Messages

61

General Discussion / Re: Traffic burnout?

« on: January 21, 2013, 12:38:16 pm »

Dirt.

+1. Also, there are a good number of light-traffic places to ride in OR and MT. Last year's Cylcle Oregon route had very little traffic most days. On Day 1 (Bly to Silver Lake) we probably saw a half dozen non-event-affiliated vehicles in nearly 80 miles of riding.

In 2011 we did a loop from/to Missoula starting at the end of June. Except getting out of and back into Missoula, there was very little traffic. Even Butte wasn't bad. What helped is that we did about 60 miles of dirt roads.

62

Connecting ACA Routes / Re: Boston MA connecting to Northern Tier Route

« on: January 14, 2013, 12:44:19 pm »

ACA's Atlantic Coast route has a Boston Spur that you could take to the main part of the route and then follow that north to hook up with the Nothern Tier in Brunskwick, Maine. That would add some time, though.

One option is Amtrak's Downeaster train service. You can roll your bike on (i.e., you don't have to box it) and go from to Brunswick. This subject came up on antoher forum recently. According to Amtrakm you cannot detrain at the Freeport, Maine station but you can at Portland and Brunswick.

Here is the link to the train information:

http://www.amtrak.com/downeaster-train

It's only a 3.5 hr. ride to Brunskwick, and there is a convenient 9 a.m. departure. There are internal links on the page for the schedule and bike information.

Starting from somewhere like Brunskwick would allow you to ride through New Hampshire, Vermont and the Adirondaks in New York. Very pretty part of the route. Vermont especially so.

63

General Discussion / Re: Costs of Touring

« on: January 14, 2013, 12:23:46 pm »

Breakfast at a local cafe or diner (say pancakes, some meat and coffee) is probably going to run me $7-8 dollars with a tip. Lunch probably $6-$7 dollars if I just get a sandwich, chips and a drink. I usually cook dinner, but if I don't, I count on least $12 with a tip for dinner not including drinks. Then there is the cost of snacks. That piece of pie or ice cream you cannot resist.

Don't forget the cost of Gatorade / orange juice / V8 or whatever your drink of choice is, and those snacks.  I'll often eat and drink my way through $2-5 of fluids and snacks a day.  Water is usually free, but I like to buy something if I get it from a convenience store just so they don't think (and I don't feel like) I'm a freeloader.

Definitely. I am sure I spend at least that much on snacks and beverages every day.

I am planning to ride to my high school reunion in June. Should take about 6 days. If I do, I will keep a daily account of everything I spend so I can have a feel for what it adds up to. Since it will be in the northeast, camping costs will likely skew the result to the high side (I might easily pay at least $30/night in some places), but I will track spending by categories.

64

Routes / Re: northern tier route Aug to Oct.

« on: January 11, 2013, 08:28:58 am »

I finsihed Northern Tier in Oct, 2003, riding west to east. I finished before maximum fall foliage color. I encounterd hurricane winds, hail, torrential rain, and snow flurries, with temperature down to the 20s. Many campgrounds were closed.

Yeah. That part of northern New York and New England can go either way at that time. Snow in the Adirondaks is quite possible. We finsihed in August and had cold nights in that area, and many campgrounds start to shut down after Labor Day. And it was very cold and wet crossing Kangamagus.

65

Gear Talk / Re: 2 people, 6 panniers for a cross country tour. Bad idea?

« on: January 03, 2013, 11:12:37 am »

You really do not need to carry more for a tour that length than for a shorter one.  I would suggest you consider taking only what you have been using so far on your short trips for your longer trip.  Think about what you really need before deciding.

This is an excellent point.  If what you've taken on a 5 day trip was enough, it will be enough for a 2 month trip. I assume you didn't take 5 days worth of clean clothes and had to wash on the 5-day trip so just continue on the same schedule.  At most you will need a bit of warmer clothing depending on where you ride  but that shouldn't add much bulk or weight.

Agree except that weather variation can, in some cases, add to the load somewhat. I hope to do a 6-day from Philly to western Mass. in mid-June. Highly unlikely that I will need my larger, warmer sleeping bag and clothing for 40 degree nights and morning like I did for my 9-day trrip in MT.

66

General Discussion / Re: 2007 Trek Madone 5.0 for touring across the states

« on: January 01, 2013, 07:55:28 am »

I do feel my bike would be extremely fast on the flats though.

Towing a full load, probably not.

67

General Discussion / Re: 2007 Trek Madone 5.0 for touring across the states

« on: December 28, 2012, 02:04:05 pm »

Do you think you can pull a trailer over mountains and up steep hills with the gearing your bike has? Assuming the stock triple, that's a low combination of 30x25. Not a very low gear for loaded touring.

68

General Discussion / Re: Need advice - NJ

« on: December 26, 2012, 12:45:15 pm »

I have been corresponding with the OP via PM. Sounds like he might be interested in the ACA section in NJ. One word of advice for anyone else who is: The upper section of Old Mine Rd. between U.S. 206 and Dingman's Ferry/CR 650 is in pretty bad shape in places. Some pot holes (some big) and ruts. During an organized century in October I talked to a couple who lives on that section. They expect it to get worse if the winter is bad due to plowing. It's still worth riding, however, The nice thing is that there is usually so little trraffic you can usually dodge road hazards without having to worry about cars. The fall can be tricky. Downed leaves obscured some of the road defects. NPS 615 from Wallpack south is in pretty good shape. The lower section of Old Mine from the end of NPS 615 to the top of the climb is banged up. The descent to Millbrook and the rest of Old Mine all the way to I-80 is in decent shape. Definitely obey the seemiingly out of place traffic light near the end. As the sign warns, the road gets extremely narrow. There is no room for a vehicle and a bike to pass with any degree of safety, hence the uni-drectional traffic.

