Messages

1

Routes / Re: El Paso to San Diego via Tucson

« on: March 29, 2013, 08:44:14 pm »

Here's a route generally on low-traffic roads which is not as direct as taking I-10 from El Paso to Casa Grande, but is a lot more interesting and enjoyable than riding the shoulder of the interstate.  West of El Paso, ride NM Highway 9 all the way across southern NM.  That road is scenic and very lightly-traveled, and the towns (Columbus, Hachita, and Animas) range from small to tiny.  At the Arizon border, take Highway 80 through Douglas, Bisbee, and (for the atmosphere and history) Tombstone.  Take Charleston Road from Tombstone to Sierra Vista; Highway 90 and Highway 83 to Sonoita; and Highway 83 to I-10 east of Tucson.  Shortly thereafter, frontage roads lead into Tucson.  Bicycles are prohibited on I-10 from the east side to Tucson north thrugh Casa Grande to north of Phoenix.

You can get a bike route map of Tucson which shows bike paths and routes through most of the city.   Take Oracle Road (Highway 77) north out of Tucson to Highway 79 to Florence, then Highway 287 from Florence to Casa Grande.  Then take Highway 238 to Gila Bend.  There are frontage roads along much of I-8 west of Gila Bend; where they aren't present, ride the interstate shoulder.  At I-8 Exit 54, take the paved road to Tacna, Wellton, etc. to Yuma -- the road avoids a mountain range that I-8 crosses east of Yuma.

This routing from El Paso to Yuma is high desert and desert that get very hot in the summer, with long stretches between water sources and other civilization.  I've ridden virtually all of it and it's wonderful riding, but be prepared.

I haven't ridden from Yuma to San Diego, but you could likely find journals on crazyguyonabike.com of that portion.  Not too far west of Yuma, you can pick up the Southen Tour route.

2

Routes / Re: running route 66

« on: February 24, 2013, 11:55:08 am »

A thought I didn't mention in the previouse post.  If Steve isn't wedded to Route 66, a more enjoyable alternate route across much of Missouri would be to go north from a bit west of Springfiled to Clinton, Mo, and pick up the Katy Trail.  The trail extends 225 miles from Clinton to St. Charles, about 30 miles from St. Louis.  The Katy Trail (http://www.bikekatytrail.com/) is a level, traffic-free route mostly along the Missouri River that would avoid the hills and I-40 of central Missouri.

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Routes / Re: running route 66

« on: February 24, 2013, 11:34:07 am »

There are several Route 66 websites and books that provide information on where Route 66 roads still exist and points of interest along the way.  In many locations different allignments were use at different times, so there are choices of routes.

In a nutshell, here are my experiences bike touring portions of Route 66: 
California - I haven't ridden any of the route. 
Arizona - the old road is present across about half the state, mostly east of Flagstaff, with long stretches between "civilization." 
New Mexico - portions of 66 are present, separated by stretches where I-40 eliminated 66.  Originally 66 went north (through Santa Fe) and south of Albuquerque; later straight east-west through Albuquerque.  Long distances between towns. 
Texas - 66 is present about 3/4 of the way across the panhandle, mostly as frontage roads to I-10.  Flat and pretty boring.
Oklahoma - 66 exists all the way across the state; west of Oklahoma City much is I-40 frontage roads.
Kansas - all 13 miles still exist!
Missouri - 66 from the west border to Springfield is present as minor highways.  East Springfield, I-40 eliminated some portions.  Very hilly in center of state.
Illinois - essentially all of old 66 is present, about half as I-55 frontage roads.  Generally flat as a pancake.

Check bike journals of Route 66 tours on this site and CrazyGuyonaBike for much greater detail.

Take time to enjoy the many interesting places along the route.

4

Routes / Re: Recommendation for a 1 week solo tour in warm weather region in March

« on: February 10, 2013, 08:32:32 pm »

I'll second (or third) the recommendation for southeast Arizona, starting in Tucson.  The weather is generally fine; scenery is great; and traffic usually light.  A couple of days could be added to the Adventure Cycling tour mentioned above by riding riding to south to Nogales (on the Mexican border) from Tucson, then northeast to Patagonia to get on the A.C. route. 

I live in Sierra Vist in about the center of the tour route area.  If you select this area for your tour, contact me at jpwettack3@msn.com.  I can give you details of area roads and potential side trips and could put you up for a night.

5

Bicycle Route 66 / Re: Skeptical about Bike Route 66

« on: September 24, 2012, 03:43:57 pm »

I just finished riding Route 66 in Illinois from the Chain of Rocks bridge across the Mississippi near St. Louis to Joliet.  I skipped the northernmost 50 miles or so into Chicago and rode Highway 4 around Springfield to avoid the urban traffic.  Most of Route 66 provides an enjoyable ride; in a very few areas traffic can be a bit "intense." 

The Illinois Depart of Natural Resources has published a guide to the Route 66 Trail which was produced by the League of Illionois Bicyclists and the DNR.  The guide is available from the DNR and on-line.  The guide's "Main Route" deviates a lot from Route 66 onto nearby roads, requiring many turns and adding significantly to the riding distance.  Generally, I found riding on Route 66 in sections the guide notes as "Advanced Shortcuts" or doesn't list at all to be reasonabe riding.  Some of that was 4-lane or 2-lane roads with no shoulders, but traffic was generally light and drivers gave wide clearance.  The guide lists services available in many of the towns along the route.

The "Mother Road" is essentially intact and generally makes for fine riding.  Much of old Route 66 is now frontage roads to I-55; in other areas it about 1 to 3 miles from the interstate (either way, the interstate carries almost all the traffic).  The pavement is generally good, with a few areas with rough surfaces.  Off-the-route trails from the Chain of Rocks bridge to Staunton, into and through Blooming/Normal, and at a few other places provide pleasant traffic-free breaks.   There are small towns at about 5 to 10 mile intervals, so services are readily available.  The towns are all viable, a switch from the ghost towns and abandoned buildings along Route 66 in the western states.  Pontiac has an interesting Route 66 Museum which is a worthwhile stop.

I combined the Katy Trail in Missouri and Illinois Route 66 into one tour.  A nice benefit of the entire route (in my view) is the lack of hills the entire tour.  Crossing bridges were the biggest climbs of the trip.

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Bicycle Route 66 / Re: Skeptical about Bike Route 66

« on: August 28, 2012, 08:34:46 pm »

I've enjoyed riding historic trails, including the Oregon Trail, Santa Fe, and Chislom trails, using paved and unpave roads that adjacent to the original routes.  Now I'm picking up feasible parts of Route 66 to experience the allure of the "Mother Road."   In Arizona, the old road exists and makes for a great riding between Kingman and Flagstaff, except for a 30-mile stretch between Williams and Ash Fork where riding the I-40 shoulder is needed.  In Oklahoma, various "editions" of Route 66 are present and good riding across the entire state, as is the short Kansas portion. 

Next month, I'll be riding Route 66 Illinois, using the Illinois Route 66 Trail Users Guide, produced by the League of Illinois Bicyclists.  The guide highlights both original Route 66 roads and lower-traffic alternatives.

Most of the original Route 66 roads I've ridden are relatively near the interstate highways that replaced them (from service roads to a few miles away), so only local traffic uses the old roads.  Route 66 passes through small towns every few miles in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois, providing bikers many options for services while discouraging drivers from using the road.

7

Gear Talk / Re: Pannier J-Hook too Long. Any fixes?

« on: August 02, 2012, 10:11:54 pm »

I had a similar problem with my panniers and rack.   I solved it by removing the hook from the pannier strap and replacing it with a strong split key ring; the ring is higher than the rod on the bottom of the rack.  I attached a bungie cord to the ring, passed it below the bottom of the rack and hooked the other end of the bungie cord to the top of the rack behind the pannier.

8

Routes / Re: Arizona 288 --Globe-Young Hwy?

« on: August 02, 2012, 06:02:14 pm »

I live in Arizona and have ridden many of the following areas.  There are reasonable alternatives to Route 288 to get to the Mogollon Rim from Silver City.  One would be to take US-70 to Globe, AZ-88 to Roosevelt, AZ-188 to AZ-87 to Payson.  From Payson, you could ride AZ-87 to the Rim Road.   From that point, you could go west through Camp Verde to Prescott (which involves a LOT of climbing), then north to Ash Fork and ride I-40 or much of old Route 66 to the California border.   I'd recommend riding from Strawberry to the Lake Mary Road which goes north to Flagstaff.  From Flagstaff, you can ride most of the way to the CA border on old Route 66.  Several websites identify parts of Route 66 that exist but are not shown on most maps.

An alternative route to the Rim Road through scenic backcountry is on US-180 from Silver City to Eagar, AZ, then AZ-260 though Show Low to the Rim Road.  There are few services, other that some at Glenwood, between Silver City and Alpine.

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Routes / Re: route suggestions for a beginner

« on: August 02, 2012, 04:32:45 pm »

The Natchez Trace, with the north end in Nashville, is a relatively nearby route to you that makes for a nice tour.  It has little traffic (no commercial vehicles) and a 45-mph speed limit.  The north end of the 440-mile route has some significant hills (nothing compared to eastern TN), the southern portion is very flat.

The GAP Trail and C&O Canal trail combine to make a very interesting and scenic tour.

