mikewithbike

Hi everyone, I'm Mike!


I enjoyed bikepacking with my Worldtraveller for a good while - now I became somehow more ambitious and interested in ultracycling. This is more daydreaming about being Mark Beaumont than anything else, I know. But still my question is: How can I find the fastest route for an Around-The-Northern Hemisphere-Tour"? Pacific and Atlantic Ocean excluded. I like opencyclemap.org, but now I'm really looking for the fastest route possible. Do such tools even exist or would I have to check through each contry's road maps and avoid highways and gravel paths, looking for the country/secondary roads. But even if I found the right country roads in sufficient condition, I wouldn't know about the heights expecting me, right?


Glad about every advice. Cheers, M

clasher

I'd break down by country, for the European part there are probably many paved options that are all great riding. crazyguyonabike.com might be a helpful resource for other places, some people's journals have a lot of pictures and road information that might not show up on google maps or streetview. You can plot the rides on ridewithgps.com it'll give you an idea about elevation profiles.

mikewithbike

Thanks, that helped alot for the moment!

bikenh

One thing to consider is where are you going to be able to ride the fastest pace...on country/side roads that may end up being in bad shape, or on a highway with more traffic but also quite possibly better pavement. You would be amazed at how much slower rough pavement is compared to smooth pavement. Try riding across the deep south versus the north states and you will see what I mean...just skip LA/MS. Most places I would much rather rather ride federal highways stateside than ride state highways or side roads. I know they are paved and with few exceptions, LA/MS, they federal highways are generally the best pavement you will find in each state, hence the fastest riding you will find in each state. You will also find that they hook up services which the side roads quite often don't.

Probably the easiest way finding the shortest or fastest(not necessarily one and the same thing) route would be to start clicking on towns on both coasts, up and down the length of US and see where ridewithgps shows as having the shortest distance and look and see which one has the least climbing. Just check to make sure you also are dealing with a route that is avoiding as many big cities as possible as they will slow you down big time. In fact I don't think I would even consider NY as a finish line, I would avoid it altogether due the amount of traffic...that is of course unless the rules require otherwise. Catch a connecting flight through NY instead of riding into NY. I believe the record does require a minimum distance, like 18,000 miles. I could be wrong on this but I thought I heard it had a minimum distance so you would also to have route around it. I have a strange feeling you wouldn't be looking for the shortest distance but rather the fastest route the rules will allow. Do your research into the rules before you do anything else.

mikewithbike

Thank you so much for this informative answer. I'm glad to be aware of Mississippi and Alabama roads! I try to make it happen as soon as possible but first a need very detailed planning, some savings and some more century rides ;-) Maybe I will post again as soon as I make progress, but Idk if anyone even cares haha! Anyways, thanks again and have a nice week!

bikenh

LA/ not AL. Alabama is nice but Mississippi can be down right horrible, chip and seal on federal highway, the chip are size of golf balls. Louisiana on federal highways has not been the best upkept but it does seem like the state highways are smoother. A lot of older concrete highways. At least it isn't like the concrete highways in Michigan, some of them are deplorable.