Machka 

Where are you touring in 2016? Got any exciting plans? Will it be a long tour, short tour, or something in between? Will it be to a place you've been before, or somewhere new? Solo or with others?

Tell us about your plans ... tell us about your tours.



And if it is a short tour, don't forget to post a brief ride report in the Short Tours thread.
https://www.bikeforums.net/touring/10...ort-tours.html


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2015 Tours:
https://www.bikeforums.net/touring/98...tinations.html

2014 Tours:
https://www.bikeforums.net/touring/92...you-going.html

2013 Tours:
2013 - Touring Plans = Where Are You Going?

tarwheel 

I'm planning to ride the Erie Canal trail from Buffalo to Albany, NY, with friends next August. I would like to do another week long tour in spring or early summer but no plans yet.

indyfabz

Planned: MONTANA 2016 - Missoula, MT Fly out June 14th, start riding June 15th. 10 days of riding with a day off at the Bike Camp in Twin Bridges after day 4. Most of the mileage I have done at one point or another, but some not for 16 years. Some will be new. If all goes as planned, I will cross paths with ACA's supported Cycle Montana tour in Philipsburg. Camping all nights except for one motel room in Butte. Where I camp some nights will depend on things like weather and how I feel. Cooking when camping but there may be one or two nights when I have to eat dinner out because of a lack of grocery options. Fly home June 26th.

mstateglfr 

My brother in law and I just decided to ride the Mickelson Trail in the Black Hills of SD. No date, probably over a few days in August, so when its absurdly hot.

I am going to be a mentor for a group of teenagers who will train for and participate in RAGBRAI. A few training rides each week plus an overnight bike camp trip once a month starting in April. So that will be some fun short weekend bike camping AND the chaos of teenagers at RAGBRAI for a week!

staehpj1

My big trip for the year is likely to be a backpacking trip on the JMT, but I will probably squeeze in some touring too. I kind of want to ride the portion of the ST that I didn't do last time, so I may ride from Pensacola to St. Augustine. My plans are typically subject to change up to the last minute though. I tend to change my mind a lot and also sometimes tend to just go on a whim with almost no planning.

staehpj1

Really? I can't recall many (any?) situations on my tours where there was a restaurant and no stores at all. Not doubting you, just kind of surprised.

indyfabz

Day 1 will take me through Darby to the Sula area. There is a nice store in Darby where I will shop for that night and the next morning. However, Day 2 takes me to Wisdom and then possibly on to Jackson Hot Springs. Last time I was in Wisdom (2014) the grocery store was open but the pickings were very slim for stuff that would make an acceptable meal for me. The mercantile in Jackson was even less well stocked when I went through there in 2011. It later closed for good. So whether I stay in Wisdom or Jackson I may have to eat dinner out. On Day 3 the only grocery sources are a small store off route about a half mile up a rocky dirt road before the second mountain pass or in Wise River, where there is a small mercantile. I'd rather not carry a lot of food up that hill. Last time I was in Wise River I was able to cobble together dinner from the pasta I had and some canned beans from the mercantile and carry it 10 miles down the road to the BLM campground in Divide. That was sufficient since I had eaten a late lunch at the restaurant in town. The town is on the GDMBR so they do have more than you might think for such a small place, but the selection is anything but large. Later in the trip, from Ennis to Lewis & Clark S.P., I will either have to carry groceries from the start in Ennis or go a decent number of miles out of my way to shop. I will probably carry since the day is a relatively short and the only climb of note doesn't look that bad. The penultimate day I will have to take everything (except extra water) with me from the start if I want to camp at one of the U.S.F.S. campgrounds along Rock Creek Rd., which is a dirt road that runs through Lolo National Forest. There are literally no commercial establishments until the road ends at I-90, where there is a private campground and restaurant. We stayed there in 2011, but I would rather stay in the woods along the creek. It's beautiful back there, and there is lots of wildlife. The creek is a blue ribbon trout stream. Found out a few years ago that a local guy I occasionally hike and ride with has fished it before.

spyguy

Never done any touring before, but I plan on doing a 5-ish day trip on the Katy Trail here in MO in either May or September. Live in STL, I was going to take Amtrak to Sedalia (about 30 miles from the start of the trail), and go back to my house in STL. It would be a very easy 5 days, or 4 days of 60+ miles each day, as I calculate. Having never toured before, and wanting to enjoy myself, I'm not sure I want to commit to that much mileage every day.

imi

If my work situation allows I'll have a month in the deserts of SoCal mid-march to mid-april.
I've been there before but not when the desert blooms.

France for a couple of weeks during the EURO football cup. Ride/watch a couple of games in a village bar/sleep/repeat

Maybe, maybe even Tasmania at the end of 2016... or the beginning of 2017

staehpj1

Thanks for the clarification. It has been a while since I was there (2007) and it sounds like pickings have gotten more sparse. Sadly that seems to be the case in a lot of small rural towns.

