Anyone ever ride cross country?

[bamabikeguy]

Found an article in the Travel Section today

But the newspaper has a map with 2-digit bicycle designated routes, I think 50,000 potential miles of roads and routes.... (but I couldn't find that map online)

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2008-12-09-bicycle-route-system_N.htm

By Calvin Woodward, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - At first glance, everything seems out of place on the map of a new interstate road system taking shape across the nation.

Interstate 95 runs down the stunning sweep of the Pacific Coast, not the congested blandness of the Eastern Seaboard. Route 1 meanders along country roads, not strip malls. And you'll get your kicks on Route 76.

Mapmakers gone wild? Not quite.

State officials and bicycle enthusiasts are stitching together more than 50,000 miles of pedal-friendly pavement to form a vast network of bicycle routes connecting byways, cities and offroad trails in a system like the one created for cars and trucks over half a century ago.

"We're coming down out of the clouds, having created the overall national plan, and getting to the nitty-gritty of creating interstate routes on the ground. It's a great opportunity for the U.S. to establish what could be the largest bicycle route network in the world."

The effort relies on cartography instead of construction, signposts instead of earth-movers.

Working from a bewildering tangle of existing roads, planners mapped a web of corridors where the national bicycle system should go. They considered traffic volume, terrain, amenities and ways to link together lightly traveled byways, secondary roads, urban trails and already established transcontinental bicycle routes.

Each corridor on the map they approved is a broad swath 50 miles wide; the precise routes within each corridor are still to be designated, numbered and given signs.

To avoid confusion, the proposed numbering system is reversed from interstate highways. For example, Route 10 is the southernmost east-west interstate for motor vehicles; bicycle Route 10 runs east-west close to the Canadian border.

Long-distance bicycling is catching the imagination - and in some cases, purse strings - of governments worldwide as they look for ways to encourage people-powered travel and tourism. If completed as planned, the U.S. network would outdistance anything offered in other countries, or even continents

In Quebec, the 2,700-mile Route Verte, or Greenway, was finished last year at a cost of more than $80 million Canadian from the provincial government and millions more from localities along the way.

Quebec set rigorous conditions for operators who want business from the cyclists. For example, certified campgrounds must guarantee space to cyclists, reservation or not, and offer a sheltered place to eat. Participating hotels must offer high-carb meals, fresh fruit and secure storage for bikes. Amenities and public transportation are offered at set intervals.

The U.S. is a long way from that level of organization and is unlikely to adopt rigid nationwide standards for what constitutes a bike-friendly interstate route. The lay of the land is such that busier roads with wide shoulders are included along with quiet roads with no shoulders.

Adventure Cycling has thoroughly mapped 38,000 miles on its own. The new corridors incorporate many of those routes, perhaps most notably the TransAmerica Trail, the mother road of transcontinental bicycling connecting Virginia and Oregon over 4,262 miles.

 

[bikebum1975]

The group adventurecycling.org is behind the nationl bike route I read they are working and have been for some time now on the mapsfor it. But from what I gather it has been going on for years so who realy knows when it will happen if ever. Hope it does someday it would be very cool.

 

[bamabikeguy]

Two separate test runs would be my advise, once you have your kit and kaboodle figured out, (and have the tires as flat-proofed as possible), first take it on a 30-50 mile spin, to see how the load affects the ride.

Then take a 500-700 mile round trip, 2-3 nights camping and sightseeing. Most folks can hit a decent beach in that distance, so that makes a pretty good target.

By heading toward a beach on that initial test run, (mine was the 800 mile Florida trip), you are absolutely sure there are no big mountain chains to conquer, and have the experiences to ready you for the obstacles on a real cross-country run.

That will give you a lot of insights on small items to take along with you. For instance, I chucked the heavy paperback book and clog type sandals, bought those cheapie flip flops and would read the local newspapers in camp.

Even after I started carrying a tent, I still have 2 6'x6' tarps, sleeping under the stars on uncloudy/not too windy nights.

When you do the longer overnight tour, avoid franchise foods places, and ask the locals where the best Mom and Pop buffet lunches are, so you really fill up. I'd always try to eat a big meal around 1:30-2:00 pm, avoiding the noon rush, and then continue riding for 2-4 hours before camping.

Those diners are the best place to have better conversations about local sights, like swimming holes and alternate scenic routes that aren't on the maps.

Finally, on two day/one night trips, GoogleMaps apparently has a feature where you can click "best hiking route", which gets you in the lowest traffic areas right away.

But I always rely on the locals to point me in the best general directions.

 

[1983JZR3W]

In 1974, two friends of mine each rode Vespa Ciao mopeds from Jacksonville, Fl to Los Angeles, Ca. They did the trip in ten days and each spent less than $10.00 for gas. It was a promotion through Vespa of America at the time. They had no mechanical trouble, but one was run off the road somewhere in Texas and had to visit a hospital for some repairs. One of them is still a Vespa dealer in South Florida.

 

[mikem]

Details & Photos?

2003,
I spent two months livin' on the road riding from San Francisco to New York; Lots o' crazy stuff out there..! Use tuffies tire liners, use extra thick tubes and carry a patch kit. I went through three tires. the back wore faster than the front due to that being the drive wheel, so when changing the rear I would put a new one on the front, put the barely worn front on the rear, and I was back on the road... Rebuilt the antique New Departure Model D rear coaster hub a few times with the N.O.S. parts I brought along, I'd recommend a bendix r.b. or r.b. 2 (single speed) coaster. No front brake at all. Handle bars broke in Indiana, an Amish gentleman welded them up for me and they all were very gracious hosts. Got clipped by a semi tractor and went careening off the road across some poor person's front yard. Saw a bison up close and personal in Wyoming.
Uh, completely rebuilt the engine on a picnic bench in Iowa in the middle of nowhere.
If you do this be prepared for the unexpected. And believe me you will return home a different you than left originally at the beginning...

Hey uncle_punk13,
I was wondering if you kept a detailed account of your trip and if it's available on line somewhere? Sounds like a fine adventure ... I admire your hutzpa.