69

General Discussion / Re: Costs of Touring

« on: December 26, 2012, 12:26:37 pm »

Mayber I am an oddity, but things like fruit, nuts and granola bars are the snacks I eat between the meals I eat before, during and after each day's ride. Breakfast at a local cafe or diner (say pancakes, some meat and coffee) is probably going to run me $7-8 dollars with a tip. Lunch probably $6-$7 dollars if I just get a sandwich, chips and a drink. I usually cook dinner, but if I don't, I count on least $12 with a tip for dinner not including drinks. Then there is the cost of snacks. That piece of pie or ice cream you cannot resist. Then there is camping costs if you cannot find a place to stay for free. (You can reduce costs by looking for public campground like local and state parks or U.S.F.S. campgrounds, which are often less expensive than private campgrounds.) And don't forget to budget for repairs and/or replacement parts like tubes and tires.

70

General Discussion / Re: self-guided support on lewis and clark

« on: December 26, 2012, 11:52:43 am »

Sounds like you want a "supported" tour.  AC has Cycle Montana, which might be what you're looking for.

If you are open to a supported tour of this nature, last year I did a good portion of the route ACA will use for Cycle Montana in 2013 during an unsupported loop tour of my own out of Missoula. (Days 1-4 and Day 6.) It's quite nice. Day 4 is particularly nice. The view from Big Hole Pass is wondeful as are the meadows and the descent on the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway. Saw a moose with calf outside of Jackson and a herd of antelope near Polaris.

As DaveB notes, you can get by with very little in the way of gear if you are planning to motel it. With a little planning and some route modifications, you could do the loop I did and sleep indoors. Send me a PM if you want details.

71

General Discussion / Re: Need advice - NJ

« on: December 20, 2012, 08:07:03 am »

People tour on MTBs. I crossed the country with a group of people, one of whom rode a full-susppension MTB towing a B.O.B. trailer. My GF's first tour (in '09) was on a MTB. Montana, British Columbia and Alberta back into Montana.

If you could get a ride to Port Jervis, you could follow the route I suggested to Lambertville then stay on the D&R canal path. That would take you pretty close to home. There is also train service to PJ from Seacaucus Jct. I was able to rent a car from Philly. Surprisingly, Avis offered one-way rental to PJ.

You could also take the D&R system to Frenchtown and then make your way to Spruce Run recreation area, which opens May 1, camping at Upper Black Eddy, PA along the way. The camping area at Spruce Run is on the reservoir. Heard and saw some loons when we stayed there last Easter. If you were to stay there two nights you could take a day ride out and back on the nearby Columbia Trail, from High Bridge to Califon and beyond. Very pretty, especially during the spring when things are blooming. I can get you from Frenchtown to Spruce Run without too much climbing, but some climbing is unavoidable.

72

General Discussion / Re: Need advice - NJ

« on: December 19, 2012, 10:28:45 am »

Where in NJ are you? I ride in Hunterdon and Warren Counties fairly often in the fall, spring and summer. Lots of great riding in those areas. Did the Black Bear Century for the second time this year.

For scenery and mostly quiet roads, riding from Port Jervis, NY, pretty close to Montague, NJ, through the Delaware Water Gap NRA and then continuing down the river makes for a very nice mini-tour. I did Port Jervis to Philadelphia last May. This is part of ACA's Atlantic Coast Route. There is camping on route just outside of Port Jervis, at Worthington State Forest near Delaware Water Gap, PA and at a couple of private campground south of there. Spring is a terrific time to go as there is very little traffic in DWG compared to summer. Another nice thing is that, for the most part, the hills are not that bad, although there are two nasty ones in the NRA. Not real long, but steep in places. Port Jervis to Worthington is about 35 miles, so you can ease into it. The camground at Worthington is right along the river. And south from Frenchtown, NJ you can take a nicely-surfaced trail as far south as Trenton.

Send me a PM if you would like more info and possibly some other ideas based on where you are in NJ.

73

Gear Talk / Re: Bike box / carrier

« on: December 03, 2012, 09:10:40 am »

CrateWorks:

http://www.crateworks.com/

Roomy, but sitll airline-legal. You can usually get other items inside, such a small tent, sleeping bag or racks.

Or you could have your bike professionally packed in the same type of box it was possibly shipped from Asia to your LBS in.

74

General Discussion / Re: The TransAmerican for a beginner?

« on: November 29, 2012, 01:11:23 pm »

I crossed the North Cascades W-E in October one year in the pouring rain. Climbing was OK, the exertion kept me warm but descending from Rainy Pass to Mazama I came close to hypothermia.

Heck, I came close to getting hypothermia due to rain on Sherman Pass (along Northern Tier in Washington) in June!

Me, too, only it was snowing. We camped in Republic. During breakfast we had flurries. Not a good sign. Coming down the east slope it was windy and snowing. I think that was around the beginning of the second week of June.

75

Routes / Re: Paris to the South of France (Mediterranean), and beyond

« on: November 26, 2012, 12:00:37 pm »

James,

Buy detailed Michelin maps of France and simply link together the smaller "D" (departmental) routes that are in white and yellow. The choices are seemingly limitless so there is no point in suggesting a specific route. Just put together the little winding roads and go! Camping locations are usually marked on them as well.

That's pretty much how I planed a tour in Spain. I bought a good travel guide (I recommend the "Rough Guide" series, figured out what I wanted to see, bought a Michelin map of the region and picked the smallest roads possible between the towns I wanted to visit. Worked out well nearly every time.

Also look for journals at crazyguyonabike.com. Finally, I got loads of camping information from the Spanish National Tourist Office in New York.