john5214

So I just found out that there is a trail across America called the American Discovery Trail. Supposedly you can go across the USA on a bike using nothing (or almost nothing) but trails. Trails for only non motorized vehicles. I have seen many videos ans blogs about the ACA and other routes across the US, but this is a new one to me. Has anyone ever done this? Is it really possible to cross the US on trails only? Any info will be appreciated.

Marcus_Ti

The route through my state (Nebraska) looks viable...catch being it is probably all chipped limestone from rail-to-trails. Fortunately being East-West into out of Lincoln it avoids the unpaved trail destruction on the South end of town....City has actually applied to the Fed for disaster relief to fix it as they did those bits of trail on the cheap (unpaved) along a natural levy that burst-cost to fix it is $100,000+ due to doing things the "cheap" way the first time.

Rob_E

Sounds cool, but info seems sparse. It seems like it's first a hiking trail but with many sections being bike-accessible, and some being available for horseback riding. I wish they had broken out that info by miles. As in:
How many miles are bikeable?
How many miles are on roads?
How many miles are dirt/pavement/gravel?

For instance, when the trail goes through Ohio, it follows the Buckeye Trail through southern Ohio. I thought that most of the Buckeye Trail was off limit to bikes, but I see no reference to that on the American Discovery Trail website. Google Maps shows some bike paths in Ohio, but nothing running all the way across.

I love the idea of a coast-to-coast, off-road, bike route, but I wonder if the reason it's not more well known is because it's not really a viable bike route.

mstateglfr 

In Iowa, there are gaps between some of the designated trails/paths that constitute the ADT. Some of the trails are crushed limestone, but many are paved. With that said, I consider our state to be above average for dedicated multi use paths that are paved.

I wouldn’t think the trail would be an easy task to accomplish on anything less than 35mm tires. Perhaps a gravel bike/rigid frame MTB with slicks would be the ideal bike, given the range of surfaces and conditions.

I have ridden many of the paved trails that make up the ADT in Iowa. Most are new enough to be in very good/excellent condition. I wouldn’t expect this the whole way, or even most of the way. I would figure most of the trail across the country would be crushed limestone, at least when you arent on roads that they needed to use to connect the trails together.





ETA- I know that part of Colorado is for sure not bike friendly.

stevepusser

Yes, I can see it crosses the Sierra Nevada mostly on trails, most of which you'd never want to take a road bike on, much of which even a mountain bike would die on, and not to mention that bikes are banned on much of that route, such as the Pacific Crest Trail and those in wilderness areas. I imagine that you would find the same situation throughout its route in the West.

Rob_E

Yep. I spot checked a little of the Ohio stretch in more detail. The Buckeye Trail, which this follows, on the sections I checked, is more than 50% roads, and some of the off-road areas seem to be hiking only. So it's not really an off-road bike route through Ohio. It's not even really an off-road hiking trail through Ohio. I like that idea, though.