Also your idea (and maybe most people's idea) of an acceptable meal is probably different from mine. Here and there I don't mind a block of ramen noodles especially doctored up with butter, cheese, hot sauce, and/or foil packed tuna as available. I am even OK with instant oatmeal for dinner once in a while, preferably with some enhancement (butter, nuts, whatever).

It may be gone now, but when we were there at I-90, the private campground and restaurant had a tiny store. It wasn't much but in a pinch I could have gotten by. We did eat at the restaurant though, as we were ready for a restaurant meal any way. As I recall it was quite good.

Along the Lochsha, I was wishing I had a fly rod and a license. A trout dinner in camp would have been a nice addition to the beautiful ride and the dip in the Jerry Johnson hot springs.

mcallaghan

Either a 300 mile or 600 mile loop around Colorado with over 30,000 ft of climbing. Gotta save some money this year so staying 'local' - IE. not flying anywhere - seems to be my only option. The 600 mile route gives me the option of heading home a little over 300 miles in, so I may do that one instead - if I am feeling fine etc then I can continue, otherwise I'll head home at the halfway point.

eric044

I'm on Long Island. I imagine I could take a train a good part of the way up to Albany and then ride. I assume the trial goes Albany to Buffalo also. Have you done it? Cool stops?

hockey

My wife and I have planned our Tour to Portugal in April and May. We plan on touring the Algarve region which is located in the Southwestern part of Portugal. We will be riding our brand new Bike Friday's. We haven't decided whether to use panniers or the trailers. We will try both options on our practice rides here in SW Florida and later at home in Canada. Much of our planning was developed by reading "Pedal Portugal". A really fine resource book and the author is a very willing contributor to any questions that you might have. Can't wait.

badger_biker

Far from extravagant but planning to meet my son and ride a few days on the GDMBR in August. The plan is to base in Steamboat Springs and take 3-4 days riding north and back using the route's alternate section in that area as a variation for one of the directions. Then we may ride south of there for a day or two. It will be our first off road touring adventure and I'm looking forward to spending some one-on-one time with him.

Buffalo Buff

Every year I ride from South Carolina to Ohio to visit friends in my old home town. Probably going to do that in the Spring.

Over the next few months I have a lot of mini tours planned. Stuff that's 2-5 nights long, sticking to local areas.

At some point in 2016 I plan to tour the West Coast, going from California to Washington, or the reverse. Haven't planned this one at all, but I'd like to do it sometime before next November. If I can get enough time off I'd like to swing out to Colorado and Utah during this trip.

I'd also love to do my first international tour in 2016. Thinking Cuba.

p.tumbleweed

Exciting to hear about everyone's plans!

It will be big year for me, I'll be cycling cross-Canada, Vancouver to St. John's. It's my first proper tour so I might as well go big or go home. I've done some 200 km round trip overnighters this last fall and will do more this spring to get me, my bike an my kit in shape. I'm a little nervous, I do have bad knees generally speaking. I'm an avid commuter, which does not bother them, but overnighters caused some discomfort. Hopefully I can get the bike dialed in enough to prevent this from being an issue.

mstateglfr 

I think I read on the CV forum that you will plan to use the Panasonic for this, correct? Bikes are meant for riding and dirt comes off, but boy thats one sharp and clean bike right now!

OneOldSeaDog

I will be riding from Bar Harbor, ME to Seattle, WA with Bike the US for MS. I am real excited not only for the opportunity to ride cross country but also to raise money for MS research and direct patient support.

Bike the US for MS | Welcome!

badger_biker

Ha Ha - yeah that's the bike and the hardest part of the trip for me might be seeing the first crud start to cake up on it! Hopefully the fenders will help but a few years ago I took my Voyageur with a pretty recent paint job on a rail trail tour and the fenders got so jammed up with clay/mud that there was a constant drag on the tires.

Machka 

If you come, you'll have to look us up!

imi

I surely will. Just one more reason to make it happen. Thanks to both of you!

Worknomore

Circumnavigation of Michigan staying close to the shores of lakes Michigan and Huron. Lots of small towns to explore and Lots of campgrounds. Plus I can leave from my door and return doing a 900 mi loop.

hokie cycler

I have never toured before but would like to do a trip from Richmond, VA to Blacksburg, VA and back. It's 215 miles total one way and as this will be my first tour, I am thinking of a lightweight credit card tour. I am thinking of doing it in two legs each way with an overnight stop in Lynchburg on the outbound and return legs and two nights in Blacksburg. I have been looking at using a large seat bag and handlebar bag on my carbon road bike.

mev

My plan is to start in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska in June 2016 and cycle southbound. If all goes well, I finish in Ushuaia, Argentina in December 2017.

Happy Feet

Waiting for my vacation days to be finalized but this is the plan: