Bike Forums - View Single Post - How do you prep your route for long tours?

09-03-08 | 08:01 AM

#7

staehpj1

Senior Member

Joined: Aug 2006

Posts: 12,039

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From: Tallahassee, FL

Bikes: Several

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregw

These tips work great west of the Mississippi and Kansas is probably the easiest state on the Union to route across. Compare the DOT map above to the one for Kentucky http://kytcgis.ky.gov/trafficcounts/viewer.htm OMG, try using that map! Well the answer is that you can't, it's basically useless. The resource that I use in simply the AAA state maps, the scale used on these maps is very helpful. There are only 2 levels of roads shown (smaller than highways and interstates) they are a black line and a thinner dark grey line. The dark grey line roads are the ones to go for wherever possible. Sure, there are more rural roads available, but trying to link all these together for a long tour is really, really time consuming.

Next is lodging, more difficult, these maps have a campground symbol which generally just shows state parks and forests, I try to connect as many of these together as possible for the overall route. Then for the in between spaces I connect small size towns to pass through, these can be identified by the size and color of the text on the map.

Small black text = Town in name only, maybe a gas station or convenience store, and maybe not.

Slightly larger black text = Small town with grocery, fair chance at a motel or camping, for sure Churches. (These are the towns that I try to string together)

Medium red text = Large town / small city with all amenities, and maybe camping. (I avoid these for the most part, unless looking for a bike shop)

Large red text = Medium to large city, again with all amenities and maybe camping. (I avoid these, unless looking for a bike shop)

In those small in between towns, I try to google them ahead of time, or just ask around when I get there for camping first, then motels, then churches. I have yet to find a rural church that turned me away for camping, they usually make their restroom available to me.

Anyway, that's my method, and if there is an ACA route going my way, I take it!

I tend to agree with all of that.

I am inclined to not worry so much about finding the lightest traveled roads, but merely with avoiding the very worst ones. I don't have a huge amount of route finding experience because I too tend to use AC routes where possible. There are times when I second guess the AC routes and do my own thing for a few days for one reason or another. When that happens I just used whatever state maps that I could find for free on entering the state.

I am sure that I will do tours in the future where AC maps are not the answer, but I do like them where they are applicable.

Jamawani's methods are probably great for the remote West, but in the areas where they work well I tend to be likely to be on an AC route. He is a wealth of knowledge of the west and touring in general, but I am not inclined to wade through the AADT maps like he does. I guess that I am a bit lazy and not all that interested in detailed planning. I kind of like to just leave with little or no real planning. AC maps make that possible and I get my exploring fix by going off route for some of the trip is I feel so moved.

If in the future I feel the desire to do a non AC route I am inclined to start with a google maps route and improvise as needed.

FWIW: I have found Google maps extremely useful for mapping one or two day rides, but have not had reason to use it for a long tour yet. The Satellite view when zoomed in can often tell a lot about what to expect. Map My Ride is great for generating turn by turn cue sheets and elevation profiles, but is a PITA for long routes unless you do them in small chunks.

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