Harutz

I did a few searches of the forums, but I couldn't find an answer to this question, so I thought I'd ask.
Does anybody know of a good alternative to the ACA maps?
They're not exactly in the budget right now, and I'm having a strangely difficult time finding a free version of them. The East Coast Greenway route is free but, being as it mostly travels through major urban areas and doesn't offer any help as far as good camping locations and so forth, it would make for a difficult ride.

I'm specifically interested in a route from Boston to D.C. that affords the possibility of stealth camping as much as possible.

I thought it might be worth asking around before having to resort to google and good ol' Mr. McNally.


(Request in regards to impending flaming: NOT IN THE FACE! NOT IN THE FACE!)

fietsbob

Each state may have a Bicycle map published by their departments of Transportation.

Oregon Has one for the Coast route, there is a few of them, free, at the Kiosk just before the bridge,
west to Ft Stevens, for those coming from the North, WA, and the east, PDX.

I try to keep some in there picking them up at the ODOT local office.
nearby , but not as convenient and just there M-F day shift.

jabantik00

if you want to ride the aca routes, you can get the the route and stuff like campgrounds, grocery stores, motels, etc. in .kmz (google earth?) format here and there on teh intrawebz. you can save all the waypoints into your google maps, and look them up on google earth on your smartphone and navigate by phone where you have service. i think there's probably an easier way, but i don't know it. and if this is stealing, then i don't know anything about it - it's just something i heard.

Bekologist

DeLorme Gazatteers, buy them for the states you need or copy the pages you need from the gazateer at the public library. i usually have one I rip pages out of depending on where i want to go.

the gazatteers are an invaluable resource to cyclotourists.

Harutz

Yeah, I found the google earth files earlier, but I was not so sure if they were of much use to me.
I could try getting google earth and reverse engineering a route plan, I suppose.
I don't have a smartphone, but I assume you can save and print cue sheets?
(A rep from ACA said they're fine with people who go to the effort to do this, by the way, because they don't get all the info that comes with purchasing the map set anyway)

reed523

You might try letting your need be known to the local bike clubs. We did that and we loaned a full set of Northern Tier maps. Good luck.

staehpj1

Personally, I think the ACA maps are likely to save you more than they cost. I would use them if they go where I am going. Reverse engineering the route is pretty easy, but much of the value of the maps is all of the other info on them.

That said, when I am not on an ACA route, I just use Google maps to do a general plan and pick up state maps as I go.

gregw

Go to crazyguyonabike and look for used ACA maps, put out a request. These maps are very good and worth the full retail price, but I understand a low budget.

Cyclebum

As for stealth camping, no map, including ACA, will be much help in that department. Gotta sniff those out yourself. One of the fun aspects of touring.

I don't use the ACA maps because I don't want to know what's around the next corner, preferring the self planning aspect of touring, deficit as that may be. But they do have a lot of info on local stuff, and as mentioned, will likely save as much as they cost by pointing out free/low cost camping spots that might otherwise be missed. This is probably especially true in the crowded northeast.

indyfabz

The reason you are having trouble finding them for free is that they are copyrighted.

The three maps you would need for Boston to D.C. retail for $44.25. April 1 (assumed start date) is more than 90 days away. If you cut your current budget by .50 cents per day, you have the cost covered. Less per day if you plan to start later.

zoltani

For me it all comes down to how much time you want to spend planning. You can seriously decided to tour somewhere one day, order the ACA maps, and just take off when they arrive, no planning needed. IMO that is the major benefit to the ACA maps, get them and go.

That said google maps is an invaluable resource for me when I plan tours. Street view is an amazing tool to check out road conditions. Also look up AADT (average annual daily traffic) information from the department of transportation if that information is not on a state bike map somewhere. That will give you an idea of how busy the roads are.
That all takes time, and it all depends on you and how much time you want to put into the planning.

Harutz

Yeah, I realise they're copyrighted, but I'm not used to not being able to find something online.
I guess it is kind of a specialised tool, though.

fietsbob

Too bad the states have inferior maps, compared to the British and Irish Ordinance Survey Maps ,
sold in any Book Shop.

And the Dutch Falk Bike route maps for the whole country, are fine,
[dont give you locations of landmarks like Cromwell destroyed Castles and stone age settlements, though]
(that's the other country's history)
they even take the brilliant step of cutting them so you don't have to unfold and refold the map panel to go from one part to the other..

ACA is a bit too narrow a strip, .. Publisher does make their maps waterproof, though.

surfjimc

Buy the ACA map(s) you need, used if possible, then sell them when you are done. You may incur some cost, but it won't be terribly significant. Biggest cost will be not having that cash in had during the trip.

Harutz

Well, the idea is that I won't have any cash in hand during the trip, nor will I be buying any special equipment. I will be travelling on a bike that I picked up for free second-hand, with a home-made trailer, a little bit of camping equipment and a few dollars worth of Ramen.
I've done similar trips before, but not such a long distance or through such an urban area. Not having reliable maps has caused a few headache situations, even in more ideal circumstances, so I was hoping to find something suitable for this trip.
From my understanding, the ACA Atlantic route avoids the major metro areas that the Greenway runs straight through, which is important to me because I would like to be able to sleep now and then without being accosted by police or worse.

My aim is to get to the D.C. area, connect with some friends, and then head out to ride the Blue Ridge Parkway.
I tried to make this trip in the fall, but was plagued with mechanical failures.

Chris_W

GOOD maps may be expensive, anywhere in the world, but I've never regretted buying one.

Machka 

I had a whole set of Ordinance maps in Canada (actually they were my father's and I borrowed them), and Rowan and I have picked up a number of similar maps for the area around where we live here in Australia too. The ones here run about $10 per map and are really detailed.