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Routes / Spokane - Missoula - Spokane Loop

« on: March 28, 2012, 11:02:52 pm »

I'm planning a tour this summer of a loop from Spokane to Missoua, taking in the Spokane an North Idaho Centennial Trails, Trail of the Coeur d'Alene and Route of the Hiawatha, and back to Spokane including the Lewis & Clark Route to Lewiston.  I'm seeking information regarding traffic, terrain, services, etc. on the following portions of the route:
   a. Getting from the North Idaho Centennial Trail to the beginning of the Trail of the Couer d'Alene.  Alternatives appear to be US-95 west of the Lake of the Couer d'Alene or Highway 97 east of the lake.
   b. Between the east end of the Trail of the Hiawatha and St. Regis, MT., are frontage roads passable for touring bikes with 35 mm tires present or is riding the I-90 shoulder the way to go?
   c. Lewiston, ID, to Spokane -- US-195 through Colvax vs. US-95 and Highways 58 and 278 through Potlatch and Plummer. 

Thanks for any information and advice.

11

Gear Talk / Re: Cycling Shorts vs. Padded Liners?

« on: December 28, 2011, 10:37:51 pm »

After many tours and trying several clothing alternatives, I've settled on wearing biking briefs under regular nylon shorts (or zip-off pants when long pants are needed on cold mornings/evenings).  I find it a confortable and handy combination -- the briefs eliminate seams, and the shorts provide pockets and meet my preference for not wearing cycling shorts on tours. The briefs are more comfortable than wearing cycling shorts under the nylon shorts and are cooler on warm days.  I use Performance and Nashbar briefs made of a very light material with a cloth "chamois" with no padding.  They don't seem to be available now, but I'm sure similar alternatives are available.
 
My pants "wardrobe" consists of 1 pair of nylon shorts, 1 pair of nylon zip-off pants, 2 pairs of biking briefs, and 2 pairs of nylon underwear.  After the day's ride, I switch to regular underwear and wash the briefs and the previous day's underwear.  The shorts can be worn for several days before washing.

12

General Discussion / Re: Whitefish, MT lodging

« on: October 14, 2011, 10:24:18 pm »

I can confirm that the state park campground is very noisy due to trains.  I stayed one night in the campground 2 years ago.  The railroad track goes right past the park; trains blowing their whistles passed by frequently all night long.

13

Routes / Re: Biking Mexico from Arizona to South America

« on: September 12, 2011, 07:58:01 pm »

A brother and sister team recently finished a 15-month, 17-country ride from San Diego to Montevideo, Uruguay.  Their blog, www.ericandmerilee@blogspot.com, is a great record, with photos, of their journey.  Using maps of the various countries you could trace their route.  You could contact them for details.  My wife and I hosted them for a night in Arizona and found them to be very enjoyable.

14

Gear Talk / Re: Sleeping pads

« on: September 07, 2011, 09:55:30 pm »

I rode the Santa Fe Trail Trek 3 times.  Every time it snowed overnight in Trinidad.  I suggest being prepared for unexpected freezing temperatures, with an insulated mattress and a sleeping bag that will keep you warm.  Other than Trinidad, the weather was usually mild.

The SFT Trek is probably the best organized tour available -- an intresting historic route, well organized, small enough group to get to know everyone, and an unbeliveable cost.

15

Routes / Re: Safe routes from central Arizona to Flagstaff

« on: August 17, 2011, 08:23:22 pm »

I rode from Flagstaff to Payson on the Lake Mary Road and AZ-87 about 6 years ago.  I don't recall the traffic being a problem.  Of course, I was going downhill on AZ-87.

Some alternative routes:
Payson to Flagstaff: From Payson, take AZ-260 northeast to the gravel road along the Mogollon Rim(General Crook Trail).  Ride that west about 20 miles to AZ-87, then go north to Lake Mary Road to Flagstaff.

Prescott to Flagstaff: Take AZ-89 north to Ash Fork (a nice scenic ride through Chino Valley and Hell Canyon).  Ride the I-40 shoulder 21 miles east to Exit 167 just east of Williams (you can miss 4 miles of I-40 by riding through Williams on Business I-40).  From Exit 167, ride old Route 66 roads to Flagstaff.  Route 66 websites give detailed directions and historical information on that section.  There were short stretches of gravel and rough pavement on old Route 66 roads, but a touring bike handled them fine.

Prescott to Wickenburg: The first part is not difficult-riding mountainous, wooded terrain, changing to open areas around Peoples Valley.  A long, screaming downgrade south of Yarnell to the desert. 

Wickenburg to Gila Bend: Continue the above route by taking the Vulture Mine Road south out of Wickenburg (some maps incorrectly show it as unpaved).  It's a beautiful Senora Desert route with virtually no traffic (and no services or anything else) to I-10.  Especially nice in the early spring when everything is booming.  Cross I-10, go through Wintersburg to Old Highway 87, going through Arlington.  That's another very low-traffic, paved road.  Due to summer heat, I'd skip this route in the summer.