along the back roads.
Pfft. I will likely be doing Youngstown to Philly this year. Riding to Franklin, PA on Day 1, then taking the beautiful Allegheny River Trail to Emlenton to pick up Route V to the Catawissa area then heading south through Centralia and eventually Lancaster County and French Creek before reaching home. Having ridden across PA 3 times, I wouldn't call places like Raymond Winter, Bald Eagle and the wonderful Amish Valley east of State College boring. In preparation for my trip, I have already located some ten campgrounds along Route V between Emlenton and Catawissa and at least two others south from there towards home, including the lovely French Creek State Park.
OP: Note that if you want to actually ride into Manhattan from the west, you are limited to the George Washington Bridge. Otherwise, you are have to take one form of public transit or another. (E.g., ferry from Hoboken, NJ.) Due to development and population density, that part of the world can very complicated to navigate through by bike. New York State has some official bike routes that you can fnd on line, but I cannot vouch for them.
One issue with U.S. 6 is that, from what some friends have told me, truck traffic from the explosion of gas mining has made that route unpleasant in some parts of PA.
Have you looked at Adventure Cycling Association's maps. Its Northern Tier route passes near Streator, IL and goes through Erie, PA. While that doesn't get you all the way there, it's a start. You could hook up with PA Bike Route Y outside of Erie, but that takes you along the U.S. 6 corridor. IIRC, one of the NY bike routes into Manhattan passes through Middletown, NY, which is not that far from Port Jervis, NY, which is easily accessible from the end of PA Bike Route Y.
Maybe D.C. would be a better ending point. As noted, you could get yourself to Pittsburgh and then ride completely car-free to D.C. on the GAP and C&O Canal Path. Amtrak's Capitol Limited from D.C. will take you right back to Chicago. Budget-wise the GAP and C&0 have a good amount of free or very cheap camping.