My suggestion would be to go to your local Tourist Information place and see what they have, then go to the local bookstores, newsagencies, and sporting goods stores to see what they have for sale. We've picked up our maps here in Australia from the local newsagency and from a travel centre (petrol station, tourist information centre, gift shop), but I have also seen them in the local sporting goods stores too.

BigBlueToe

I like ACA maps and consider them well worth the price. However, when I started touring I used road maps from Chevron. They worked okay, although I spent all my time on highways. I also used a book of local tours (Whatcom County, Washington.)

I've had mixed results listening to route advice from "locals". Sometimes they want to be helpful but don't understand the concerns of a bike tourer. Once, at breakfast in a restaurant, I was given a load of bogus advice by a guy I would call a blowhard, who just wanted attention from a bike dude. Luckily I followed the ACA route and ignored his advice.

I've heard of people going into local bike shops along the way and asking for route advice. This sounds like a good idea to me, though I've never done it.

kayakdiver

In the touring for sale section you can purchase a set at a discount... use them and resell them when done.... total cost should be less than $15 total

While they aren't as important for the Coast route... I really appreciated them on the Northern Tier.

Cyclebum

Another sound local route advice source are WS hosts if any near. Even if not too near, worth calling, as they likely have had experience with most highways in a wide area. Know I have. Plus, most enjoy sharing their knowledge with fellow travelers, and you may get invited to overnight. Especially helpful if on a DIY route.

bktourer1

Rubels for Mass. NYC has Aa free map and Ct ha a map online.

NoGaBiker

I can't Plus One this advice enough. I have them for the four states I've toured in; about $14 per state, iirc, and you get the ENTIRE STATE and every road in it, dirt, gravel, paved. I color copy them onto waterproof 11x14 paper that my company has in the marketing dept. (I own the company so it's okay! ) and when folded into thirds they make a near perfect fit for my handlebar bag map case. I always copy and carry all the "alternative routes" I might find myself wanting, as well as the main route I'm planning, of course. And the book stays intact that way, for future use.

Seriously, these are an unbelievably detailed and accurate source of road info. They come in the form of an 11x14 book that has 120 or so pages of maps covering every inch of the state. We even rode some in Arizona when I was doing New Mexico last month and the maps for neighboring states are included so long as it's on the same page as the "edge" of the state you paid for.

Tansy

+2 DeLorme Gazatteers, if you want to pay at all. Some states have better readability than others.

Otherwise, with enough time to research, nearly everything you need is on the internet. Search crazyguyonabike journals for people touring in the areas you are interested in and mine them for ideas. Touring cyclists tend to write a lot about the roads they're staring at all day! You'll probably also pick up some info on where to/not to camp.

For cheap camping to fall back on where stealthing it won't work(It usually will), look at at RVer resources. It's pretty disheartening to learn, after a difficult night stealth camping in questionable surroundings, that you could have openly camped for free five miles down the road with a hot shower and fire. www.freecampgrounds.com comes to mind as a good resource, and I've even seen comments left there by touring cyclists. Read the comments on each entry, and try to find another reference. Many locations listed have raised their rates since the original posts. Also pay close attention to what you're looking at - a place set aside on a city street for RVs to park won't do you any good on a bike. Try to get a google street view when possible. Generally I go with the assumption that a park willing to let RVs overnight won't mind me sleeping under a picnic shelter or tenting overnight, but I've been wrong. I'm also working on my own listing of free/cheap camping options, but so far I've not gotten beyond the west and midwest.

One more thing. I'm sure you where joking around a bit with 'a few dollars worth of ramen', but just in case, you might want to put some more thought into that, unless you want to end up bonking all the time or spending $25 dollars at an overpriced gas station store. If you have a costco/sam's club/other club store in your area, and know anyone with a membership, see if they have the huge boxes of clif bars. They are absolutely worth the weight - you'll end up paying up to $2 each when you buy them single. I left on my last tour with a 24 clif bars, the price of which averaged to about 70 cents a bar. Force one or two of them down when you get off your bike for the night and you are still out of breath and sweaty. The carbs will be most effective this way, giving you energy for tomorrow. They'll save your ass when you are starving in the middle of nowhere. Decent quality hamburger buns are cheaper than dinner rolls, and will also give you a carb boost. Milk chocolate chips are cheaper than chocolate candy. Sometimes if you hang around in front of a small town grocery for a bit, you'll be given day old bread or free bananas. Always be super nice and talk to anyone who starts a conversation with you at a campground. Friendly retired RV types will often invite you over to dinner or breakfast in exchange for funny stories - especially if you are alone. Avoid ever actually -asking- for food, or looking like you expect it.

Harutz

Great advice, Tansy. Very helpful, thanks a lot.

staehpj1

A comment on the Delorme Gazetters... Great maps for some uses, but I really don't especially like them for touring. When driving the back roads of West Virginia and other rural states in search of whitewater rivers and trail heads these maps are awesome, but:

1. The books are way too big and bulky to carry on tour.
2. Copying and taking a bunch of pieces is a hassle that I'd rather avoid.
3. The inclusion of dirt roads is not a plus for me since I prefer to avoid them any way.
4. When I tour I am likely to pass through minor portions of the state or cross a whole state on one or two roads. For states like that buying these maps is gross overkill.

While I love them for driving the back roads of rural areas, I don't bother with them for touring the same states, even when I already own the Gazetteer. That is what I find at least for the type of touring I do.

For someone who seeks out dirt roads and other very minor roads these maps would be great. They are very detailed and even include roads that are not much more than cow paths. If that is a plus for you you may like them.